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Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Why "Framed?"
Because my last name is Frame. The day I got married is the day I was "Framed." For those of you who were wondering.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Separate bank accounts
Is it normal for married people to have separate bank accounts? I'm not talking about "my money vs. your money" type of accounts, where nothing is shared. I'm talking about "all our money, but this is what you can spend" type of accounts.
Since we got married (almost 4 years ago), we shared one bank account and one credit card. We each deposited and withdrew from the same ones. I always thought that when you got married, that was how it was supposed to be. I would hear about people who had separate accounts, and I always thought it was weird, like the two people wanted to keep secret purchases from each other or something.
As time went on and we started saving money, we noticed that we were having a hard time getting past a certain number, and it was because I felt like I had nearly unlimited funds. We decided to set up a smaller account to help me budget, and to give me the option to save for special things that I want that Conrad doesn't usually like to spend money on.
I'll tell you something. I actually really like it. I have my set amount (or allowance) for the month, and I'm responsible for groceries, car maintenance, general shopping needs (and wants), and some household stuff. We decided that I would also budget for Christmas. Crazy! One thing I love about having the account is that I can budget almost anything into the month's spending, as long as I take care of those other things. It's also my own account for the money I make.
What about you guys? Do you have separate accounts? Do you like it or do you think it's weird and that things should be joint? What are your responsibilities if you do have separate accounts?
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A Year of Dates
date night
I announced a while ago that I was planning a big Christmas present for Conrad: A year of planned dates. I'm so excited about this present, because it's actually been relatively easy to plan them all, and not too expensive, either.
Some of the dates are smaller and some are bigger. Some of them are evening-only, some are Saturday dates, and some are weekend dates. I tried to spread out the bigger ones.
Here's what I've planned for the year:
January
A couple's massage and a trip to Greek Corner Cafe (voucher gotten at Deal Me In Today, and I found a massage place that has really cheap massages for first-timers)
February
Snowboarding at Mt. Baldy and a Starbucks run for Hot Chocolate (I had a Starbucks giftcard from a giveaway I won)
March (Anniversary)
Anniversary weekend in San Francisco
April
Carlsbad flower fields and dinner at Rock and Roll Sushi (voucher gotten at DMIT)
May
Hike and a picnic (FREE!)
June
Skydiving (maybe this?)
July
Kayaking in La Jolla and a day at the beach
August (My birthday)
Weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, borrow Conrad's parents' boat
September
Ranger camping (throw a mattress and some blankets in the back of the truck and spend a night or two under the stars) (FREE except for paying to park the Ranger)
October (Conrad's birthday)
Hot air ballooning and dinner at a local Trattoria (voucher gotten at DMIT)
November
Movie night and frozen yogurt
December
See a musical or a concert and get dinner
Here are some tips for planning your year of dates:
+ Account for birthday months and anniversary months. You'll want to plan your date around special events. You can do a bigger event on those occasions, then you won't feel like your big day is muffled with a small date.
+ Use sites like Deal Me In Today, Groupon, and Restaurant.com to help you plan cheaper dates. You can find awesome deals on restaurants and activities, and you may find something that you've never done before!
+ Plan for holiday months. November and December may be difficult months to get away. I know we're always booked every weekend at the end of the year, so I didn't plan any weekend trips.
+ Weather matters! Don't plan a beach day in February, or a snow day in July. Consider seasons when planning dates.
Monday, November 26, 2012
300 follower giveaway from The Domestic Geek
Congratulations to The Domestic Geek for reaching 300 followers! Milestone giveaways are so fun!
She says:
Last week I was at about 240 followers and decided to gather some blogger friends to do a big giveaway to celebrate 250 followers. Then I got nervous, what happens if I don’t get 10 more followers within the next week, was I getting ahead of myself? I’d really look stupid if I didn’t get 10 more followers. Looks like I don’t have that problem as my 250 follower group giveaway has turned into a 300 follower giveaway!
I want to give a huge thank you to all of my readers! All three hundred of you! I still can’t believe that anyone would want to read my blog, so having 300 followers is a really big deal for me!
