I remember a family vacation that we took when I was about 13 when I got to hang out with my older cousins who were in their 20s. I remember thinking, "I can't wait until I'm in my 20s. That's when I'll have my life figured out." Hahaaaaa! Well, here I am at 27 and I'm definitely still figuring things out. Lately I've been thinking a lot about my job (as an environmental planner with a consulting firm) and feeling that it's not the *right* fit for me. But I'm not sure exactly what is. What I do know is... Read more →

This post was first published in July 2011. It was last updated in October 2013 along with a downloadable Excel document of our budget: Download Budget_13October It can be hard to talk about money matters, even with the people that you are closest to - money can be a sensitive topic! But Chris and I are an open book when it comes to our finances. We are very meticulous with budgeting and planning for our financial future. We even like to have "budget meetings" over scones at our favorite coffee shop and talk about long-term financial goals. Of course there's... Read more →

The hottest month of the Arizona summer is here and it's already living up to its reputation. It was 116 in the Valley over 4th of July weekend - sheesh! To keep cool I've been making popsicles, including avocado and blackberry+yogurt which were recommended on Cup of Jo. They were delicious! Along with the crazy heat we get some exciting weather in Arizona in the form of monsoons and haboobs (the awesomest name for a weather occurence ever). In addition to eating frozen treats, hoping for rain, and avoiding dust storms here's how I did on my goals for June:... Read more →