This Week's Hit List

Here's how I did on last week's Hit List:

1.  Run/Walk 3x and strength train 2x:
Well, I got the 3 run/walks in, but didn't nothing for strength training.  HOWEVER, I did make up a few strength training workouts and a schedule of when to do them over the weekend and I'm hoping to start it tonight when I get home from work!

2.  Start Tax Prep:
I did fill out a few papers from the accountant, but didn't get as much done as I was hoping.

3.  Organize the kid's clothes:
Not sure what happened, but this what sure didn't.  It's still on my list of things to do!

4.  Take down Christmas decor:
Check!

5.  Plan a girl's night out:
I did text my friends to see when would work for them, however we don't have an official date set yet.  So this one gets a check mark anyways in my book.

6.  Pack up 2012 papers:
This one got partially done.   The house papers are packed up however the box hasn't made it to the garage yet.

Now, for this week's Hit List.  I'm not expecting much this week because I only have one day off (two if you count Saturday).  Usually when I work this much I don't get much of anything done.

1.  Run/walk 3x & strength train 3x

2.  Pay sales tax for the business.

3.  Organize the menu for this Sunday's small group gathering at my house.

4.  Plan a menu for this week.

Honestly, I think that's enough for now!  If I accomplish anything more it will be a bonus!

What are your goals for this week?  

This Week's Hit List

Now that the holidays are over and life has slowed down a bit, I thought I should get back to posting some weekly goals...known as my Hit List. I'm such a list person (as long as I don't lose my list) and I love love LOVE crossing something off that list!

In addition to my Hit List, I will TRY to post my current weight each week.  The scale said 171 lbs this morning.  Not too shabby for not working out much AND dealing with all the holiday food.  I'm hoping to be down to 165 by the first Monday in Feb.  So, wish me luck!

Here's what I would like to accomplish this week:

1.  Plan my meals for the week as well as put together a grocery list.  I've been slacking on this royally...which means I've been spending too much on groceries AND not serving the healthiest of meals.  Shame on me!

2.  Run/Walk 3 times this week and strength train 2 times.  Again, been slacking on this one.  Although in my defense I was SUPER busy at work and subbing at school most of December.  And once things slowed down I was hit with Influenza and was down for a good week.  But before that, I just lost my running mojo.  But today I think I found it!  I headed out bright and early for a 3.75 mile walk/run and it felt awesome!  Since I've slacked off on working out in general, I'm feeling a bit flabbalicious...and that's never a good thing!

3.  Get a jump-start on tax-prep for the business.  I want to get our taxes filed asap, so I'd like to use my days off to spend some time in the garage catching up on bookkeeping so when our accountant asks about our info, I'll be ready!

4.  Organize the kids' clothes.  They have too many and their clothes are out of control.  Time to purge and find the off-season keepers a home.  I'm envisioning pretty labels too...

5.  Pack up all 2012 papers and store them.  Who doesn't love less papers hanging around their house?  Nuff said!

6.  Plan a Girl's Night Out for sometime this month.  I need me some girl time!

7.  Pack up Christmas tree/decorations.  I've totally been slacking on this one...everything is usually put away before Jan 1st!

Hmm...I imagine that's enough for now.  Don't want to overdo it...I would much rather cross everything off a short list than to cross only a few things off a long list.  I think I will keep a running list of projects/tasks I want to accomplish this year and then I can use that list when deciding what my weekly goals are.

Hope you have a great productive week too! :)

My 2013 Goals

Well, I was planning to have my goal all ready to go by yesterday and I'm not sure what happened. I know posting my goal sure didn't happen!  So this morning I thought I'd check up on my goal from last year...and I couldn't find them...so maybe I didn't have any. (I AM a smart woman at times)

When I spent 5 days in bed last week battling Influenza I thought a lot about my goals.  But did I write them down?  Nope.  So now I don't remember them.  Nice, huh?  All that thinking right down the tube!  Ha!

Alright, enough small talk...time to get to the nitty gritty.  (Where did that saying come from anyway?)  Here they are:

MENTALLY:  

I would like to focus on who God says I am.  And believe it.  No more negative self-talk!  

PHYSICALLY:  

When discussing with hubby what weight he thinks I would look awesome at, he said 150.  So that's my goal....reach 150 lbs.  The last time I weighed that I was probably in college, so it would be rockin' awesome to weigh that again.  Once I reach that weight I will see if I need/want to lose more or stay at that weight.  

SPIRITUALLY:  

I'm ready to commit to, and execute, a habit of morning devotion times.  Life is hard when you don't routinely plug in to the One who created you!  I don't like feeling disconnected.

FINANCIALLY:  

Build up our savings enough so we have 3-6 months of living expenses in there.

HOMEMAKING:  

GOAL #1:  Declutter and organize our entire house.  We have way too much stuff...and no place to put it, so it's time to pare down!  The thought of a clutter-free home makes me giddy!

GOAL #2:  Try 52 new recipes in hopes of finding some new favorites!  This amounts to 1 per week, but I'm not going to be that structured with it.

FAMILY:  

GOAL #1:  Start implementing the MoneySmart system and teach my kids about responsibility and money.  

GOAL #2:  Play with my kids more.

ATHLETICALLY:  

Run at least 1 half marathon and PR.

