Tax Season 2013

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So it's that time of year again... Tax Season! I honestly always enjoy this time of year because filing our taxes is like a game for me to see how much we can get back.
Every year I have just used TurboTax online to file and it has been a piece of cake. Unfortunately this year, they were wanting to charge me double the amount from last year on the Home & Business edition. I'm sorry but spending $75 to file my taxes is so not cool!

Our Cabin Weekend - Backpacking Trip #1

So this past weekend I was able to accomplish another item on my 101 in 1001 list :) For almost a year, we have been planning a Cabin trip with 25 friends to Burnet, TX. We were meeting there from all over the state for 2 days of fun and relaxation to celebrate one couple's 30th Wedding Anniversary.
The weekend was a total blast and I hope to share some photos at some point later. If not, then many were post to my Instagram feed.
I have been planning to sport a backpack for our entire European trip this summer, but this weekend was the perfect trial run for me. especially since my backpack was able to fit everything I needed for the weekend (food items not included for obvious reasons).

Menu Plan: February 25

My diet is still going strong. I am slowly losing the weight and am continually trying to find healthy yummy meals. Here is what we have planned for this week:

• Colombian Steak
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken 
• Barbacoa Beef over Cilantro Lime Rice and WW Guacamole
• Mexican Casserole 
• Potato Topped Beef Bowl 
• Beef Stroganoff

Menu Plan: February 18

1. Homemade Pizza
2. Slow Cooker Picadillo - The family ended up not liking this one as much as I did :-/
3. Creamy Spinach & Sausage Pasta 
4. Grown-up Mac & Cheese 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends (February 5, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0312642962
ISBN-13: 978-0312642969
464 pages
Ages 12+
Order Here for $10.75
My Rating: 5/5

The Soundtrack of My Life

As part of my 101 in 1001 list, I wanted to "Make a playlist of the theme song for every year of my life." Once I got started it literally took me less than 30 minutes to assemble it all. I just thought of that one song that I listened to constantly that year or that I would always think of when I thought of that year.
2000-2010 came to me like lightening. I had to put a bit more thought into the other years. The first 3 were hard because I was a baby, but I chose songs that I probably would have first heard at that time that have stuck with me ever since.
There are 2 bonus tracks because I couldn't choose between 2 songs for both '06 and '09. I look forward to updating this playlist throughout the rest of my life :)
If you'd like to have a listen, you can play the list after the jump...

How Do You Carry Your Weight?

In light of me losing another 3 lbs last week... whoop whoop!... I wanted to share this eye-opening photo.
All of those women weigh the exact same: 154 lbs. Granted some of the variation is due to height difference, but some of it isn't. 4 of those women look to be the same height but they carry their weight completely differently.
It's just a reminder that we can't compare that number on the scale to anyone else's because we each will look differently at a specific weight.

In My Mailbox: January 2013

Also Known As by Robin Benway

Also Known As by Robin Benway
Walker Childrens; 1 edition (February 26, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0802733905
ISBN-13: 978-0802733900
320 pages
Ages 12 +
Pre-order Here for $10.21
My Rating: 3/5

Menu Plan: February 4

Crockpot Korean-Style Barbecue Beef w/ Minute Rice - p. 131 WW Ready Set Go

Swedish Meatballs

Skinny Baked Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Salads w/ Skinny Ranch

Bobbie Sandwiches

Purchase History: January 2013

I cannot believe we are already into the second month of 2013! O_O That beginning of a new month means taking accountability for the previous month for me. I have really been enjoying this project, but it definitely adds a new layer to shopping when I have to keep track of what I actually bought for myself this month that wasn't necessarily essential.

2013 Special Convention

So we got accepted to the 2013 Special Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Latvia this summer! We are so stinkin' excited it's unbelievable :)

Save1 - Save Money! Save Lives!

I was recently contacted by the nice people over at Save1 to help spread the word about their amazing mission. While working like popular coupon code and deal sites, they stand out by providing a healthy meal to a malnourished child every time you redeem one of their offers. That's pretty impressive when you consider they've provided over 91,000 meals since their launch in October.