~Mark Twain
Here's to taking Babysteps towards healthier habits! One step at a time...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
"quote"
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
~Mark Twain
Here's to taking Babysteps towards healthier habits! One step at a time...
~Mark Twain
Here's to taking Babysteps towards healthier habits! One step at a time...
I did it!
I did it! I answered the phone!
This may not seem like a big deal worthy of a blog, so let me backtrack...
I am coming out of the land of If-you-ignore-it-it's-not-there or better yet, the land of If-you-ignore-it-it-will-go-away. I used to laugh when my toddler son would cover his eyes so I couldn't see him, but that's just what I have been doing! I was the proverbial ostrich with my head in the sand. Do you know what? It doesn't go away. Sometimes it just stays there. Other times, it grows while you're not looking and when you finally do look, it's bigger and badder than ever! One of the most useful techniques in this land of denial that I was living in was to ignore the phone calls and messages. If I didn't recognize the phone number, I didn't answer it because I didn't want to deal with it.
So, today, I'm staying home with my sick daughter. I resolved to answer the phone if/when it rang. No matter what. So, the phone rang just a few minutes ago. Out of habit, I checked caller ID. It was an "800- number"- a sure sign that it's a bill collector calling. But, I found my finger hitting the TALK button and my voice saying, "Hello," before I could back down. And, as an added test/temptation, the caller did not respond immediately. I could have hung up, telling myself that there was something wrong with the connection, or if the caller really wanted to talk to me that they would be paying attention, or any number of other excuses that I've used to justify not talking to them. But I didn't! I said, "Hello," again. She responded this time. And do you know what? She was actually nice! There was no "meanie" on the other end of the line waiting to chastise me for not paying this bill. I told her that my plan is to pay off all of our current medical bills with our tax refund, but I took her name and information to call back in case I could pay it back sooner. The bill is only for $37- less than we've paid to eat out sometimes- so there's a real possibility that I could pay it back before our tax refund. I wasn't just blowing smoke, for a change. And, not only did I pick up the phone and talk to her about paying the bill back, but I'm actually going to pull out my budget for February and see if I can pay the bill sooner. Actually following through on something I told a bill collector... imagine that...
This may not seem like a big deal worthy of a blog, so let me backtrack...
I am coming out of the land of If-you-ignore-it-it's-not-there or better yet, the land of If-you-ignore-it-it-will-go-away. I used to laugh when my toddler son would cover his eyes so I couldn't see him, but that's just what I have been doing! I was the proverbial ostrich with my head in the sand. Do you know what? It doesn't go away. Sometimes it just stays there. Other times, it grows while you're not looking and when you finally do look, it's bigger and badder than ever! One of the most useful techniques in this land of denial that I was living in was to ignore the phone calls and messages. If I didn't recognize the phone number, I didn't answer it because I didn't want to deal with it.
So, today, I'm staying home with my sick daughter. I resolved to answer the phone if/when it rang. No matter what. So, the phone rang just a few minutes ago. Out of habit, I checked caller ID. It was an "800- number"- a sure sign that it's a bill collector calling. But, I found my finger hitting the TALK button and my voice saying, "Hello," before I could back down. And, as an added test/temptation, the caller did not respond immediately. I could have hung up, telling myself that there was something wrong with the connection, or if the caller really wanted to talk to me that they would be paying attention, or any number of other excuses that I've used to justify not talking to them. But I didn't! I said, "Hello," again. She responded this time. And do you know what? She was actually nice! There was no "meanie" on the other end of the line waiting to chastise me for not paying this bill. I told her that my plan is to pay off all of our current medical bills with our tax refund, but I took her name and information to call back in case I could pay it back sooner. The bill is only for $37- less than we've paid to eat out sometimes- so there's a real possibility that I could pay it back before our tax refund. I wasn't just blowing smoke, for a change. And, not only did I pick up the phone and talk to her about paying the bill back, but I'm actually going to pull out my budget for February and see if I can pay the bill sooner. Actually following through on something I told a bill collector... imagine that...
a bright idea...
I just read today about a cool new gadget: the Kill-A-Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor.
Basically, you plug this thing into an outlet and then plug in your appliance (TV, radio, microwave, fridge, etc.) into the device.
Then, this device gets to work. It calculates a bunch of stuff my dad would probably care about- amps, volts, kilowatt hours, and a few other things that I've never even heard of. The only thing that I care about is the feature that shows you the cost per day, week, month, and year. It's amazing! (or it sounds amazing... I haven't actually tried this yet). You can read more information and a full review of this product (by someone that has actually used the thing) at The Gadgeteer .
Now, for the bright idea...
vs. 
What I thought was really cool was that this guy actually took the time to test this device on a floor lamp using standard light bulbs and then duplicated the test using compact flourescent bulbs so he could compare the difference between the two. Wanna know the difference? It costs $164.83 more to use standard light bulbs than compact flourescent! $205 per year for standard bulbs and $40.17 for compact flourescents. And that's not including the cost of replacing the standard bulbs that usually burn out a couple of times a year. $164.83! Wow! It just goes to show you what a difference one small change can make!
Basically, you plug this thing into an outlet and then plug in your appliance (TV, radio, microwave, fridge, etc.) into the device.
Then, this device gets to work. It calculates a bunch of stuff my dad would probably care about- amps, volts, kilowatt hours, and a few other things that I've never even heard of. The only thing that I care about is the feature that shows you the cost per day, week, month, and year. It's amazing! (or it sounds amazing... I haven't actually tried this yet). You can read more information and a full review of this product (by someone that has actually used the thing) at The Gadgeteer .
Now, for the bright idea...
vs. 
Monday, January 28, 2008
"What have I done for me lately?"
versus: "What have I done to me lately?"
For me...
- Went for a 10 minute walk after the bus picked up my daughter this morning.
- Ate my FF yogurt before I ate the rest of my lunch today.
- Didn't eat any of my husband's lunch that he left in the car today.
- Wasn't going to eat any of the chocolate that was present at my meeting after school today. I say "wasn't" because I wasn't going to until someone pointed out that they were Hershey's Cheesecake Hugs- something I've never had before. The "good for me" part was that I only had 1 Hug and that was enough.
- Fixed (and ate) a 100 calorie lemon-butter fish fillet for dinner.
- Drank my water
To me...
- Didn't always make the smartest eating choices when we were visiting my favorite sister's this weekend. Damn her for being a good cook!
As you can see, the things that I've done for me far out-number the things I've done to me. Yay me!
For me...
- Went for a 10 minute walk after the bus picked up my daughter this morning.
- Ate my FF yogurt before I ate the rest of my lunch today.
- Didn't eat any of my husband's lunch that he left in the car today.
- Wasn't going to eat any of the chocolate that was present at my meeting after school today. I say "wasn't" because I wasn't going to until someone pointed out that they were Hershey's Cheesecake Hugs- something I've never had before. The "good for me" part was that I only had 1 Hug and that was enough.
- Fixed (and ate) a 100 calorie lemon-butter fish fillet for dinner.
- Drank my water
To me...
- Didn't always make the smartest eating choices when we were visiting my favorite sister's this weekend. Damn her for being a good cook!
As you can see, the things that I've done for me far out-number the things I've done to me. Yay me!
Monday Night Money
Check-In: $583.55
This has been a pretty good week, money-wise. Things are looking up (as evidenced by having a positive bank balance for 2 weeks in a row now!). I didn't expect to have a huge balance here, since many of our big bills come during the last week of the month (both student loans, natural gas, and cell phone).
One really good thing I did this week (well, really good for me... probably common sense for some other people) was to actually look at my current balance and upcoming expenses and figure out the best way to pay my parents right now. Currently, I pay rent to my dad ($860 a month) and daycare to my mom ($600 a month- $300 on each of my paydays). I also used to pay my parents for my car payments (cars were in their name). At that time, there was no way that I could come up with all of that money at once, so I used to split it up- paying the same amount from each of my paychecks to him. [Sidenote: I'm now proud to say that A) all of those other vehicles are paid off, and B) I actually have a vehicle that is totally in my name and that I am paying for! And it even works!] So, when I figured up our budget, the best place to put the rent payment is towards the beginning of the month, since we get more bills due per week as the month goes on. But, as you all know, we were in no position to pay $860 for rent earlier this month. Luckily, we have some flexibility, since we're paying my dad. I told him that I was working on re-doing the budget and that I wanted to pay him the rent in one payment instead of two, but that I hadn't figured out quite when the best time would be (other than "when we have some money"). So on Saturday, he stopped by to pick up a check on the way to the bank. Instead of just writing out a check for all we owe him (like I used to do), I actually checked my current bank balance, pulled out my budget/calendar sheet, subtracted the upcoming scheduled payments, figured out what other money we would need to get through the week (gas in the car, food we'd need to buy, etc.), looked at what I owed my parents, and actually figured out the best way to do all of this! Perhaps, even bigger and better for me than doing all of that was actually talking to my parents about where I was financially, explaining that I am working really hard to make changes in this area, and presenting a workable plan for getting them their money. Again, this may not seem like much for some people- common sense, you may say- but this is a BIG thing for me to honestly talk with my parents about money. We never talked much about money when I was growing up. Paying bills was something they did after we went to bed and that's about all I knew. I never had any financial education or experience. What I needed was provided and what I wanted, I used babysitting money for. I think my parents showed me how to balance a checkbook before I went to college, opened up a checking account and sent me on my way. But even being at college wasn't a real financial education because whenever I needed money, I just called them up and they'd make a deposit into my checking account. Ahhhh... it was a beautiful thing... until I graduated from college and got a swift kick in the kiester! So, even though I didn't (don't) have much financial education, I still feel like somehow, when I screw things up with my money, that I'm not being a grown-up and that I'm letting them down- A Disappointment (one of the worst fates for a parent-pleasing-oldest-child!). So, I tend to gloss over things with my parents when it comes to my money (correction- tended to gloss over things... in the past tense) instead of facing facts and leveling with them. In the past, I would rack up another overdraft fee or two, rather than have to tell them that I was broke. Again. That's like paying someone $34 (or more, depending on how many checks would bounce because I had paid them) so I could lie to my parents! And I hate lying to or keeping things from my parents! In hindsight, it was crazy! So, for me, this was a break-through. That's my money success of the week. And, that one little conversation has saved me at least $136 in overdraft fees! That's better than coupons any day!
