This weekend marked the first few days of great weather here in the midwest. Finally! I can leave the house with short sleeves, open the windows, and put away the electric blanket.

I just hope this isn’t another one of those years where the flowers start blooming and a single frost kills everything. It seems like that happens about 80% of the time around here. Why am I still here again?

My weekend has been pretty laid back. I spent the morning catching up with household chores, then went off to the bookstore and furniture store in the afternoon. It occurred to me that I’ve shopped around for bed frames dozens of times, but I’ve never actually purchased one. I’ve just used the frames that were handed down to me.

I think I need to actually buy one someday - perhaps on my next move this winter.

I keep hearing a lot of people complaining about the recession, but so far, my life is pretty much the same as it’s always been - a little broke but not too bad. My cousin, on the other hand, lost his job and hasn’t been able to find a new one. He’s okay financially, at least for a year or so, but he doesn’t really want to go back to his old job. Sadly, he doesn’t even know what he DOES want to go to.

I just don’t get that. Even if I didn’t do what I do now, I can think of a million things I could do. I could be a circus trainer, a computer programmer, a veterinarian - heck, even a Lexington car accident lawyer.

What about you? If you didn’t do what you do now, would it be hard to find something else?

For me, insurance is pretty simple. I have health insurance, renter’s insurance, and auto insurance. I was talking to my grandma over the holidays, though, and she was telling me just how much insurance she has. In total, she must have a dozen different types - homeowner’s insurance, investment insurance, seniors life insurance, health insurance, antique insurance, and then some. It’s a little crazy how much she must spent on insurance each month. I wouldn’t doubt if she spends more on insurance than I make in the average month.

I got a new phone a month or two ago, and even though I could have gotten an iPhone, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m just not that excited about the features, and I’d rather have an unlocked phone than an overpriced, slick piece of Apple garbage. It’s just not my style.

Instead, I got a very simple but sturdy flip phone. It’s better that way, as I’m sure I’ll drop it in a matter of time. I like to keep things affordable in the long-run.

I’ve been giving some thought to my website and a logo lately. I’ve never really bothered with it, mostly because hiring a designer is a total pain. You never know if the person will know what to do (ie. dark backgrounds, light backgrounds, transparent, etc.), and it can be hard to get someone else to realize your vision.

Today, I was playing around with LogoYes and I came up with the design you see below. I wouldn’t say it’s the world’s greatest, but it was my first attempt and it only took a few minutes. Once you make the logo, you can instantly make a business card, too. I made the one you see below, but for obvious reasons, I’m not posting the version with my name and address.

If I were to start branding this blog, LogoYes would definitely be the place to go to create everything I would need to do it. Matching your logo and business cards is pretty important, and sadly, I’ve seen a lot of businesses that don’t bother. I don’t see myself doing that in the future, but it’s nice to know that the logo design process is so quick and easy.

One more thing about the diet pills. If you do advocate using them to supplement my diet and exercise routine, which ones would you use? I want to make sure that the one I choose is safe for someone who actually does elevate her heart rate on a regular basis. I know a lot of people who use diet pills don’t, but I only want them as a supplement, not a cure. Thanks in advance!

I’ve been doing very well on my diet and exercise routine for the last two months. I’ve only missed one weekday at the gym, and I’ve gotten down to just one soda/day. Unfortunately, we’re coming up on the holiday season. During the holidays, I can’t exercise outside because of the cold and my lungs. I can’t exercise in my house because it’s tiny and there is basically no room (not to mention the neighbors downstairs, who get mad at the noise). Even the gym becomes impossible because they close for the holidays and all snow days.

Add in holiday party food and I’m done. That’s why I’ve been looking at diet pill reviews lately. I really want to believe that they work, and I’m seriously considering trying one to help out around the holidays. What do you think?

It seems like everyone I know is having babies these days. A couple years ago, it was wedding showers, but now I find that I’m constantly getting invites for baby showers. I never know what to get.

I really love personalized baby gifts, bt unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know or don’t reveal the sex or potential name beforehand. I also like getting onesies, but again, that can be tough without knowing the sex.

What’s your go-to gift for baby showers?

I’ve been broke for pretty much all of my life, so you had better believe that I have learned how to set up cute accommodations on a budget. While a lot of my friends immediately graduated college and started buying designer furniture and jeans, I put my first apartment together with discount furniture and stuff I picked up a flea markets and thrift shops.

Oddly enough, my places have always looked more lived in. With my budget pieces, I’ve been able to fill my apartments. My friends often blew their budget on just one or two pieces and had to wait months or years to buy more. One girl spent $2500 on her dinner table and then couldn’t afford the chairs. She used folding chairs instead.

There’s a lesson in here somewhere :)