It's been more than a week since my last entry. Since then I've celebrated my birthday, got paid, and made a big trip to IKEA.
My birthday was awesome. I spent the day with my grandkids and then went out to dinner with the whole family at Chicago's favorite restaurant, Wildfire. I had tenderloin tips (the very same meal I had the last time I went, more than a year ago). It was delicious, and I had enough for lunch the next day. They also gave me some very cool stationery, but the meal was the big gift.
Then on Friday my other son hosted a cookout for me, which was attended by my nephew and his family and my ex-husband and his wife. How many people have their exes at their birthday parties? 
We have a good relationship. We've been divorced a long time, and now we interact simply as the kids' parents. It wasn't always smooth sailing, but it is now.
On Saturday my sister-in-law (actually my brother's widow, so I guess she is not technically a sister-in-law any more) came to visit and stayed overnight. She took me to an awesome restaurant in Lombard called Praga, where I had a crab cake and a wonderful salad. The next day we went to IKEA.
So, the spending.
My birthday meals were free, but after Wildfire I treated the kids and myself to ice cream, which cost about $8.
I brought two boxes of donut holes to work the day after my birthday -- about $9.
After our IKEA trip I treated my SIL to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes -- $21. Wonderful place!
At IKEA I bought an office chair (I'm sitting on it now) for $80; shower gifts for $28, some decor items for $16, a recycling bin for $10, a dust pan for $2, and two saucepans for $32. I am delighted with all my purchases. Love IKEA. They were all things I wanted to buy, no impulse items, though there was lots of temptation!
I've also spent about $50 on groceries, $15 on Zyrtec, $30 on household stuff (detergent, etc.) and $22 on cat food and kitty litter.
So it's been a little spendy.
I also found a penny.
I put $650 into savings this month.
I still must do an oil change. And I need to start looking for my mother-of-the-groom dress. Also need to buy my DIL's shower present (the shower presents mentioned above were prizes for the shower). So I am not done yet, but overall, feeling good right now.
My birthday week
August 16th, 2010 at 07:27 pm
August 16th, 2010 at 07:47 pm 1281988068
Happy belated birthday! Sounds like you scored some deals at Ikea. My parents buy their Swedish meatballs and lindenberry (?) sauce for special meals.
August 16th, 2010 at 08:06 pm 1281989191
Swedish meatballs sound good! I didn't take time to really look at the food at IKEA but it looked interesting!
August 16th, 2010 at 08:32 pm 1281990762
August 16th, 2010 at 08:34 pm 1281990881
August 16th, 2010 at 10:23 pm 1281997388
I love Ikea too, although some of their furnishings can be a little cold/bare in the wintertime.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:24 pm 1281997471
August 16th, 2010 at 11:33 pm 1282001637
Have you ever been to the Bohemian Crystal in Downers Grove?
I lived in Lombard for a year...lovely little burb!
August 16th, 2010 at 11:48 pm 1282002532
August 17th, 2010 at 12:10 am 1282003823
August 17th, 2010 at 02:49 pm 1282056590
I'm now going to put "Bohemian Crystal" on my list of things to do!