Cruise Recap

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I apologize for being MIA this week, but I've been so busy relishing these past few {nearly snow-less} snow days! Seriously, y'all, Atlanta got 5/8 of an inch of snow, and school has been cancelled the past two days! It's crazy how the south reacts to this kind of weather, but I'm not complaining. :)

Anyways, on Sunday, Kyle and I got back from a seven day cruise on the Carnival Dream. In short, it was an amazing ship! If you're considering taking a cruise in the near future, I absolutely recommend this one. The rates are fairly inexpensive, it's the biggest ship in the fleet, and you leave out of an amazing port, New Orleans. For our cruise, we traveled to Costa Maya, Mexico, Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras. All ports were lovely and the locals even lovelier. Here are a few of my favorite parts of the trip:

The Entertainment

As y'all know, I've been on my fair share of cruises (11 or 12 at this point). Despite that number, I can say with complete confidence that this ship had the best entertainment I have ever seen with Carnival. The dance team was top notch, the comedians were hilarious, and they even had a break dancing team, The Fun Force. It is completely evident that this team takes a LOT of pride in their work, and it's reflected in their enthusiasm during every show. They even had a Motown singer flown to the ship who performed all of my favorite classics. I danced in my seat and sang as loud as I could; Kyle looked at me like I was a nut!

Some people weren't quite as entertained! Haha

The Food

It's sad at this point, but one of my favorite parts of cruising is the limitless food. I've always joked that getting off a cruise after a week of gorging yourself is basically the equivalent of detoxing. I wake up in the morning, groggy-eyed and confused, wondering why a waiter hasn't hand delivered me waffles, fruit, assorted bread, and a cup of coffee. During our time on the Dream, we had lobster, prime rib, escargot, sushi, assorted soups and salads, pastas,crab cakes, etc. Oh, and don't get me started on the dessert selection. Here are a few dinner menu choices:

The Ports

I loved most of the ports. Cozumel has the bluest water I have EVER seen and plenty of things to keep you occupied if you didn't book an excursion. Roatan, Honduras, however, was easily my favorite port. What I love most about Roatan is the scenery. When you go to a typical beach town, the scenery, though beautiful, is limited. There's an ocean, a few palm trees, and that's about it. In Roatan, they have not only a beach right by the cruise port, but also lush greenery and stunning mountain views. If I could sum up paradise in a single place, it would take the cake for sure. We also went to Costa Maya, which is largely a cruise port and nothing more, and I wasn't a big fan. Aside from souvenir shops and overpriced bars, there wasn't much to see, although I have heard there is a quaint fishing town a short drive down the road with beaches and much more affordable prices if you're wanting to drink a few daiquiris.

Overall, we had a wonderful time and can't wait to book our next cruise. What can I say - We're obsessed! 

Eating Out on a Budget

Happy Monday, everybody!

As if y'all didn't know by now, Kyle and I are pretty cheap...I mean frugal. We do a lot of stuff to save money that leave most people shaking their heads thinking, "Are they crazy?" The simple answer is yes - we are totally insane. We are crazy enough to prioritize being retired in our early thirties, and in order to make that goal attainable, we have to make changes right now. Some of these changes are small such as making sure to turn lights off when we don't need them. Others take greater sacrifice such as leaving our house at 58 degrees in the dead of winter (believe me, it's harder than it sounds). If you have similar goals as ours, rest assured that you can achieve them; you just have to get started.

Although we're good about avoiding most unnecessary indulgences, going out to eat is something we rarely resist. We love to spend time with one another, completely unconcerned about whether or not we've burnt a meal or misread a cooking instruction. In fact, we eat out at least twice a week. But we do it consciously - aka we are very careful about where we go, what we order, and looking for deals prior to the meal. Check out our tips for eating out on a budget:

1. Say no to drinks, appetizers, and desserts

I die a little inside when a restaurant charges me three bucks for a coke when I could buy an entire 2 liter for one dollar! It's totally unfair, but the fact is that most restaurants have every intention of screwing you over with their prices on drinks, appetizers, and desserts. My advice? AVOID THEM! They are totally unnecessary to having an enjoyable meal. Oh, if you're one of those people who has to have an "appetizer" before your meal, just go to a restaurant that serves free bread or chips. BAM - Free appetizer. You're welcome. Another tip - if you tend to crave sodas like I do, have one before you go out to eat. They will be much less tempting when you get to the restaurant, and you can order water instead.

