I'm happy to announce that I've paid off my car. It took a lot of work, but with the help of my tax return, I paid it off. That was very exciting. The plan is to then put that payment towards Big D's car, but of course, shit has hit the fan - a tree needed to come down in the backyard, our sprinkler system needs repair, we need to replace some plants in the front yard... So March and April's extra payments have already been eaten up by extra stuff. Isn't that the way it always goes.
I still haven't lost any weight, but I'm totally working out more. I have worked out at least 3 days a week for the last 2 months. So maybe the scale isn't moving because I'm eating more calories? I think I may need to start logging them or something. Yesterday, while The Monster was napping, I was flipping channels and came across an informercial for a butt workout series that I now must own. (There goes a little extra car payment. Big D won't stop making fun of me for ordering it.) As y'all know, my bottom half is my problem area, so I hope that mixing up my routine with some leg/hip/butt work will help out. I'll report back in a few weeks.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Goals Update
Well, I've made some changes, but not many. Here's how I'm doing so far in the new year...
(1) Paying off the car. In January, I had $6,200 left. Now I have $3,700. Hot damn! It helps that every once in a while, my dad will give me a few hundred dollars and say "put this towards your car." Also helpful was the "extra paycheck" for January. I get paid every other Friday, which amounts to two paychecks a month. So I budget for two paychecks a month. But this year, in January and April, I'll get 3 paychecks. January's paycheck was split to put 2/3rds into savings and 1/3rd towards the car.
(2) Losing ten pounds. Uh. No budging on the scale. I've cut back significantly on wine and mochas. You know how my dad will sometimes give me money for my car? Sometimes he also brings me mochas. He's so sweet; I can't say no. Not like I'd really want to anyway. Bring on the free mochas!
(3) Tone up arms and legs. So I did an awesome workout the other day recommended by my friend A (the chick that runs every day with her toddler). It's a Shape Magazine Pilates video that has a 12 minutes "total body blitz." I did it with 8 pound weights. It was badass! I felt hard as a rock the next day and even saw deltoids in each of my arms. However, the day after that, I could barely lift my arms to wash my hair. I've rented the video through Netflix, and I've decided to buy it, because it's so awesome. Almost reminds me of that women's bootcamp thing I did back before I got pregnant. Margaret would remember this well. It was before work for 8 weeks. I didn't lose any weight, but I increased my running distance and ended up running a 5K, and I was totally able to do "boy" pushups, but the side efffect was being so sore that I walked like I had a stick up my ass for a week.
(4) Making exercise a habit. I'm still working on this one. I've been working out about 2 times a week, which is a major improvement over the 2 times a month that it used to be. I'm feeling encouraged.
(5) Decreasing convenience foods. This one has been really bad. Big D was working nights during January, so I literally ate Chick Fil Annie every night that he was gone. But I do have some Dream Dinners in the freezer ready to go now that he's done with the night shift.
(6) Replacing a cup of coffee with green or white tea. I totally forget to do this. I think I'm going to put the box on my desk so I see it. Maybe that will help.
So there's my progress. I feel like I've done really well on paying off the car and trying to get in shape. I am the type to go balls to the wall, and I feel like I'm doing well, considering the amount of shit I have going on in my life.
(1) Paying off the car. In January, I had $6,200 left. Now I have $3,700. Hot damn! It helps that every once in a while, my dad will give me a few hundred dollars and say "put this towards your car." Also helpful was the "extra paycheck" for January. I get paid every other Friday, which amounts to two paychecks a month. So I budget for two paychecks a month. But this year, in January and April, I'll get 3 paychecks. January's paycheck was split to put 2/3rds into savings and 1/3rd towards the car.
(2) Losing ten pounds. Uh. No budging on the scale. I've cut back significantly on wine and mochas. You know how my dad will sometimes give me money for my car? Sometimes he also brings me mochas. He's so sweet; I can't say no. Not like I'd really want to anyway. Bring on the free mochas!
(3) Tone up arms and legs. So I did an awesome workout the other day recommended by my friend A (the chick that runs every day with her toddler). It's a Shape Magazine Pilates video that has a 12 minutes "total body blitz." I did it with 8 pound weights. It was badass! I felt hard as a rock the next day and even saw deltoids in each of my arms. However, the day after that, I could barely lift my arms to wash my hair. I've rented the video through Netflix, and I've decided to buy it, because it's so awesome. Almost reminds me of that women's bootcamp thing I did back before I got pregnant. Margaret would remember this well. It was before work for 8 weeks. I didn't lose any weight, but I increased my running distance and ended up running a 5K, and I was totally able to do "boy" pushups, but the side efffect was being so sore that I walked like I had a stick up my ass for a week.
(4) Making exercise a habit. I'm still working on this one. I've been working out about 2 times a week, which is a major improvement over the 2 times a month that it used to be. I'm feeling encouraged.
