11 Goals for 2011

1. Be Happier with my body.

2. Get Healthier through exercise and support from Nutrisystem.

3. Spend More Time with my Hubs.

4. Craft More.

5. Computer Less or at least more efficiently.

6. Read at least 26 books in 2011. I used to read so much more, but life happens.

7. Run a full 5k. No walking. I hate running, but this is a bucket list item for me.

8. Stick to a family Budget.

9. Go on a family vacation. This is much needed. Our last "vacation" was 3 years ago.

10. Add color to our home's walls. Painting scares me, but paying someone to paint pains me.

11. Maybe Baby? Some may think this isn't a goal, but there is a lot to accomplish personally and within our family before baby #2 can come along

12. Okay - If you know me at all you know I can't stand odd numbers... While I probably should make #12's goal to work on that - I am not going to. Instead I am going make my last goal for 2011 to Live in the Moment more. There are so many memories that will never happen twice. I want to try to live for each moment each day.

Daily Vegas ~ God Jul

GOD JUL

May you enjoy lots of time with your family.

Thank you for all the love and support you have given to me over this past year. I am constantly humbled by the sweet comments from perfect strangers turned blogging friends!

Christmas Blessings from Our Vegas Family to Yours!

Daily Vegas ~ Moments into Memories

Our house has had a lot of commotion lately.

• The Hubs returned home after being deployed for 6 months.
• My Mother came into visit from Minnesota.
• My Aunt and Uncle also came to visit from Minnesota.
• My Father-in-law came to visit from Indiana.
• We have gone to the circus.
• Squish started gymnastics classes.
• We have gone on a train ride to see Santa.
• We went to visit Santa again at the Bass Pro (if you didn't see that picture, it is a must see!)

And the Squish has been enjoying ever minute (save for Santa) of the added attention. He has had so many people to entertain, he has barely stopped.

Until last night. Last night we were all supposed to go out to dinner with my Father-in-law, but the way Squish was acting, I knew he wasn't going to be able to hang in for that. So we opted to stay home while my Hubs and Sister-in-law went with my Father-in-law.

And boy oh boy am I glad we did. Squish was just done.

IF you know my son at all, you know that to get him to sit still for more than 30 seconds is a feat and a half.

But last night the moment everyone left, and it was just Squish and Mama, he crawled up onto the couch, cuddled into me, and sat. FOR AN HOUR. Just chilling with Mama. We watched Olive the Other Reindeer. He laughed at it, and tried to share his bottle with me. It was one of those moments that are made into forever memories.

Sometimes a boy just needs his mama! And sometimes a mama just needs to know she is needed.

Oh, and if that wasn't cool enough, this morning it was the Hubs turn to get up with the Squishapillar. I must have been pretty darn tired, bc I didn't wake up again for 3 hours!!

(I have been fighting a cold for two weeks, and needed the sleep!) (A huge thanks to my Hubs for letting me sleep!)

But when I opened the bedroom door, my Squish saw me, threw his bottle down on the ground, pasted a huge grin on his face, and RAN into my waiting arms. Picture me melting, I seriously just about cried.

This little boy gets me every single time. I am so blessed to be his mama!

How to Start a Budget

I am super excited about this post.  With the Holiday season hemmoraging money seems very common. 

As a somewhat newer married couple (3 years in April) the Hubs and I are still trying to figure out the whole budgeting thing... okay, it is mostly me, but we are learning together. 

One of my main issues when it comes to starting a budget is feeling overwhelmed with where to start.  This is where Danielle comes in!

Danielle Liss is a lawyer in Las Vegas. In April 2008, Danielle hit her financial rock bottom. Due to overwhelming student loan debt, money owed to her grandfather from his assistant when the housing bubble burst (he helped her avoid a short sale) and credit card balances of approximately $37k that she ran up due to compulsive shopping addiction, Danielle was lost and not sure where to start financially. She started working with consumer credit counseling to pay back her credit cards and by December 2010, she will have paid approximately $30,000 back in her unsecured debt. First, she learned how to budget and can happily say that she now lives with an all cash budget. (Although she doesn't use actual cash. She has a well loved American Express Zync card. She doesn't really want to go down the credit card road again.)