MARRIAGE:  

Really focus on showing love and respect to my husband through my words & actions

FRIENDSHIPS:  

Plan a Girl's Night Out at least 4 times this year.

There...all finished!  It sure is easier to set the goals than to reach them, but I think I've done a good job at making them easily attainable. (Except for organizing my entire house...whose idea was that anyways?)  

I think I'm going to print this list out and keep in somewhere that I can see it often and be reminded of my goals.

What are your goals for 2013?

A New Year, A New Me

I absolutely cannot believe that today is the last day of 2012!  I am asking myself, Where on earth has the time gone?  Wasn't it just a couple of months ago when I posted my goals for 2012? And most importantly, Did I make 2012 as great as I'd hoped it would be?  

I can answer the last one easily:  nope.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, or even bad.  I just don't feel satisfied that I made the most of my time, you know?  This year I want to do better, to be better.  I want to hold on to my goals for this upcoming year and make sure I achieve them....not just dream about them every January.  

This year I want to BE different.  I want to be ME.  

Not what other people want me to be, or think I should say or do.  I want to be truly and whole-heartedly ME.  The ME that God created me to be.  And the best version of that ME that I can be.  And once again that means losing this darned extra weight that has seemed to have plagued me for life.

And despite my strong determination, I realize I have my work cut out for me.

You see, I feel like a failure in so many ways in my life.  

There are so many times that I don't meet up to my own expectations as a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, housekeeper, and employee and I feel like a complete and utter failure.  And each time I come home to a cluttered messy house, or my kids talk back to me I'm reminded of the fact that I've failed.  

You probably are thinking that I'm being too hard on myself, and you're probably right.  The thing that concerns me the most is that I listen to those voices in my head.  Those conversations with myself where I hear, "You're not good enough."  or "You'll never reach that goal." or whatever it may be that day.  I listen to them and the worst part is that I believe them.  I have no clue who I really am...who I am in Christ.  Why is it that I also hear negative voices in my head?  Do I ever hear "You are a child of the most high God" ?  Nope.  And I'd have to admit that if I did, I'd probably laugh at it.  

This is what bothers me.  I want to be confident in who God has created me to be.  And not apologize for His handiwork.  Or feel embarrassed.  Or not good enough.  

It all starts with God.  I need to surround myself with Him and His infinite wisdom.  I need to read about his love for me and picture His loving arms around me.  And I need to believe it.  I am ashamed to admit that my spiritual life is zilch right now.  No devotions.  No Bible reading.  Hardly any praying except for those "flare" prayers I send up in great times of need.  And I firmly believed this happened because of those voices.  I listened to them.  And with each statement I heard and believed, it's like I took a step away from God.  And another step.  And another.  And now I feel like He is so far out of reach that I can't see Him, or hear Him, or feel His presence.  It's time to realign myself with my spiritual compass and head towards my True North.    

Please keep me in your prayers while I am on this journey.  I know it won't be an easy one, but I know it will be worth the hard work and dedication.

Tomorrow I am hoping to post some goals for 2013 and recap on my goals for 2012 and how I did at achieving them.

I hope you all have a blessed New Year!
  

      

This Week's Hit List

Well, I'm in the middle of making an omelet so I will keep this short and sweet!  Last week turned out to be a crazy week...you know, one of those weeks where you ask yourself if you have accomplished ANYTHING.  Here's how I did on last week's goals::

1. Close my Scentsy party.
2. Freeze corn. Nope, didn't get it done.  So guess what's on this week's list?  lol
3. Clean my son's room.  Took me all day, but I got it done!  He was surprised AND said it felt so much better!  So...hopefully it will stay that way!
4. Mow the yard.  Didn't get this one done either.  So hubby mowed it...and ran over the dog's HUGE chew toy.  AND our new extenstion cord.  AND broke the mower.  Guess I should have mowed it, huh?
5. Start sanding the desk that I bought for my daughter for Christmas. Didn't happen either, but I did pick up a bottle of Floetrol so I can paint it when I'm ready!

Here's what I plan to do this week:

1.  Get some work done in the garage.  I didn't help hubby at last week and I plan to do better this week!
2.  Check the corn to see if it's still edible and if so, freeze it!  I hate letting things go to waste, so I hope it's still ok!
3.  Make a 1 week or 2 week menu and stick to my grocery budget!
4.  Start sanding the desk.  And maybe paint it too!
5.  Get the house cleaned and back on track.  Last week was rough so it started looking dirty and cluttered once again.  Time to whip it back into shape!
6.  Plan/book my weekend anniversary getaway with hubby for next month!

I think that's enough for now!  I hope you have a great, productive week too!

My Weekly Hit List & Weigh-In

Well, can you believe I FORGOT about posting my goals this week?  In fact I forgot about even HAVING goals this week.  It's a typical Monday, I guess!  I got up this morning and went to the gym and before I go there, I got a call from my kids' principal asking if I could come in and cover for the lunchtime aide that had to call off.  I chuckled.  Out loud.  Because my class is over at 10:30 and I have to be at the school by 11am.  And the school is between where the gym is and my house, which meant I wouldn't have time to go home to change.  Which meant I was a sweaty, stinky lunchtime aide today!  The kids didn't seem to mind, but I did have one girl ask me if I had ridden my bike to school today.  So I apparantly looked quite athletic in my workout get-up!