This has been a pretty good week, money-wise. Things are looking up (as evidenced by having a positive bank balance for 2 weeks in a row now!). I didn't expect to have a huge balance here, since many of our big bills come during the last week of the month (both student loans, natural gas, and cell phone).
One really good thing I did this week (well, really good for me... probably common sense for some other people) was to actually look at my current balance and upcoming expenses and figure out the best way to pay my parents right now. Currently, I pay rent to my dad ($860 a month) and daycare to my mom ($600 a month- $300 on each of my paydays). I also used to pay my parents for my car payments (cars were in their name). At that time, there was no way that I could come up with all of that money at once, so I used to split it up- paying the same amount from each of my paychecks to him. [Sidenote: I'm now proud to say that A) all of those other vehicles are paid off, and B) I actually have a vehicle that is totally in my name and that I am paying for! And it even works!] So, when I figured up our budget, the best place to put the rent payment is towards the beginning of the month, since we get more bills due per week as the month goes on. But, as you all know, we were in no position to pay $860 for rent earlier this month. Luckily, we have some flexibility, since we're paying my dad. I told him that I was working on re-doing the budget and that I wanted to pay him the rent in one payment instead of two, but that I hadn't figured out quite when the best time would be (other than "when we have some money"). So on Saturday, he stopped by to pick up a check on the way to the bank. Instead of just writing out a check for all we owe him (like I used to do), I actually checked my current bank balance, pulled out my budget/calendar sheet, subtracted the upcoming scheduled payments, figured out what other money we would need to get through the week (gas in the car, food we'd need to buy, etc.), looked at what I owed my parents, and actually figured out the best way to do all of this! Perhaps, even bigger and better for me than doing all of that was actually talking to my parents about where I was financially, explaining that I am working really hard to make changes in this area, and presenting a workable plan for getting them their money. Again, this may not seem like much for some people- common sense, you may say- but this is a BIG thing for me to honestly talk with my parents about money. We never talked much about money when I was growing up. Paying bills was something they did after we went to bed and that's about all I knew. I never had any financial education or experience. What I needed was provided and what I wanted, I used babysitting money for. I think my parents showed me how to balance a checkbook before I went to college, opened up a checking account and sent me on my way. But even being at college wasn't a real financial education because whenever I needed money, I just called them up and they'd make a deposit into my checking account. Ahhhh... it was a beautiful thing... until I graduated from college and got a swift kick in the kiester! So, even though I didn't (don't) have much financial education, I still feel like somehow, when I screw things up with my money, that I'm not being a grown-up and that I'm letting them down- A Disappointment (one of the worst fates for a parent-pleasing-oldest-child!). So, I tend to gloss over things with my parents when it comes to my money (correction- tended to gloss over things... in the past tense) instead of facing facts and leveling with them. In the past, I would rack up another overdraft fee or two, rather than have to tell them that I was broke. Again. That's like paying someone $34 (or more, depending on how many checks would bounce because I had paid them) so I could lie to my parents! And I hate lying to or keeping things from my parents! In hindsight, it was crazy! So, for me, this was a break-through. That's my money success of the week. And, that one little conversation has saved me at least $136 in overdraft fees! That's better than coupons any day!
Friday, January 25, 2008
How bad is it?
They say that ignorance is bliss. I tried that route and ended up where I am today. Today, I crushed the ignorance. I gathered up as many envelopes and pieces of mail as I could find. I went online, creating accounts, user names, and passwords. I brought it all together and sorted it out. Boy! Did it feel good to throw out a stack- I mean a BIG stack- of mail and envelopes (all just duplicate bills and statements because I didn't pay the first time). But that's another blog for another day. I'm putting off the statement of what I discovered. What I discovered is neither painful or joyful. It's just kinda there. As of right now, to my knowledge, we are about $63,500 in debt. About $1500 of that is past due medical bills. About $9000 of that is for our car loan (we just got a new-to-us van last September). And that scary part... the rest of our current debt is due to student loans (about $7000 mine and the rest DH's). So, I spent the afternoon making up some nice charts on Excel (I love Excel! What did we ever do without it?). I figure that we can take $1500 of our tax return and knock-out the medical bills. After that, we can hit one of my student loans that has about $1600 left to pay on it. Currently, we are paying almost $150 a month toward that, so even if we just left it, it would be paid off a year from now. But that's not quite good enough. I want that sucker gone so we can free up that $150 a month! And, that's about as far as I've gotten in my plan.
All in all, not a bad day. My budget/calendars are printed up for the year and are waiting peacefully in their allocated monthly pocket in the "super file". All the known bills are in one place, weeded through, and charted in Excel. And, we have a positive bank balance! Now, I think I'm going to curl up with a little Dave Ramsey until the kids wake up from their naps.
All in all, not a bad day. My budget/calendars are printed up for the year and are waiting peacefully in their allocated monthly pocket in the "super file". All the known bills are in one place, weeded through, and charted in Excel. And, we have a positive bank balance! Now, I think I'm going to curl up with a little Dave Ramsey until the kids wake up from their naps.
cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater...
Okay, I didn't actually eat pumpkin, but, have to admit, I cheated.
I have been sitting home here all day, and it has been driving me nuts- thinking about weighing-in tomorrow. I have been fretting a bit, because, frankly, I have done some dumb eating this week: Eating out with a friend last Monday (not necessarily dumb, but I didn’t choose the healthiest thing on the menu), grabbing Taco Bell Wednesday night because I was out running errands and I was hungry, eating when I wasn’t really hungry yesterday- knowing that I wasn’t hungry, but also knowing that I would be wasting food (= wasting money) if I didn’t eat what I had brought with me (including a Hostess Honey Bun, bought on impulse on the way to school- dumb!), and grazing/ munching like there was no tomorrow when I was sitting at home this morning. So, it was bugging me, not knowing how all of these “bad choices” were going to manifest themselves and nail me when I stepped on the scale tomorrow. I couldn’t take it anymore! I ran to the bathroom (okay, walked, but "ran" sounds so much more dramatic), grabbed my scale, stepped on, counted to 5, and looked down. What did I see? 292.6 Yes, it’s a ½ pound gain from last week, but given all the things I’ve done to sabotage last week’s victory, I think ½ a pound gain is more than fair. And, I’ll try to stop the sabotage so that I can report something even better next week.
I have been sitting home here all day, and it has been driving me nuts- thinking about weighing-in tomorrow. I have been fretting a bit, because, frankly, I have done some dumb eating this week: Eating out with a friend last Monday (not necessarily dumb, but I didn’t choose the healthiest thing on the menu), grabbing Taco Bell Wednesday night because I was out running errands and I was hungry, eating when I wasn’t really hungry yesterday- knowing that I wasn’t hungry, but also knowing that I would be wasting food (= wasting money) if I didn’t eat what I had brought with me (including a Hostess Honey Bun, bought on impulse on the way to school- dumb!), and grazing/ munching like there was no tomorrow when I was sitting at home this morning. So, it was bugging me, not knowing how all of these “bad choices” were going to manifest themselves and nail me when I stepped on the scale tomorrow. I couldn’t take it anymore! I ran to the bathroom (okay, walked, but "ran" sounds so much more dramatic), grabbed my scale, stepped on, counted to 5, and looked down. What did I see? 292.6 Yes, it’s a ½ pound gain from last week, but given all the things I’ve done to sabotage last week’s victory, I think ½ a pound gain is more than fair. And, I’ll try to stop the sabotage so that I can report something even better next week.
