I have the best husband in the world.  And not just because he surprised me with flowers at work the other day!  I couldn't believe it.  I went out to the reception area and there they were.  I asked if they were really for me since we have another woman at work named Sandy Lowery and we're always getting each other's mail and phone calls.  But they were really for me!  It was a "thank you" for my hard work and patience.  I cried a little, but they were good tears.  All the girls were gushing over my flowers, too.  Tom thought that was kind of weird when I told him, and he said that's what makes men and women so different!  I wish I could have enjoyed them this weekend, but with going away, I just left them at work.  Anyway, I had something nice to look at for a few days - it really brightened up my cube!

I’m finally getting caught up on all of our latest happenings!  Our long weekend in Cape Cod was very relaxing.  The weather was so-so (rainy and chilly about 75% of the time), but we didn’t let that get in the way of sightseeing.  During our visit, I got my Cape Cod National Seashore NPS stamp.  We visited various beaches, but didn’t stay too long because of the wind.  The scenery is beautiful; I bet much more so in the summer.  There are two Visitor’s Centers along the seashore, and we visited both.  The Salt Pond Visitor’s Center had many more exhibits, so we spent a rainy morning there.  They also have a number of 10-minute videos including one about Thoreau’s time on Cape Cod (he even wrote a book about it), one about how the ice glaciers shaped the landscape and one about whaling and the thousands of shipwrecks that occurred along the coast. 

If we went for the eating alone, it would have been well worth the trip!  The first night, we went to a local restaurant that specialized in seafood.  Every meal came with a salad bar and it had an enormous and very fresh selection.  We also went to the Lobster Pot in Provincetown and had an awesome Lobster Roll Panini.  You have no idea how much I enjoyed that!  It’s a meal I will always remember.  We also found a barbeque place where I had ribs that fell off the bone as I picked them up.  A Ben and Jerry’s wasn’t too far away and of course we had to make a trip there!

The cottage my Mom is renting for the month of May is very cozy with all the necessities.  It’s within walking distance of town and near a harbor.  She’s so lucky to have the entire month there!  We were lucky to mooch off of her for a long weekend and see a different part of the country.  Of course, see the album for more photos!
 

Now that we have our new screen door, here are the rest of the pics!  We specifically got a screen door with a "pet panel" and look who's already loving it!  The front really has a presence now.  I can't wait to get rid of the olive green casing around the door - the will become white when we replace the windows.  There's always something to do!

Thanks to Crystal at Money Saving Mom, I've learned the money-saving ways of CVS shopping!  It was my first real trip and I had my list and coupons ready!  According to my receipt, I saved $25.18.  My grand total at the end was only $3.96!  No, I didn't steal anything!  I had a $4 off coupon on a purchase of $20, $6 in Extra Care Bucks and $7 in manufacturer coupons.  Saving is such a high!  Can't wait for my next CVS trip - I already have $8 off my next purchase of $15 or more.  I'll have to pick up the paper on Sunday for more money-saving coupons!

Hallmark is so cool. To thank everyone who attended my birthday dinner, I checked out Hallmark's website for some cool e-cards. And I found something new called Smilebox. Basically, you download some software and you can customize the message, music and add a picture. (It took me forever to find just the right music - the selection was great!)  You can send out a basic card, but you can't change the music, plus they send it out with ads and I thought that looked cheesy. So for $1.99 I can send it to as many people as I want. Oh, and I could post it to my blog! And the recipient can print it, if they like.  Tell me what you think!

Make a Smilebox free ecard

Doors...we come in and out of them, or at least we're supposed to.  Our old front door wasn't too good at letting us in, plus it was drafty, so we got a new one.  It's bright and secure and just plain looks good!  We're happy with our purchase, which will add a little more value to the house.  The best part?  I don't have to stand on my tip toes to look in the peep hole - it was inserted at my height!

I couldn't get rid of the old door.  It was original to the house and I feel attached to it with it being the door that my grandmother, grandfather, father and so many relatives passed through.  So we're storing it in the basement for now.  Tom thinks I'm crazy but I'm going to make a desk out of it when we get our back room in order.  Put it on top of two filing cabinets and then get a piece of plexiglass for the top.   I think it will look cool. 

Our contractor forgot to order the screen door, so that's coming in a couple of weeks.  Because of that, we had a little incident on Thursday night.  As we were bringing the old door in, one of our cats, Matty, got out.  (The old screen door doesn't close and we thought we shut the inside door.)  Luckily, I was only panicking for 15 minutes until we found him in the garage, scared, under my car.

