sweet tooth

i had the entire week off between christmas and new years.  normally andrew and i head to the mountains for a quick getaway with our friends from chicago.  this year we had planned to go to florida to spend a week in the sunshine at my dad's house, but low and behold, plans fell through.  i was bummed!  luckily we found out early enough that it wasn't going to happen before purchasing tix. so we were stuck in colorado.  well another good thing about not traveling, is that i came down with a sinus cold that pretty much had me in bed my entire break.  i left the house only for christmas and one other day because i couldn't stand just laying around for one more day.  on new years eve, i was fine, still a little stuffed up, but not contagious so i took a field trip with my sister and kiddos!

i can only imagine having children and trying to find indoor activities for them to enjoy while they are off from school.  thank god for daycare!  so my sister planned a day trip to none other than hammonds, a candy factory in the heart of denver.  they are a local candy factory based out of denver, and sell to many boutique stores and even some large grocers.  throughout the week/end they offer tours that show how the candy is made and let you taste some of their samples along the way.  they make every thing from chocolates to candy canes to everything in between.  we had planned to go to the facility to check out the tours and see what their birthday party packages were like.  my nephew, who turns 7 this month will be having his little soiree there with his friends!  so cute!

my sis called the store on new years eve to ensure that they were still holding tours that day, their recording said they'd be closing early (1 hour earlier than normal), but made no mention of tours.  we got there with plenty of time prior to closing, and we asked a person that worked there where the tours started, and they told us that the factory wasn't in production.  fail!  what a bummer, would have been nice to mention that on your recording, because we had 3 kids in tow who were expecting a tour! gosh darnit!  they said we're playing a quick video. oo great, i'm sure these kids would love to sit through a five-minute video when they were expecting a tour! i mean in all fairness the video was informative and i did learn a few things that i didn't know, but still make it clear to your customers that you won't be offering a tour, which i might add is the only reason to go there!  because no one actually just goes to the candy store to purchase something i could have bought at king soopers!   

we ended up purchasing a few candy canes ($1 each) and a few other items!  we'll definitely go back for a tour, since we missed it this time, and hope the party lives ups to the hype!

here are a few pics!

saving in 2013!

i always get frustrated when it comes to money.  money is always leaving, and only once a month coming in! it's amazing how hard it is to hold on to anything, because we are all inundated with bills, bills, bills!  i'm hoping that in this year, andrew and i'll be able to put money away and keep it there!  believe me, we've tried, and without fail, something comes up!  when we purchased our home we got a nice new homeowners tax credit, but all that went to the wedding.  when we sold our car, and put money away, that went to andrew's hospital bill.  we're always a step behind!  in 2013 my goal, is to save! i already don't spend money on anything fun, but with these big items out of the way, i think it's completely possible.

i'm obsessed with pinterest, and while perusing the boards, i cam across this little gem!  a way to save in 2013!  i can't wait!  i'm so excited that i've already made my first deposit into my savings account!  if you didn't go to the link, here's a nice picture of what i'm talking about:

saving for 52 weeks!

i know we all want to save, because a lot of us are in that stage where we need to start thinking about the future.  heck i wouldn't be lying if i wasn't terrified at the fact that andrew and i aren't saving for kids we don't have, or that house with a yard we talked about!  or maybe i should just calm down a bit, and be a bit more patient, because that day will soon come!  or just not worry at all, because people make it work!

i plan to stick to this, and hope that as the weeks go on, i'll feel like i'm able to stash away this little amount! 

are you saving? how much every month? is is hard to stick to?  i'd love to hear your thoughts!

new year!

time is flying by! it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating christmas and we're already in the new year.  life is going full speed, and i wish it would slow down a little for me to enjoy!  as i reflect back on 2012, overall it was a good one, but we can always strive for better things in 2013.

2012 is sort of a blur, really.  i can remember the big things we did, but as far as the little things they have slipped my mind!   i started off the year studying for a gmat exam, applying to grad school, and finally getting accepted!  in may we traveled to europe (which i still haven't blogged about) for a 2 week long vacation.  we traveled across the big ocean blue for a whirlwind adventure in hungary! i hope to gather my thoughts on this trip eventually and blog about all the fun we had! truly a remarkable experience.  july andrew and i bought a car.  over the summer we went boating several times with our friends in ft. collins.  in august i was promoted within my organization which was exciting, and slowly but surely i have been making the transition to my new duties! yay! also in august, i began my 2nd semester of grad school - even though it was accounting, and i was all worried, i passed that class with flying colors (not sure what my problem was in undergrad!).  september we took a quick getaway to breckenridge with my family for labor day.  we ran not one, but two 5ks (neither of us had run an organized race outside of the ones for school).  we took on a back splashing project in the kitchen.  celebrated the holidays with both our families.  and now here we are already. 

i would say 2012 was by far the hardest year for andrew and i, especially financially.  last time around new years, andrew ended up in the hospital when we were in the mountains, slapping us with a big 'ol hospital bill - thankfully now he's on my insurance! but trying to manage and budget all the time, has been seriously frustrating, and has taken its toll on both of us.  every month it was something - bill this, bill that, car payment, textbooks, license plates, repairs.  we were very limited on the fun we could actually have.  i can only hope and pray that 2013 is much better! 

here's to hoping for health, wealth and happiness in the coming year!  we are truly blessed with a wonderful life and each other!  2013, you better not let me down, i have high hopes for you! 

this year we can expect the following:

semester 3 of grad school for me! (2 classes starting in 2 weeks)
hopefully a trip to florida for my birthday
a wedding in chicago in june
semester 4 of grad school
a wedding in colorado in june
semester 5 of grad school (yay look at me go)
a wedding in chicago in september
and hopefully a ton of other fun things!

cheesy!

my baby nephew kaleb is a little cheeseball! i couldn't help but share these pics from our holiday cookie baking day with you all!

this boy was always so serious around cameras, now he's ready at all times!

he plays his own peek-a-boo!

cheesy!

put his face into the couch....

and popped back up with smile!

we love having baby kaleb around! he's so fun and so adorable!