Friday Finances
This is not necessarily a regular feature... I just like alliteration (in case you couldn't already tell). So, it just happens to be Friday and I'm off work for the day. I'm planning to spend my day off working on finance stuff. I've gotten a bit of a jumpstart- getting energized and motivated- by purchasing and beginning to read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I began this journey to financial freedom (gosh... sounds almost poetic) by going solo. I took what I already knew and started there... sticking with it... making sure I kept up and actually doing it. But, obviously, what I know to do is NOT enough, or I wouldn't be here. I decided that I needed some help. Within the past 6-months, or so, I have come across a couple of different radio programs about money, finances, getting out of debt, etc. Two of these shows stood out- possibly because of the callers coming on air and triumphantly exclaiming things like: "We've made it to step 3!" ... "We've just completed step five and we're ready to take it to the next level!" ... "We did it! We're debt-free!" Now, the last statement is a no-brainer, but the first two required a little investigation. So, I looked up Crown Financial Ministries (the first radio show that I heard) and Dave Ramsey's website (the second show that I heard). Both places offered a variety of books and software to help families get out of debt and get on with living, looking to the scriptures and common sense for guidance. It was a tough choice, but I was able to find a lot more people that were doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover or Financial Peace University, so I decided to go with that one (plus I could get it at Barnes & Noble for 25% off, using my educator discount this week). So, now I am making my way through that book. So far, I've found it to be pretty honest, easy reading. Here's one of the most true things or something that I read that I liked in his book:
Today I'm...
-getting into the nitty-gritty of executing my new budgeting system that I spent so much time and thought developing... printing off the half-calendar/ half-budget sheets for the rest of the year and placing them in the pockets of the oh-so-practical "Super File" (as Target dubbed it)
- digging through the papers and envelopes that are scattered in strategic and random places across the house, containing the dirty secrets of my (our) debts
- tallying said debts to get "The Big Picture" about where we really are with our finances
Scary stuff, I know. But no more telling myself, "Well, I'm not that out of shape" (financially), in denial, and no waiting to have the denial kicked out of me by a shocking, devestating blow to our financial way of life.
Everybody out of the way! I'm diving in!
"I rediscovered God's and Grandma's simple way of handling money. Wealth building isn't rocket science, which is a good thing for me (and probably you). Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. What to do isn't the problem; doing it is."
I really like this quote because I think it is so true (in finances and in health or weight management)... live within your means... spend less than you earn... pay yourself first... eat more veggies... eat less, exercise more... We all know what to do. The difficulty comes in applying our knowledge... in actually doing it. So, here's to DOING IT! I'm going to get off my blogging butt and DO IT...Today I'm...
-getting into the nitty-gritty of executing my new budgeting system that I spent so much time and thought developing... printing off the half-calendar/ half-budget sheets for the rest of the year and placing them in the pockets of the oh-so-practical "Super File" (as Target dubbed it)
- digging through the papers and envelopes that are scattered in strategic and random places across the house, containing the dirty secrets of my (our) debts
- tallying said debts to get "The Big Picture" about where we really are with our finances
Scary stuff, I know. But no more telling myself, "Well, I'm not that out of shape" (financially), in denial, and no waiting to have the denial kicked out of me by a shocking, devestating blow to our financial way of life.
Everybody out of the way! I'm diving in!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Weight-loss Wednesday (on Thursday)
...or Friday...
Sorry I missed it. The reason is three-fold.
On Thursday,
1. My daughter waited until after we were home from LOGOS (Wed. night kids' program at church) to tell me she had homework- just before bedtime. She usually does her homework at my parents' house right after she comes home from school, so it's usually done before LOGOS. Today, my mom had a meeting and doctor's appointment during this time. The kids were with my dad, who was also working from home at this time. Needless to say, the homework didn't get done... she "forgot" she had homework.
2. DH was using the computer last night. He busted his butt cleaning and organizing the kitchen on his day off (even pounding a nail in the wall and hanging up a clock that I'd bought months ago... there's still no battery in it, but it's hung, lol) and I just didn't have the heart to kick him off the computer. (Especially when I had hogged the computer all night on Tuesday, chatting with my best friend and sister)
3. I was doing research for the other portion of this site- finances. I finally got my copy of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and I couldn't wait to dive into it! (More to come on that later)
So, after struggling through Miss B's homework, my brain was so fried that I didn't even want to attempt to put together coherent sentences.
On Friday,
Round Two of excuses...
Repeat the above reasons (aka excuses) and that's why it's now Friday and I still haven't posted "Weight-loss Wednesday". Miss B had homework to do at home (again) plus studying for her spelling test, DH worked late and was on the computer by the time I was done with Miss B and her homework, my brain was so fried that, after getting all the kids settled in bed, I went to bed with Dave Ramsey (the book, remember) and fell asleep shortly after.
Soooo, with all of this procrastination, you'd think that I had time to come up with some really good tips for this week, but I actually have just two simple words:
Gum & Water
These are 2 things that really help me get through some rough spots... times when I'm wanting to eat something, but know I shouldn't... times when I know I should stop eating whatever I'm munching on, etc. Over the past week, I've come to realize that it's these 2 things that get me through. The water helps because there are many times when I think I'm hungry, but I'm really just thirsty. If I stop and think about it, I realize that I haven't had anything to drink for a while (or at all). So, I've really tried to increase my water consumption, in general. I've also tried to stop and think about whether I'm really hungry or if I'm just thirsty before I eat something. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. The gum helps because sometimes, I just need to be chewing on something... to have a sensation or flavor in my mouth. As a matter of fact, these two things helped me just now. I am home for the day. When I'm home for the day, I tend to munch or graze- a lot. I realized that I was doing this just now (too late for my comfort, but better late than never) and so I put the offending foods back in the fridge (or what was left of the offending foods) and grabbed a piece of gum and a tall glass of water. Voila! I'm satisfied!
So, there you have it- better late than never- Weight-loss Wednesday!
Sorry I missed it. The reason is three-fold.
On Thursday,
1. My daughter waited until after we were home from LOGOS (Wed. night kids' program at church) to tell me she had homework- just before bedtime. She usually does her homework at my parents' house right after she comes home from school, so it's usually done before LOGOS. Today, my mom had a meeting and doctor's appointment during this time. The kids were with my dad, who was also working from home at this time. Needless to say, the homework didn't get done... she "forgot" she had homework.
2. DH was using the computer last night. He busted his butt cleaning and organizing the kitchen on his day off (even pounding a nail in the wall and hanging up a clock that I'd bought months ago... there's still no battery in it, but it's hung, lol) and I just didn't have the heart to kick him off the computer. (Especially when I had hogged the computer all night on Tuesday, chatting with my best friend and sister)
3. I was doing research for the other portion of this site- finances. I finally got my copy of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and I couldn't wait to dive into it! (More to come on that later)
So, after struggling through Miss B's homework, my brain was so fried that I didn't even want to attempt to put together coherent sentences.
On Friday,
Round Two of excuses...
Repeat the above reasons (aka excuses) and that's why it's now Friday and I still haven't posted "Weight-loss Wednesday". Miss B had homework to do at home (again) plus studying for her spelling test, DH worked late and was on the computer by the time I was done with Miss B and her homework, my brain was so fried that, after getting all the kids settled in bed, I went to bed with Dave Ramsey (the book, remember) and fell asleep shortly after.
Soooo, with all of this procrastination, you'd think that I had time to come up with some really good tips for this week, but I actually have just two simple words:
Gum & Water
These are 2 things that really help me get through some rough spots... times when I'm wanting to eat something, but know I shouldn't... times when I know I should stop eating whatever I'm munching on, etc. Over the past week, I've come to realize that it's these 2 things that get me through. The water helps because there are many times when I think I'm hungry, but I'm really just thirsty. If I stop and think about it, I realize that I haven't had anything to drink for a while (or at all). So, I've really tried to increase my water consumption, in general. I've also tried to stop and think about whether I'm really hungry or if I'm just thirsty before I eat something. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. The gum helps because sometimes, I just need to be chewing on something... to have a sensation or flavor in my mouth. As a matter of fact, these two things helped me just now. I am home for the day. When I'm home for the day, I tend to munch or graze- a lot. I realized that I was doing this just now (too late for my comfort, but better late than never) and so I put the offending foods back in the fridge (or what was left of the offending foods) and grabbed a piece of gum and a tall glass of water. Voila! I'm satisfied!
So, there you have it- better late than never- Weight-loss Wednesday!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Ever feel like this?
Since I technically missed "Monday Night Money" (I was moving my parents back into their living and dining room after they got new carpet yesterday) and, since I technically wrote up my "Monday Night Money" stuff this past weekend, here's my substitute. Ever feel like this?
Is it payday yet?
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Revelation...