So anyhoo, here are my goals from last week:

1. Pick up supplies for the boys' camping trip. (I will post more about that later on)
2. Call the campground where the boys will be camping and get info on pricing, etc.
3. Make applesauce.
4. Freeze corn.  (I froze some but there are still more corny-corns out there to freeze up!
5. Sales Tax Payment.
6. Get vanilla extract started. Hoping to pick up some vodka today
7. Workouts: Run 2 X, Walk 2X, and go to the gym once.  I honestly can't remember if I did this one or not~  I did go to the gym and I ran on Saturday and took a short walk one day, but I think that's all.
8. Try to stick with my daily cleaning routine. Hmmm...I didn't pretty good at keeping the house clean, however I didn't stick to the schedule...just sort of cleaned up what needed it, etc.

All in all, not too terribly bad! 

Here are my goals for this week:

1.  Close my Scentsy party. 

2.  Freeze corn.

3.  Clean my son's room.  Please don't misinterpret this.  His room is a mess.  And yes, I'm going to clean it for him...mainly because he's barely home right now with football.  So I will use this as a way to show my son some grace and kindness AND it will give me peace of mind because it's quite the pig-sty right now!

4.  Mow the yard.  I will do this because I know it will mean a lot to hubby.  He wanted to mow it last week and it just didn't happen...and then it rained. 

5.  Start sanding the desk that I bought for my daughter for Christmas.  I'm going to repaint it and it's going to look awesome!

Alright, I'm feeling the stress of this list creeping up on me, so I'd better stop now!  What are your goals for this week? 

Also, Monday is weigh-in day.  Even though I saw 174 on the scale last week, my official weigh-in today was 176.4.  Some days I think I will forever be stuck here!  But I did slack off on my workouts and my eating, so I'm not surprised. 

This Week's Goals

Well, I have to admit I sort of forgot what goals I posted for last week!  I had a productive week...just wasn't sure if I accomplished the things I had originally set out to do.  After looking at the goal this morning, I realized I DID accomplish a lot of them, which means me one happy woman!  Here were my goals from last week:

1. Can Tomato Sauce
2. Freeze Corn - didn't get this one done because we ended up eating some this weekend instead.  However it will be on my list of things to do this week for sure!
3. Go to the gym at least one day.
4. Clean the house.
5. Decide on, shop for, and make some yummy goodies for consumption at the party!
6. Run 2x. Only ran once.
7. Walk 2x.
8. Submit sales tax payment. Will do this week!
9. Clean off porch.
10. Make a menu for this week. Didn't really make this one happen, however I did cook more homemade meals, so it wasn't a complete failure.
Here were my extra goals I wanted to complete if possible:
* Do something with the butternut squash from my garden. Still waiting on some inspiration for them. Not sure whether to can, freeze, puree them.
*Can some sweet potatoes.
*Set up a budget and get back on the envelope system.

* Go through the girl's clothes and sell/donate about half of them. We have too many. Nuff said.
* Start making a list of supplies needed for our handmade Christmas gifts this year.  I sort of did this one.  I DID order vanilla beans to make into yummy vanilla extract!

So, all in all, it wasn't a bad week!  But today's Monday, which means new goals and more to accomplish!  Here are my goals for this week:

1.  Pick up supplies for the boys' camping trip.  (I will post more about that later on)

2.  Call the campground where the boys will be camping and get info on pricing, etc.

3.  Make applesauce.

4.  Freeze corn.

5.  Sales Tax Payment.

6.  Get vanilla extract started.  Hoping to pick up some vodka today!

7.  Workouts:  Run 2 X, Walk 2X, and go to the gym once.

8.  Try to stick with my daily cleaning routine.  Now that my house is pretty clean and tidy (thanks to last week's Scentsy party), I want it to stay that way!  A tidy house makes mama happy!

Looks like I've got my work cut out for me this week! 

My Weekly Goals

Alright, well since last Monday was a holiday, I didn't get to post my Weekly Chase update or goals.  Then I realized I could just post my own list of goals each week without having the stress or taking the extra time to post an actual Weekly Chase (for those of you who don't blog, it takes time to post the link to the fancy little picture, etc).  So I've decided to keep it simple and stress-free in hopes of actually having more time to meet those goals!  lol

So here they are: 

1.  Can Tomato Sauce  It's in the canner as we speak!

2.  Freeze Corn (This depends on if it's actually ready this week, but some of it should be AND if we don't eat all that goodness right off the cob instead)

3.  Go to the gym at least one day.   Did that yesterday!  Wow 2 marked off already!  I should totally post my weekly goals on Tuesday from now on!  lol

4.  Clean the house.  I'm having a Scentsy party (btw you are invited!) on Thursday evening at my house.  So it must be clean.  It must!

5.  Decide on, shop for, and make some yummy goodies for consumption at the party!  The new fall catalog is out, so I'm thinking I'd like to make the food sort of fall themed.  Helloooo Pinterest!

6.  Run 2x.  Doesn't matter the distance or the time.  I just want to run at least 2 times.

7.  Walk 2x.  Same as above.

8.  Submit sales tax payment.  One of the bummers of owning your own business, however it must be done.  And it must not be late!

