It's here!!!

For the past year the hubs and I have discussed at great length buying a new car. That's putting it mildly. We're not the type to make a rash decision on such a big purchase.

The research stage intensified over the past six months and became a daily conversation topic these past three months. Really there wasn't a weekend that didn't include some type of car research. Our starting point was attending the Motor Trend car show in Baltimore last winter. The hubs and I honestly sat and peeked around close to 50 car models.

Of course, when it came for each of us to write our prospective car list the two couldn't be more different from each other.

My top three cars:
1. Mini Cooper S
2. Toyota Prius
3. Ford Fushion Hybrid

The hubs' top three:
1. Dodge Challenger
2. BMW 328i
3. Chevy Camaro


See a minor difference between those lists??? I wanted optimal fuel efficiency and the hubs wanted lots of horsepower and speed.

So now, without further ado, here's a stock photo of my baby:


I love her! I'd sleep in her if that was an acceptable option in Baltimore. The hubs and I first took her for a test drive when she had less than a mile on her. Besides the car salesman, we're the only people to drive her!

I don't have any decent pictures of her yet because we didn't get home from the dealership until 9:30pm Friday night. Then, on Saturday we had a football tournament that took up most of the daylight hours. It rained all day Sunday and I don't get to see my beloved automobile during the normal workday daylight hours.

Hopefully, I'll take some pictures of her this weekend, but it looks like that might be difficult with the snow accumulations expected this weekend. Good thing the hubs and I have an SUV. Somehow I don't imagine a Prius earns its highest marks in the snow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!

Everywhere you go!!!

We got a bit of snow over the weekend and that was just the thing to jump start the Christmas feeling in our house.

The arrival of snow means one thing- playing outside with Jax!!!

I love a good bargain! (and you can too!!!)

Thank you Cyber Monday!!!

I planned on buying someone a canvas print as a Christmas present this year. Oh, who am I kidding??? It was for my sister and she knows all about it. I wanted to make sure I got her a print she actually wanted. So sue me for taking away a bit of her Christmas surprise. I don't think she'll mind that I'm sharing my bargain shopping habits.

Normal price of a 20 x 30 inch canvas print at Shutterfly- $129.99
Shipping and handling- $19.99
= $149.98 (plus tax!)

Current sale price of a 20 x 30 inch canvas print at Shutterfly- $85.79
Promo code for an extra $10 off any order over $30- JOLLY10
Promo code for free shipping for any order over $25- SHIP25
= $81.95 (including tax!)

Then, throw in an Cyber Monday deal at Ebates and I'll receive 20% cash back for my purchase at Shutterfly.

Point. Set. Match.

Needless to say, now I saved a few bones and can buy my sister something and actually surprise her!!!

If you planned on buying any photo items I suggest you mozy over to Shutterfly before December 2nd. Those promo codes are only good until then. Happy Shopping!!!

(I didn't receive any freebies from Shutterfly for writing this post. I haven't reached that level of blogging power yet and I doubt I ever will.)

I got a new phone!!!

I went from having one of the cheapest phones on the market to the new and very cool Motorola Droid phone! I didn't even send text messages on my old phone because it was such a pain in the bum to type out each letter of the word. Add that in with my anti-text slang stance and I basically never even purchased a text messaging plan because I hated texting with such a vengeance.

Anyway, the Droid is awesome. Well, in the 15 hours that I've had the phone I've come to love it. It's crazy cool how far phones have come in the past few years. Hopefully, with such a nifty device I can update my blog a bit more often. Or, just spend all of my "free time" on Facebook. Whatever.

I am worried that my current reading rate of finishing a book a week on the train is going to suffer due to playing on my phone. Oh well, I'm sure I'll strike a balance at some point.

Any cool apps I should download to my phone????

Attention Weekend shoppers!

Click over here if you want a 30% off coupon at GAP, Banana Republic, or Old Navy to use this weekend. You'll also be doing some good while you're shopping because 5% of what you spend will be given to Teach for America. It's a win/win situation.

Click Here.

Coming home to this...

... makes even the most hellish day fade into the background.



Thank goodness for woman's best friend.

Way to be a team player Jewels

I think once you become an adult and you start paying your own utility bills you begin to take on a whole different appreciation for certain things. When I was a kid I used to leave my radio on the entire day, forget to close my window in the morning, run the dryer an extra time to de-wrinkle my clothes, and take ridiculously hot showers. Now, I'm all about making things as efficient and cost-effective as possible. The hubs as come around to my perspective as well.

Especially now that the weather is taking a dips towards colder temperatures. Sweatshirts, heavy socks, fleece pants and the occasion knit cap are all cheap ways to keep the heat turned down a notch.

Even Jewels is getting into the spirit.