Q: How should one begin to budget? It feels really overwhelming - I have no idea where to begin.

To begin budgeting, I highly recommend setting up a spreadsheet. There, list all of the money that you have coming in. This way, you know how much you have to work with. Then, list your fixed expenses for the month, such as your utilities, mortgage/rent, car payment, insurance, etc. Then, add in estimates for your variable expenses. This can get tricky, so you will need to look over the past couple of months and see how much you have spent in these categories. How much do you typically spend on groceries? Eating out? Clothing? Entertainment? Then, look at the expenses that come up only once or twice a year, like holiday spending, vacations, etc. Divide those numbers by 12 and enter them into the budget so that you have an idea of how much goes toward that expense each month. (That way it won't be a surprise expense at when that date hits.)

Once you have all of those numbers entered, is there money left over or is there a negative amount? When I set up my first budget, I was really negative. I had to sit down and figure out where I could cut my expenses. I realized that I was spending ridiculous amounts on eating out and groceries, so those were the two biggest areas that I cut expenses and that helped considerably.

If you aren't a fan of making your own spreadsheets (which is a completely foreign feeling to me - it is listed as one of my interests on Facebook), there are a lot of good forms online. I highly recommend the free resources offered by Dr. Dean Burke on The Millionaire Nurse. Trust me, it doesn't matter if you aren't a nurse, he was my money coach and he whipped me into shape. He has a great budget template that you can start from.

If you use online banking, I highly recommend Mint.com. They offer fantastic budgeting tools. It allows you to sync all of your credit cards, bank accounts and investment accounts. You can create a budget online. Then, if you exceed your budget or you are coming close to the threshold that you've set, you can ask Mint to send you an email or text alert to notify you. It's a great service and one that I personally use.

Q.What is your #1 Money Saving Tip?

For me, as a recovering compulsive spending addict, the biggest thing I have to remember is to evaluate whether or not I actually NEED to purchase an item. Shopping isn't meant to be a hobby or a way to hang out with friends. I no longer shop as a way to pass the time. I no longer shop to make sure I am getting a great bargain.

For most people, I think the key is to keep careful tabs on your food budget. See how much food you waste each week. When I started keeping track, I was ashamed at how much food we were throwing away. We started planning careful menus and made sure that we accounted for leftovers (either for lunches or for another meal later in the week). We spent a lot less when we were wasting less. Also, don't buy what you don't need in the grocery store. It sounds so simple, but it really is true. For a while, I was really into couponing at the grocery store, but then I realized that I was buying things for the bargain and we ended up with so much stuff that we weren't eating. It wasn't stuff that I would typically buy. Now, I don't buy the Sunday paper and I don't coupon at all. I don't buy enough brand name items to make it worth the time or effort.

If you are eating out a lot, you can often make something healthful and tasty at home for a lot less. We stopped going out to dinner. Sure, I still want sushi on a regular basis, but there is absolutely no reason why we need to spend money to go out to eat sushi once a week. It's such a waste of money in the grand scheme of things.

Q. Is it possible to be green on a budget? (I know - not your favorite word)

People ask this question a lot. I personally think that being green has saved me a ton of money. I realize that not everyone is going to run out and buy a hybrid car (which saves me a fortune on gas), and that's not really the point of the green movement. But when you look at the little things, most of the green movement can fundamentally save you money. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce - what can you cut back on? Do you need to use paper towels or can you use rags? When we switched from paper towels to rags, I saved a small fortune. Reuse - by reusing things, you are not buying something new, so you are inherently saving money. And buying recycled goods is not that much more expensive. I get recycled plastic trash bags that are also biodegradable and there isn't a big price difference between those and what you would typically see advertised by Hefty.