9.  Clean off porch.  My porch is home to my 2 dogs and 4 cats.  And 5 bikes.  And currently the trim and excess lumber from our reno project.  (which reminds me...I need to blog about that and show you pics!)  I'd like to tidy it up a bit and make it look a bit more Fall-ish!

10.  Make a menu for this week.  I have totally been flying by the seat of my pants lately when it comes to meals.  The answer to "What's For Dinner?" has been whatever is quick and easy and tastes ok.  Shame on me!  I need to be more focused on planning for better meals. 

OK, I think 10 goals is probably enough, however I have a few more IN CASE I get those accomplished!  Yes, I am an over-achiever.  In reality, I'm just a stressed out mom with LOTS on her plate right now, so my to-do list is over-flowing.  So here are a couple more...

* Do something with the butternut squash from my garden.  Still waiting on some inspiration for them.  Not sure whether to can, freeze, puree them. 

*Can some sweet potatoes.  This will be a first for me, but I LOVE the idea of having them on my shelves of canned goods NOT from the store!

*Set up a budget and get back on the envelope system. 

*  Go through the girl's clothes and sell/donate about half of them.  We have too many.  Nuff said.

* Start making a list of supplies needed for our handmade Christmas gifts this year.  First up are a granny square blanket and cloth napkins!

Alright, I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by this list, so I need to stop!  Until next time, friends!

Weekly Chase #3

I can't believe it's Monday again already!  Wow, last week FLEW by with the kids starting school and all.  I don't have the greatest Chase report, but hey, it's better than nothing and that's why I post my goal on here...because I need accountability!

Last week's goals:

1. Run or walk at least 4 times weeks for a total of 15 miles.  Due to being so busy (and a bit lazy sometimes) I only got 2 runs in and 1 walk for a total of 11 miles.  Shame on me!

2. Do strength training exercises 3 times this week.   This was an Epic Fail.  I didn't do them AT ALL.  I will say it was partly due to being busy AND partly due to getting up so dang early in the mornings to get the kiddos off to school.  I was pooped by evening!

3. Read more in Deceptively Delicious and learn about the purees needed for the recipes.  This one I did do!  I actually was able to freeze some zucchini and squash puree for later use.  AND  here's the best part:  I made 2 recipes using pureed squash and carrots and....drum roll please....the kids LOVED them!  NONE of them asked if there was veggies in it.  I made squash pancakes to which Kailyn replied, "Mom, I gotta tell you...these pancakes are AWESOME!".  I also made turkey cigars where you mixed turkey meat, cheese, squash, carrot, and cream cheese and roll it up in a tortilla.  My youngest said, "Mom I love these!  You have to make these tomorrow!"  Honestly, the taste of both surprised me too!  I will definitely be making more recipes from those books!

4. Go through the kids' clothes.  This one didn't get done.  I was just too busy.  Nuff said.

5. Get finger-printed.  This one I did!!  Woohoo!  

Ok, now on to this week's goals!!  

1.  Put a school-paper-controlling something-or-other into place.  My kids bring home so many papers...some that need signed and some that need thrown away.  Some need kept for future reference.  And paper piles tend to multiply like rabbits around my kitchen and desk area.  So I want to figure out a way to tame the paper...and get the kids on board.  I bought three boxes for magazine storage, so I'm going to try them out.  I figured they can serve as an inbox for each child.  I just need to figure out where to put them.  I'm thinking in the foyer where the kids hang up their backpacks, but in order to do that I need to move around some furniture in that room.  So my goal is to find a place for them that won't drive me crazy and to put cute little cricut vinyl letters on the front.  (Did I ever mention I love cricut machines?)    

2.  Walk or run 10 miles this week.   I lowered the number of miles this week because I plan to hit the gym at least twice.   

3.  Start implementing a set devotion time.  I'm trying to figure out where it fits into my morning schedule.  And so far it doesn't seem feasible to do it between getting my middle-schooler and grade-schoolers on the bus.  It seems like one of my daughters gets up as soon as I get my son on the bus.  So...I either need to get up a bit earlier to fit it in, or I need to plan for devotions after all the kids leave the house.  Either way, I need to make my devotion time a priority.  

4.  Start working on a new budget and bill-paying routine...one that I will stick to.  I did this in the beginning of the year, but it's so easy to slip back into your old ways of spending.  So it's time to get back on track.  I would also like to start doing the cash-system again.  

5.  Keep my cool while construction is going on in my bedroom.  We are putting a master bathroom and walk in closet into our bedroom.  We started construction on Saturday in order to get ready for the contractor to come in this morning to frame up the walls.  Last night, after working on it all day, I had a not-so-pretty melt down.  Yes, I'm hormonal this week, so that didn't help, but I was overwhelmed by the mess.  So I am going to try very hard to NOT have anymore melt downs and to just focus on the end result, which will be a relaxing and much-needed space for hubby and I!    

Looks like I've got my work cut out for me this week, so it's time to get crackin' on this list!  I hope you all have a great time chasing your goals this week!

