Happy Tuesday! Why? Because it's not Monday and we're one day closer to Friday! I do like Tuesday's for some reason: it's my grocery shopping day, and it seems to be one of the more mellow days of the week work and family-wise.
I had a super-productive weekend and feel in control of things (a great improvement over last week!); I'm almost at 400 Twitter followers; and am just generally happy this week!
Today is also a Resolution Day. I find that making resolutions on the 1st of every month is far more productive than keeping resolutions from January 1st, and stressing over what went wrong. For example, I made a resolution to "lose weight" on January 1st and it was already out the window by the 5th! Instead of beating myself up over it, I found an App on my iPhone (my 'world!') that would help me track my calories and in turn help me lose weight with a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goal: which is to lose 22lbs in about 15 weeks. The app is very user-friendly and has an on-line version with a community and is social as well... the social (seeing how much my 'friends' were going to the gym) is what made me finally get my butt back into the gym! I'm actually hoping to hit that goal in about six weeks for a special occassion, but I have to step it up a bit, so I'm cutting back my calories and resolving to hit the gym (or be active) at least four times per week- which is four times more than I've been doing! So, my resolutions:
- Continue being active 4x or more per week
- Continue with Family Green Plan (just my little attempt to be more green-ish. We've actively done cans/bottles for the money, but now we have a big box next to the trash and all recyclables that can go curbside go in there. I'm happy to say that our trash bin went from overflowing to just half full, while the 'blue' bin is now very, very full!)
- Ramp up my direct sales business to produce $500 in income/ month
- Get home decluttered and organized
In other news- BabyK is now 18 months old! Where has the time gone? There's so much that I've missed sharing on here but oh, the memories! It's amazing to know that she's gone from an infant to a walking running, chattering little individual in such a short time. And I love her more and more and more every minute!
My dear friend Jenn also has her own blog now (she was one of my first, dedicated readers) and it is so quickly eclipsing mine in the amount of posting. Additionally, her parenting style is much more natural mine (she breast feeds and cloth diapers) so if you are looking for advice on those topics, that is the place to go: check out Hybrid Rasta Mama and tell her I sent ya!
And last but not least, a photo to show you how cold it's been- a one cat night perhaps?
An update on my resolutions:
So far, the resolution to be a good mom is holding true (yay!)- but not that it is hard work when it’s to such a sweet little soul like little our Kiera. She’s even teaching me how to be more patient ….. as she’s recovering from a little head cold, the teething is also heating up and she’s a little fussy….. and ravenous. Have you tried to reason with an infant to tell them that 9 oz is too much for their little 5 mo. old stomach to hold? Yep, that works real well…. I’m just prepared that the excess is coming straight back out right on Mommy’s cashmere sweater.... patience, my dear! (Resolution: wear non-work clothes when in proximity of your little angel…)
I am trying to save money…. Thanks to some of my fave mom blogs, they’re helping- I am going to update on my legalized stealing tomorrow because I left the receipts at home and can’t provide the actual proof without concrete numbers! ( :
I’ve been eating relatively healthy until today and I have to blame it on an e-mail that I got yesterday with advice from Dr. Oz: He says the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished. So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Rum, a package of Nutter Butters, the remainder of my Zoloft prescription, the rest of the Sugar Smacks, some Cheesy Poufs, and a box of scotchmallows. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now….. He- a little Friday humor for you! Have a great weekend!
It’s January 5th and I still haven’t set any resolutions for 2010. So, I’m a slacker- my lovely Christmas Cards are still sitting in my computer bag anxiously waiting to be mailed… at least the letter admitted that they would be late! Who am I kidding- I can’t remember one single year that I actually kept any resolutions that I did make and that was when life was so much simpler!!! I can’t imagine that now- with a full-time job, a direct sales business, a new family, hobbies and such- that I would be any more successful at keeping said resolutions.
Maybe I’ll quit smoking…. DONE. (Is that cheating considering that I don’t smoke?)
Okay, I’m going to not eat chicken anymore…. DONE. (Developed a strong aversion to chicken while I was pregnant and it still stands….)
In all seriousness, I could resolve to lose weight, better manage our money, volunteer for charity, reduce stress, get organized or all of the above, but it doesn’t mean jack if I really don’t want to do it. Not to mention I have to formulate a plan with measurable goals and be intentional about achieving those goals. It’s too much effort right now and some days I’m just lucky to have on appropriate and matching shoes (seriously- in the first week back to work from maternity leave, I left the house still wearing my slippers the first day, and the next I had on two different black boots….See?).
I do want to improve my life. For example, getting healthy is a good start- both so that I can go shopping in a store that doesn’t carry fluffy sizes and also so that I can play and romp and run with my daughter without panting. As she has yet to master turning over, I have some wiggle room to achieve this goal. I don’t, however, want to go on a "diet" as you can’t maintain them long term and the thought of not being able to have (hey, I just brushed my teeth and am trying not to make a midnite dash to the kitchen….) if I so please makes me then want to eat the whole package. (Although, it’s my dear honey that you would catch eating out of the carton rather than me!) We did the South Beach Diet about six years ago when “low carb” was the big rage (for the second time) and it was successful in helping us to lose the weight, but somehow mashed 'faux-tatoes' just didn’t do it for me as I’m a fiend stalker fan of the carbs. The low carb diet makes me constantly think about food and my mental soundrack is straight Forrest Gump… ice cream sundae gumbo, peppermint mocha cocktail, cinnamon crunch bagel fettucine… (no shrimp, I’m allergic!). I do better just trying to lower the carb intake and eat more fruits and veggies (speaking of, my Farm Fresh to You Produce Box will be here tomorrow- yay!). I ate healthy today, and drank so much water that I’m hoping that the bathroom trips can count against my activity points??? One day at a time- this might only last until Donut Saturday! Another problem that I have to admit is that I am severely allergic to exercise. It makes me short of breath…. Er, yeah. Its not that I don’t like to exercise, its that I prefer so many other things, like root canals. And I get so self-conscious in the gym…. I should resolve to get over that. Thank goodness that donation that I've been making to the gym is tax deductible.....
And why should I set a resolution just because it’s the new Year? Every new Day is a good reason to start over…. So is having a wonderful little daughter to live for, and to be quite honest she is my only resolution this year. To be the best mother that I can be to her. If I have to get more organized (I’m super organized at work, not as much at home)to spend more quality time with her, I will; eat healthy to set a good example, I will (I will not try the strained peas though); if I have to keep clippin’ coupons to pad our budget so that she can be the best dressed baby on the block, so be it. It will all be done for her. And it will also be the one year that I maintain a resolution!!!!