Think about how much you spend on the various cleaners in your house. Before I got my ionator, I stopped using all of my chemical cleaners and started making my own. Making a bottle of all purpose cleaner cost about a dollar, instead of $4 to purchase something at the store. If you prefer to buy a branded green cleaner, you can do that, but you can also discover the wonders of baking soda, vinegar, and tea tree oil. It's a whole lot cheaper.

I purchase organic food at Costco and it is much cheaper there than it is at most super markets. Here's another tip - organic meat tastes sooooo much better than meat that is pumped with antibiotics and fillers. I hated chicken until we switched to organic. The flavor is completely different.

And if going green means turning off a light or putting small appliances on a power strip so that it can be turned off when not in use, that's saving you money off of your utilities. You don't have to install a solar panel to go green. There are so many ways to do it. You can walk outside - Free. You can go to the library instead of buying new books - Free.

You control your money and you decide which companies to support as a consumer, so you can make the decision to support only those companies who are environmentally responsible. It's that simple.

Being green isn't about spending tons of money to make crazy improvements to your house so that you can be Ed Begley's newest rival. It's about awareness and doing the things that you can to reduce your carbon footprint. Growing your own veggies or composting your own soil will only save you money. Organic food will improve your health.

There are so many options. I highly recommend that people who are on the cusp of going green, but feel overwhelmed pick up a book to give them some guidance. I really liked Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano, because that had a real world approach. She didn't expect me to give up my a/c in the Las Vegas summers. It showed me that there were things that I could do and it gave me tips on how to do them. And how to save money. (And I got it at the local library.)

Our Family Afternoon at Circus Vargas ~ Daily Vegas

The day after the Hubs came home we (Squish, Hubs, SIL, and I) all ventured out on a beautiful, although slightly chilly very windy, day to see Circus Vargas preform.  

 You may remember I had run a giveaway for 5 family 4 packs of tickets, and talked a little about who and what Circus Vargas was in a prior post.

Even thought the Hubs was absolutely wiped for a long deployment and long travels, he was happy to be home, and we were all excited to take Squish to see his first Circus.

When we got to our seats, Squish was so en-rapt with the show and all the people, he couldn’t bring himself to sit down.

In fact he spent much of the performance standing in awe! 

Although he did enjoy spending time on Daddy's lap too!  Can you see how much my boys liked the show!! 

He enjoyed the dancing, music, stunts, lights, and LOVED the clown.  

He even made friends with one of the Kenyan performers!  There was I am telling you, there are few that can resist the smile and charm of the Squishapillar!

When he did finally sit down, he couldn't take his eyes off of the show!  He was one entertained little man!

After the show everyone was able to meet all of the performers and get autographs.  Squish loved giving his program to them so much, that we have several autographs from the same people!  Super sweet!

Everyone at Circus Vargas was very nice and seemed to really enjoy performing.  I know I had a blast watching Squishy watch the show.  I don't think he has ever stayed so involved with something for that length of time ever.

If you get the chance to go see Circus Vargas, I highly recommend you go.  It promised to be a fun family afternoon, and it sure was!  On the Squishy Rating Scale Circus Vargas gets an Extra Squishable!

Disclosure:  I did receive family tickets to go see Circus Vargas for the purpose of reviewing the show.  However, no monetary compensation was given, and my review is 100% my own and honest view.

Merry Christmas ~ Happy Holidays

Have you done your Christmas Cards yet? Now that the Hubs is home, I can't wait to get ours done FINALLY!!

But in honor of our first family photo taken yesterday - I give to you:

Family and Life in Las Vegas 1st ever Christmas Card!

I can't believe Christmas is already only 25 days away!!

Daily Vegas ~ Daddy is HOME!

I can't believe I am still up, but I suppose it is the excitement of having the hubs home. He is currently SNORING loudly next to me - Ahhh! The sweet sound of a hubby home!