This morning, I had a bit of a revelation. Long story, short... It is reeeeeeally cold out (like it-hurts-to-breathe-freeze-your-nose-hairs-cold). DH had to meet at church to sing with the choir at 7:45 am. We (kids & I) were up. We were almost ready to go. The phone rings at 7:32. It is DH calling from church. Granted, we only live 4 blocks away, but, again, it is hurts-to-breathe-freeze-your-nose-hairs-cold out there and he has asthma- fairly bad asthma. I had told him several times NOT to walk to church, that we were almost ready and we would all go. He purposefully left the house while I was getting the kids dressed in their room (so I couldn't see him leave or stop him), walked to church (aka froze his tukus off), and then called me from there to let me know that he had, indeed, walked to church. I was very angry with him and told him so. What he did, given the temperatures and his asthma, was completely stupid. I have not budgeted for a trip to the ER! It also sent the message to me that the fact that I got up early on a Sunday morning and was working hard to get myself and the kids ready in time to leave the house even earlier than we usually do on a week day, meant nothing to him. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I am not a morning person! and getting up early on a weekend is a loving sacrifice on my part (especially after staying up past one in the morning beating my sister at, er, I mean playing a lovely game of Vegas Showdown with my sister last night). But, I digress, you did not come on here to read about my marital spats... Since we were home and didn't have to go to the first church service (a traditional-format service which I really dislike) I fixed the kids each a bowl of cereal, letting them choose what kind they wanted. It doesn't sound like a weekend-worthy breakfast treat, but around here it is because the kids don't have time to sit down and eat a bowl of cereal on weekdays. (Scarcity makes the heart grow fonder!) I also decided to have a bowl of cereal (Froot Loops, to be exact). Not too big of a deal. It wasn't my usual healthy, filling breakfast, but it will do for a Sunday morning. That should have been the end, right there- breakfast was over. But then, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the box of granola cereal, opened it up, and began munching. And munching, and munching... I never considered myself much of an "emotional eater" before, but here I was, still irritated with DH, and I was munching away like there was no tomorrow. Coincidence? I think not! Today, I finally made a connection between the two. And, as they say, knowing is half the battle. Now, I know to stay away from the kitchen when I'm angry- unless I get swept away in a mad cleaning frenzy (lol) like you always read about people doing when they get angry. Why, oh, why couldn't I be one of those people? Burning calories and cleaning when I'm mad, instead of eating! Well, I'm in control now. It's something that I'll work on...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Are you ready for some money?
As I was picking up the kids at my parents' house yesterday, I overheard mention of something that would "bring relief to millions of tax payers" on the news. And then the kids started into something that quickly took my attention away from the TV (lost shoes, fighting over who was or wasn't picking up toys, I don't even remember now). Fast forward to a conversation with my sister last night and we're talking about money (or lack, thereof) and she mentions this tax rebate. So, today, I had to do some research- see what we might be in for. What I found is that, in an effort to ward off a recession, the government is counting on the irresponsibility, impulsivness, and greed of the American people to immediately go out and spend any extra money they may get their hands on. And, for the most part, they are probably correct in their assumptions. It's one of the defining characteristics of the American people. So, they are thinking of providing that extra money. How much, you may ask. That's not quite clear yet. An article written yesterday said, "The administration is examining boosting those amounts this time around (referring to the $300/individual, $600/family tax rebate given to Americans in 2001) to up to $800 for individual taxpayers and $1,600 for families." The most recent article that I read states that: "Lawmakers are considering tax breaks for businesses investing in new equipment and a $500 rebate for individuals, said congressional aides involved in the talks. Details for couples and people with children are still being negotiated." So, as of right now, we may be getting "stimulated" with an extra $500+ so that we can go forth and be frivolous and save our economy from certain doom.
Now, I am no economist. I went into my required Macroeconomics class in college saying to myself that, "If I came out with a 'C', I would be happy," and that's exactly what I did (talk about your self-fulfilling prophecies). So, suffice it to say, I don't know all of the intricacies of finance, economies, and government. But it seems to me that since it is now tax season and most Americans will be getting a tax rebate, that it will do the same thing- giving us "extra" money that we can go forth and blow. That being said, who couldn't use an extra $500+ dollars? So, with no decisions being made and no guarantees, how would you spend an extra $500- $1000? Just food for thought... I'll be doing some thinking this weekend and get back to you with my answer.
Now, I am no economist. I went into my required Macroeconomics class in college saying to myself that, "If I came out with a 'C', I would be happy," and that's exactly what I did (talk about your self-fulfilling prophecies). So, suffice it to say, I don't know all of the intricacies of finance, economies, and government. But it seems to me that since it is now tax season and most Americans will be getting a tax rebate, that it will do the same thing- giving us "extra" money that we can go forth and blow. That being said, who couldn't use an extra $500+ dollars? So, with no decisions being made and no guarantees, how would you spend an extra $500- $1000? Just food for thought... I'll be doing some thinking this weekend and get back to you with my answer.
Weekend Weigh-In: 01/19/08
Weigh-In: 292.1
Down 2 lbs! :) :) :) :) :)
All I can say is, "I broke the ceiling... I broke the ceiling..."
The funny thing is, that I was using the scale in the bathroom and happened to be looking in the mirror while I waited for the scale to register my weight. So, when the weight popped up on the digital scale, I saw the digital number reflected in the mirror and thought it said 295.1! Boy! Am I ever glad I looked down! I'm just excited because a while ago, I wrote about the "down 20 lbs. ceiling" that I seemed to be hitting and not able to get past. So, starting at 313 and now being at 292.1 puts me past the down 20 lbs mark! This is quite possible the lowest weight I've been in a few years!
What have I done this week to get here? Ummm... I'm not super-sure. I have been drinking water and I have not had any pop. Sometimes I listened to my body, instead of eating when it was time to eat- like yesterday... I had some breakfast at home, a bit of this and that from the "birthday breakfast" at work and at lunch I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat. But other times, I ate, even though I'm not sure that I was hungry, and I didn't always eat what was best for me, like BBQ potato chips. Anyway, depsite all of that, I am here. Where am I going next? Tune in next week to see...
Down 2 lbs! :) :) :) :) :)
All I can say is, "I broke the ceiling... I broke the ceiling..."
The funny thing is, that I was using the scale in the bathroom and happened to be looking in the mirror while I waited for the scale to register my weight. So, when the weight popped up on the digital scale, I saw the digital number reflected in the mirror and thought it said 295.1! Boy! Am I ever glad I looked down! I'm just excited because a while ago, I wrote about the "down 20 lbs. ceiling" that I seemed to be hitting and not able to get past. So, starting at 313 and now being at 292.1 puts me past the down 20 lbs mark! This is quite possible the lowest weight I've been in a few years!
What have I done this week to get here? Ummm... I'm not super-sure. I have been drinking water and I have not had any pop. Sometimes I listened to my body, instead of eating when it was time to eat- like yesterday... I had some breakfast at home, a bit of this and that from the "birthday breakfast" at work and at lunch I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat. But other times, I ate, even though I'm not sure that I was hungry, and I didn't always eat what was best for me, like BBQ potato chips. Anyway, depsite all of that, I am here. Where am I going next? Tune in next week to see...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Monday Night Money?
I just realized, that I need to backtrack a bit. A while ago, I referred to "Monday Night Money," and I've been calling some of my posts "Monday Night Money," but I never explained what it really is. A few years ago, I got connected with a website called FlyLady. FlyLady has this whole website and system of email reminders, etc that help many people organized themselves and their lives. But it's more than that. She encourages people to do things that show that you Finally Love Yourself (one of the things that the "Fly" in FlyLady is supposed to stand for). Without getting into too many details (you can find those on her website) she has a lot of really good stuff and says a lot of things that make sense. I just found that I was overwhelmed with trying to do all of her system, but I have kept some parts that worked for me. One of these things is to designate one day per week for doing certain things. For me, this translates into "Monday Night Money". Every Monday night, I get the computer and the desk for the evening to work on "money". I will pull out the stack of bills that we have gotten in the mail this week (I'm getting better about putting them in one place so that this is easier). After gathering the bills, I will pull out my budget sheet/ calendar for the month and enter any information from the bills (actual expenses and due dates) and subtract the difference between the "expected" amounts and the "actual" amounts. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not. Also, since I have the computer for the evening, I can come on here and write to all of you lovely people, post my "check-in", and do any other money-related stuff that I need to do on the computer. So, there you have it in a nutshell. That's my "Monday Night Money" plan. All in all, it's not very time consuming (I get started after the kids are in bed), unless I end up surfing online for a while. The part that should be painful and time consuming- the dreaded "B" word (Budgeting)-is actually quite quick and painless
Woo Hoo!!! Victory!!!
Check-In: +$1248.86!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay! I know that I'm supposed to wait until "Monday Night Money" to "check-in", but I just couldn't wait this week! This is the first positive balance that we have had in 2008! It was bad that we lost control of our money over Christmas (and a lot of other times before that too), but now that I am in control and have a positive balance, I feel, well, really positive! As I said, I was just soooo excited about this that I had to share. I know that it will not last... that it will go quickly to bills and such, but I wanted to share this one, small victory. It's a victory because we have a positive balance again, but also because we have survived for 3-4 weeks on very little cash, proving to ourselves that it can be done! So, if you are reading this and have a "victory" to share, post a comment and let everyone know. We deserve to celebrate (so if you have any cheap or free ways to celebrate, let me know that too)!
Yay! I know that I'm supposed to wait until "Monday Night Money" to "check-in", but I just couldn't wait this week! This is the first positive balance that we have had in 2008! It was bad that we lost control of our money over Christmas (and a lot of other times before that too), but now that I am in control and have a positive balance, I feel, well, really positive! As I said, I was just soooo excited about this that I had to share. I know that it will not last... that it will go quickly to bills and such, but I wanted to share this one, small victory. It's a victory because we have a positive balance again, but also because we have survived for 3-4 weeks on very little cash, proving to ourselves that it can be done! So, if you are reading this and have a "victory" to share, post a comment and let everyone know. We deserve to celebrate (so if you have any cheap or free ways to celebrate, let me know that too)!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Weight-loss Wednesdays
Okay, I feel like I've been focusing more on the "money" side than the "health" side of this blog. That's not my intention, but I think that the money's got my attention right now because there is a serious shortage of it. As far as weight loss, I haven't gotten much past weighing-in, which is good... it's progress... but I want for others to be able to come here and glean something that will be helpful for them, not just read about me and what I've been doing. So, in that direction, I dug up an article that I read a while back, when this blog was nothing but a gleam in my eye, and I had thought to myself that this would be something good to include in my blog. It's the 100 smartest diet tips. I'm not going to give you the whole article. I'm going to chop it up into sections, for easier digestion.