I definitely want to thank my blogger friends who have contributed to this giveaway! These ladies put together some awesome prizes!
One winner takes all! Good luck and thank you so much for reading!
Meet Penguins, Pasta, and Polka Dots!
Hi there, new friends! My name is Halie, and I blog at Penguins, Pasta & Polka Dots. I'm so excited to be here with you today! I know not everyone likes guest posts (even though I seem to be one of the few that actually do), so I'll keep this short, sweet, and hopefully interesting - and maybe you'll come visit me at my own blog soon :)
I'm a 20-something Florida girl, just living life, and having fun documenting it all on my little bloggy-blog. And isn't the blog world so much fun? I'm loving it - meeting new people, and finding new blogs really is so much fun! I write about daily life mostly, but those things might include: food, movies, adventures with my boyfriend, recipes, my youth group at church, nail art and some crafts. But today, I'm sharing with you a super duper easy soup recipe. I mean super easy people, so get ready to pull out your crock-pot, and reap yummy rewards, without much effort.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes (I did the ones with green chiles for some extra pizzaz)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans enchilada sauce (in the Ethnic food aisle)
1 diced green or red pepper
1/2 diced onion
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cans cooked chicken (if you want to put in a tad more effort, cook 2 chicken breasts, and shred them yourself)
Shredded pepper jack cheese & sour cream for topping
Directions
Throw it all in your crock pot, and cook on low all day, or approximately 8-9 hours! (Or if you want it for lunch, cook it on high.) And man this baby is so yummy. And hello? Easiest soup recipe, maybe ever. The "hardest" part is just some simple dicing of peppers and onions!
Then when you serve it, top it with pepper jack cheese if you like spice, or the Mexican blend cheese to tone it down a bit. And of course some sour cream on top doesn't hurt anything either :)
So there you have it! A quick and easy soup recipe, for anyone who is a Mexican/Tex-Mex fan! I personally loved the stuff, and am already planning on making it again next week. Yum! I hope you all come and visit me at my blog, because I really do like making new friends! So stop by and say hi, and let me know how you found me today! :)
I'm a 20-something Florida girl, just living life, and having fun documenting it all on my little bloggy-blog. And isn't the blog world so much fun? I'm loving it - meeting new people, and finding new blogs really is so much fun! I write about daily life mostly, but those things might include: food, movies, adventures with my boyfriend, recipes, my youth group at church, nail art and some crafts. But today, I'm sharing with you a super duper easy soup recipe. I mean super easy people, so get ready to pull out your crock-pot, and reap yummy rewards, without much effort.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes (I did the ones with green chiles for some extra pizzaz)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans enchilada sauce (in the Ethnic food aisle)
1 diced green or red pepper
1/2 diced onion
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cans cooked chicken (if you want to put in a tad more effort, cook 2 chicken breasts, and shred them yourself)
Shredded pepper jack cheese & sour cream for topping
Directions
Throw it all in your crock pot, and cook on low all day, or approximately 8-9 hours! (Or if you want it for lunch, cook it on high.) And man this baby is so yummy. And hello? Easiest soup recipe, maybe ever. The "hardest" part is just some simple dicing of peppers and onions!
Then when you serve it, top it with pepper jack cheese if you like spice, or the Mexican blend cheese to tone it down a bit. And of course some sour cream on top doesn't hurt anything either :)
So there you have it! A quick and easy soup recipe, for anyone who is a Mexican/Tex-Mex fan! I personally loved the stuff, and am already planning on making it again next week. Yum! I hope you all come and visit me at my blog, because I really do like making new friends! So stop by and say hi, and let me know how you found me today! :)
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Craziest weekend of my life
This weekend was insane. Thanksgiving was wonderful and delicious. I kept thinking of how excited I am to host Thanksgiving someday in my own house. You may ask, Are you intimidated? And to that I say, Nah, fool. I got this.
