In 2007, I weighed over 300 lbs. I looked and felt like utter crap. For my birthday that year, my mom bought me a package of sessions with her personal trainer... and my life was transformed. Over the next 2 years, I lost over 100 lbs, became strong and fit, and really felt good about my body for the first time maybe ever.
Then, I got pregnant :) An unexpected miracle, and probably having a lot to do with my body getting healthier, but having a baby did derail my commitment to fitness. I haven't gained back the weight I lost, but I haven't gotten to my goal, either. Plus, I no longer have the strength, the feeling of having a fit and powerful body, that I once had. I know I can get back to that place, and finally meet my goals, but it will take time and commitment.
I need to lose at least 60 more lbs. To do this, I want to commit to 30 mins of cardio daily, and strength training 2-3 days per week. I have a gym membership card and a Wii Fit, both of which have been gathering dust. I need to make use of them both. I know I can achieve my goals if I put in the time.
02 January 2012
Flat surfaces...
... oh, how I loathe them. Perpetual clutter-collectors. If I could, I'd give every table, desk, countertop and dresser in my house an angled top so that I didn't have to constantly clean them off (or, more accurately, ignore them until the problem became ridiculously unmanageable. But since that doesn't seem to be an option given my lack of cabinetry skills, I suppose I'll have to work harder at getting them cleared off and KEEPING them that way.
So, here is the "before" photo of my dining room table. Having it posted in a public place will, I'm hoping, give me a push to clean it up so that I can take the "after" shot later today.
Here goes....
Update: 5 1/2 hours later, the table is relatively cleared:
Here goes....
Update: 5 1/2 hours later, the table is relatively cleared:
SO much better! Yes, there is still stuff on it, but it is in manageable piles that are labeled and can be dealt with. I already dealt with my piles, so the ones that remain belong to my husband and my son. Hoping I can motivate them to get the stuff dealt with asap. Yay, I feel accomplished...
01 January 2012
2012
I haven't kept up with this like I want to... currently a common problem in my life. However, blogging isn't nearly as important as some of the other things I fail to include in my jam-packed schedule (e.g. exercise, cleaning, dates with the hubby, etc.)
If I had to make a resolution for the new year, it would be this: schedule effectively. I make time for my family and for my schoolwork, but not for other essential things -- and they ARE essential. I need to be much more disciplined about time. Not to the point of being rigid and inflexible, but I need to get into the habit of setting aside a block of time for a specific purpose and then following through on that purpose. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to fit cleaning and fitness into my daily routine, and schedule a date night with hubby at least once a month.
As far as blogging goes, I'll continue to pop in here when time allows. I know I don't have any readers, and I haven't yet found my voice, so this goes neglected. Nevertheless, it's good to have a place where I can write with the chance that people will actually read what I am saying.
Okay, that's it for now...
If I had to make a resolution for the new year, it would be this: schedule effectively. I make time for my family and for my schoolwork, but not for other essential things -- and they ARE essential. I need to be much more disciplined about time. Not to the point of being rigid and inflexible, but I need to get into the habit of setting aside a block of time for a specific purpose and then following through on that purpose. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to fit cleaning and fitness into my daily routine, and schedule a date night with hubby at least once a month.
As far as blogging goes, I'll continue to pop in here when time allows. I know I don't have any readers, and I haven't yet found my voice, so this goes neglected. Nevertheless, it's good to have a place where I can write with the chance that people will actually read what I am saying.
Okay, that's it for now...
18 September 2011
Making money off your "friends"
I have this friend. Well, I don't know, I thought we were friends. Not close friends, but someone to hang out with and have fun. I started out as her client, though, so maybe she still sees me that way.
Anyhow, let's say this friend is a "baker." She worked for a large, local "bakery" and she made specialty "cakes" that people asked for specifically. I used to "buy cakes" from her twice a week, every week. Then, she opened up her own "bakery." However, she still needs her benefits from the larger bakery so she still works for them and has limited hours and limited selection at her own bakery.
