If You Can't Beat Them, Join 'Em

I'm full of cliches this week.

To the first cliche:

If you can't beat them, join them. I've reverted to my Starbucks habit with full-time work. I still prefer my McD's Vanilla Iced Coffees, but with the cold mornings I prefer a hot drink--especially if I have the money to pay for it. I find it easy to talk myself into Starbucks and, worse, a Venti drink many mornings. Add banana bread and it over $6. Around my birthday, an my location was sampling lattes made with Via. Not bad! I was hoping for some for my birthday, but no one got me any. When I was in this week, money burning a hole in my pocket, and some need to buy....something....I bought the makings of Cinnamon Dolce lattes at home. I'm having my first one as I write. (How bad is it that I'm not sure if it tastes the same? I think next time I'm going to buy one and make one at the same time so I can be sure.) I was surprised that the Cinnamon Dolce syrup wasn't more than $6.95 for the 1 litre or 33.8 oz bottle. $9.95 for 12 Via packets. I couldn't remember the recipe when I got home so I grabbed my favorite mug, filled it up with milk, and then measured the amount. I'm drinking a 12 oz milk, 1 Via packet, 4 pump homemade latte and it tastes good! I figure I made it for less than $2, saving me a $1 or more since a Tall is 12 oz. So after all this dribble, I guess what I'm saying is:

If I have to have my coffee, I at least feel good about finding a cheaper alternative!

Or maybe this is my having my cake and eating it, too.....

Busy and lazy day today. I'm also full of contradictions it seems. How can one be busy and lazy, you ask? I made plans with S and her friend today, but we didn't leave until 11. I had time to load the dishwasher, do some laundry, and vacuum. It's tough for me not to get something done.

I've been promising for weeks and weeks to take S and her friend Ash to Build A Bear and lunch, but something has always got in the way. The money ran out or we had family plans. I kept my promise today.

No new bears or other stuffed animals to report, but the girls picked out a couple of outfits. It was either shoes or matching cell phones and cell phones won out. If S can't have a real one, at least her stuffed friend can have a play one.

Next it was lunch at Olive Garden. I really splurged today. Hey, it's only money.... The girls didn't each much, but I let them have desert. S got talked into a strawberry milkshake like her friend's. Neither one of them drank hardly any of it. (She is definitely the follower in their relationship.) My Manicotti Formaggio was overseasoned with too much pepper. I should have sent it back and asked for something else, but I don't ever like to make waves.

The girls didn't want to go home after lunch. They wanted to stay together. (S actually wanted to take me to Alice, but Ash had already seen it. She's really unhappy because the rest of the family is out seeing it now.) We talked about going to see a movie--may be even New Moon--but they decided to play at our house instead. However, they needed to get a new toy to make the afternoon more interesting....hmpf! Off to WalMart and two identical palm-sized mechanical dogs.

And, so much for me getting my Log Cabin Quilt border fabric until next payday. Yes, I know I spoiled them. They're sweeties, though, and they had a great time! I don't mind.

I came home to be a slug while they played. I loaded the rest of the dishes and did some more laundry. I'm channel surfing the way through the afternoon: Aliens vs. Predator and SpongeBob SquarePants for example.

I pinned the previously mis-sewed Log Cabin rows this morning. I'm just not in the mood to sew them now that I can't rush right out and buy border fabric. 1, 2, 3........roll eyes!