Enough Ebonics from me. Friday was the wedding rehearsal and big multi-family dinner at Buca di Beppo. As soon as I put my jacket on to leave the house, Conrad saw that it was leather and wanted to match. Because that's what people do when they're in love. They coordinate outfits. So he put on his leather jacket, and off we went. Massive amounts of carbohydrates were consumed and much laughter occurred.
Saturday was the wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen. Claire looked amazing, and I had to fight back feelings of bitterness and jealousy and try really hard to just be happy for her. How the H does any mortal look that beautiful? How the H is she that skinny? I kept reminding myself that I would immediately do a juice fast (or regular fast, only for six months) when I got home. Can I have another wedding so I can try to top this one? These are the contents of my petty mind. Didn't I just get done being grateful for stuff?
Sunday was Conrad's cousin's mission homecoming. We went to church with them, then had lunch. The cutest thing ever was watching all the boy cousins (why don't we have a word for that in English? The French have a word...) sit on the couch together and watch Nate's mission videos. I took the amazing picture above that looks like it's straight out of a "Happy Family" magazine, or some sort of ad for a Mac Book.
I hope all of you had a great holiday weekend!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Massive giveaway with 5 winners!
Here's an amazing giveaway from Delightful Deets! Thought I'd share the love!
I don't want to get super sappy on you, but just want to say a huge THANK YOU to my sweet followers and to the amazing friends I've met through this journey! Your nice comments make my day. I love my little space in blogland and to express my thanks I have found some incredibly generous people to participate in my celebration of reaching 1000 followers on this blog and on facebook!
Seriously, you need to visit each and every one of them!
Over $575 in prizes, 5 packages means 5 winners!
Good luck, bring on the party!
Open to the US and Canada
Package 1
Package 2
Package 3
Package 4
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A good friend of mine, Lora Knight, recently opened up her own studio! I'm so proud of her and am excited for her! If you live in the LA area, or are in Southern California and are willing to drive up, enter for this prize!
Receive a free headshot/mini session
Thanksgiving is cray
It seems we are sick.
And we will probably be sick on Thanksgiving, like we have been every year. I'm grateful that at least it's not a raging UTI like a couple years ago (most pain I've ever felt).
My sister-in-law is getting married on Saturday!
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, Friday is the dress rehearsal, and Saturday is the wedding! It's going to be crazy! Saturday is also my Papa's 80th birthday.
What are your Thanksgiving weekend plans? Are they as crazy as mine?
And we will probably be sick on Thanksgiving, like we have been every year. I'm grateful that at least it's not a raging UTI like a couple years ago (most pain I've ever felt).
My sister-in-law is getting married on Saturday!
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, Friday is the dress rehearsal, and Saturday is the wedding! It's going to be crazy! Saturday is also my Papa's 80th birthday.
What are your Thanksgiving weekend plans? Are they as crazy as mine?
Saturday, November 17, 2012
The Pregnancy Story: Part 2
My Oma and brand-new me.
Part 1
Last time I updated you on our "situation," I announced that we are officially trying to get pregnant. Here's the latest update:
No news.
And honestly, the two times that there has been no news, I've been extremely relieved. Is that normal? I thought that I'd feel really disappointed if I didn't get pregnant when we decided we were ready. Does this mean I'm not actually ready? Probably not. It's scary! I'm more and more grateful for every extra month we have together, just the two of us, because I know that pretty soon, I'm going to get pregnant and everything will change.
I bought an ovulation kit to test when "all that jazz" will be happening. It's weird. I used one test, and it was negative (because I wasn't ovulating), and I felt like I was looking at a negative pregnancy test. They look exactly the same! I don't know if I should feel disappointed or relieved when I get negative tests. Is this normal?
If you're in the same boat as me, tell me how you handle all of it! What's the normal feeling? How long is too long to go without getting pregnant?
Friday, November 16, 2012
A BusyBaby Giveaway!
So remember a while ago, I wrote this post, inviting bloggers to become affiliates with BusyBaby and help spread the word about this awesome app? Great news! Today BusyBaby is giving away 2 of their iPhone apps to two winners!
