Oh ya know...

We've been busy and the 'To Do List' is growing! We went camping at Kettle Moraine for one night. It was nice, not my favorite campground but still nice to get out into nature. We did it cheaply (hotdogs and potatoes) but still ended up spending about $20 more than our $50 budget which meant Ryan couldn't go see the new X Men movie like he had hoped. 

We also went to the GLEE concert. It was super fun! Our dear friend Roz gave us free tickets! We went out to dinner before hand at a yummy Mexican restaurant. We still ended up spending about $50 between dinner and gas. Geeze Louise! 

Now we'll be home for a while to restock the cash piles =) I had wanted to go into the city tonight for a party with high school friends but it's just not in the cards. Plus there are TWO parties this weekend for another  dear friend's birthday but sadly, they also aren't in the cards. 

We have a wedding to go to this weekend and still need to buy the gift! I'm really excited about the wedding! It will be the first wedding that we're going to while we're engaged! So it will be fun to pay attention to all of the details in a new way. 

It's a whole new learning curve for both of us in terms of self-control. We're having to pick and choose our social outings. Where as in Ecuador we didn't go out much to begin with so we weren't saying no to a lot of things. And then also when it comes to eating. My parents graciously cook/buy for all of us but it's usually not the healthiest of options. We need to start cooking dinner more regularly so that way we're eating healthfully. Oy vey! 

In other news, we went out to the Anderson Organics farm yesterday for the first time to pick up some surplus greens. SO GOOD! We'll be going out to the Rockford Market (or whatever the heck it's called) on Friday to pick up some more. We're super excited about our shares this summer. Plus we picked up some eggs from the Griesbach's. Good things happening in the food department (when we choose to cook). 

Today will include more rock moving (wahoo), working outside, cleaning, laundry, dishes, and organizing. It's taking a lot of time to really get situated but it's worth it because there's NO RENT PAYMENT! 

MULUB, 

Taylor

Chuki's Life in Illinois

Oh The Chukester Bear! We haven't really updated how Chuki has been adjusting to life in Illinois. I don't know what other way to describe it besides HE LOVES IT! Chuki is in heaven here. First of all, we have a yard which is AMAZING for both us and him. Second of all, everything is new for him. New smells, new sounds, new people, new food. EVERYTHING IS NEW! Plus, it's HOT here and HUMID here and that tires him out so quickly. And lastly, he's spoiled rotten and loves having all of the attention. You thought we spoiled him, you should see my Dad! (I know you're reading this Dad =) One pathetic look from Chuki and their in the gym or outside or playing rope in the kitchen! Chuki's already had a couple of ham bones, a pigs ear and gobs of cheese!

In short, Chuki loves life in Illinois. We love having a yard where he can run around. Plus all of the new people he meets everyday really helps him learn how to greet people. Long gone are the days of jumping on everyone!

I'll have to post some photos soon, but for now, just take my word... He's in heaven!

31 May 2011

The Food Journal Returns -


Yesterday we both worked for a couple of hours midday but before we left we made time for breakfast. Stonyfield Organic French Vanilla Yogurt and homemade Granola. Mine had a banana in it too.

I ate shortly after at work. They had leftovers from their Memorial BBQ. I had a chicken strip (maybe it was a breast cut in half?) and a little bit of pasta salad.

We stopped at the Matson's and we're gifted about 5 pieces of candy, which we both ate up immediately!

When we got home we did a lot of yard work and at about 6:30 hunger hit me. I had a small piece of pizza while I was making dinner. We ended up eating leftovers but they were fabulously repurposed: jasmine rice, cauliflower and green beans, and a hamburger crumbled up. It actually was pretty good.

For dessert we had Culvers custard with a pint of strawberries. Sinfully delicious.

And then we were hungry again around 9 and so we each had a piece of pizza.

As you can see our eating habits have changed drastically. We're working on curtailing them but it's hard. We're certainly learning self control!

Our New View

While I love and miss the mountains and our beautiful view in Quito. It is SOO SOO SOO great to be home. I love being able to pick up the phone whenever I want to call someone and I love being able to hop in the car and visit with our friends and family. My dad suggested I share a photo of our new view, and I think it's a great idea. While there are no mountains, there is the comfort of home. And for now the later outweighs the former. 

Not too shaby!

Financial Freedom

I've gotten quite the response about the money post and I must say this is a topic that people my age are really thinking through. I guess a couple of other observations that I've had after talking with people are...

At some point in our lives we are all going to have to learn the lessons of financial freedom. Financial freedom will look differently for everyone. I would rather start to figure it out now, when it's just Ryan and I, instead of in the future when there are so many more consequences.

Saying no to things is different for everyone. For me and Ryan right now, we're eliminating buying stuff because that's the place we're in. But I have friends that are making decent money and they might have to say no to international vacations but not to buying stuff. Does that make sense? It's about living within your means, not living without just for fun.

And lastly, it seems that a lot of friends are thinking this way and feeling this way. Feeling stress about going out for an expensive dinner or drinks. So, especially in Chicago, I feel like we should try and take more advantage of all of the free events that the city has to offer. That way we can enjoy spending time with each other and still stay within our budget. Or something like that.

It's an interesting learning process and I'm glad we're talking about it.


MULUB,
Taylor

In Chicago

I love Chicago. It's such a great city where everything feels at the same time BIG CITY and SMALL TOWN. It's just a great place to live. I hope to be able to move back some day and possibly raise a family here but that day is not TOday.

