Foods

Jarred and I are not the healthiest eaters, but we're not terrible either.  I used to try to eat super healthy foods but since I began buying groceries for myself, I can't bring myself to buy some things I used to eat.  I definitely pay attention to food prices and get annoyed when it gets more expensive.  I noticed that my usual bread went up in price buy 11 cents last week and I was pissed.  Really.

I normally plan our weekly menu on Sundays for the upcoming week.  I'm pretty limited when it comes to ideas for meals.  I could probably write down on a single piece of paper all the recipes I know and use.  Even though I have many cookbooks, I don't put much monetary value on our food, so we eat what's cheap.  I don't want to make something that has tons of ingredients because the remaining will just go to waste.

With all that being said, Jarred and I definitely don't starve.  We have the beginnings of nice belly pooches that attest to that.  I buy what's cheap even when there may be more calories, I figure we're young and have the drive to be active to counteract any high fat food.  I don't want anyone to get the impression that most cheap food is bad for you.  Totally untrue.  I buy off brand tomato soup rather than Campbell's and it has less sodium, fat, and calories per serving than the name brand.  Take that high dollar foods!

My grocery list for the week:

- lettuce head     -broccoli     -cucumber     -eggplant     -zucchini     -tomato     green pepper     -green apple     -2 baking potatoes     -hummus     -marina sauce     -chicken breasts     -red beans and rice mix     -cheddar cheese     -cereal     -milk     -tortilla chips     -salsa

And that's it!  That's not all I need for this week's meals, but I already have some of my ingredients at home.  I have decided that it's easiest (and cheaper) for me to only think about one week at a time.  Some will say that buying groceries to last 2 weeks is cheaper, but I've found the opposite is true.  I only buy what I need.  I will also buy a new bottle of shampoo this trip because we're going to run out during the middle of the week.  I have enough toilet paper for another week, but I will then have to buy more.  I used to keep toiletries stocked up, but I would find myself buying the same things week after week because I couldn't keep track of what we were running low on.

Our menu for the week:

Monday:  Broccoli and cheese baked potato with salads

Tuesday:  Chicken salad on toast with cut up veggies

Wednesday:  Fried eggplant with marina sauce and salads

Thursday:  Red beans and rice and salads

Fiday:  Spaghetti and meatballs with veggies/salad

I also try to cook things that will have leftovers for Jarred to have for lunch.  We used to buy frozen dinners for him, but that got old (and expensive) real quick.

None of our meals are overly expensive to make and it provides some variety.  I wanted to cut back on the meat intake this week, so we'll only be having it with the chicken salad and spaghetti.  I don't normally buy snacks, but I'm having a craving for chips and salsa as well as hummus, which is something we never have because of expense.

I don't really deviate from our regular recipes.  Jarred can eat anything and I know if I'm getting tired of eating something, he won't mind.  It may take more time to cook a meal, but there's always more satisfaction and I always get exactly what I want!

April is Nice

Hello party people and happy April!  I am loving this month so far.  It's been nothing but kind.  However, it's only the 3rd day in, so we'll see how long I'll keep whistling this tune.  Hopefully for a long while!    I hope winter has finally gotten the much overdue memo that it is no longer wanted.  The next 10 days look promising, though rainy.

I took a bit of a break from blogging to celebrate my mother's birthday -- photos found here.

Other than a birthday and a lazy weekend, nothing else has really been blog-worthy.  I have been scouring Pinterest for new crafting ideas and I found one I loved.  Wrapping glue-soaked yarn around a balloon and letting it dry.  I figured it would make one heckuva mobile.  I couldn't not try it!

Maybe I'll add more sometime.  I just wanted to get my feet wet with this simple project since I have a test Tuesday I also needed to study for.  But next weekend, it's on!  I'm going to be making some more buntings for our apartment.  No idea where I'm going to put it, but heck, why not??

I'm still feeling super elated about my move to an art degree.  So much so that I took silly pictures with my artist's figure.  What a trusty friend he was.  Glad to know we're back together.

I will be back later this week (not sure what day) to write about our eating habits and give you a sample of our menu for the week.  Until then!

Officially Official

I'll be honest. I almost wished I hadn't jumped the gun and announced to the Blogger universe that I was changing my major back to art. Because (being honest) I wasn't sure how I was going to back-peddle and tell everyone I wasn't actually going to change my major to art and that it was just me being hysterical and silly.  With some thought, I figured out all I really want to do is graduate as quickly as possible.

Except, I did change my major.