BusyBaby is an awesome app that helps parents schedule their baby's daily activities, including naps, mealtimes, and playtime. Read more about BusyBaby's features.
People really seem to love the app! Check out the reviews here.
If you are a parent with a baby, this giveaway is for you! Interested in hearing more about becoming an affiliate with BusyBaby? Email me at tess@busybaby.com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Crockpot applesauce will change your life
In the late morning, as the sun starts warming up the world, as the men outside are powerwashing the outside of your building and making quite the racket, you're going to make crockpot applesauce. It's going to make your home smell like apples and cinnamon, and you're going to eat it for dessert, hot with whipped cream.
Only, you'll make more than two people need, so you'll invite some friends over.
apples before cooking
Here's how to make it.
Peel, core, slice and chop 8-10 apples. If you have this apple corer/slicer/peeler, it cuts your work in half. I bought one for myself for my birthday in late August, because Fall was coming, and Fall is apple season. A good investment, in my book.
So imagine what the sliced, cored, peeled apple looks like. It's the shape of the apple because it slices it in a spiral, so the whole thing stays together. Put it on your cutting board, cut it down the middle, then cut it down the middle the other way, basically making a + through the apple. Essentially, quarter it. That is how big you want your apples. If they're too small, they'll just mush up and your apple sauce will have very little texture. I like it lumpy, more like apple pie filling.
Put all the chopped apples in the crockpot, splash with the juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup if using bottled juice), 2 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon. Roughly stir, just to mix, then turn on the crockpot for 8 hours (low).
Sit back and allow your home to absorb the apple-cinnamon-y goodness. Even better, leave the house. Go run some errands, and when you come back, you'll be washed over with the smell.
Some ways to eat your homemade applesauce:
+ warm with whipped cream for dessert
+ on oatmeal for breakfast
+ on pork chops
+ as apple pie filling (add caramel and you've basically got this recipe)
+ by itself, as a side dish
+ as the dressing for a spinach salad with candied pecans and grilled chicken
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Some stuff pertaining to Facebook
I'm just gonna say what we're all thinking: I'm hilarious.
I'm probably my own biggest fan. Sometimes, I come up with amazing facebook statuses, post them, and sit staring at my screen in admiration of my own cleverness.
I read something once that was like (and I'm loosely paraphrasing), "Liking your own facebook status is like laughing too hard at your own bad joke," and blah blah blah explaining how it's tacky or whatever.
So I always refrained from liking my own stuff. But then one day, I was thinking, after a particularly hilarious post, "Sometimes I just want to like my own status."
And a light bulb went on. I had just thought of one of my best statuses. I would post "sometimes I just want to like my own status"... AND THEN I WOULD LIKE IT. It was perfect. I can proudly say it was one of my more popular posts. It got a lot of likes and comments. People, this is bad for my already too-big ego.
Anyway, another one of my great one-liners is:
Jokes about female bodily functions are not funny. Period.
Before you boo me out of my own house and throw rotten vegetables on my stuff, let me explain something. I thought of that completely organically. A while ago, I saw a pinterest image of the same phrase, and I proudly knew in my heart that I was cleverer than the person who made that image. I'm not saying I was the first person to come up with the phrase, but I came up with it totally on my own. Just like I also invented the squirty baby food spoon on my own, and then I realized it already existed.
I'm probably my own biggest fan. Sometimes, I come up with amazing facebook statuses, post them, and sit staring at my screen in admiration of my own cleverness.
I read something once that was like (and I'm loosely paraphrasing), "Liking your own facebook status is like laughing too hard at your own bad joke," and blah blah blah explaining how it's tacky or whatever.
So I always refrained from liking my own stuff. But then one day, I was thinking, after a particularly hilarious post, "Sometimes I just want to like my own status."
And a light bulb went on. I had just thought of one of my best statuses. I would post "sometimes I just want to like my own status"... AND THEN I WOULD LIKE IT. It was perfect. I can proudly say it was one of my more popular posts. It got a lot of likes and comments. People, this is bad for my already too-big ego.
