Shopping Trip Treasures!

I hardly ever go shopping. I was laughing yesterday with J and Kelsey that I couldn't remember the last time I've bought clothes. I need to pay for: rent, groceries, utilities, gas and misc. needs. Even when I was in college, I needed to pay for groceries and gas, and working three part-time jobs at Simpson just wasn't covering trips to the mall.

I'm making a lot more money now and now living with J's mom, but I'm still in that mindset. It's not easy for me to go to the mall and spend money on things I want, but don't need. Even now, I still tend to buy clothes that can be worn at work too.

Yesterday, I wanted to give myself a reward for eating well, taking care of myself, and (especially) for making The Big Move and working so hard all week! It didn't stop me from feeling guilty for spending money on non-essentials, but again, I'm trying to remember that rewarding myself is okay once in a while!

What did I get?

• Blue Blazer - I'm so in love with this, and I got it for $8 at Plato's Closet! It's a little stretchy and I can see myself wearing it casually, at work, and especially at law school!
• Yellow & Blue Infinity Scarf - I got this for $10 at The Stuff Store! Also in love - it's such a cute, modern print and I've been looking for something like this for months! I can't wait to wear this to dress up a t-shirt or tank top!
• "Priceless" - One of my favorite movies, which I found for $2.99 at The Stuff Store! I used to watch it on Netflix all the time, but it's not on Instant Watch anymore. It's French (which I love), about a gold digger who mistakes a waiter for a rich man. It's beautifully done and super sweet. I'm so excited to watch it again!
• "He's Just Not That Into You" - This was also $2.99 at The Stuff Store, and I just couldn't help myself. The book was great, and helped me move on when I realized the reason this guy wasn't calling me back was... Well, you get the picture. The movie is cheesy, but a great chick flick.
• Tan & Black Polka Dot Top - $29.00 at Maurice's! I normally don't spend that much on clothes (I know, I'm cheap) but I've been looking for this top for three weeks! Someone wore it at work and I fell in love. It's so versatile - I can wear it to work with nice pants or a skirt! I was afraid it was a little tight on me, but I still love it and they didn't have it in a large.
• Striped Top - $34.00 at Maurice's. I looked all over the mall for a green shirt to wear for St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, with no luck. I found a couple possibilities, but nothing I was crazy about until this top. Even at Maurice's, a lot of their green tops were either green, tight t-shirts or this kind of sea-green color. I loved that this was really green as well as loose and flowy! It'll be perfect for downtown Chicago!

J is driving me to Des Moines today and I'm so excited!! I'm staying overnight with my mom, and then we're flying out tomorrow morning for Hilton Head. My whole family is driving to Orlando next week and going to all the different parks, including... THE HARRY POTTER THEME PARK. AHHH! I can't express how ridiculously excited I am!

I don't know how much I'll be able to blog next week, so be patient with me. I'm so excited to spend time with my family and feel/act like a 13-year old girl again, haha. J can't come with since his spring break is in a few weeks still. I'm going to miss him so much, but I don't want to waste my time in  warm, Florida, Harry Potter paradise pining away.

Which of my purchases is your favorite? Do you prefer shopping at malls or thrifting? 

Are you going anywhere for Spring Break?

Love you all,

M

Finally Moved & Home!

We're finally moved and home!!! 

Yesterday was The Big Move, and boy was it exhausting. I don't know if I've been this physically and emotionally tired before. Jeanna and I finished packing up the apartment in record time before I picked up the UHaul truck I rented.

Driving that huge truck all evening was terrifying! I've driven a Simpson van before, but nothing this large before. I thought it was scary to drive when it was empty - once it was full, it was so much worse. I was so scared that every bump I hit was breaking my furniture, though I worried for nothing.

J and a family friend helped load up the truck. I helped carry the mattress and box spring, but I wasn't really any help for the other big stuff, haha. I'm so glad we got the 2-bedroom sized truck instead of the smaller one.

Everything and everyone got to J's mom's house in one piece, and we unloaded in record time! The cats didn't really like me organizing J's room all morning, but GOD were they happy when the bed was put together. They jumped on us all evening and night.

The bed does take up a lot of the room, but there's more space than I expected. We might even be able to move my dresser upstairs (it's in the basement right now)!

Of course, this move was even harder since J's mom's house is under construction. Her whole kitchen is being redone, so everything kitchen-related is currently in the basement. We can still use the stove upstairs for now, but it's not going to be there for that much longer. It's going to take some time for all of us to get used to these new, big changes!

I took this week off from work so I can help clean the now-empty apartment and unpack at the house! It's been crazy - I'm hoping I'll be able to go into work or work from here a lot this week before I leave on Thursday for Spring Break with my family! Maybe I should just enjoy the break though...

Do you have any tips for adjusting to a big change? Have you dealt with any big changes lately? Can you see how happy the cats are in the "new" room? :)

Love you all,

M

Moving Out

Quite the transformation, huh? It's not nearly as organized as I would like, but I'm not sure moving and packing usually is...

Bleh. You see my stuggle and the source of my stress?

There's still so much to take over. Thankfully, I took the entire week off next week to go into moving mode. I have a detailed (some might call it "anal") cleaning list once everything's out of the apartment. I want all of my deposit money back, and I'm not taking any chances. 

Lucky for us, since the apartments are being completely remodelled, it doesn't really matter what the apartment looks like when they get it back, so I'm hoping everything works out. I want them to give us a good recommendation if any other landlords call them!

Please send me good thoughts and prayers for the rest of this move to be stress-free.

Have you ever moved? Do you have any tips or tricks I should know about? How did you make it less stressful on yourself and/or your family?

Love you all,

M