So that's the story behind the old and new doors for now.  Below are before and after pictures.  (Excuse the moulding - we have some touch-up painting to do!)  I'll get a picture of the outside once the screen door comes in.

My Dad, Jill, Patty, Aunt Ronnie and Tom gathered at a nice Mexican restaurant for my birthday on Wednesday.  It was such a nice time and I felt luckier and happier than usual.   They showered me with lots of great gifts, but just having everyone there would have been enough. When I blew out the candles, I made the same wish I always do.  So far, it has come true year after year!  Thanks to all who made my birthday very special!

If you checked out the photo album earlier in the week, you got a good idea of the great time David and I had in Baltimore last weekend!  After meeting at our hotel, we headed to Red Robin for lunch.  They sent me an e-mail for a free gourmet burger and sundae for my birthday and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  I figured it was at least a $10 value.

From there, we headed to the Owings Mills metro station and took the subway into downtown and then caught the 1 bus to Fort McHenry.  It was the place the British attempted to attack the U.S. during the War of 1812, but we drove them back and they withdrew.  The event inspired Francis Scott Key to write the “Star-Spangled Banner” because as the British sailed away, the American flag was hoisted.  Fort McHenry also served as a prison for Confederates (ironically one of Francis Scott Keys grandsons was prisoner there on the anniversary of the national anthem) and an Army hospital during WWI.

It warmed up that afternoon, so it was perfect for walking around the Inner Harbor.  We headed over to Little Italy for dinner and had a wonderful sampling of Italian and seafood: scallops, shrimp, crab cake, mozzarella and tomato salad and bruschetta.  It was really tasty!

We were tired after an event-filled day.  David managed to score us a stay at Hyatt Place for $58 through Priceline.  What a deal as it was originally priced at $139 a night!  Our room was quite spacious and we had a 42” flat-panel screen TV.  We also had a nice complimentary continental breakfast the next morning.  Our expectations were exceeded!

We got one of the first tours at Hampton the next morning.  Hampton is a national historic site that is rich in history.  Built just after the Revolutionary War, seven generations lived in this Georgian-style mansion.  Our tour guides were very knowledgeable and expressive in their story-telling, touching on every facet of the era – from culture to industry to slavery.  They even gave us a glimpse inside of the families – the lifestyle, personalities, dynamics and their stories.  It was a trip back in time and I would highly recommend this stop if you’re ever in the area.

We concluded our quick weekend trip with lunch at a local restaurant famous for their crab cakes and tartar sauce, recommended by the volunteer working in the gift shop at Hampton.  And they were excellent!  We devoured our sandwiches and headed home after a really great weekend.  It was a great start to my birthday week!

Last Sunday, we celebrated my Aunt Ronnie's career finale over dinner at the Parc Bistro.  It's such a relaxed setting and the food is superb.  I had Chilean Sea Bass and Tom was brave and had the venison (and thoroughly enjoyed it).  Everyone really seemed to enjoy their meal and the company.  Aunt Ronnie worked for 35 years and just retired at the end of March.  She loves not having a schedule, although would like to slowly get into some routine.  She got a membership to the Y and is enjoying her morning shows.  It was such a nice family gathering and we rarely get together for Sunday dinner, so it was really a treat.  Click on the album to the right for more pictures and captions!

Well, I didn't meet my challenge.  Trader Joe's put me over the top for groceries over the weekend at $371 for the month.  While I was $71 over, I was $39 below my 6-month  average, so I am making progress.  And all of my groceries include all of the non-food items I listed in my previous post, so if we're counting purely food, I would bet I came around $300. 

As for dining out, I kind of cheated in this area.  Our Money file says we spent $141, $41 over goal.  But we also took $50 from cleaning money I set aside to have dinner with friends.  So I guess it was technically $91 over.  However, even this number is a huge improvement since the average was $290.

What did I conclude/learn from this little experiment?

• I definitely planned more and stretched our groceries, wasting next to nothing.
• Even the best laid plans won't happen after I come home from working 10 hours.  If I get home at 7 and the meal requires any prep at all (which most of them did), we sought an easier meal.
• The crock pot is my best friend.
• A chest freezer is a serious consideration and would be my new best friend.  Everything I read online and other people I talk to have one of these and they pay for themselves after a few months.  We just don't have enough freezer space right now to plan the way I need to. 
  
• Just eating out a little lunch once a week really adds up.
  
• However, it's always good to treat yourself once in a while.
• Although it busted my budget, I can't give up Trader Joe's!
• I need to keep planning, clipping coupons but perhaps not drive myself (and Tom) as crazy in the future!

So there you have it.  Not a 40% improvement, but I did get to 20%.  I'll take it.