Gaiser Goals

2016 is a very exciting year for our family. Not because of anything specific but because we choose for it to be. It's time to become better planners & make more lasting memories for our kids. I believe by writing down our goals for the year it holds us accountable & drives us to obtain them. Below are our family's goals for the year:

• Plan 3 camping trips (with our new camper) including 1 trip to a new destination.
• Put more money into our emergency savings. (Who doesn't want to do this, right??)
• Eliminate as much debt as possible.(I'm excited to report that as of yesterday we've knocked out $3,300 worth of debt in 13 days!)
• Attend church more often. (I promised myself last year that I would start going to church more often & I did. Now I want to up it even more.)
• Strive to become a better meal planner.
• Sign the kids up for more extra curricular activities.
• Stick to our monthly budget more consistently.
• Learn the ins & outs of canning since we're planting our 1st garden. (I see a lot of quality time with my mother-in-law in my future.)
• Modify our chicken coop, extend the run, & add to our flock.
• Start saving for our Disney 2017 trip.
• Plan a mini vacation for Brian & I to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary.
• Build a fire pit & picnic area to enjoy the beautiful weather with our family & friends.
• Upstairs bathroom renovation.
• Turn our storage area in the basement into my canning & food storage room. (I'm stoked about this one!!)

We have set some pretty exciting goals for ourselves this year. I can't wait to start crossing these off of the list & will update on them as the year goes on. What do you have planned for 2016? 

August Update

Outside my window . . . the sun is starting to come up.

I am thinking . . . of how Logan will do at school this week. Week 1 was successful so I hope this week will be just as good.

I am thankful for . . . my new work schedule. It's crazy early hours but I'm able to be home in time to pick Logan up from school every day. Plus, I'm not working as much any more & that allows me to get more things done around the house.

I am wearing . . . pj's. I just rolled out of bed. :)

I am going . . . to the east side with my mom this morning. I have to get Logan more shorts (the kid is growing like a weed) & Mom wants to go to a consignment shop. Therefore, we're going to tag team in order to keep Lily & Levi under control.

I am wondering . . . why I have to have allergies???

I am reading . . .Nada. I have given up reading over the summer but am looking for a good read. Any suggestions???

I am hoping . . . to cross off some items on my to-do list this week. I'm off of work until next Monday & have lots of things planned. Making jelly, lunch dates, bug guy scheduled to come out, & canning vegetables are just a few to list.

I am looking forward to . . . Brian having a day off. He is working 7 days a week right now. It's really hard on everyone because he's exhausted when he gets home but the boys miss him like crazy. I'm so thankful to have a hard working hubby!

I am hearing . . . SILENCE!! :)

Around the house . . . are signs of a new kindergartener: papers on the frig, backpack hung in his cubby, new shoes by the back door, lunch box on the kitchen counter. I love it!

One of my favorite things . . . is watching Logan succeed at school. I know it's only the 2nd week but we conquered his anxiety last week & that is HUGE for us. We take this day by day & as long as he tries his best; that's all I can ask for.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . make jelly with my MIL, schedule a hair appointment, have lunch with Logan at school, bug guy coming to spray, & dinner with girlfriends. I want to find something fun to do with the kids this weekend too. Maybe Smothers Park?

Thrifty Tuesday

Old Navy

4 shirts, 1 athletic pant, 1 athletic short, package of boxer briefs :)

Original price: $87.18
Total paid: $57.51
Total saved: $29.67

Crazy 8

Original price: $64.61

Total paid: $38.77

Total saved: $25.84

The Children's Place

3 shirts, 3 cargo pants, 2 jeans, 2 shorts

Original price: $160.70
Total paid: $76.22
Total saved: $84.48

I took Logan shopping this past weekend for school clothes. Luckily, his school does not require a uniform so we were able to buy his favorites. :) I rarely shop at the mall for two reasons: 1. it's too far of a drive 2. I'm cheap. But this was a special occasion (first day of Kindergarten, people) so I bit the bullet. I checked online for sales at Old Navy, The Children's Place, & Crazy 8. To my surprise they all were having great sales. I also signed up for the e-mails & received a coupon from each store for my purchases. I gave myself a $200 budget & am very pleased to say I spent $172.50 plus came home with $50 worth of spending bucks to 2 stores. Today is a success in my books: 13 shirts, 6 pants, 3 shorts, 1 package of boxer briefs with an average, per item, of:

$7.50 each

August Check List

Anyone that knows me well knows that I'm a list maker. I make a list for everything: groceries, daily to-dos, food menus, budget, financial goals, etc. Brian thinks I go over board but I think that's ridiculous. Personally, there are never too many reasons to make a list! Anyway, I've decided to post my monthly 'to-do' list of things that I need/want to accomplish. Some things are necessary while others are fun. My hope is by doing so that it will push me to cross more off of my list & give me something else to look forward to. So here's my first go at it...

August To-Do List

• Gather ideas for Logan's school lunches (I'm a first time kindergarten mom & appreciate any help with this one!!)
• Find practical ways to lower our utility bill (It is beyond outrageous)
• Date night with my hubby
• Find new curtains for our bedroom
• Begin working on handmade Christmas gifts (Don't judge!)
• Plan another fall camping trip
• Organize our storage room in the basement
• Make homemade bread
• Find fun activities for Levi & I to enjoy while Logan is in school
• Paint the stairway/hallway upstairs
• Print photos for collage project
• Work on a cleaning schedule

Let's see how many I cross off before the end of the month. Ready, set, go!

What's Cookin'?