The Weekly Chase Update & New Goals

  Here are my last week's goals and how I did.  Let me remind you that this was my first week chasing my goals and, well, I think I got tired!    1. Work on my solo running.  I set out to do this twice a week (for a minimum of 2 miles) and actually only did it once last week.  I did 3 miles the first time and really enjoyed myself!  I set out on my second run and then my 11 yr old son asked if he could come along, so I did one mile of just running then we walked/ran together on the way back.  For me this goal wasn't about the runs so much as it was about actually running by myself.  Which I did...so I'm consider this one completed!   2. Stick to my strength training plan.  This one gets half of a check mark.  I did do my strength training in the evenings on Monday and Tuesday, but had a stressful and LONG interview on Wednesday (combined with a generally busy day) so everything fizzled out after that.  The fact that I did any strength training was an accomplishment, so I'm OK with my progress on this one. 3. Start planning meals...and plan ones that are healthier.  Ummm...I did try to make healthier meals this week with more fruits and veggies, but I didn't really plan them ahead of time.  And the book I wanted to use to make one recipe out of this week didn't come off the shelf until last night.  But I did get a recipe picked out and the squash pureed for it, so I will be making it this week. 4. Organize Allie's room.  I set out to tackle this one early in the week but haven't finished it yet.  We just don't have storage in our house (no basement, minimal closets, etc) so when you start moving storage items around it gets messy.  I did get a few of the shelved cleaned off in the laundry room so I could put all my canning jars (both filled and empty) on them.  So that's a start.  I'm just going to keep plugging away at this project little by little until it's done.  5. Clean up our finances.  This one was an epic fail.  I paid some bills and actually printed out our statement, however I never got the checkbook balanced or the budget updated.  This will be one of my goals I chase this week.     With that confession out of the way, let's move on to this week's goals!   I'm both excited and sad that my kids go to school this week on Wednesday.  I will miss them a ton, but I'm looking forward to the uninterrupted free time I will have to work on some bigger projects that I didn't dare start with them at home.  And believe me, the list keeps getting longer and longer!  I guess what I'm getting at is that I MAY actually get my goals accomplished this week!  Then again, maybe not because the first part of this week is going to be busy, busy! 
  1.  Run or walk at least 4 times weeks for a total of 15 miles.  A friend recommended that I set a mileage goal and try to stick to it, so I think I'll give it a try this week.   2.  Do strength training exercises 3 times this week.  Since I only managed to do them twice last week, I'll strive for 3 times this week!   3.  Read more in Deceptively Delicious and learn about the purees needed for the recipes.  While looking for a recipe yesterday, I made a glorious find!  The author uses summer squash puree in some of her recipes in her book!  Now this may not excite you, however I was stoked when I read that!  I am not kidding when I say I have probably picked at least 50 summer squash from my garden!  Most of which lived out their life in the veggie drawer in the fridge until they started molding and were fed to the chickens.  So to find that I could puree them got me totally stoked!  I did puree some last night and hope to try them in a muffin recipe this week.  (Mental note: get a muffin pan today while shopping so I can actually make muffins!)  I want to become familiar with the purees the author uses so that I can stock up on those fruits and veggies when I see them on sale at the store.  I'd love to get a little stock built up in the freezer!   4.  Go through the kids' clothes.  Since I have two girls, my youngest had a TON of clothes..both her own and those that her sister has outgrown.  While this is great financially, it's a real pain when you don't have much storage.  And it's hard to keep up with what is too big and too small and just right.  Both of the girls have a lot of clothes...too many.  So I would like to go through their clothes and keep the outfits we really like and donate or sell the rest.  I need to do the same thing with my son's clothes because he's 11 and it starting to get picky about his clothes...and essentially wears the same things over and over and over again, which leaves his drawers full of clothes he hasn't touched.   5.  Get finger-printed.  I want to get my name on the sub list at our local school district, but I need to get finger-printed first.  Which costs $55...ouch!  But that money spent will hopefully end up with me making money and possibly getting a job with the schools down the road.    So there you have it.  Not sure why I feel the need to have 5 goals each week, but I guess that's how I roll.  I get a bit over-zealous at times!  I tried to keep this week's goals a bit simpler aka so I can actually ACHIEVE them.    What goals are you chasing this week?  Click HERE to learn more about the Weekly Chase!  We'd love to follow your Chase as well!

 
   