(5) Decreasing convenience foods. This one has been really bad. Big D was working nights during January, so I literally ate Chick Fil Annie every night that he was gone. But I do have some Dream Dinners in the freezer ready to go now that he's done with the night shift.
(6) Replacing a cup of coffee with green or white tea. I totally forget to do this. I think I'm going to put the box on my desk so I see it. Maybe that will help.
So there's my progress. I feel like I've done really well on paying off the car and trying to get in shape. I am the type to go balls to the wall, and I feel like I'm doing well, considering the amount of shit I have going on in my life.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Goals for 2010
I've made a list of 6 things I want to accomplish this next year. They aren't resolutions, per se, because calling it that would be a set up for failure. I'm one to have a goal, set my mind towards achieving it, and then doing so no matter what. Anyway, so here goes:
(1) Pay off my car.
The $463.67 a month payment for my Accord is killing me because of all the other crap I'm paying on. I have $6,200 left. I threw my Christmas bonus at it. I threw my Christmas gift money at it. My dad randomly gave me $300 yesterday to put towards it. I should be able to get it paid off by December, and maybe even earlier!
(2) Lose ten pounds.
OK - this sounds more like a resolution. My ghetto mochas were starting to pack the pounds on. I've put on 5 pounds since May. Ugh! Ghetto mochas have been banned in my house until further notice.
(3) Tone up arms and legs.
Yeah, I'm flabby.
(4) Make exercise a habit... 3 days a week.
I have a friend that kicks some major ass in this department. We'll call her A - and she lives around the corner from me. You know who you are. She gets her ass up every day, tosses her kid in a stroller, and runs a couple of miles. Every. Day. And she discovered that if she let her toddler walk back part of the way, naptime was more enjoyable for all. Smart lady. I'm not going to go running - I just don't do that kind of thing (despite a very random 5K I ran in 2007). But I do have access to an elliptical machine conveniently located in my bedroom. And I'm going to get my fat ass on it more often.
(5) Increase healthiness in our diet by decreasing convenience foods.
I'm embarrassed to say that on most days, I heat up Tyson chicken patties and throw them on hamburger buns with mustard and pickles and call it Chick Fil Annie. The problem is that I get home at 6:30, with a hungry and tired toddler, and I've got to make something fast so we can sit down for a happy family meal each night. Remember that Dream Dinner thing I did a while back? Well I can't afford to do that anymore, so my sister got me their cookbook for Christmas. So I'm going to try once a weekend to make one dish (divided up into 4 or 5 freezable meals), so that we have a nice selection of real food to choose from each night. Today I'm making Summer Pasta. We'll have it for lunch, and I'll be able to freeze 3 meals for later.
(6) Replace one cup of coffee daily with green or white tea.
Yeah, I read somewhere that green tea and white teas were awesome for you. Being the gullible fool I am, I believe it, so I'm going to get me some Lipton.
Now - to shake things up a bit from my previous years "goals," I'm going to report back to you each month on my progress. Stay tuned!
(1) Pay off my car.
The $463.67 a month payment for my Accord is killing me because of all the other crap I'm paying on. I have $6,200 left. I threw my Christmas bonus at it. I threw my Christmas gift money at it. My dad randomly gave me $300 yesterday to put towards it. I should be able to get it paid off by December, and maybe even earlier!
(2) Lose ten pounds.
OK - this sounds more like a resolution. My ghetto mochas were starting to pack the pounds on. I've put on 5 pounds since May. Ugh! Ghetto mochas have been banned in my house until further notice.
(3) Tone up arms and legs.
Yeah, I'm flabby.
(4) Make exercise a habit... 3 days a week.
I have a friend that kicks some major ass in this department. We'll call her A - and she lives around the corner from me. You know who you are. She gets her ass up every day, tosses her kid in a stroller, and runs a couple of miles. Every. Day. And she discovered that if she let her toddler walk back part of the way, naptime was more enjoyable for all. Smart lady. I'm not going to go running - I just don't do that kind of thing (despite a very random 5K I ran in 2007). But I do have access to an elliptical machine conveniently located in my bedroom. And I'm going to get my fat ass on it more often.
(5) Increase healthiness in our diet by decreasing convenience foods.
I'm embarrassed to say that on most days, I heat up Tyson chicken patties and throw them on hamburger buns with mustard and pickles and call it Chick Fil Annie. The problem is that I get home at 6:30, with a hungry and tired toddler, and I've got to make something fast so we can sit down for a happy family meal each night. Remember that Dream Dinner thing I did a while back? Well I can't afford to do that anymore, so my sister got me their cookbook for Christmas. So I'm going to try once a weekend to make one dish (divided up into 4 or 5 freezable meals), so that we have a nice selection of real food to choose from each night. Today I'm making Summer Pasta. We'll have it for lunch, and I'll be able to freeze 3 meals for later.
