Fair Fun :))

It's fair season :)) 

Well, we went to the Racine County Fair 5/6 days. And oh man did we (Nick) go over budget. I realized I have been very frugal with our money lately. Trying to pinch every penny so that we can save more for our new house. Nick on the other hand spends like crazy.... 

Anyway, Bryson LOVED the fair! He was in heaven being around all the tractors and farm animals. Such a country bumpkin :)) 

My little country boy :))

Staying out late watching Tractor Pulls! 

Playing on the lawnmowers...

@ the concert! 

This weekend confirmed Bryson's new room theme -- tractors & trucks! 

Fearful I'm raising my boy to be a hillbilly :-/

-Mandy :))) 

House Buying Update

Short Sale OUT.... Foreclosure in.

We were SICK of waiting for our offer to be looked at by the bank and let alone be accepted, so Nick signed the paper work and closed the contract on that house.

It really was a hard decision, because the thought of house shopping again was horrible.

FORTUNITLY we found a cute house in Bristol (my home town) that was priced 12,000 less than our offer we put in on the short sale. Yippy!!

We are currently negotiating the price with the bank and hopefully we can call it home real soon!!

I am starting to look up ideas for the kitchen and how to fix that up because the layout is HORRIBLE!

I will update you as soon as we hear back from the bank!

-Mandy :))

Wedding Binder :)

My wedding binder is assembled!

This week I was determined to start planning my wedding, so that means putting together my wedding bible.

Instead of picking on up from Hobby Lobby, the cute pink binder that I've been tempted to buy YEARS before getting engaged, I went the cheap route and made my own.

While searching through Wedding Binder DIY ideas on Pinterest I noticed many brides have used the same template, so I jumped on the band wagon.

Russell and Hazel offers free wedding templates on their website. So, I printed out all 57 pages :)

Luckily I had a three ring binder lying around -- even though it isn't the prettiest binder around it was the cheapest - FREE! It was filled the 3-hole clear gloss covers, BONUS!

The wedding templates are numbered and I am assuming they are suppose to be filed in order -- but I put them in the order that made the most sense me to -- checklists, bridal party attire, vendor information with the planning worksheet....

I made a cover complete with a picture of us. I gave the binder the title 'becoming mrs. blum', in the font - I love what you do (DOWNLOAD HERE!)


I went to Target and grabbed some colorful side tabs to divide all the categories and smaller side tabs for the sub categories.

Needless to say I am in L.O.V.E with the finished result :)

Happy Planning!

-Mandy :))

Four Days Left....

The final count down begins.... the bank has until Thursday to counter or accept our offer for the Short sale in Paddock Lake. I am getting a bit nervous because I was actually able to see myself in this house and could picture how I wanted to set up every room, the repairs, and add-on we were going to do.

Short Sales really SUCK. We have wasted a month waiting around for this house, so I am going to be VERY upset if we loose out on this because the bank is being a pokey puppy. I am getting aggravated with our realtor because I feel she isn't being assertive enough with this whole process. Everything I have researched on short sales recommends badgering the bank to get the ball rolling. I feel like she is sitting back enjoying the time she isn't showing us any listings. I should contact the bank myself :)

We went back out on the hunt last night and let me tell you there are SLIM pickings!!
Let's just hope we see some activity from the bank so we don't have to pull out and look at more houses.


-Mandy :))

#shortsaleproblems

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA :))))

Well its a hot one out there!! Jeans were a bad choice!

Today we went to the Union Grove Parade. Bryson didn't like all the horns and sirens from the fire trucks. BUT got over that fast when he saw the tractors. Funny thing is he ONLY recognized the red tractors -- made his daddy proud!

We all had a GREAT time!!

 

We chilled out (enjoyed the AC) at Nicks parents for awhile, since we don't have central air and are trying to keep electric bills down -- haven't installed our windows units. I have almost broke down and had Nick pull them from the basement but our $96.00 energy bill is a constant reminder to NOT GIVE IN!

 

Unfortunately, fireworks got cancelled not because of the weather. Bryson ruined our fun night out by being extremely over tired and crabby. I was super bummed, I love FIREWORKS, but I couldn't reward bad behavior -- parenting's hard :(

 

HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR HOLIDAY! STAY SAFE AMERICA!

 

-Mandy :))