The Weekly Chase

  While reading a blog that I subscribe to, I came across a blog called Live, Love, & Run (you can find it HERE).  She posted something she calls The Weekly Chase where she sets some weekly goals and "chases" after them to achieve them.  These are short term goals that she posts on her blog so her readers can hold her accountable.  She challenges other bloggers to do the Chase with her...so I am!  I've been needing some structure in my life since the kids have been home all summer and things have been, well, unstructured!  And since they will head back to to school next week, I may as well get a head start on my goal setting each week since I will be home.  Alone.  All day.  All week.  (My seratonins are kicking in already...ahhhh)  Actually I am what you would call a Side-Tracked Mom...I set goals and start to tackle them, but get side-tracked, and the job goes unfinished...resulting in a bigger mess than what I started with!)  So a weekly goal list that the whole world can see is what I shall make...that just sounded like something Yoda would say.  Can you tell the kids watched Star Wars yesterday?  Ha!   So enough rambling...(can you say side-tracked??) Here they are:   1.  Work on my solo running.  I'm sort of a co-dependent runner.  My RB (running buddy), Jenny is currently training for another half marathon with another running friend and their schedules don't jive with mine right now.  So instead of just NOT running, I am going to become an independent runner!!!  Or I'm at least going to try.  I tend to play major mind games with I run solo and don't push myself hard and eventually give up because it feels too hard.  So I want to change that.  I would love to run a couple of solo 2-milers this week (Hey, I'm starting out small and will work my way up to a longer solo run, I promise!).  The cool thing about all my whining about having to run by myself, hubby is starting to think about running with me!!  After all those years of begging him to run with me, he finally starts considering it once I start whining...hmm sort of sounds like me with my kids.  Anyhoo...   2.  Stick to my strength training plan.  I posted my strength training plan on my last blog post.  Check it out!!   3.  Start planning meals...and plan ones that are healthier.  I bought a couple of cookbooks this summer written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife where you secretly hide pureed fruits and veggies into your dishes so your kids (and heck, even your hubby) will eat them.  How many times have I used it?  NOT ONCE.  So I would like to make 1 recipe from it this week.  Other than that, I just need to get back on track with planning meals so I don't freak out at 5pm and just throw some unhealthy dinner together.     4.  Organize Allie's room.   A few weeks ago we moved my youngest daughter into her own room.  However, we didn't get the room fully cleaned and organized.  The room she is using was sort of a storage room, so I need to move the "storage" out of it and to the laundry room (which will then need to be organized...ugh).     5. Clean up our finances.   I am awful about balancing our checkbook.  So I need to to do this week and pay the bills.  I would also like to set up a new budget that incorporates our tithing and putting some money into savings each payday.     Ok, I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with my list, so I guess I should stop there, right?  We'll see how having 5 goals this week goes...if it's too much maybe I'll only have 1 goal next week!    Will you join me on The Weekly Chase?  If you are interested, go HERE.  I'd love it if you joined me and we can hold each other accountable! 

A New Me

I'm ready for a change.  I know, I know, I've said it a MILLION times.  I have slacked off somewhat with my exercising (not working out as often or at as high of an intensity) and I've pretty much eaten whatever I wanted.  But the number on the scale is going up...only a few pounds, but UP on the scale is NEVER a good thing...unless of course you weight 100 lbs. 

In November of 2009 I decided to make a change.  I was 185 lbs...and the thought of eventually reaching 200 lbs what terrifying!  I decided to lose weight and get healthy.  And by summer of 2010 I had lost 15 lbs.  And I felt great.  Then I'm not sure what happened.  I started training for a half marathon and then another and here I am 2 yrs later and at 180 lbs.  THAT was not in my plan!  So now I have to take a good look at my eating and exercising and figure out where I need to make adjustments in order to get back on track.

I chatted briefly today with a lady I used to go to church with about her recent weight loss.  She decided in January that she wanted to lose 50 lbs..and as of today, she's lost 36!  Yes, I'm envious.  It's so humbling to hear of someone who has succeeded at losing more weight than me in a way shorter amount of time.  I always think to myself, "Wow.  Had I just buckled down and given it my all, I should have already reached my goal weight and I wouldn't be stressing about the scale right now and feeling defeated."  Anyways, I asked this friend what changes she has been making regarding her eating.  She said she had a friend (who runs marathons!) who became her accountability partner.  They exchanged passwords for myfitnesspal.com...now that's serious!  Anyways, her friend challenged her to not eat any bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes for 2 weeks.  So she took the challenge and did it.  And she said after that she never looked back.  And now, 6 months later, she is drawn to those fruits and veggies and lean meats.  That's what I want.  To naturally crave something other than a cookie or chips or bread!

Her story and success has inspired me to take a look at my own life.  Thinking back to when I had lost that 15 lbs, my strategy in regards to eating is unclear.  I do remember that I worked out.  I remember walking...alot.  Then eventually running.  The one thing that sticks out in my mind back then was DETERMINATION.  I was DETERMINED to reach this goal.  And I got almost halfway there...then I became complacent I guess.

With that being said, today is a new day.  I'm going to start counting calories again.  I am going to TRY to weigh in and post my weight each Monday so you can keep up with my progress.  And I would ideally like to post what I'm eating and my calorie intake for the day and my workouts, etc.  I say TRY because I don't want it to be a daunting task..and I don't want to feel like a failure if I don't get it posted.  I also think I'm going to give my accountibility partner my password to myfitnesspal.com so she can see exactly what I've been eating.  We check in nightly and let each other know our failures and successes for the day, but this will allow her to see exactly what I'm eating each day.  (YIKES)  I'm also going to think ahead with my eating and have a plan.  For example, tonight I know my family is going out for pizza.  So I need to have a plan of how many pieces I will eat...and how many calories that will be.  And if I'm going to go over my intake for the day, then I need to make sure I do some extra working out today.  I also need to be aware of temptations.  I kid you not, as I started typing this blog, I see my hubby carrying a box from the garage and I know it's a box from the local parts store.  A thank you gift for buying parts.  It's a box of doughnuts.  I have a choice to make.  I could either say "Yay! Doughnuts!"  and indulge without another thought.  Or I could look up the calorie content of just one doughnut...then decide against having one...especially since I'm not hungry right now.  (I'm picking Choice #2 by the way)

So...here's what I need you to do...keep me accountable!  Send me an email or a text and ask me how I'm doing, if I've exercised today, etc.  I don't mind, I promise!  And most importantly, pray for me.  This has been a struggle of mine for the past 10 years and I'd love to overcome it once and for all.  Pray that I have strength to overcome temptations, wisdom to make good choices, and that depression would not present itself to me (like it has this week) and fill my head with self-destructing thoughts.  Pray that I will lean on God when I feel the urge to overeat or not workout.  Pray that God would show me balance regarding this weight loss so it doesn't become an idol in my life.  Pray that my success story and even this blog can help others who are struggling so they too can experience true freedom and self-control in Christ!  Can you do that for me?  I knew I could count on you.