Squishy took a late nap, and managed to stay up way past his bedtime to wait for daddy. And boy oh boy, was the Hubs happy to see him! So much has changed in 6 months!

My favorite part was when Squish said "Hi there Bob Bob!" (He has never really called the Hubs Dada or Daddy. I am sure that will change now that he is talking more, but I know Daddy doesn't mind one bit! In fact he thinks it is cute!)

I can tell you Squish loved having his "Bob Bob" home. He has already shared several hugs and a couple sloppy kisses. Not to mention he had to show off some of his new tricks!

Tomorrow we are off to the circus. Hopefully the Hubs will be okay. I know - not the best timing, but it is for Squish so he is going to try.

Other than a few pre-written posts and the announcement of the Toddler Wonderland Winners (Tomorrow is the last day to enter!!), I am probably going to be absent for a few days, which I am sure you can understand!

So happy to have my family back together! Now I am going to attempt to fall asleep next to my sweet chainsawing hubby! Love that man!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with family friends yesterday. They live out here half the year, and are more family then friends! (although they are great friends!) Their son has to work holidays so we usually celebrate early or late depending on the year. We had a great time.

Squishy walked into their home and with-in 1 minute had shoved a handful of cat food in his mouth (yes, my son ate cat food!) and flipped over the water bowl. He was everywhere. But it sure was fun.

My little man LOVED mashed potatoes. He couldn't get enough of them. I could barely get them from the spoon to his plate before he was shoveling them into his mouth.

Hope you are all enjoying your families and eating lots of yummy food. I have many things to be thankful for this year. But I didn't want to forget to say thank you to you - my readers. I love all the comments of support and encouragement from perfect strangers. You have all made my day in one way or another. So from the bottom of my heart - Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!

And....
You better guard your mashed potatoes or someone Squishy may just come and steal them!!

Daily Vegas ~ Single Parenting VS Single Parent ~ Wordfilled Wednesday

We have reached the end of another deployment. The day that my Hubs will be returning is within reach. I can count down the hours instead of the months.

And boy oh boy, I ready to be done with Single Parenting! Every part of me is ready for a break. My son is a sweet little Squish, he is by no means a “difficult” child, but that doesn’t mean that doing it on your own isn’t extremely exhausting.

All the choices whether they are small or large decisions are all yours. Every time your child wakes in the middle of the night it is all you. Late night runs to the ER when your child has a temp of 105.5, yep just you.

Daddy Leaving - Squish just shy of 5 months

You sleep when you can, and cry when you can’t. You love every moment with your child, and praise every moment you can get away to breathe.

But the main difference between Single Parenting and being a Single Parent is eventually your spouse comes home. Whether they have been deployed for 5.5 months or they have been on business for 2 weeks. The moment your spouse/partner comes home and wraps you in their arms, you know that rest is in your future, the pressure of making choices for your child is again split, and you are once again parenting with someone you love.

Daddy home - Squish 9 months

I have had two deployments spanning just less than 10 months total to learn how to deal with Single Parenting. Those 10 months have given me is an amazing perspective into the daily life of a Single Parent.

Single Parents are amazing people. I don’t know how they do it, because let me tell you, it is not easy. Rewarding? Fun? Crazy? Chaotic? Amazing? Lonely? Yes, it is every one of those things, but it is not easy.

When the Hubs deployed the first time post baby, Squish was 5 months old; I had no family in Las Vegas. My mommy friends were newer friends, and had families of their own. I was embarrassed to accept offers of help, and forget about asking for help. By the end of that deployment I was SO.INCREDIBLY.EXHAUSTED.

There were days when I wasn’t sure I could do it anymore. I hadn’t slept more than 3-4 hours at one time. I look back and feel like I missed out on so many moments with my son. Even though I was there, mentally I had checked out.