Here's a little background:
Courtesy of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), here's what they told us, in their own words. These tips are solid gold, learned from successful experience with thousands of clients. Some tips are new. Some you've heard before, but they're repeated because they work. This treasure trove of wisdom could change your life-starting today.
So, without further ado, here are this week's tips...
I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?
1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.
2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.
3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions—unless you want to supersize your clothes.
4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.
5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.
6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.
Here's a little background:
Courtesy of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), here's what they told us, in their own words. These tips are solid gold, learned from successful experience with thousands of clients. Some tips are new. Some you've heard before, but they're repeated because they work. This treasure trove of wisdom could change your life-starting today.
So, without further ado, here are this week's tips...
I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?
1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.
2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.
3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions—unless you want to supersize your clothes.
4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.
5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.
6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.
the price of procrastination...
What is the true price of procrastination? One may never know. But last night, procrastination cost me $14.96 and some grief. "How did you figure that one out?" you may ask. I figured it out because, as I made my mad dash as family chauffer, between picking up DH and making my way to pick up the kids, I ran out of gas. I knew we needed gas in the van and had planned to do it after dropping DH off at choir practice last night, even though I should have done it on Monday night. But, on Monday night, I had to pick up my husband, drop him off at home, pick up the kids, pick my dad up at the train station, drop him off at home and then get ourselves home to have some dinner. After all of that dropping-off and picking-up, I just didn't feel like driving the 10-15 minutes each way that it takes to get to the gas station that we use (it's the closest station that sells E-85). So, I put it off until the next day, following the tried-and-true Procrastinator's Creed: "Why do today, what you can put off 'til tomorrow?" or something to that effect. So, as I said, we were driving between my husband's work and my parents' house. We came to a red light, and stopped. When the light turned green, and it was time to go, the car protested. It started shuddering and I could tell that we were losing power. We made it just past the cross-street and pulled into/ through a parking lot to a side-street behind the store. And then Eubie, our van, died, right in front of someone's driveway, of course. At this point, I am simultaneously counting my blessings and thinking "Crap!" at the same time (oh, wait, that's what simultaneously means, duh!). I'm counting my blessings that A) we made it across the cross-street and out of traffic's way because we were on a very busy street, B) I had already picked my husband up- a double blessing because I had to push the car past the driveway that it was blocking and because I had forgotten to grab my cell phone as we were rushing out of the house that morning, and C) I didn't have to suffer alone. I'm thinking "Crap!" because I wasn't sure that the car died from lack of sustenance, as the "OIL PRESSURE" light came on the dashboard as we started having these problems. I feared an expensive car towing and repair that we could not afford at this juncture. And my mind was racing though our lack of money and up-coming expenses and trying to figure out where even more money was going to come from to tow and fix the van because, as much as I wish we could, we can not live without a car (unless we quit working, quit buying groceries, and stayed home all day- hey! I could live with that!) Anyway, long story short (well, short-er), after much talking on the phone with my parents, weighing options, and figuring logistics (their car only seats 5), the kids and my mom were dropped off at our house and dad came to rescue us. My brilliant dad had the foresight to bring his gas can for the mower, just in case we had run out of gas, and that's how we discovered that yes, indeed, we had run out of gas (I say "we"so that I can at least feel like the blame wasn't all mine, even though DH doesn't drive). "So," you may ask, "How did you arrive at the $14.96 total?" Well, going to the closest gas station to get gas cost $10. Now, since I was going to get gas anyway, I figured that it wasn't fair to count the whole $10 in the "price of procrastination," so I only counted the difference between the cost of regular vs. E-85 (using nice, round numbers, since I don't like math too much). The price between the two is usually about 50-cents, so, figuring I put in just over 3 gallons of regular, instead of E-85, that's a waste of about $1.50. Also, because of all the time wasted on figuring out what to do and doing it, it was well after 6 pm when I got home. DH had to be at choir practice by 7, leaving little time for us to cook and eat before he had to be there. So, this led us down the path to temptation: fast food. At Rax, we spent the rest of the money (as I said, I don't like math... you can figure it out if it makes you feel better) on 10 Jr. Roast Beef sandwiches (99-cents a piece... at least they were on sale!), a large curly fry, 2 cookies (DH's doing, not mine), and a cup of water. And that, dear people, is how procrastination cost me $14.96! In that one instance, it's not so bad, but for chronic procrastinators, just think where those instances will lead...
Monday, January 14, 2008
Resolutions & Reflections...
Here's an article from the "Counting the Cost" e-zine that I subscribe to. If you'd like more info in this regard, there's a link on the left. Lots of good stuff there! Anyway, this article really hit me in many of the areas that I'm trying to improve this year. If you're reading this blog, I'm guessing you're trying to make improvements in similar areas of your life, so I thought I'd share it with you. Below is a reprint of the article. What I've done is similar to something the editor of 'Dollar Stretcher' (another e-zine that I subscribe to)has done. After each article, Gary Foreman writes something called, "Take the next step," where he reflects on the article and jots down a few action steps that can be taken to apply the information contained in the article. So, after each "Resolution" written below, I have offered my "next steps"- insights and actions- in italics:
Feature Article:
5 Resolutions for a Simpler 2008
by Nancy Twigg, Editor
If one of your goals for 2008 was to simplify your life,here are five positive steps you can take to toward attaining that goal:
1. Resolve to Use Credit Less, Pay with Cash More
When you pay with cash, you tend to be more careful and more intentional about your purchases. Something about counting out the bills and seeing the empty space left in your wallet causes you to think twice about purchases. Using cash not only helps you avoid credit card debt, but it also simplifies your life by helping you to avoid accumulating stuff you don’t need (i.e. more stuff to end up as clutter in your home). This is something that I am definitely doing with the money that is left over after bills are paid! That should keep me from spending more than I have and give me a good picture of how much I have, how much is left, etc. If there's one thing I've learned in working with autistic children, it's the power of a visual- being able to see something in black and white (or green, in the case of money).
2. Resolve to Say “Yes” Less, “I’ll Get Back with You” More
How many times do you say “Yes,” too quickly and then regret it later? One lifesaver in helping to control busyness is to make it a habit to say, “Let me check with my spouse first,” or “Let me check my schedule and get back with you” when asked to do something. Your spouse can usually give a much more honest assessment of whether or not you should say “Yes” than you can come up with on your own. Also, the simple act of delaying your answer will help you avoid committing yourself without thinking it through. Yay for me! This is something that I'm (finally) getting better at. I've realized that my children are at crucial ages and stages- the beginnings of their formal educations- and I need to have more time to be there for them, to help them and support them. When I first had kids, I cut waaay back on many of my volunteer activities. As time went along, and the kids got a little older and more independent, I started taking on a few more and then a few more activities. They added up, piled up, and attacked myself and my family. Individually, no one activity seemed like too much (write a Kids' Page for the church newsletter once a month? no biggie... lead the youth group for 2 hours on Sunday night? sure, it'll be fun... practice with the bell choir for an hour-and-a-half on Saturday morning? no problem...) but collectively, it took it's toll. Now, I don't say yes right away and many times, I find that there is someone else who is willing and able to step in and do the things that I always thought I had to do.
3. Resolve to Hold onto Less, Let go of More
Decluttering is a major part of simplifying. If household clutter is an issue for you, ask yourself, “Why am I holding onto this stuff?” What issue or need does the clutter represent that you need to deal with on a deeper level? There is great satisfaction in creating open spaces where there was once just junk. Also, there is joy in blessing others by sharing those things you no longer use. Learn to let go of those things that don’t add value to your life so you can truly enjoy those things that do. This is definitely still an area of struggle for me. I understand the idea behind having less and enjoying it more... about how it will make life easier and more peaceful. But, finding the time and the energy to deal with what's already been accumulated is difficult for me. Slowly, very slowly, I am making progress.
4. Resolve to Rush Less, Slow Down More
Be honest with yourself. Usually the reason you rush is because you have over-committed yourself, or have given an inordinate amount of time to things of lesser importance. Make a commitment to weed out some of those trivial things so you don’t have to rush through the crucial things. At those times when you are rushed, make it a habit to take a mental step back and evaluate what’s going on (why you are so pressed for time) and what adjustments or deletions you could make to stop the pattern of always being under the gun. Another area I'm working on. I've weeded out most committments- gone cold turkey, as a matter of fact- and just dropped everything. Slowly and thoughtfully, I can add some things back in, keeping my priorities in mind. I'm also trying to evaluate some of the systems that we have in place (or, in some instances, the lack of and need to put systems in place) so that I can make some changes and adjustments to make our lives run a little more smoothly. At least, that's how it's working for me.