(6) Replace one cup of coffee daily with green or white tea.
Yeah, I read somewhere that green tea and white teas were awesome for you. Being the gullible fool I am, I believe it, so I'm going to get me some Lipton.
Now - to shake things up a bit from my previous years "goals," I'm going to report back to you each month on my progress. Stay tuned!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Changes (of clothes)
There's been a change on the horizon at our house for a long time. I haven't told many people about it, because I'm a little embarrassed. Here goes: all of The Monster's clothes have been in our bedroom since she was born. Yes, everything has been in our room. We have been hanging her clothes on the railing at the end of the bed for two whole years. And she's got two of my dresser drawers taken up. We even change her diapers in there. So basically her room is for sleeping only. Obviously, this had to change. I can't keep her stuff in my room forever. I need the dresser space back. I need to remove the hanging clothes. I need to take my bedroom back!
The reason for my resistance has been the morning routine. And even the evening routine. We do all of it down in our room, and it's easier to have everything there. The Monster's room is upstairs and across the house. And when you're trying to get ready for work, every second counts. Another reason is her laundry. I do most of my chores while she's asleep, including folding, hanging, and putting away her clothes. How am I supposed to do that in her room if she's asleep in there?
I've been staring at her clothes in my room for weeks now, wondering when I'd get up enough nerve to rip the bandaid off and just move her stuff. Yesterday, I was finally fed up. I decided I was going to move her stuff. Unfortunately, with that decision brought a wave of anxiety only a glass of pinot grigio could ward off.
You see, I'm a planner. I think out scenarios in my head for sometimes weeks before I make a decision. "If I do this, then what could happen, and how would I handle it?" I could do this all day. I'm probably doomed to have heart disease because of my inability to go with the flow. I could "what if" this situation all day long. It's not that it's hard to have my kid's clothes in her room, it's that our entire morning and evening routines are based on the location of her stuff. This is one of those things, though, that if I don't just go ahead and do it, it will never be done.
Yesterday, I asked Big D to give me about an hour to effectuate this change. I've got a ton of Pampers boxes containing her outgrown clothes that I had to move to the guestroom. (They'll just have to sit there for a while. One project at a time.) I had to pull out those clothes, move her current clothes and shoes upstairs, figure out what drawers I was going to use for what, and stock the diaper changing area. (Yes, we rarely change diapers up there - it's just a huge hassle to go up and down the stairs for a diaper.) As you know, I am a perfectionist, and I wanted everything in exactly the best place it could be for maximum efficiency. But unfortunately, I won't know yet what that layout is until I do this new routine for a few days. I had to tell myself during this hour of change that it doesn't have to be perfect today, just good enough. There will be kinks in the new system, and I'll have to figure out the best way around them later.
In the evening, after The Monster's bath, I resisted the urge to head to our room, and instead walked down the hall to her room. I grabbed her onezie, socks, and pajamas and got her dressed in her own room. Then we went downstairs to comb hair, brush teeth, and read books. (That routine will stay around a little while longer... one thing at a time.) Then I took her upstairs and put her to bed. No problem.
This morning, upon getting her out of her crib, taking her to our room, and changing her diaper, I realized that (1) her diaper had leaked, so she needed new clothes, and (2) all of her extra clothes were upstairs. Big D was home, so he finished her diaper while I went upstairs for another pair of pajamas to hang out in this morning. So, I guess I need to change her morning diaper upstairs. Again, not a major issue - y'all probably already do it that way - but for us, this is a change... and I'm not a huge fan of change. Especially too much at once.
So what about the clean clothes drying in the dryer right now? I think the way to go is to deliver clean clothes to her room on the weekends. Not rocket science. Luckily Big D is home on the weekends this month and next, so he can keep the kiddo occupied while I get used to this. When he goes back to working nights and weekends in January, The Monster and I will have to adjust.
What about tomorrow morning? I usually get up early and get myself completely ready for work, other than putting on my suit. Then I go get The Monster, feed her breakfast, get her dressed, then I get dressed, and we leave. How will I work it now if all of her clothes are upstairs? Will I get her dressed before breakfast? Or will we go back upstairs after breakfast to get dressed? Will I get dressed before or after her? Seriously, I could do this all day. I'm a complete and total nut case. But, of course, you already knew that. I've got a little anxiety about the new routine tomorrow morning, but like everything else with a kiddo, you learn to adjust as you go.
Wish me luck!
The reason for my resistance has been the morning routine. And even the evening routine. We do all of it down in our room, and it's easier to have everything there. The Monster's room is upstairs and across the house. And when you're trying to get ready for work, every second counts. Another reason is her laundry. I do most of my chores while she's asleep, including folding, hanging, and putting away her clothes. How am I supposed to do that in her room if she's asleep in there?