This person wants to charge just as much (or more) for her "cakes" as other, more established bakers charge for theirs. Not only that, but for her regular clients, she expects them to order cakes every week whether they need them or not, and expects them to pay whether or not they even get cakes, because she has to pay her rent and electricity bill and what have you every month no matter how many cakes she sells. Now, her cakes are the best, but let's face it, cakes are cakes and there are many good bakers... some of whom have a better selection, better hours, and cost LESS.
Am I obligated to pay MORE just because I am this person's "friend"? And, is it really friendship if you have your hand in my pocket for even MORE money every damn time I see you? (Particularly if I happen to know that your lifepartner is a greedy little troll?)
Because to be honest, I can get decent "cakes" just about anywhere, and the more you push me for more money, the less likely I am to buy your cakes. Just sayin'.
Anyhow, let's say this friend is a "baker." She worked for a large, local "bakery" and she made specialty "cakes" that people asked for specifically. I used to "buy cakes" from her twice a week, every week. Then, she opened up her own "bakery." However, she still needs her benefits from the larger bakery so she still works for them and has limited hours and limited selection at her own bakery.
This person wants to charge just as much (or more) for her "cakes" as other, more established bakers charge for theirs. Not only that, but for her regular clients, she expects them to order cakes every week whether they need them or not, and expects them to pay whether or not they even get cakes, because she has to pay her rent and electricity bill and what have you every month no matter how many cakes she sells. Now, her cakes are the best, but let's face it, cakes are cakes and there are many good bakers... some of whom have a better selection, better hours, and cost LESS.
Am I obligated to pay MORE just because I am this person's "friend"? And, is it really friendship if you have your hand in my pocket for even MORE money every damn time I see you? (Particularly if I happen to know that your lifepartner is a greedy little troll?)
Because to be honest, I can get decent "cakes" just about anywhere, and the more you push me for more money, the less likely I am to buy your cakes. Just sayin'.
06 September 2011
School Days
Another day (month? year?), another attempt to get this blog off the ground. Today is the first day of the new school year for my son (who attends a cyber charter school, from home) and for me (I attend college courses both online and in person.)
The challenge, as always, comes down to organization. How can I keep up with my schoolwork, help my boy keep up with his, run after the toddler, and maintain some kind of order in the house?
Recently, I've begun flexible meal planning (thanks to my good friend Misty!) Writing down dinners for the week and then shopping for the ingredients, then picking which thing to cook on each day. It sounds simple, but it really makes a huge difference to not be staring into the freezer at 4pm every night thinking "oh, crap, I don't have any food that goes with anything else." The really great thing is that it doesn't have to be set in stone -- like saying "Thursday we're having a chicken and veggie stir fry" and then finding myself too tired/busy/stressed to want to chop a bunch of fresh veggies. I can still pick an easier meal, but I already know I have the ingredients on hand, which makes a world of difference. No more running to the grocery store at 4:30!
I'm also on a pretty good schedule with the kids as far as getting up, mealtimes, naptime (the baby, not the 12yo!), and bedtime. This is a HUGE change from what I've always done, and again, sounds simple, but has made a huge difference. I'd really like to get even more scheduled so that I have a set time and day for laundry, cleaning, etc.
On a sort-of unrelated note, my neighbors moved out this past weekend. The house next to me is one of those classic Northeast Philly horror stories -- the people who bought it live hundreds of miles away and don't care about the property, so they rent it to people without doing a credit check or making sure that the people maintain the property. The property went to hell in the two years that the most recent tenants lived there. Worst of all, their loud, rude, obnoxious teenagers were always out front cursing and playing loud music -- despite how many times we asked them to keep it down for our kids' sake. Now that they are gone, I feel like I finally have my outside back... I don't have to keep my windows shut for the noise; I don't have to stay inside to avoid them. Yay!
So, goals for this month: get on a schedule for cleaning/laundry, stick to the meal plan, and spend more time outside on my patio/front lawn. Let's see what happens. As always, I do mean to update this blog... not that there's anyone reading it just yet....
The challenge, as always, comes down to organization. How can I keep up with my schoolwork, help my boy keep up with his, run after the toddler, and maintain some kind of order in the house?