Back to Square One

I have been so disgusted with myself lately.  My eating has been terrible horrendous and I haven't been working out as hard as I'd like to.  After a week of all 3 kiddos being home and sort of winging meals (I REALLY need to get back on a meal plan that I actually stick to!), and a weekend camping trip complete with overeating junk, the scale screamed 180 lbs at me this morning. 
One Hundred Eighty Pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
And honestly, I knew it would be bad.  I can just tell when my body has packed on the weight...and 5 lbs is enough to make me feel sluggish and for my pants to get tight around the waist.  Not to mention I dont' feel good physically since eating all that crap.  I have had a tummy ache the last two mornings and I know that's what it's from.  I'm so frustrated with myself!  When I started losing weight 2.5 yrs ago, my starting weight was 185.  And here I am at 180.  Now granted, I know it's the week before Aunt Flo will come for her monthly visit, which means I'm most likely retaining water (which usually amounts to 5lbs), so maybe it's not as bad as I thought.  However, I'm ready to get this weight off.  I don't like the way I feel...and I'm sure not liking how fluffy I'm looking these days.  So...I'm back to square one. I started running the race to weight loss, only to find myself back at the starting line.  But I'm determined to finish the the race this time!

Over the weekend (as I was eating unhealthily fire-side) I was reading Jillian Michael's book, Making The Cut, which is a guide for how to lose the last 10-20 lbs.  I had read it before, but thought I'd pick it up again to see if I could glean any new knowledge from it.  In the book there is a test to see what your metabolic type is and I found out I'm a balanced oxidizer.  Honestly, I have no clue what that means...I'm thinking that I digest proteins and carbs at the same rate...but don't quote me on it.  Anyways, she said balanced oxidizers should have a diet that consists of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. And that I should eat carbs and protein together for every meal and snack. I really didn't know what to do with this new-found info, so this morning I've been doing some research on meal ideas and such.  Mainly each meal needs to have 1 serving of bread/rice/ or a starchy carb, 1 serving of fat (like olive oil or butter), 3-4 oz of protein and a serving of either a veggie or fruit.  Easy enough, right?  Well, I'll let you know how today goes.  

I also learned (through a quite lengthy mathematical equation) what my basal metabolic rate (BMR) is.  Mainly, it's how many calories your body would burn if you sat on the couch all day.  For me, that number is 1580 (based on the 175 lbs I THOUGHT I weighed at the time).  So mainly, if I consumed 1580 calories each day I would maintain my weight.  If I want to lose weight, I need to each less than 1580...so my daily calorie intake is 1380 each day.  I'm not sure how much of a weight loss this would bring each week, but I guess I'm going to focus on actually counting those dreaded cals first, then tweak the number as needed.  I also can add in the calories I burn during workouts, however I'm not sure if I will.  I may only add some in if it was a really hard workout where extra fuel is needed.  For my workouts, I plan to take 3-4 mile walks, 3-4 mile runs, and go to the gym twice a week.  I would also like to incorporate some strength training and core exercises here at home on my days off from the gym.  But I can't overdo it and make a mile-long list of my eating and working out guidelines or I will become overwhelmed, so I'm going to just do those when I think about it.

So there's the plan.  I pray that I can stick to it and see results.  Once I do, I'm sure the motivation will keep me going.  Right now I just want to see results...because it's been a long time since I have had any!   Wish me luck! 

May Goals

I'm all about goals if you haven't figured it out yet.  Whether or not I reach those goals is another story.  And that makes me sad.  I am toying with the idea of starting a monthly goal list since a yearly one, to me, allows me the opportunity to slack off for 11 months, and then try like crazy to achieve the goal during that last month.  I've started making daily goals to an extent with a to-do list that helps to keep me on track (somewhat).  So today (actually just a few mins ago) I decided to make a goal list for this month and focus on that.  So here goes:

1.  Freezer meals - I have started participating in Money Saving Mom's 4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer series (you can read more about it HERE.  Her blog is great by the way!!)  I'm not following her plan exactly, but I have already made the baked oatmeal, granola bars, banana bread, and baking mix.  I will probably do the waffles this week at some point.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE her idea of freezing PB&J sandwiches!!  But I need to buy some sliced bread during my next trip to the store first.  Anyhoo...I'm not really sure how many meals I would like to have, but I want to have a good feeling about the amount of meals each time I open the freezer door.  These meals will be super handy for when the kids are home from school and I have 3 extra mouths to feed for lunch!