I almost didn't go through with it.  Change is super hard for me and I have had thoughts before about changing my major. And then I got over my hissy fit of how much I hated finance and went back to studying.

Everyone has their breaking point.  And this was mine.  It's not as though this semester is worse than last.  Nothing can be worse than last semester.  Ever.  Even though I'm taking bare minimum hours, I still hate what I'm doing.  And then I came to a cross road.

But still.  Change is hard.

Since we're being honest, I'll tell you that I contemplated never going to the art department, even after e-mailing with the department head.  I was in class this afternoon and was having a battle inside my head over whether to make the leap.  Because did I mention I hate change?

I think I give partial credit of making me take the leap to one of my dear classmates.  Some other finance students and I were discussing a test we had taken on Monday.  None of us were excited to see the results.  My sweet friend blurted out, "You know, I might not be graduating soon if all the tests are as hard as the first.  Too bad I'm not in a easy bullshit major like art or music."

I said nothing.  Actually, it didn't strike a nerve.  At all.  Remember, I'm being honest here.  It didn't phase me.  In fact, I smiled at her comment.  She doesn't understand.  She doesn't get how everything in life can be beautiful and can be recreated using a paintbrush, carving knife, loom, or even your own hands.  She doesn't get how good it feels to create something and be proud of it.  She will never experience the joy of taking an idea from her own head and turning it into something tangible and sharing it with others.  She doesn't understand.

Class ended.  I waved goodbye to my friends and made my way to what has already become my sanctuary.  Up many flights of stairs, I was huffing and puffing.  And when I arrived, I felt like crying.

Beautiful prints on the wall.  I spotted some intricate tapestries hung by rods.  Students were discussing art techniques.  This place really exists?

And I met with the head of the department and he was wonderful.  We talked for a good while about what I wanted from the major and what we'll do to achieve it.  I felt like I needed someone to hear me out.  I needed him to care about why I was coming back to art.  Why I had left.  And why I was unhappy.  Because I've had the answers bottled up inside me for almost 2 years.

He listened, nodded, and said that I need to go where my heart really is.  He understood.  And then he welcomed me back home.

I'm sitting at the computer right now eating my soft-boiled egg with toast.  A wonderful late lunch to celebrate finding what I've been searching for.  The paperwork hasn't gone in yet, but it doesn't matter.  I am calling myself officially official now.  Yes, I think I am back home.

I Am

Tired.

But through this sleepiness, I feel free.

Free of worry, doubt, and anything negative.

This depression that has surrounded my life has been lifted and the only way to describe my mood is: good.

I am good.

I haven't been able to say that in a long while. But tonight I can truly feel it.

There is still no house. No extra income. Nothing.

But I feel free from everything that made me sad.

I am good.

Hello.  My name is Meaghan and I am ... an art major again.

Favorite Cleaning Products

I've been trying especially hard nowadays to keep our apartment clean.  I got into such a funk and was mopey and depressed about the state and smell of our home.

We live in an apartment that is not very insulated.  We put up curtains partly to keep utility costs down because we could feel air rushing into the the apartment through gaps in the seal.  Besides for higher heating/cooling costs, we have neighbors that smoke outside.  And that comes in through the window cracks too.  Even though neither Jarred nor I smoke, our clothes, furniture, appliances, and everything smell like stale cigarettes.  I haven't been wanting to spend a small fortune on air fresheners since they can get expensive fast.

When Jarred and I were in NC for Spring Break, I pulled my clothes for the day out of the suitcase.  It stunk.  So did my windbreaker.  Being away from the apartment, I noticed the smell right away.  Gross.  The smell was so rancid, it gave me a headache.  And then I'd had it.  When we got back home, I went to the grocery store and ended up buying a Glade PlugIn and solid air freshener because a stranger gave me a nice coupon they weren't using.  I also got the strongest scent I could, which ended up being Apple Cinnamon.

(Photos courtesy of glade.com)

This stuff works.  I love coming into the apartment and smelling something other than smoke.  It smells nice and I restocked this past Monday. I believe I payed around $5-$6 for the Scented Oil twin refill.  Each once lasts around 2 weeks.  So $6 per month for the Scented Oils.  I don't know how long the solid air freshener will last, but it's holding up well and next week will be going into week 3.

