What I Found in D Magazine
It was about a year ago when I was was reading a review in D Magazine of the Lake House showed up. It was described as a "hip place" and great for happy hour. It had been on my list of places to go. Last year, during my birthday month, a group of my friends were going to go but then it snowed - or iced - you never know in Texas. Anyway, the event never got rescheduled, so I was left still wanting to go. A long time friend flew into town right before New Year's Eve. After I picked him up from the airport, we headed over to the Lake House! It was late on a Wednesday night so it wasn't what you might say "hopping" but it was a great set up in side - very relaxing and laid back. There were huge garage type doors on one wall that could open up to a patio. I could totally see how fun it could be on a spring day. The prices were great and the food and drinks lived up to the hype in the magazine. It was well worth the visit. I do want to go back during a happy hour time - maybe when the patio is bustling. In Texas that could be next week or maybe June. :) If you haven't been to the Lake House --- you should definitely plan on visiting!
Update on Week 1 of No Spending January
I cannot believe it's ONLY been 10 days. I am seeing how much money I spend on a regular basis with very little to show for it. My daily habits of sweet tea and 2-3 runs to Starbucks per week cost a lot of money. It's been tough. There have been times that I really just wanted something quick, but opted for the house and cooked. I know all of that is better for me anyway. While I have stopped myself from buying an individual tea each day, I did allow myself to buy a gallon of tea in my budget so I still could serve my vice. I was on my way to school one day and my principal texted and asked if I would stop for a drink. I told her I was going to get a gallon of tea and she said that was great. I made the mistake of going through Chick-Fil-A instead of just stopping at the grocery store. The first thing that I noticed for the first time is a gallon of tea is $4.50. Now this wasn't ever a big deal to me before, but when you spend close to zero.... it seems like a lot. Well, that wasn't all. I decided I NEEDED some breakfast too and I caved. I got chicken minis. This was only $3.00 so if I was going to fall this week, at least it wasn't big. I have felt guilty and needed to confess. :( So what I have learned this week. Chick Fil A tea is the best but it costs too much so I will go to the grocery store for my tea in the future. Also, I realize I am not strong enough to go through a drive thru and not spend more than I had intended on spending. I will carry these lessons over to next week. With the emails from Living Well Spending Less this week's tasks have been about cleaning out and clearing out the clutter. Yesterday I spent all day in my kitchen. I cleaned out every cabinet and counter. I also cleaned every inch of my stove. I found a lot of things I wasn't using or had seen its better days and deposited each item correctly. It definitely was a lot of work but my kitchen is sparkling clean. I am going to continue purging room by room. It really does make me feel lighter.