Recently, I've begun flexible meal planning (thanks to my good friend Misty!) Writing down dinners for the week and then shopping for the ingredients, then picking which thing to cook on each day. It sounds simple, but it really makes a huge difference to not be staring into the freezer at 4pm every night thinking "oh, crap, I don't have any food that goes with anything else." The really great thing is that it doesn't have to be set in stone -- like saying "Thursday we're having a chicken and veggie stir fry" and then finding myself too tired/busy/stressed to want to chop a bunch of fresh veggies. I can still pick an easier meal, but I already know I have the ingredients on hand, which makes a world of difference. No more running to the grocery store at 4:30!
I'm also on a pretty good schedule with the kids as far as getting up, mealtimes, naptime (the baby, not the 12yo!), and bedtime. This is a HUGE change from what I've always done, and again, sounds simple, but has made a huge difference. I'd really like to get even more scheduled so that I have a set time and day for laundry, cleaning, etc.
On a sort-of unrelated note, my neighbors moved out this past weekend. The house next to me is one of those classic Northeast Philly horror stories -- the people who bought it live hundreds of miles away and don't care about the property, so they rent it to people without doing a credit check or making sure that the people maintain the property. The property went to hell in the two years that the most recent tenants lived there. Worst of all, their loud, rude, obnoxious teenagers were always out front cursing and playing loud music -- despite how many times we asked them to keep it down for our kids' sake. Now that they are gone, I feel like I finally have my outside back... I don't have to keep my windows shut for the noise; I don't have to stay inside to avoid them. Yay!
So, goals for this month: get on a schedule for cleaning/laundry, stick to the meal plan, and spend more time outside on my patio/front lawn. Let's see what happens. As always, I do mean to update this blog... not that there's anyone reading it just yet....
21 July 2011
How I (sort of) broke my Facebook addiction
Facebook.
I really don't understand why it's so compelling to people (and I'm including myself in this group). Why do we feel we must constantly check in and share the trivial details of our lives with people we sort of know? And is it all that important for me to know that Suzie had a lovely turkey and cheese panini for lunch, or that Bob is headed home on the train?
On the other hand, it is rather convenient to have one form of media in which to share photos, announcements, and other information you want everyone to know. In the old days, you had to call or mail each person separately. And I do enjoy knowing, for instance, that my cousin's new baby, who lives in California, just said her first word.
But I realized this past semester that Facebook was taking up more of my time than it should. WAY more. Like, I would sit to nurse the baby, turn on the computer, the baby would fall asleep in my arms, and 2 hours later when she woke up, I'm still reading posts. Or I would be out somewhere and feel that compelling itch to check Facebook on my cell phone.
So I made the decision to turn Facebook off for the remaining 6 weeks of the spring semester. What freedom! I got so much more done -- housework, homeschooling, playing with my kids, you name it. I even got out more. It was lovely. The best part was that when the semester ended, I no longer felt Facebook's siren call. I could now log in, check a few things, and then log out -- without feeling I needed to scroll through every damn thing that had been posted since the previous time I'd been online. My husband also helped me set up filters so that I only saw posts from a handful of people -- my best friends, or my family members.
Now a few months have passed, and I'm doing pretty well. I do check in several times a day now, which I really don't want to do, so I'm working on it. But when I do, I check on a few things and go. I don't spend much time. However, recently I did spend enough time to get myself worked up over a bit of self-inflicted drama. I noticed that several friends posted photos from an event to which I hadn't been invited. Ouch. Now, chances are I wouldn't have attended said event anyhow, as I don't leave my kids much these days, but not being included as a courtesy hurt a bit. But it just drives the point home again to me that Facebook is not worth my time and attention, especially if it's causing me stress and hurt feelings. Lord knows I have enough stress in my life...
My goal is to cut Facebook use down to once a day (30 or fewer minutes) and not at all on weekends. We'll see how that goes.
Side note: (I'm on Google+ now, and it looks like it could be something, someday, but right now it's just really kind of.... blank.)