5. Resolve to Say Move More, Snack Less
Without a doubt, illness complicates your life. Being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle simplifies life by giving you the energy and stamina to enjoy life. A big part of being healthy is exercising and watching what you eat. No matter what your weight or fitness level is, you can reap the benefits of incorporating more movement into your day and trimming down the between-meal snacks. Just those two changes can make a difference in your stress level and your overall health and well-being. This (less illness, more health) is the major impetus for me changing my lifestyle (not dieting). I am trying to incorporate more movement into my days. Since time at home with my family is at a premium, I am trying to do this in ways that don't interfere with that... parking further away from the door at work, taking the stairs, trying to fidget more, dancing, going to the park with the kids and playing, etc. These are simple, little changes that I can make while preserving time with my family (as opposed to visiting a fitness center while the kids are with a sitter, etc.). Right now, this is what is working for me. In the future, other things (like bringing the exercise bike into the house or taking walks outside, as the weather warms up) can be added to increase the impact without taking away from our family time.
Feature Article:
5 Resolutions for a Simpler 2008
by Nancy Twigg, Editor
If one of your goals for 2008 was to simplify your life,here are five positive steps you can take to toward attaining that goal:
1. Resolve to Use Credit Less, Pay with Cash More
When you pay with cash, you tend to be more careful and more intentional about your purchases. Something about counting out the bills and seeing the empty space left in your wallet causes you to think twice about purchases. Using cash not only helps you avoid credit card debt, but it also simplifies your life by helping you to avoid accumulating stuff you don’t need (i.e. more stuff to end up as clutter in your home). This is something that I am definitely doing with the money that is left over after bills are paid! That should keep me from spending more than I have and give me a good picture of how much I have, how much is left, etc. If there's one thing I've learned in working with autistic children, it's the power of a visual- being able to see something in black and white (or green, in the case of money).
2. Resolve to Say “Yes” Less, “I’ll Get Back with You” More
How many times do you say “Yes,” too quickly and then regret it later? One lifesaver in helping to control busyness is to make it a habit to say, “Let me check with my spouse first,” or “Let me check my schedule and get back with you” when asked to do something. Your spouse can usually give a much more honest assessment of whether or not you should say “Yes” than you can come up with on your own. Also, the simple act of delaying your answer will help you avoid committing yourself without thinking it through. Yay for me! This is something that I'm (finally) getting better at. I've realized that my children are at crucial ages and stages- the beginnings of their formal educations- and I need to have more time to be there for them, to help them and support them. When I first had kids, I cut waaay back on many of my volunteer activities. As time went along, and the kids got a little older and more independent, I started taking on a few more and then a few more activities. They added up, piled up, and attacked myself and my family. Individually, no one activity seemed like too much (write a Kids' Page for the church newsletter once a month? no biggie... lead the youth group for 2 hours on Sunday night? sure, it'll be fun... practice with the bell choir for an hour-and-a-half on Saturday morning? no problem...) but collectively, it took it's toll. Now, I don't say yes right away and many times, I find that there is someone else who is willing and able to step in and do the things that I always thought I had to do.
3. Resolve to Hold onto Less, Let go of More
Decluttering is a major part of simplifying. If household clutter is an issue for you, ask yourself, “Why am I holding onto this stuff?” What issue or need does the clutter represent that you need to deal with on a deeper level? There is great satisfaction in creating open spaces where there was once just junk. Also, there is joy in blessing others by sharing those things you no longer use. Learn to let go of those things that don’t add value to your life so you can truly enjoy those things that do. This is definitely still an area of struggle for me. I understand the idea behind having less and enjoying it more... about how it will make life easier and more peaceful. But, finding the time and the energy to deal with what's already been accumulated is difficult for me. Slowly, very slowly, I am making progress.
4. Resolve to Rush Less, Slow Down More
Be honest with yourself. Usually the reason you rush is because you have over-committed yourself, or have given an inordinate amount of time to things of lesser importance. Make a commitment to weed out some of those trivial things so you don’t have to rush through the crucial things. At those times when you are rushed, make it a habit to take a mental step back and evaluate what’s going on (why you are so pressed for time) and what adjustments or deletions you could make to stop the pattern of always being under the gun. Another area I'm working on. I've weeded out most committments- gone cold turkey, as a matter of fact- and just dropped everything. Slowly and thoughtfully, I can add some things back in, keeping my priorities in mind. I'm also trying to evaluate some of the systems that we have in place (or, in some instances, the lack of and need to put systems in place) so that I can make some changes and adjustments to make our lives run a little more smoothly. At least, that's how it's working for me.
5. Resolve to Say Move More, Snack Less
Without a doubt, illness complicates your life. Being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle simplifies life by giving you the energy and stamina to enjoy life. A big part of being healthy is exercising and watching what you eat. No matter what your weight or fitness level is, you can reap the benefits of incorporating more movement into your day and trimming down the between-meal snacks. Just those two changes can make a difference in your stress level and your overall health and well-being. This (less illness, more health) is the major impetus for me changing my lifestyle (not dieting). I am trying to incorporate more movement into my days. Since time at home with my family is at a premium, I am trying to do this in ways that don't interfere with that... parking further away from the door at work, taking the stairs, trying to fidget more, dancing, going to the park with the kids and playing, etc. These are simple, little changes that I can make while preserving time with my family (as opposed to visiting a fitness center while the kids are with a sitter, etc.). Right now, this is what is working for me. In the future, other things (like bringing the exercise bike into the house or taking walks outside, as the weather warms up) can be added to increase the impact without taking away from our family time.
Monday Night Money
Check-In: -$114.24
I knew we wouldn't be completely in the clear, but we're better off than we were a week ago. My paycheck this Friday should get us caught up on most fronts. AND WE WILL NOT BE DOING THIS AGAIN! That's my vow...
I knew we wouldn't be completely in the clear, but we're better off than we were a week ago. My paycheck this Friday should get us caught up on most fronts. AND WE WILL NOT BE DOING THIS AGAIN! That's my vow...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
a penny for my thoughts...
I know that I just "weighed-in" yesterday, and I'm not supposed to officially "check-in" until tomorrow, but last night, I was reflecting on this week in money and who knows how much time I will have to write tomorrow night. So, here's this week's reflections...
This past week was kinda tough, but also getting easier (to not spend any money- or very little). I didn't carry cash or my card with me (other than some change in my pocket). DH (Dear Husband) had 2 checks from his part-time retail job, so we were able to cash those at a Currency Exchange to have some cash for this week and next week. This was very fortunate, because he needed new white shoes for his other job at the pet hospital (a uniform requirement) and his old shoes that we were planning to replace in the next month or two kicked the bucket last week. So, cashing these checks gave us the means to buy his white shoes. We lucked out even more by hitting a big sale at Steve & Barry's, which I was unaware of at the time I suggested he look there for his new shoes. All I knew was that a friend of mine had gotten a pair of the Starbury shoes there for about $12. She liked them and they lasted quite a while. Well, the sale let him get the shoes for $9! Everything in the store was $9! Including the down-filled winter coats! So, he was able to replace his old winter coat that part of the outer-shell was torn on. Since we were at the mall and it was getting late, we did eat out there once this week. Only eating out once a week is an accomplishment for us. The other thing that cashing DH's check meant was that we could fill up the gas tank (a big concern when we are really short- one that I intend to remedy in the future by stocking up on gift cards for the gas station that we use). I don't know why, but we seem to go through gas like crazy! It's about a tank a week- and at $50 a tank (give or take)- that's a lot of gas! The funny thing is that I don't feel like we do a lot of driving- just to and from work and to and from my mom & dad's (they watch the kids while we're working). Yet, the gas disappears! I guess I should be glad the van uses E-85, otherwise it would be even worse! I now that E-85 fuel seems to burn faster than standard gas, but it is always cheaper by at least 50 cents per gallon- which more than makes up for the quicker burning. Plus, E-85 is better for the economy- supporting our farmers instead of the oil barons and foreign countries- and better for the environment since it burns cleaner than standard fuel. When I researched it, I honestly couldn't see why anyone wouldn't use E-85 if they could! But I'll get off my soap box for now...
Another thing that came up this week was that the Martial Arts school that we visited in December called about fitting the kids for uniforms. To backtrack, we had talked about starting the kids in Marital Arts because our oldest DD (Dear Daughter), Miss B, has been having some trouble with impulsive behaviors and emotional over-reactions at school. She also has asthma, and we thought that having her involved in a physical activity would be good for her, as well as some of the focusing on breathing and stuff that they do. Of course, DH also liked the idea of her learning some self-defense moves since she is a girl. Even though she's only in first grade, he thought the knowledge could come in handy in her future dating experiences. And, of course, if she was taking Martial Arts, the other 2 wanted to also. So, long story short, we had an introductory private lesson (just the instructor and our 3 kids). We were very impressed and wanted to sign the kids up but, we realized that right before the Christmas season was not a good time to start a new activity. So, we told them we would be starting the kids after Christmas, in January, to the tune of $165 a month for all 3 kids (really, not too bad of a price). And so, they called on Friday, wanting to schedule a fitting for the kids' uniforms, which are $40 a piece- $120 all together. And now, here it is January, and you saw the bank balance from last week... there is not $120 for uniforms! We were going to have to push off lessons until next month anyway, due to some meetings that I have this month that will interfere with getting them to lessons, and, since my parents are not wild about them taking Martial Arts- they seem to think it's just teaching kids to fight- I can not ask them to help with transportation or the expense. So, this is another reason to behave with our money- to be vigilant and watchful about where our money goes. So that we can do some of these extra things for our kids. I know that saving money is supposed to be about cutting out some of the extras, not adding extras, but I feel like this is an important, beneficial extra that will be really good for the kids. Definitely cheaper and preferable to ADD meds! So, I'm going to really buckle down in my efforts to monitor our money and make sure that it goes to the places that we feel are important. Consider my resolve doubled!