This holiday season why not offer a full day off to a friend or family member who is doing it all alone. Tell them no is not an option. If they don’t want a whole day, tell them to take an hour to go to the grocery store, better yet tell them to take 2 so they can do some holiday shopping.

If you happen to be a Single Parent, or are Single Parenting and someone offers to help you. Just say yes. I know it isn’t easy to say yes, and harder still to ask for help.

Daddy Leaving - Squish 12 months

This deployment I was lucky enough to have my Sister-in-law here. She moved out to be closer to her nephew, find new opportunities, and to be there to help me when her brother deployed.

Because of her, and some really great friends; sure I am RIDICULOUSLY.READY for the Hubs to come home, but I don’t feel like I missed out on important moments. I’m tired, but I can breathe. I got out of the house almost once a week just me. It has made a world of difference.

Thank you Kim. Thank you Thursday friends. Thank you Hubs - for doing what you do, the privilege of staying home with Squish is one I am blessed to have. And Single Parents – You amaze me.

So more of a Wordful Wednesday than Wordless Wednesday, but a wonderful Wednesday none-the-less.

Other Wordless Wednesdays:

Parenting By Dummies

5 Minutes for Mom

A Beautiful Mess

Live and Love Out Loud

Family and Life in Las Vegas Holiday Gift Guide

Welcome to Family and Life in Las Vegas’s 1^st Holiday Gift Guide. Before I begin sharing all my holiday finds for you and yours, I want to say a few things. You are going find that a lot of my gift guide includes a lot from my fabulous sponsors. When I first made the choice to start blogging publically I sat down and thought a lot about where I wanted to take my blog. I knew I loved to write, and I really wanted to write what I love. I have held that as my personal guideline for my blog in all my writings, reviews, giveaways, and even in considering sponsors. I truly love what these companies have to offer. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.

Personalized for your little one.

Blanket Full of Love – Starrytime Keepsakes

Personalize this storybook for your child, and make storytime a memory for your littlest bookworm. A timeless gift that infants, kids, and parents will both enjoy equally. $44.95

Now you can also get a personalized blanket to match from Admiral Road. $49.00 Ages 0+

Inspire Imagination

Hape Bamboo Solar Powered Dollhouse – EcoMom.com

A sustainable dollhouse with actual working lights! This is an amazingly fun dollhouse that will encourage your child’s imagination and teach them about solar power at the same time! - $229.95 Ages 3+

Melissa & Doug Car Carrier – EcoMom.com

Adds another level to simply playing cars. You little one can now carry cars like the trucks they see on the road. Melissa and Doug are leaders in the wooden toy industry. These cars are sturdy and will stand up to crashes your little on may cause! $19.99 Ages 3+

Crafty Kids Shuttle Imagination Playhouse – EcoMom.com

Let your child’s imagination soar! This cardboard playhouse is made in the USA with 100% recycled cardboard. The sturdy surface allows your child to draw and not worry about it falling over. There is no limit to the imagination and creativity it will inspire. Best part? When they are all done with it, you can fold it down and put it out with the recycling. $69.95 Ages 2+

Kiboomu has thousands of songs for your little one to enjoy! Head over to i-tunes and fill up your child’s playlist with fun and creative songs your child will love to listen to.

They also have some wonderful apps for you iPad/iTouch/iPhone. These will not only keep your child entertained, but are wonderful learning tools too! Old MacDonald App is a great place to start! Ages 0+

Prices vary from $.99 to $9.99 for a whole album

BabyPop Designs

What child wouldn’t love a superhero/princess cape of their own? These handmade custom capes and masks are sure to inspire creativity for hours and hours. The capes feature child’s initial and logo of choice. Prices vary on what you order Ages 2-7 (To get it in time for the Holidays – you must order BEFORE December 5^th)

For your little Artist

www.ecokidsusa.com has designed and made a line of eco-friendly products that kids of all ages will be sure to enjoy. Their products are made completely of non-toxic all natural ingredients and are packaged in eco-friendly containers. Ecokids products are so safe your little one can actually eat them.

eco-paint

Powder based paint handmade with flour, cornstarch, wheat paste, earth clay, natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts from annatto seed, beets, blueberries, carrots, paprika, purple sweet potato, red cabbage and spinach.
Makes 60+ ounces of paint.