Some people really like hardwood floors.  I think they're a pain, especially with a dog.  But carpet also sucks, so which is the lesser of two evils?  I love my Swiffer WetJet, but honestly, it's expensive.  I hate buying the refills of cleaning pads and solution.  Hate.  It drains the wallet so fast.  Last Sunday I saw an advertisement for Rubbermaid's Reveal Mop.  It's just like the Swiffer, but reusable.  Comes with a microfiber pad and refillable solution bottle.  I found it on sale at Target for around $24 and bought an extra pad for $5.  I used it right when I got home. 

 

(Photo courtesy of amazon.com)

Love. Love. Love.  The pad is much bigger than the Swiffer pad, so it takes me less time to mop.  And there's no batteries that power the squirter, unlike the Swiffer.  The Reveal has a lever you pull and solution squirts onto the floor.  Simple.  I recommend using distilled water because tap water may clog the mop.  I'm surprised that only now have companies come out with greener solutions to cleaning. 

As for all-purpose cleaners, I use Mr. Clean.  Love the Meadows and Rain Febreze scent and can use it for floors, kitchen, and bathroom.  

 (Photo courtesy of mrclean.com)

Since I only have to use a small amount for effective cleaning, I feel like I am saving money by buying this.  We don't really buy name brands except for when it comes to cleaning.  We buy generic dish soap and detergent to cut costs where we can.


I've also learned a few tricks to keep everything smelling good.  I bought a box of fabric softener sheets and hide them everywhere!  I have them tucked in drawers, shoes, and tacked to the walls in our closets.  I'll change them out once the scent it gone.

I'm not good at keeping things clean for very long, but I'm trying.  Maybe that's a good thing about still being in an apartment.  I can hardly keep up with this, so how am I going to keep a house clean?  Something to keep in mind....

Addict

I'm a little addicted to Pinterest. Take a peek at the website and then come back and tell me you don't want to participate as well.  If you do want to participate, let me know, I can send you an invitation.  Pinterest is in its beginning stages, so it's by invite only.  I feel like I can't explain the concept well enough to do it justice.

I've been getting a lot of creative vibes from Pinterest and have many ideas lined up.  I'll let you see what I've done once those projects come to fruition.

It's another beautiful day, even though it's about to rain.  I have the curtains thrown open and my candles melting on the warmers.  Right now I feel like I'm at the beach, melting Seaside Holiday.  In the bedroom, I'm melting Soft Blanket and the bathroom smells like Sunflowers.  Good day.

I'll leave you with a video and photo.  My new obsession comes in the form of a musician which doesn't happen that often.  I'm sure everyone's heard of Adele by now, but in case you haven't, here's her new single from her new album:

Powerful voice and I really respect her for not falling to the pressures of 'thin' Hollywood.

I took some pictures of myself in my two new dresses Mom bought me, but I only like one of the photos.  This is the dress that will be worn to weddings this year:

Please excuse the wild, pulled-back hair.  Louie had an early vet appointment and I didn't feel like dolling myself up.  Jarred loves this dress because of the detailing around the neckline.  It may be difficult to see, but it's like little flowers.  I loved this dress, but it's growing on me even more.  The other dress is white with little black stripes (not appropriate for weddings - only the bride wears white) but I couldn't get a decent photo.  It will be my Easter dress, so there will surely be photos up in late April.

I'm still battling some health problems, but thankfully I get to be home a lot to nurse my poor stomach.  Also gives me plenty of time for housework, schoolwork, and crafti-ness.

When I look at life that way, yes, it's quite easy to see how blessed I am.

Inspire Me

I love inspired projects.  Completely original results.

Lots of times I have a difficult time thinking up cute crafts on my own.

Thankfully I have Jarred.  Back story:

Mom and Dad bought our bedding back in '09 when Jarred and I moved into our apartment.  We love it.  Seriously.  But I've yet to find an accent pillow that matches the quilt pattern and/or color.  Sis was able to find satin the perfect green color to make us pillows for Christmas, but I haven't found anything myself.

Fed up with our blah-looking bed, I vowed to Jarred that I would make an accent pillow myself.

Without missing a beat, Jarred said, "Accent pillow?  Is that a pillow that says "'Ello!  Would you like to lay your 'ead on me?""

And thus, this project was born.

 

I made this in one afternoon and am proudly displaying it next to our bed. While I am still in the amateur stages of embroidery, I still love it.  Unfortunately, I still have no accent pillow for the bed.

One project at a time Meaghan.

I was recently invited to participate in Pinterest, a website that allows you to 'pin' pictures and ideas to a 'pinboard'.  I have just started getting the hang of it, but if you'd like to check it out, here's my personal link.