I've been staring at her clothes in my room for weeks now, wondering when I'd get up enough nerve to rip the bandaid off and just move her stuff. Yesterday, I was finally fed up. I decided I was going to move her stuff. Unfortunately, with that decision brought a wave of anxiety only a glass of pinot grigio could ward off.
You see, I'm a planner. I think out scenarios in my head for sometimes weeks before I make a decision. "If I do this, then what could happen, and how would I handle it?" I could do this all day. I'm probably doomed to have heart disease because of my inability to go with the flow. I could "what if" this situation all day long. It's not that it's hard to have my kid's clothes in her room, it's that our entire morning and evening routines are based on the location of her stuff. This is one of those things, though, that if I don't just go ahead and do it, it will never be done.
Yesterday, I asked Big D to give me about an hour to effectuate this change. I've got a ton of Pampers boxes containing her outgrown clothes that I had to move to the guestroom. (They'll just have to sit there for a while. One project at a time.) I had to pull out those clothes, move her current clothes and shoes upstairs, figure out what drawers I was going to use for what, and stock the diaper changing area. (Yes, we rarely change diapers up there - it's just a huge hassle to go up and down the stairs for a diaper.) As you know, I am a perfectionist, and I wanted everything in exactly the best place it could be for maximum efficiency. But unfortunately, I won't know yet what that layout is until I do this new routine for a few days. I had to tell myself during this hour of change that it doesn't have to be perfect today, just good enough. There will be kinks in the new system, and I'll have to figure out the best way around them later.
In the evening, after The Monster's bath, I resisted the urge to head to our room, and instead walked down the hall to her room. I grabbed her onezie, socks, and pajamas and got her dressed in her own room. Then we went downstairs to comb hair, brush teeth, and read books. (That routine will stay around a little while longer... one thing at a time.) Then I took her upstairs and put her to bed. No problem.
This morning, upon getting her out of her crib, taking her to our room, and changing her diaper, I realized that (1) her diaper had leaked, so she needed new clothes, and (2) all of her extra clothes were upstairs. Big D was home, so he finished her diaper while I went upstairs for another pair of pajamas to hang out in this morning. So, I guess I need to change her morning diaper upstairs. Again, not a major issue - y'all probably already do it that way - but for us, this is a change... and I'm not a huge fan of change. Especially too much at once.
So what about the clean clothes drying in the dryer right now? I think the way to go is to deliver clean clothes to her room on the weekends. Not rocket science. Luckily Big D is home on the weekends this month and next, so he can keep the kiddo occupied while I get used to this. When he goes back to working nights and weekends in January, The Monster and I will have to adjust.
What about tomorrow morning? I usually get up early and get myself completely ready for work, other than putting on my suit. Then I go get The Monster, feed her breakfast, get her dressed, then I get dressed, and we leave. How will I work it now if all of her clothes are upstairs? Will I get her dressed before breakfast? Or will we go back upstairs after breakfast to get dressed? Will I get dressed before or after her? Seriously, I could do this all day. I'm a complete and total nut case. But, of course, you already knew that. I've got a little anxiety about the new routine tomorrow morning, but like everything else with a kiddo, you learn to adjust as you go.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Monster's Birthday Party
We had family over for some cake and champagne to celebrate The Monster's second birthday. Dude - I have a two year old. I haven't gotten used to that idea quite yet.
Mommy and The Monster:
The Monster likes to put her sunglasses on upside down.
A pretty present decorated by my mom and sister.
The Monster carrying around her mermaid doll.
I totally love this picture. She's hugging my sister's husband.
Silly Mommy and Monster.
The Monster and Big D left the chaos for a little while to read some of her new books.
Then she got a shopping cart and forgot all about her books.
My sister and brother-in-law got The Monster something requiring major assembly.
An Ariel Big Wheel!!!! When The Monster saw this, she forgot all about the shopping cart.
It lights up. It makes noise.
Her new mermaid doll got a ride in the back.
She can't reach the pedals yet, but who cares - it blows bubbles!!!
Attempting to blow out candles.
Happy Second Birthday, my little Monster!
Mommy and The Monster:
The Monster likes to put her sunglasses on upside down.
A pretty present decorated by my mom and sister.
The Monster carrying around her mermaid doll.
I totally love this picture. She's hugging my sister's husband.
Silly Mommy and Monster.
The Monster and Big D left the chaos for a little while to read some of her new books.
Then she got a shopping cart and forgot all about her books.
My sister and brother-in-law got The Monster something requiring major assembly.
An Ariel Big Wheel!!!! When The Monster saw this, she forgot all about the shopping cart.
It lights up. It makes noise. 
Her new mermaid doll got a ride in the back.
She can't reach the pedals yet, but who cares - it blows bubbles!!!
Attempting to blow out candles. 
Happy Second Birthday, my little Monster!
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