2.  Simplify/Organize Clothes - We just have too many.  And I know for a fact some of the clothes in my kids' drawers are too small.  So I need to go through all the clothes and pack up or get rid of extras, and make a list of what my kiddos need to round out their wardrobe for summer.  I'm finding what happens is that my kids will try something on in the morning before school, then they A. don't like it, or B. it's too big or small, so it gets thrown on the floor.  And eventually ends up in the dirty clothes to be washed.  Since I don't know that it's too big/small, I wash it and back into the drawer it goes to repeat the vicious cycle!  I feel like I am CONSTANTLY doing laundry.  Yet I see my kids wearing the same things over and over again.  So the excess needs to leave!  Same is true in my own closet! 

3.  Plan some outings with the kiddos this summer - Ideally I would like to plan an outing every other week if not more often if my budget can handle it.  I need to do some research to find some free or cheap outing ideas for us to do!  This also includes planning/booking some camping weekends too.

4.  Print off/put together Summer School Folders for kids - I know...I'm a mean mom for making my kids LEARN this summer!  I have found that once summer hits and school is out, that my kids prefer to lie around the house doing NOTHING and watching TV.  And we all know what kind of junk is on tv.  I actually did this last year for awhile and it wasn't terrible...once the crying and complaining quit.  I have read that kids lose quite a bit of their skills over the summer that they learned the previous year in school. 

5.  Organize some sort of chore schedule for the kids - Like I said, my kids aren't going to sit around all summer...and I'm surely not going to spend my entire summer cleaning and doing laundry!  So we'll need a plan of who's going to do what and when. 

6.  This goal is strictly selfish, but I want to lose 5 lbs. - I realize we are already 1 week into the month and maybe 5 lbs is too much, but I'm going to try.  Once May is over, I will have another 2 or so weeks before we go to the beach...and I REALLY don't want to be fat on the beach!  I understand that 5 measly lbs isn't going to transform me into a super model, however I will feel a ton better about myself, so that's my plan!

Ok, I think 6 goals for the month is a pretty good start.  I could make goals all day, but I need to be realistic about the time frame that I'm working with too or I'll be destined to fail.  Do you have goals for this month?  If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Update on my 2012 Goals

Since it's February, I thought I should revisit my 2012 goals to see how I am doing with them.  So, here they are: 

1. Reach my goal weight of 150 by June 4th.
Ok, not doing so hot.  Trying to figure out the balance between working out and what I eat in order to lose weight.  My current weight is 174.2, which is down 1.8 lbs, but that I needed to have lost 5 lbs in January.  But I do feel as if I am losing inches because my clothes are fitting a bit better.  I would hope so with all the working out I've been doing!!

2. Go on at least 1 date night per month with the hubster. (And I already have the babysitters lined up for them!)  YEP!  We had our cheap date to the dollar theater and Applebee's and spent a whopping $8 thanks to a gift card we received at Christmas.  And our Feb date is planned for this Saturday, so I will have met that goal twice so far!

3. Stay on budget financially and start to build up an emergency fund. (ideally 3 month's living expenses)
Still doing pretty well with this.  Not 100% on budget, but last month's No Spend January challenge really helped me to be more conscious of what I was purchasing and if we really needed it or not.  The E Fund savings hasn't started yet unfortunately.

4. Start a savings fund for a new vehicle so we can pay cash for it! 
This probably will not happen until we get our E Fund built up.  Although hubby has a couple of cars that he's fixing up to sell, so hopefully we can sell them and put that money towards our new van fund. 

5. Run another half-marathon and beat last year's time of 2:24:29
Training for our next half starts on Monday!  The race is in May so I won't be able to post whether or not I met this goal until then.

6. Take a family vacation to the beach.
Beach house is booked and will be waiting for us when we arrive the last week of June!!  Can't wait!!

7. Be intentional about spending time together as a family.
We are doing this!  We have played numerous games of Skip-Bo and have put puzzles together.  Think it will be easier to accomplish when the cold weather is gone and we can get outdoors more. 

8. I want to be consistent with my devotion and prayer times with God. I do good for a few days, then get busy or sidetracked and slack off. I know devotion time isn't absolutely necessary in order for growth with God, but it is something I want to do. I need to overcome my fear of lack of confidence in this area. My plan is to start getting up earlier in the morning to spend 20-30 mins in devo and prayer.

Not doing great at this, but I am doing it more than I was.  I have been trying to play soft worship music during the day to create a more prayer-ful atmosphere.  I do find that I am praying more throughout the day, but still need to consistently devote the first part of my morning to reading the Bible and praying.

9. I also want to be more intentional about family devo time and teaching my kids more about the Bible and character qualities.
Fail.  We did have a family devo night once last month, which is more than what we were doing, so I guess that is an accomplishment, however there is definitely room for improvement in this area. 

10.  I want to log a total of 800 miles from my running workouts.
I am beginning to think I set my goal a bit too high, but I'm slowly working towards it.  I have currently run 57.7 miles!  However I need to do 66.7 miles each month, so I am a bit behind where I should be.  Hopefully I will gain some ground when we start training next week.  

So, all in all, I'm not doing terrible with striving towards my goals!  I need to work harder on the losing weight goal, my devo/prayer time, and my family devo time.  Hopefully next month I will be able to say Yes to those too!