2. Eat Local

Almost every week, Kyle and I enjoy "Taco Tuesday" at a local Mexican restaurant. They only charge you one dollar per taco, and they so good! I usually order two tacos, Kyle will order three, and we will have the free chips and salsa as an "appetizer." When it's all said and done, we end up spending around 8 bucks with tip (and even cheaper when we order take out). That's a heck of a deal, and there are plenty more to go around. On Wednesdays, we get a dozen oysters for five bucks at our favorite seafood joint, and on the weekends, we get 50% off sushi and hibachi from a local Japanese restaurant. Take the time to check out your local non-chain restaurants; they almost always have awesome deals to bring in new customers who may not have tried them otherwise.

3. Sign up for Email Clubs

Let's say you and your family are planning to enjoy a meal out together this Saturday. What should you do in the mean time? Sign up for that restaurant's email club, of course! Most chain restaurants will send you a free appetizer, dessert, or sometimes even a meal within a day or two after signing up. The deals don't end after that first promotion - they will usually send you coupons pretty regularly and even something free on your birthday! If you're proactive and plan ahead before an evening out, I guarantee you will find a way to save some money.

4. Look out for special promotions

This past weekend, Kyle and I went out to enjoy a meal at O’Charley’s. Already a pretty affordable place, right? It gets better! From 3-9 every single day, they offer four dollar appetizers. We were pretty intrigued by this deal and chose to order a few appetizers for our meals instead of entrees. We had chili cheese nachos, friend pickles, and mozzarella sticks to share between the two of us. Plus, we received a 20% off coupon in our email, so we applied that to the bill. With tip, we paid 13 bucks and left with full bellies. If you're willing to think outside of the box when ordering out, you're bound to find better deals.

5. Split a meal

For those of you who don't have large appetites, splitting is a great option. You still leave the restaurant full, and you don't have to worry about where you're going to fit those to-go boxes in your fridge. If your appetite is a little too big for splitting but you still want to save some cash, order an appetizer and one meal. Appetizers will always be cheaper than an entree, and you usually get the same amount of food. When Kyle and I go to Texas Roadhouse, for example, we usually split the country fried chicken and an appetizer of cheese fries. For our two sides that come with the entree, we order a salad for each of us. It still feels like a full meal, but we're actually saving about 7 or 8 dollars. Oh, and if you're super savvy and managed to snag a coupon for a free appetizer, you're saving even more! Go you!

Disclaimer - Being frugal and smart with your money does not give you the right to leave a crappy tip. If you can't afford to leave the waiter at least 15% (we always leave around 18% or more), then don't go out to eat. Don't be a bad person. Thanks guys :-)

Christmas Party Recap

'Tis the season for festive parties, y'all!

Since my husband and I moved into our new home back in February, we were well overdue for a big family get together. What better time to do it than at Christmas?! We decked the house in head to toe holiday decorations (including a giant Santa in front of our home -- no shame), and made the house come alive with twinkly lights and a beautiful tree to match.

Rather than stress about preparing every item of food for the evening AND making the house spotless, we decided to do a potluck instead. Each family brought one food item, whether that be a big salad or a banana pudding dessert (YUM). It made life so much easier for us and helped us to enjoy the process of preparing our first party so much more. Our menu was as follows:



Appetizers:

Shrimp Cocktail

Chips and Sausage Picante Dip

Asian Salad



Entree:

Brown Sugar & Honey glazed Ham (made by my wonderful husband!)



Sides:

My mom's famous green beans (seriously, y'all, they're good)

Broccoli Casserole

Crockpot Mac & Cheese



Desserts:

Banana Pudding

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peppermint Bark




For after dinner entertainment, we decided to play the White Elephant game, where each person brought a wrapped fifteen dollar gift to trade at the party. We had some pretty interesting stuff! I made a "movie night" gift which included three movies (obviously), a couple bags of popcorn, and a bunch of candy. I won a ton of lottery tickets stuffed inside a Christmas coloring book, haha!

We had an amazing night! Here's to many more parties in the future!



XOXO, Bailey