We use
Mint.com to budget and track our spending. One of the nice things about Mint is that you can set a monthly budget for a specific area of your spending (Food), and Mint will send you email alerts if you've exceeded your budget for the month. I logged on for the first time in a while yesterday to re-
categorize some recent expenses and noticed that we're already at $505 of our $600 monthly food budget! Eek!
First things first, I know plenty of you are reading this thinking "holy F, they spend how much on food every month???" We think that too. It's the one area that we're constantly frustrated with. We eat out too much. We go out with friends a lot. And groceries aren't cheap, especially when we try to purchase quality ingredients. I don't think I'd be as irritated if we were spending that much and eating the way we aspire to, knowing that we're spending on quality and to support our local food systems. However, that's not the case for the majority of this amount, so it's constantly irritating. (However, before you think we're too crazy, I would encourage you to sign up yourself and track every detail of your budget for a month or two. I bet you'll have some surprises of your own!)
So anyway, we have quite the challenge in front of us: to keep our August food spending to the already outrageous $600 limit. That means we need to spend no more than $95 on food over the next 13 days! Some challenges I foresee:
- We're going to see Still Time in SF tonight: booze and 2am burritos both count on the Food budget!
- We're making vast quantities of guac and 2 salsas for the annual Sand in your Shorts party tomorrow.
- I may be going to visit Dad next week: 12 hours of eating on the road, and typically lots of meals out.
Some things working in our favor:
- Raf has begun the wildness of quarter-end, which means Oracle will be feeding him most nights.
- I've had a crazy lunchy luncherson schedule out with friends for the past couple weeks, but have nothing else in iCal at the moment.
- We've done a ton of grocery shopping this month, including a bulk stock up at Costco, so hopefully with minor supplements, we can work with what we already have on hand.
That final point really sums it up. We need to make meals for the next 2 weeks based primarily on what is already in our cupboards. Novel concept, eh?! We started with dinner last night, and we did a pretty darn good job! The photo at the top is
Avocado Pasta Salad via
The Food in my Beard. It was SO yummy! As in, so yummy I wouldn't let Raf take the leftovers to work today (and I hate leftovers). We added some feta to this recipe, and Raf used red onions rather than scallions. Definitely a keeper in the tasty, simple, summer recipe department. Oh, and Israeli couscous (sometimes labeled Middle Eastern couscous) is a new favorite--we both loved the consistency of the larger pellets.
I figure if I'm in town and we're doing well on the food budget front at the end of the month, I'm going to go splurge at the Eat Real Fest in Jack London Square. Because, really, if I'm going to spend money on food, it might as well be awesomely tasty and in a festival environment, right?!
Today I ironed and cut the fabric for 9 new belly blankies. Count em, NINE!! Here are all the fun combos--reserve one for your next baby shower now! ;)
Love them all, but I saved the best for last--this is the combo I've had saved for our own little one since I started sewing. Looking forward to finally piecing it together. 
Ikea baby room furniture building, Round 2: the dresser. So excited to have this awesome gift from Grev and Lynda in the house! Maybe I can finally start getting stuff put away. Maybe. 
The first piece of baby room art, framed. It's so cute!! Thanks again, Nicole!
Finally breaking out the Charlie's to tackle this:
(hand me down receiving blankets, bedding, and gifted bibs and burp cloths). But not quite ready for this:
(the clothes!)
Nena joined me for a little road trip to KFalls to visit Dad for a few days. Of course, we barely touched the camera, so I don't have any good vaca photos for you. Instead, you'll get a few days of randomness! Like Raf's bucket "tool belt"! Cute, isn't it? I was getting a little tired of doodads all over the house...and of him spending an hour looking for stuff every night!
Wow, I'm behind again, huh? Funny...I didn't even notice this time! That pregnancy brain is a doozy! 
And the fact that I get to kick it with their adorable (highly mobile) babies makes it even more awesome! Thanks ladies!
I finally finished waxing all the shelves and poles so that Raf could get everything nailed in. Isn't it pretty?! This is what it looks like now that I've moved back in:
It's SO nice to have my things back in our room, and in a fairly organized manner even! Obviously, I had no problem filling the space, but I'm pretty impressed that our time spent designing actually resulted in a closet I'm not pouring out of. (Of course, this doesn't include my coats or my wedding gown, but I figure those don't really need to live in this closet anyway!) 
Contrary to popular belief, I'm a good wife on the rarest of occasions. For example, this morning I made blueberry pancakes for brunch while the hubba was busy working
We spent our Saturday at breastfeeding class (where you'll be glad to know I did not take any photos), then at the Prokosch's annual Sand in your Shorts party (where I was too busy chatting to remember to take photos). 
This photo I took at Anthro yesterday makes me happy. I wish Blogger layouts allowed for large photos. I'm thinking this one might actually need to be blown up, printed, and hung somewhere in the house for good vibes on a daily.
I needed an "S" for a new wedding CD holder order, so I cruised out to Berkeley today and had brunch with my friend, Brent, which is always a good time. We met up at Bette's Oceanview Diner on 4th Street. There's no ocean view, but the simple food sure is yummy! Careful, though. We went at 11am on a Thursday morning and this place was packed! I definitely wouldn't attempt it on a weekend. 
We trekked out to San Jose after Raf got home from work to help Griffin celebrate his 30th birthday. Lindsay had coordinated a little surprise party at their house, and I was happy to celebrate the fact that someone from our crew was turning 30 before me! 
Doesn't Griff look excited to be 30?? Ha! Happy Birthday, guy! 
We had leftover hamburger meat and no buns, so casserole it is. It'd be better in the wintertime, but it's still pretty tasty (minus at least half the meat the recipe calls for). 
