Going to Ouray!

Last night my wonderful husband took me out to dinner and we started talking about taking a night away and going to Ouray. I have been really stressed and overwhelmed at work, and a night away in Ouray sounds perfect. We plan to head out on a Saturday morning, spend the afternoon in Ouray, go out for a nice dinner, and then soak in the hot springs for the rest of the evening. We have decided on the night of Saturday, November 13th for our little escape away from the crazyiness of life! We plan on staying at this quaint little lodge that has private hot springs tubs that are open all night long... I can't wait!

Adorable Invitations

I absolutely adore the website, tinyprints and I just ordered the invititations for my Pink Pajama Party next month. You can see what the invitations look like before personalizing here. These invites are pink and so perfect for this party! I love taking the printed invitation with me when picking out the favors and decorations for a party, that way everything is a perfect match! The invites should be here in a few days and then I can send them out to the girls and start planning the rest of the party!

Made It! $12,500 in Retirement

I made it to my mini-goal of $12,500 saved for retirement by the end of November! As of today, I have $8989.35 saved in my Roth IRA and $3719.90 saved in my 401k for a total of $12,709.25 saved. I am so thrilled to hit this mini-goal on my way to my ultimate goal of $15,000 saved by next March. I still can't believe that I have been able to get such an early start on saving for retirement and I look forward to be able to reach my next goal!

So Close to $12,500

Awhile back I set a mini-goal of $12,500 in retirement by the end of November. As of this morning, I am so close to that goal with a total of $12,374.29 saved between my Roth IRA and 401k. This means, that after my paycheck deduction to my 401k this Friday, I will be at my mini-goal! This just means I am one more step closer to $15,000 saved by next March!

Volleyball Starts Next Week!

I love the fall season for several reasons, but I love it even more because my two volleyball recreational teams start next week. I am playing on both a women's team and a coed team this year. The cost ($34 for each team) was not in the budget, but I still consider the money well spent because it will keep me active and it is an amazing stress relief! I can't wait to get back on the court and use my six feet tall frame to my advantage :)!

Party Planning Time

It has been two weeks since my last party and I am well rested and ready to start planning my next party. I am ready to start researching ideas and ordering supplies for my pink pajama party for my girlfriends. So far my plan is to pick a date for our evening of movies, goodies, and lounging in our pajamas and I need to order some adorable pink invitations. I also want to put together some pink themed goodie bags with things like lotion, nail polish, lip gloss, etc. I plan on serving several different bite size desserts and cocktails for the evening. And of course, we will throw in some delicious popcorn during the movie time. Stay tuned for more details on my next party for the girls!

Turning the Comments Option On!

When I first started writing my blog, I was hesitant to allow others to post comments. But after consideration and encouragement from friends, I have decided to turn the comments option on. So from now on any of you can leave comments, suggestions, or feedback on my journey to 25 and my blog posts along the way. Hope to hear from you soon!

Budget Recap - Wine and Cheese Party

Awhile ago when I was planning my wine and cheese party, I set a budget and I think I did a pretty good job of sticking to it. These were the expenses for the party:

-Custom Invitations from TinyPrints.com - $30.35

-Set of 12 Plates from Crate and Barrel - $29.03

-4 Bottles of Wine - $61.32

-Cheese Selections, Salami, and Appetizers - $77.47

So for everything, I spent $198.17, which is just under the $200 that I wanted to spend. Although, this party was expensive, it was worth it! Now back to being budget conscious for the rest of the month....

Incredible Party

I don't even have words to describe how amazing the wine and cheese party was last night... it was a blast! We had some of the most amazing wine, cheeses, and appetizers and laughed until we cried and enjoyed an amazing evening with our girlfriends. We enjoyed four different wines paired up with unique cheeses and had a blast talking about the flavors and different tastes and textures. We ended up drinking wine till almost midnight and having a great time sharing stories and laughs. I am so relieved that the party was a huge success and so much fun! I can't wait to do this kind of party again!

Inspiring Discussion

I just got home from book club and the discussion about "The Last Song" was incredibly inspiring. All of the ladies had the opportunity to share their thoughts about the book and how it impacted their thoughts or related to their personal stories. I was amazed how deep our discussion went and how much we were able to discuss about this book. We also had the opportunity to each bring a suggestion for the next book club selection and after much discussion and a vote, we have decided on "Await Your Reply" by Dan Chaon. I don't know much about this book, but it is always exciting to start a new read. And I can't wait for book club again on October 14th. Stay tuned for updates on how the book is going once I start reading!