This past week was kinda tough, but also getting easier (to not spend any money- or very little). I didn't carry cash or my card with me (other than some change in my pocket). DH (Dear Husband) had 2 checks from his part-time retail job, so we were able to cash those at a Currency Exchange to have some cash for this week and next week. This was very fortunate, because he needed new white shoes for his other job at the pet hospital (a uniform requirement) and his old shoes that we were planning to replace in the next month or two kicked the bucket last week. So, cashing these checks gave us the means to buy his white shoes. We lucked out even more by hitting a big sale at Steve & Barry's, which I was unaware of at the time I suggested he look there for his new shoes. All I knew was that a friend of mine had gotten a pair of the Starbury shoes there for about $12. She liked them and they lasted quite a while. Well, the sale let him get the shoes for $9! Everything in the store was $9! Including the down-filled winter coats! So, he was able to replace his old winter coat that part of the outer-shell was torn on. Since we were at the mall and it was getting late, we did eat out there once this week. Only eating out once a week is an accomplishment for us. The other thing that cashing DH's check meant was that we could fill up the gas tank (a big concern when we are really short- one that I intend to remedy in the future by stocking up on gift cards for the gas station that we use). I don't know why, but we seem to go through gas like crazy! It's about a tank a week- and at $50 a tank (give or take)- that's a lot of gas! The funny thing is that I don't feel like we do a lot of driving- just to and from work and to and from my mom & dad's (they watch the kids while we're working). Yet, the gas disappears! I guess I should be glad the van uses E-85, otherwise it would be even worse! I now that E-85 fuel seems to burn faster than standard gas, but it is always cheaper by at least 50 cents per gallon- which more than makes up for the quicker burning. Plus, E-85 is better for the economy- supporting our farmers instead of the oil barons and foreign countries- and better for the environment since it burns cleaner than standard fuel. When I researched it, I honestly couldn't see why anyone wouldn't use E-85 if they could! But I'll get off my soap box for now...
Another thing that came up this week was that the Martial Arts school that we visited in December called about fitting the kids for uniforms. To backtrack, we had talked about starting the kids in Marital Arts because our oldest DD (Dear Daughter), Miss B, has been having some trouble with impulsive behaviors and emotional over-reactions at school. She also has asthma, and we thought that having her involved in a physical activity would be good for her, as well as some of the focusing on breathing and stuff that they do. Of course, DH also liked the idea of her learning some self-defense moves since she is a girl. Even though she's only in first grade, he thought the knowledge could come in handy in her future dating experiences. And, of course, if she was taking Martial Arts, the other 2 wanted to also. So, long story short, we had an introductory private lesson (just the instructor and our 3 kids). We were very impressed and wanted to sign the kids up but, we realized that right before the Christmas season was not a good time to start a new activity. So, we told them we would be starting the kids after Christmas, in January, to the tune of $165 a month for all 3 kids (really, not too bad of a price). And so, they called on Friday, wanting to schedule a fitting for the kids' uniforms, which are $40 a piece- $120 all together. And now, here it is January, and you saw the bank balance from last week... there is not $120 for uniforms! We were going to have to push off lessons until next month anyway, due to some meetings that I have this month that will interfere with getting them to lessons, and, since my parents are not wild about them taking Martial Arts- they seem to think it's just teaching kids to fight- I can not ask them to help with transportation or the expense. So, this is another reason to behave with our money- to be vigilant and watchful about where our money goes. So that we can do some of these extra things for our kids. I know that saving money is supposed to be about cutting out some of the extras, not adding extras, but I feel like this is an important, beneficial extra that will be really good for the kids. Definitely cheaper and preferable to ADD meds! So, I'm going to really buckle down in my efforts to monitor our money and make sure that it goes to the places that we feel are important. Consider my resolve doubled!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Weekend Weigh-In: 01/12/08
Weigh-In: 294.1
Down just over 3 lbs! :)
Yay! I am happy that I am down for a change! Happy that I am almost back to my "20 below starting weigh"t (the lowest I've been in recent times). I knew that going back to work would help matters (and also the end of the Christmas season with all its goodies and holiday meals). Of course, now is Girl Scout cookie season... I just went and picked up 70 boxes today. NO! Not all for me... the ones my daughter sold! Still, I think we bought quite a few boxes (somewhere between 6 and 10). Still, being where I'm at now, weight-wise, will let me move onto my next goal... one that I mentioned a while back- breaking through the "down 20 lbs. ceiling". How? Only time will tell... I am trying to do better drinking water. Also, once the Christmas tree is down, I plan to bring the exercise bike into the living room. Not the most tasteful decorating choice that I've made, but right now, it's the only place that I can think of to put it where I know that it will get moved. Of course, we can always stick it in the family room that we aren't using when we have company. So, that's my current plan. Let's see how it goes.
Down just over 3 lbs! :)
Yay! I am happy that I am down for a change! Happy that I am almost back to my "20 below starting weigh"t (the lowest I've been in recent times). I knew that going back to work would help matters (and also the end of the Christmas season with all its goodies and holiday meals). Of course, now is Girl Scout cookie season... I just went and picked up 70 boxes today. NO! Not all for me... the ones my daughter sold! Still, I think we bought quite a few boxes (somewhere between 6 and 10). Still, being where I'm at now, weight-wise, will let me move onto my next goal... one that I mentioned a while back- breaking through the "down 20 lbs. ceiling". How? Only time will tell... I am trying to do better drinking water. Also, once the Christmas tree is down, I plan to bring the exercise bike into the living room. Not the most tasteful decorating choice that I've made, but right now, it's the only place that I can think of to put it where I know that it will get moved. Of course, we can always stick it in the family room that we aren't using when we have company. So, that's my current plan. Let's see how it goes.
Monday Night Money
Check-In: -$625.88
I was wrong... it can hurt...
Still, this is what I need to see in black and white... to know that I need to change things and to know that the changes are making a difference.
I knew we were in trouble (finances) this weekend, and I wanted to stick to only using cash on hand, so I felt awful begrudging the money I spent at Aldi's on crackers for an appetizer for a belated Christmas dinner and I felt even worse when my sister asked me to pick up a Coke for her on the way back to my parents' house on Saturday night and I had to act like I had forgotten on the way and, again, on Sunday when we went back over there and my mom wanted me to pick up buns at the store. I didn't actually have to lie, saying that I didn't have my wallet with me, but I purposely left my wallet at home so I wouldn't have any cash with me to spend. Not being able to do such simple things to help my family is something that makes me realize that I need to gain control in this area... need to stay on top of things so that this sort of thing doesn't happen again.
I was wrong... it can hurt...
Still, this is what I need to see in black and white... to know that I need to change things and to know that the changes are making a difference.
I knew we were in trouble (finances) this weekend, and I wanted to stick to only using cash on hand, so I felt awful begrudging the money I spent at Aldi's on crackers for an appetizer for a belated Christmas dinner and I felt even worse when my sister asked me to pick up a Coke for her on the way back to my parents' house on Saturday night and I had to act like I had forgotten on the way and, again, on Sunday when we went back over there and my mom wanted me to pick up buns at the store. I didn't actually have to lie, saying that I didn't have my wallet with me, but I purposely left my wallet at home so I wouldn't have any cash with me to spend. Not being able to do such simple things to help my family is something that makes me realize that I need to gain control in this area... need to stay on top of things so that this sort of thing doesn't happen again.
Weekend Weigh-In: 01/06/08
Weigh- In: 297.4
Up less than 1 lb :(
This is less than when I started a month ago... Okay for Christmas season and 2 weeks at home. Going back to work will help... regular breakfasts, standard lunches, and less snacking and munching and grazing.
Budget is waaaaay in the pits- somehow ending up very in the hole. We are living off of cash and stuff on hand. No fun, but we'll survive if we can get through the next week gas-wise. Maybe I will do a weekly "weigh-in" with money (a check-in?)- writing a balance each Monday as a check-in, of sorts. I'll go to my online banking site tomorrow to start this. Maybe it will help to keep me honest, up-to-date, let me see trends and patterns, etc. Who knows? At least it can't hurt.
Up less than 1 lb :(
This is less than when I started a month ago... Okay for Christmas season and 2 weeks at home. Going back to work will help... regular breakfasts, standard lunches, and less snacking and munching and grazing.
Budget is waaaaay in the pits- somehow ending up very in the hole. We are living off of cash and stuff on hand. No fun, but we'll survive if we can get through the next week gas-wise. Maybe I will do a weekly "weigh-in" with money (a check-in?)- writing a balance each Monday as a check-in, of sorts. I'll go to my online banking site tomorrow to start this. Maybe it will help to keep me honest, up-to-date, let me see trends and patterns, etc. Who knows? At least it can't hurt.