Breakfast Casserole

1/2 package of cooked bacon, crumbled

1 lb. of cooked sausage

3 cups frozen hashbrowns

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 eggs, beaten

12 oz. evaporated milk

3 green onions, chopped

Place the hashbrowns in the bottom of a greased 2 qt. casserole dish; season with salt & pepper. Then add cheese, green onions, bacon, & sausage.

(We love our meats in this house so mine has more than what some may like. Just adjust your amounts based on your preferences.)

Whisk together the eggs & evaporated milk. Then evenly pour it over the casserole mixture. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.


About half way through, I stirred it up really good so the everything was mixed together well. This was a last minute meal I through together with what we had & it was a huge success. I served it with some toast & fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Changes are coming........

I found this quote today while browsing on Pinterest & it is very fitting for the different things that are about to take place in the Gaiser household. Some of our changes aren't that big or drastic but to us, it's a huge deal. :) Here are the big changes that are coming soon:

1. As you can tell, my blog design has already changed. I thought this would be a great time to re-vamp the look & get back into the swing of things. With so many other changes, why not add 1 more to the list???

2. A huge milestone taking place next month is Logan starting kindergarten. I have so many emotions wrapped up in this one. I'm so proud of him & how much he has grown in the short 5 years he's been with us. On the other hand, he's my first-born & therefore I hover over him like a crazy momma. My feelings range from happiness, sadness, emptiness, worry, anxiety, curiosity, & excitement for him. This is HUGE for both of us & I know he'll be just fine but I'm still entitled to be a basket case until then. :)

3. Brian & I compiled a list of projects we would like to work on around the house. We've been in our new home for almost a year now & are ready to get our hands dirty. Some of the projects are small & simply while others will be quite the task:

• Fresh wall paint in the hallway/stairwell to our upstairs----I already have my picture frames purchased for the collage I want to hang
• Replace the shades in all of our bedrooms & hang curtains----I'm going to reuse the all of our curtain rods & the curtains from Logan's room in our old house to cut some cost
• Put in a swimming pool
• Add a wrap-around porch to the house
• Completely redo the upstairs bathroom
• New flooring in our basement hallway (we replaced the carpet in the living area before we moved in based on necessity)
• Repaint the room we use as a kids' playroom----it's currently a light brown & I want a bright, fun color
• Make handmade furniture for our living room----we have a ton of old barn wood for these projects that will significantly cut down our cost

4. The biggest change (and one that will make the biggest impact) is that I'm accepting a position within my department that will allow me to work less hours so I can be home with the boys more. This is something I have wanted since I went back to work after having Levi & now it's able to happen. I will only work 40 every pay period; which equates to 3 days on week #1 & 2 days on week #2. The biggest perks are that I will have a set schedule (both days & time), no weekends to work, & I'll be off on all major holidays. I have been very fortune to not have to work too many holidays or weekends so far but this will be a guarantee. I love that I will be home about 1 p.m. on the days that I work. This will allow for me to pick Logan up from school, get his homework done, make dinner, & be present for any activities he is in. I'm beyond excited for this change to take place!

5. The 2nd biggest change is that we're completely re-working our budget; partly to make #4 happen but also to see exactly where we can save a little money. Like all families, we have our quirks on what we like to blow money on & I know we can cut some of that back. We still want to be able to go places & do fun things with the kids but maybe scale it back a little. I mean....do we really need to make 3-4 ice cream runs during the summer? (Secretly, part of me says YES! while the rational part of me is frowning)

I can't wait to share the status of our many changes with you. Some will happen very soon while others may take months, even years, to complete but I know it will be an adventure worth the ride!!

Family Vacation: May 2015

When Brian & I discussed our vacation plans for this summer, we knew we wanted to go with his mom's side of the family & somewhere that nobody has been to. In the 11 years we have been a couple, we haven't been on a vacation with them. So we were very excited to have the chance to spend time with everyone for a few days. We also knew we would only be able to plan a shorter trip because of some families' work commitments, softball tournaments, etc. Our decision was quickly made to go to.....Cincinnati, OH. I was very excited to take the kids to the zoo & aquarium (I heard great reviews on both). My sister-in-law found a hotel just outside of the city that was much cheaper than we expected (awesome for our budget!) plus it was close to many restaurants & shopping. 

Day 1: Brian & I left around lunch on Saturday & made great timing along the way. I packed plenty of snacks & movies for the trip to occupy the kids; not only on the way to & from but also while we were in the hotel room. I also packed some lunch trays for everyone so we wouldn't have to stop for food on the way. Timing was on our side because once the kids finished lunch, Levi fell asleep shortly after. Our drive was about 3 1/2 hours & very pleasant, with only 1 potty stop along the way. :) We were the last to arrive (because I went to STL the day before with my other sisters-in-law to see the NKOTB concert) that afternoon so all we were able to sneak into our evening was dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory & a trip to Bass Pro Shop.

Day 2: Zoo day!!!

Brian, his brother Jim, & 4 of the boys

Jim wasn't as thrilled about the zoo as some of the others

This was the best pic I could get at the end of a long, hot day

Our only family pic taken on vacation

Day 3: Aquarium & touring day

KY Firefighter's memorial

Historic church inside an arboretum we saw on our way back to the hotel

It was a very serene drive

Another chapel hidden in the trees

On Day 4, we packed everything up & headed back to IN. The kids were worn out every night from our daily adventures, swimming, & general play time with all of the cousins. My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures (I got caught up in the fun times we had & forgot to take pics...oops!) We enjoyed the time we spent with everyone: Nana, Papaw Rick, Nathan, Chrissy, Taylor, Degan, Jim, Nicki, Lilly, Liam, & Daniel.  This was a big group to get together but I'm so glad we made it work!