Anyway, another one of my great one-liners is:
Jokes about female bodily functions are not funny. Period.
Before you boo me out of my own house and throw rotten vegetables on my stuff, let me explain something. I thought of that completely organically. A while ago, I saw a pinterest image of the same phrase, and I proudly knew in my heart that I was cleverer than the person who made that image. I'm not saying I was the first person to come up with the phrase, but I came up with it totally on my own. Just like I also invented the squirty baby food spoon on my own, and then I realized it already existed.
Here's another facebook gem. My doppelganger is Meryl Streep when she was a teenager.
Speaking of, where in the world is Doppelganger week? They had one like 4 years ago, and it was supposed to be an annual thing, but then they never had another one.
That's all I got. Go follow The Framed Lady's facebook page for post updates and hilarious statuses.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Re-sponsor?
I've sponsored many blogs during The Framed Lady's run, and some of them I've sponsored more than once. I know from experience that just because you've sponsored a blog one time, does not mean you've milked that audience for all it has. In one month, a blog might increase by 50, 100, or even hundreds of followers. There's no way all of those viewers were exposed to your blog, based on the simple statistic that not everyone was on their computer when your guest post went up (or whatever), and not all of the viewers decided to click over to you that time. Sometimes you have to really sell yourself before readers will decide to stick around, and that can take time.
I never hear anyone talking about sponsoring a blog "again," so I'm wondering if I'm the only one that does it? If I experience significant growth during a month while sponsoring a certain blog, I'll certainly consider sponsoring again. Price obviously has a lot of weight in that decision, but I'm willing to pay a higher price if there are a lot of followers to be gained.
What do you guys think? Do you sponsor blogs more than once? What factors are there when you decide on who to sponsor?
PS -
Sponsor The Framed Lady
Do you lose authenticity as a blogger when you try to gain a following?
Oh, and also, I offer discounts for sponsoring more than once. Ask me about it!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Becoming a Millionaire. Supposedly, it's easier than it looks.
Last week, I set a really huge goal for myself:
Become a millionaire by thirty.
I know. Huge. Unrealistic? Absolutely. I started reading Four Hour Work Week, and the author explained that you have to set "unrealistic" goals in order to gain the momentum to accomplish them. If you set mediocre goals, you're less likely to work hard for it, because it's not that great, and people often assume they'll get there without much effort. A goal that is already going to happen isn't really a goal. Also, there's way less competition for huge goals. Everyone realistically wants to make $100,000.
I want to document my process here. Maybe to help anyone who has similar goals? Maybe so I can write a book about it later? I don't know. You'll definitely be seeing more posts about it.
Here's what I know:
+ Working a day job won't make you a millionaire. An idea will.
+ Passive income is where it's at.
+ Choosing a partner is one of the most important decisions you can make. This person will either push you forward or hold you back.
+ You won't get as far with someone else's idea as you will with your own (for example, if you make a product that someone else already makes, you have competition from the beginning)
Here's what to do:
+ Set an unrealistic goal for yourself. Become a millionaire by age thirty.
+ Break your goal down into smaller parts. Set a timeline of steps that you need to accomplish gradually.
+ Make even smaller goals to accomplish those ones.
+ Get started. You're going to have to work really hard. Remember, your unrealistic goal needs a LOT of momentum, so you have to work way harder for it.
Friday, November 9, 2012
600 Follower Giveaway
When I first started planning this giveaway, I had just hit 600. Now I'm up to 650, only two weeks later! I've got to plan these milestone giveaways in advance, so when I hit the number, I can have the giveaway go live immediately, rather than taking time to plan it.
On to business. I've got so many wonderful friends who have donated to this giveaway! We've got make up, ad space, shop credit, and gift cards galore! What better way to get ready for Christmas than to win this giveaway? I mean, you'll be advertising your blog in 14 (YES, FOURTEEN) different places, adding to your makeup supply, and getting giftcards and shop credit, which you can use on Christmas gifts (for yourself, of course)! All the facebook entries are in one rafflecopter section, and same for twitter. I thought it would be faster that way. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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