Weekend Weigh-In: 12/30/07
Weigh- In: 296.6
Up almost 1 lb. :(
Again, my weight is up slightly, but that's with Christmas goodies- like Monkey Bread- and with being home (not working... Christmas Break), which always sends my eating habits to hell. It's just too easy to graze and eat crap all day. Since this is a blog/ journal about loving myself enough to take control, I want to pat myself on the back because this week, I sat down to figure out budget stuff. This is another yo-yo area of my life. It seems that it's either all or nothing with this area. Either I am hyper-vigilant and on top of it, or I don't even bother to do anything with it at all. I used to use Microsoft Money software, but that got to be a pain- one small mistake or a missed statement and I had to start all over. Then, I went through a big "nothing" phase- between our tax return and teaching summer school, we had enough money to be okay. Last fall, I decided to start tracking our finances again, but I didn't want to use "Money". So, I looked around online for free stuff (because free is good) and found an Excel-based spreadsheet program called "Pear Budget". I even started to make a price book and declared "Monday Night Money". This worked for a few months, but again, data entry got tedious and I abandoned this system. So, here I am again. I worked one day over Christmas break to come up with a new system that (I hope) will work. This system is relatively simple. Unlike other ones I've used in the past, this system is paper and pencil-based (old fashioned, I know). What I did was to create a spreadsheet for each month with a calendar on the left side and room for budget entries on the right side (Projected Income & Expenses vs. Actual Income & Expenses with a space to track the difference). Anyway, I'll try to keep posted about this too and let you know how things are going.
Up almost 1 lb. :(
Again, my weight is up slightly, but that's with Christmas goodies- like Monkey Bread- and with being home (not working... Christmas Break), which always sends my eating habits to hell. It's just too easy to graze and eat crap all day. Since this is a blog/ journal about loving myself enough to take control, I want to pat myself on the back because this week, I sat down to figure out budget stuff. This is another yo-yo area of my life. It seems that it's either all or nothing with this area. Either I am hyper-vigilant and on top of it, or I don't even bother to do anything with it at all. I used to use Microsoft Money software, but that got to be a pain- one small mistake or a missed statement and I had to start all over. Then, I went through a big "nothing" phase- between our tax return and teaching summer school, we had enough money to be okay. Last fall, I decided to start tracking our finances again, but I didn't want to use "Money". So, I looked around online for free stuff (because free is good) and found an Excel-based spreadsheet program called "Pear Budget". I even started to make a price book and declared "Monday Night Money". This worked for a few months, but again, data entry got tedious and I abandoned this system. So, here I am again. I worked one day over Christmas break to come up with a new system that (I hope) will work. This system is relatively simple. Unlike other ones I've used in the past, this system is paper and pencil-based (old fashioned, I know). What I did was to create a spreadsheet for each month with a calendar on the left side and room for budget entries on the right side (Projected Income & Expenses vs. Actual Income & Expenses with a space to track the difference). Anyway, I'll try to keep posted about this too and let you know how things are going.
Weekend Weigh-In: 12/22/07
Weigh-in: 295.8
Up 2 lbs :(
My weight is up a little bit, but I'm okay with this, considering the fact that it is the holiday season and I had 2 Christmas parties yesterday.
Up 2 lbs :(
My weight is up a little bit, but I'm okay with this, considering the fact that it is the holiday season and I had 2 Christmas parties yesterday.
Weekend Weigh-In: 12/15/2007
Weigh-In: 293.8
Down 6 lbs!
It's been a busy week- some sickness in our house (stomach flu, but I wasn't the one reaping the weight loss benefits of "purging"). Due to the busyness, there was some eating out. So, all in all, I can't complain about having a 6 lb. net loss. This puts me at 20 lbs. total loss! (from the original 313). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to break through the 20 lb. ceiling, so that's my next goal!
Down 6 lbs!
It's been a busy week- some sickness in our house (stomach flu, but I wasn't the one reaping the weight loss benefits of "purging"). Due to the busyness, there was some eating out. So, all in all, I can't complain about having a 6 lb. net loss. This puts me at 20 lbs. total loss! (from the original 313). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to break through the 20 lb. ceiling, so that's my next goal!
Weekend Weigh-In: 12/ 08/ 2007
Weigh-in: 299.8/ 301.5 (two different readings)
These were the readings when I stepped on the scale today. Why do we always step on it again if we don't like the first reading? It's not like it ever comes out more in our favor...
Anyway, I attribute this reading to consuming popcorn at Target (the bad-for-you-kind), lots of Diet Coke (instead of the water that I should be drinking) and weighing myself right after eating a heavy meal. Still, as my old mantra went, "Improvement is improvement" and I think that journaling about this stuff is a step in the right direction. When I began journaling, I chose a notebook with hearts on the front- to remind me that the reason for all of this is for LOVE: love for myself, love for my kids (at home and at school), and love for my husband. I wanted to have a place to share and keep track of my progress, but also to have a place to reflect on some stuff. I've always been a fan of journaling. In fact, I still have journals from high school and college- what fun to go back and read! So, welcome to "That Place".
These were the readings when I stepped on the scale today. Why do we always step on it again if we don't like the first reading? It's not like it ever comes out more in our favor...
Anyway, I attribute this reading to consuming popcorn at Target (the bad-for-you-kind), lots of Diet Coke (instead of the water that I should be drinking) and weighing myself right after eating a heavy meal. Still, as my old mantra went, "Improvement is improvement" and I think that journaling about this stuff is a step in the right direction. When I began journaling, I chose a notebook with hearts on the front- to remind me that the reason for all of this is for LOVE: love for myself, love for my kids (at home and at school), and love for my husband. I wanted to have a place to share and keep track of my progress, but also to have a place to reflect on some stuff. I've always been a fan of journaling. In fact, I still have journals from high school and college- what fun to go back and read! So, welcome to "That Place".
Back to the beginning...
Well, not really the beginning, as I've always struggled with my weight and money management skills, but this is where I'm starting this. I began in late December, 2005- almost January 2006- at 313 pounds. This was an all-time high (and a new low) for me. I found and signed up for Sparkpeople.com which led me to track my food and weight and to get a "buddy". Things were going well. I lost 15+ pounds within about a month. Then, I lost my buddy due to circumstances in her family, which led to a loss of accountability and support for myself. My life with 3 small children and a full-time job started to take over, and Sparkpeople and losing weight got pushed further and further back on the burner until it fell behind the proverbial stove.
Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend, May 2007 (over a year later)...
We took a trip to visit our best friends, H & P. Several years ago, H had lost over 100 pounds with Weight Watchers, gaining some back after the births of her children. So, we were talking about how we really needed to start being healthier again... losing weight, exercising, etc. We decide to give the whole thing another shot. She signs up for Sparkpeople, I return to Sparkpeople (amazed to find things exactly as I left them!). She also invited me to a 200+ support board that she is a part of. At this point, in early June, I stepped on the scary scale (yes, it was scary at this point, because I honestly didn't know what it was going to say). I was amazed, and a bit relieved, when it read 313 lbs.- just like it did a year-and-a-half before! I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't more. So, I started to behave more around food and to make a conscious effort to move more- like playing with the kids at the park instead of just watching them play and fidgeting more. It wasn't "exercise", but it was an increase in activity. I didn't get back to using Sparkpeople like I did before, but I still visit it occasionally and get emails from them. Over the course of a few months, I was down 20 lbs. as a result of these efforts.
Fast f0rward again to December 2007...
After Thanksgiving, my weight is up a bit. I find myself yo-yoing (is that a word?) So, I decide to start journaling and weighing myself in (ironically after another visit with my best friend, H). I renew my focus on being healthier and set a goal not to gain weight over the Christmas holiday. Short-term goals are my friend after reading some of FlyLady's stuff about Babysteps. This seemed like a babystep that was attainable and would give me some quick feedback as to success or failure since it was only about a month until the new year (my deadline). Now, I'm taking the journaling online, so here goes...
Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend, May 2007 (over a year later)...
We took a trip to visit our best friends, H & P. Several years ago, H had lost over 100 pounds with Weight Watchers, gaining some back after the births of her children. So, we were talking about how we really needed to start being healthier again... losing weight, exercising, etc. We decide to give the whole thing another shot. She signs up for Sparkpeople, I return to Sparkpeople (amazed to find things exactly as I left them!). She also invited me to a 200+ support board that she is a part of. At this point, in early June, I stepped on the scary scale (yes, it was scary at this point, because I honestly didn't know what it was going to say). I was amazed, and a bit relieved, when it read 313 lbs.- just like it did a year-and-a-half before! I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't more. So, I started to behave more around food and to make a conscious effort to move more- like playing with the kids at the park instead of just watching them play and fidgeting more. It wasn't "exercise", but it was an increase in activity. I didn't get back to using Sparkpeople like I did before, but I still visit it occasionally and get emails from them. Over the course of a few months, I was down 20 lbs. as a result of these efforts.
Fast f0rward again to December 2007...
After Thanksgiving, my weight is up a bit. I find myself yo-yoing (is that a word?) So, I decide to start journaling and weighing myself in (ironically after another visit with my best friend, H). I renew my focus on being healthier and set a goal not to gain weight over the Christmas holiday. Short-term goals are my friend after reading some of FlyLady's stuff about Babysteps. This seemed like a babystep that was attainable and would give me some quick feedback as to success or failure since it was only about a month until the new year (my deadline). Now, I'm taking the journaling online, so here goes...
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