Here are some random musings:

Everything is so expensive. My parent's used to say living in the city is just more expensive than not and I never agreed with them. Sad but true, I was wrong. It's expensive. My dad also always used to tell me "Sometimes you just have to say no. You can't afford to do everything." While I absolutely HATE the idea of this, it also is true. Ryan and I lived on such a tight budget while in Ecuador that the prices in the city are absolutely absurd to me. Last night I went out for pizza with girls that I love. Hannah and I paid together and it cost us $45 FOR TWO PIZZAS, tax and tip. We didn't have wine, we didn't have an appetizer, we didn't have dessert. We literally had two pizzas and tap water. Ryan and I could have gone out to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days with $45. The bus here is $2.25 in Ecuador it was $0.25. The cost of living and the quality of living is just so much higher here that it makes it ridiculous.

Here's the hard thing... my friends live here in the city. So dinners like last night are more common than not. And I have a REALLY hard time saying no. But if we ever moved back here we would have to just say no. Which to me just seems counter productive. If we move to Chicago to be close to family and friends but we can't afford to see family and friends, then what's the point?

Another observation... there is such rampant consumerism and materialism here. Now I know that individuals have very little control over it because its a product of the society that we live in. But pizza costs $15 because enough people pay it. Hannah and I stopped into a coffee shop before we met the girls for dinner and I just asked how much a banana costs. The response = $1. In Ecuador I could buy a whole bunch of bananas for $1.50. I know that isn't a truly fair comparison but still. There is so much temptation here in Chicago to spend money on things that really don't matter. In Ecuador we learned to live without things because they didn't exist and so it was easier. Now our lesson has to be resisting the temptation to buy and consume when the options are plentiful. I love pretty things and I used to shell out a lot of money for things that were just pretty. That abruptly stopped in Ecuador because they make things useful, not pretty. Now I have to learn self control.

Which brings me to something I've said before and I'm saying again. People here in the USA have so much stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. This one has been easier for me in our 'home' (read - my parents' basement). We have what we need and all of the extra stuff we either through away before we left for Ecuador or is still in the storage bins. It's a truly freeing feeling. I don't feel tempted to go to Target and buy things just because I want them.

My biggest temptation is when it comes to friends. If a friend says lets go out to eat or lets meet for coffee or lets do this or that, I have a really hard time saying, "I can't because I don't have the money." But I need to get better at it.

Let me preface this by saying, I completely 100% am still trying to figure this out! Which makes me wonder, how many people out there don't have the money to live the life that they are living? How many people are too embarrassed or self conscious to say 'No, I can't' and so they do it anyways and go into debt to continue the lifestyle? I know that I struggle with it all of the time. But it's crazy. I used to have an astronomical credit card bill because of dinner dates, coffee and shopping trips. Not because of anything of substance. I realize that this is probably just more for me now. So with that, I leave you with these two thoughts: Would my friends understand if I said 'no' to an invitation because I couldn't afford it? And would they welcome the idea of a cheaper option, i.e. a potluck dinner at someone's house instead of a dinner out?

Our Engagement!

You heard right, we're engaged! It's all very exciting! Here's the story...

We were at the beach in Ecuador, just a few days before we left to come home. Ryan had been carrying the ring across hell and high water. Well not actually, but he did carry it up a mountain, down a mountain, on many dangerous bus trips, on hikes in which we got lost and then to the beach. Just a little back story, we LOVE the beach. Both of us. And my favorite thing about the beach, any beach, is watching the sunset. There's something very magical about watching nature put on a show for you. So anyways, every time we go to the beach we don't come in until after the sunset. After a day of swimming, laying out, reading, walking and eating the best end is to cozy up with a yummy snack or beverage and watch the sun sink. Our engagement day at the beach was no different, except that Ryan hadn't been feeling well so I spent a large part of the day solo. We thought that it was going to be a cloudy sunset but just in time the clouds rolled away to reveal a HUGE sinking red ball of sun: a truly perfect sunset. But while we were waiting for those clouds to roll away the family in front of us had two little puppies that we played with! Maybe Ryan arranged that too =) So the night started with playing with puppies, then we had these yummy pizza bread snacks (as typical in Ecuador, someone is always walking around selling food), and then the sun came out. Ryan and I had a great conversation about our time in Ecuador. He asked a lot of questions that usually I ask (i.e. What are your favorite five things we did here?). And then he said something about how much we love watching the sunset and how he hoped there would be a lifetime of watching the sunset together and then he got on one knee and asked me to marry him! My response was something a long the lines of OH MY GOD! IS THIS HAPPENING? WE'RE GETTING MARRIED! for about the next 3 days!

So after he proposed we called my parents and his parents and went for a celebratory feast! We decided to try and keep it quiet until we got home so we could tell our friends and family in person. I believe everyone knows now and so onto the blog it goes! We've begun the planning process and already I'm overwhelmed. Originally we were thinking of getting married in the Fall of 2011, so like a six month engagement. But I had one week of that and decided there was no way. It was all too fast and I wouldn't have enjoyed it. So now, the plan is to get married next late spring/early summer.

All that we know is that we would like an outdoor ceremony and reception, if possible. We want something small and intimate full of friends and family that know and love us. We want a night full of great food, lots of laughter, sharing, and candlelight, good wine and music. Other than that, I'm not sure. I have a vision of what I've always dreamed of but I need help making it a reality. I'll be sure to post more details as they come. For now here are a few photos from the very magical night.

Puppies!!!

Pizza!!!

Perfect Sunset...

Gets even more perfect! Ryan on one knee.

We're getting MARRIED!

The ring

The sun keeps setting

An amazing dinner!