I really don't understand why it's so compelling to people (and I'm including myself in this group). Why do we feel we must constantly check in and share the trivial details of our lives with people we sort of know? And is it all that important for me to know that Suzie had a lovely turkey and cheese panini for lunch, or that Bob is headed home on the train?
On the other hand, it is rather convenient to have one form of media in which to share photos, announcements, and other information you want everyone to know. In the old days, you had to call or mail each person separately. And I do enjoy knowing, for instance, that my cousin's new baby, who lives in California, just said her first word.
But I realized this past semester that Facebook was taking up more of my time than it should. WAY more. Like, I would sit to nurse the baby, turn on the computer, the baby would fall asleep in my arms, and 2 hours later when she woke up, I'm still reading posts. Or I would be out somewhere and feel that compelling itch to check Facebook on my cell phone.
So I made the decision to turn Facebook off for the remaining 6 weeks of the spring semester. What freedom! I got so much more done -- housework, homeschooling, playing with my kids, you name it. I even got out more. It was lovely. The best part was that when the semester ended, I no longer felt Facebook's siren call. I could now log in, check a few things, and then log out -- without feeling I needed to scroll through every damn thing that had been posted since the previous time I'd been online. My husband also helped me set up filters so that I only saw posts from a handful of people -- my best friends, or my family members.
Now a few months have passed, and I'm doing pretty well. I do check in several times a day now, which I really don't want to do, so I'm working on it. But when I do, I check on a few things and go. I don't spend much time. However, recently I did spend enough time to get myself worked up over a bit of self-inflicted drama. I noticed that several friends posted photos from an event to which I hadn't been invited. Ouch. Now, chances are I wouldn't have attended said event anyhow, as I don't leave my kids much these days, but not being included as a courtesy hurt a bit. But it just drives the point home again to me that Facebook is not worth my time and attention, especially if it's causing me stress and hurt feelings. Lord knows I have enough stress in my life...
My goal is to cut Facebook use down to once a day (30 or fewer minutes) and not at all on weekends. We'll see how that goes.
Side note: (I'm on Google+ now, and it looks like it could be something, someday, but right now it's just really kind of.... blank.)
03 July 2011
Hmmm...
Another day, another attempt to get this blog off the ground. I would say that I've been to busy to keep up with blogging, and while that is partially true (keeping up with an almost-walking infant can be rather time-consuming), other issues keep me from expressing myself as much or as often as I'd like. I watched The King's Speech this past week and while I'm not a stammerer, I related so much to Bertie when he had to remind himself that he had a voice and he deserved to be heard. Serendipitously, I read a related quote by Maya Angelou yesterday: "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song." The point being, I need to feel free to express my thoughts regardless of whether anyone else finds them worthwhile. They are worthwhile because they are my thoughts. They don't have to be profound or didactic; they simply are what they are.
I'm the girl who keeps quiet in the back of the room; the one who fears telling you her opinions -- or even the facts, sometimes -- because she's sure you won't like her anymore. The girl who pretends to fit the stereotype of her hair color because it's easier than having people know she has a genius-level IQ. Too nice for her own good.
But on the other hand, I'm a writer, and as such I need to be able to express my thoughts freely, without that fearful inner censor. Timid writing won't get me anywhere... and yes, eventually, I'd like my writing to go somewhere.
So with that in mind, I'm hoping -- with a bit of self-discipline -- to get back into the habit of blogging on a somewhat regular basis. Of course, I've said that a dozen times before, but let's see how it goes.
I'm the girl who keeps quiet in the back of the room; the one who fears telling you her opinions -- or even the facts, sometimes -- because she's sure you won't like her anymore. The girl who pretends to fit the stereotype of her hair color because it's easier than having people know she has a genius-level IQ. Too nice for her own good.
But on the other hand, I'm a writer, and as such I need to be able to express my thoughts freely, without that fearful inner censor. Timid writing won't get me anywhere... and yes, eventually, I'd like my writing to go somewhere.
So with that in mind, I'm hoping -- with a bit of self-discipline -- to get back into the habit of blogging on a somewhat regular basis. Of course, I've said that a dozen times before, but let's see how it goes.
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