5(4oz) containers - $24.00 – Also available in gluten free for $30.00

eco-sidewalk chalk

Handmade using kaolin clay, water, potassium sorbate, and natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts from annatto seed, beets, blueberries, carrots, paprika, purple sweet potato, red cabbage and spinach.

12 sticks (6 colors, 2 multi, 4 white) - $24.00

eco-dough

Molding dough handmade with flour, salt, cream of tartar, organic rosemary oil, vitamin E oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, potassium sorbate, citric acid, natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts from annatto seed, beets, blueberries, carrots, paprika, purple sweet potato, red cabbage and spinach.

5(4oz) containers - $24.00 Gluten free - $30.00

Moms to Be or Moms of Infants

LaDy LaDuke – Feeder Frocker Nouveau Nursing Cover

What is great about this particular nursing cover is it is stylish, convenient, and beautiful. You can where this to a holiday party and not worry about finding a holiday top that will also allow you to feed your child. It is also great in the fact that it covers everything. No more hiding in a corner when your child needs to eat. Perfect for stylish on the go moms. The stylish sash actual plays double duty as a cloth wipe and a binkie holder. Approximately $50.00

For Friends/Co-workers/Hostess Gifts

Champagne Key – EcoMom.com

By RSVP International this Champagne Key makes opening Champagne bottles a breeze. This is a great gift for a hostess, office party, or a Champagne lover. It is made of Zinc Alloy and comes in a gift box. $19.95

Roost Porcelain Succulant Flower Taper Holder – EcoMom.com

You can’t go wrong with a gift like this. Each petal is hand formed and then put together to form the flower. A really great gift for anyone in your life, and useful throughout the entire year. $10.00

For the Ladies

Priti Nail Polish, Oleaster – EcoMom.com

Kim D'Amato's private collection of nail polish is a non-toxic, fast drying, chip resistant line of nail color. They are named after plants and flowers that inspire their names. These make a great gift for any woman in your life, not to mention a great stocking stuffer! $12.50

Just Be.

A shout out for a couple of local designers and crafting mavens. I recently stumbled upon their work at a craft fair, and I have to tell you their hand stamped necklaces, or scrabble tile jewelry would be the perfect gift for anyone in your life. These items are custom ordered, so get your order in now for the holidays!!

Twenty Five Design

Big fan of her handmade accessories here! Love the headbands, cuffs, necklaces, clips, well really I love everything. Any lady in your life will enjoy a little love from Twenty Five Design. The prices are great too.

What about those guys in our lives??

I am a Stuffed Animal

Turn your hubby, brother, father or friend into a stuffed animal. I know my Hubs would get a huge kick out of this! Especially since he deploys so much. Our little Squish could have his Daddy Animal all year round! Perfect for any man in your life. $69.00

Create your Own Coupons – DIY

Use your imagination and create some fun coupons for Dad. Or give your Hubby a coupon for a day off. He can redeem it for a day to spend as he pleases. This is sure to be a hit for any Dad or Husband. Use your imagination and involve your children in the process! - Free

Don’t forget your Thank You Cards! – Jumping Jax Designs

When the holidays are over, and you are ready to send out your Thank you cards, why not have something personal to send. Becca at Jumping Jax Designs does it all from Birth announcements, Holiday Cards, and can do thank you cards for you and your family! Get your custom creation today! $20

Featured products from:

Leave me a comment with which item from my gift guide you would like to have most, and get 6 extra entries into the Toddler Wonderland Giveaway of your choice!!

Please be sure to head over to Crazy about My Baybah & The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom to see their holiday gift guides!