So today is the first day back in the office after what most people might refer to as "the long weekend." I'm sad to say that my place of work didn't give us any sort of "holiday" time for the July 4th weekend. Call me greedy - but time off is like giving me gold. Especially during the summer when all i can do is sit here and look out my office window longingly at the parking lot...no wait....the beautiful sun beckoning me to "Come outside and play."
It's honestly not my fault that when i do go outside i'm instantly hot and have to go inside instead. But still. Being inside and NOT at work is much better than inside and at work. Either way - i have a window.
So now its just a tid bit after 5 and as i watch all my friends log off their AIMs I settle in for the longest part of the day...the last 30 minutes. It's that time period where i don't want to start anything new because well...let's face it, i'm totally useless at this point in the day. And starting new is also just wasting time - albiet probably more of a waste of my time than anything else. I'm sure the company wouldn't agree with me on that one. But i know myself pretty well - and believe me, training me to do work related things after 5pm is like trying to reprogram your automatic a/c unit at home. Impossible.
So i figure i'll blog for a few minutes and feel like i did the best thing i could do with my given situation.
The weekend recap was pretty good.
Lunch with my bf after my work out. Granted, i found some piece of hair in my salad so i didn't finish it.
After that we did our grocery shopping as he had the evening off which was nice and then we actually had DATE nite. We went to a nice italian restaurant that we love and had an appetizer and a bottle of wine. Yum!
Unfortunately I ate a form of pork (i never eat pork) and it made me a little sickly. Oh well, it was delicious for a few moments at least. :)
Next - a few drinks with our friends on their new deck. Nice way to end the nite!
On Saturday morning - we went out to our fav little place for breakfast and i finally decided to order the blueberry pancakes. I always want the blueberry pancakes but when they tell me their specials i get this feeling of "I HAVE to order the special - they may never have it again" but this time i was committed to the pancakes. TOTALLY worth it.
We then wasted a lot of time which is unusual for us with our typical nonstop weekend plans. We managed to spend a combined $75 at target at what should have been a quick trip in to get deoderant and chap stick. Target is like a black hole for me. When i walk in I almost never make it out alive. Or with any of the cash i had going in.
We debated a movie - enough to actually walk in to the theatre and then feel totally ambivalent about all the options and walked out. After this i lose track of time for a bit. But at some point we met up with our friends for a July 4th cookout and fireworks (by RJ mind you).
After a near close encounter with explosives - we have decided that next year we'll stick with the pop rockets and sparklers and leave the big guns for the experienced (this story involves me diving onto the porch for those of you who wish to ask later).
Sunday was sleeping in super late, eating mexcian (a weekend ritual), and cooking all our meals. Also the last weekend of total debauchery. 30 day challenge starts today!
Overall - fun weekend. And i have vacation days this week! WOOT!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Melt Down
Well - when you start a blog, you always have high hopes that it will be funny, charming and all the things you look for in a significant other. haha
But then as your blogging life continues - you realize that life isn't always funny and charming. And it's hard to be at your best all the time.
So this morning i had a melt down. I guess i've been on the brink of it for awhile. I've been working out and cooking healthy meals, limiting my snacking to healthy snacks and correct portions. I've been doing this for about a month or so now. And the last three weeks have been sort of a "well i didn't lose any but i didn't gain any" result and i kept telling myself that i'm probably just putting on a bit of muscle and my body is going to start really responding here soon. But it's been hard. Every other time in my life when i've put THIS much effort into being healthy - I've seen a pretty steady drop in my weight.
But today - stepped on the scale and i'm 1.8 pounds heavier than i was last week. I mean - almost two pounds? *sigh*
It's just so frustrating. So hard to keep my chin up and to keep trying to make better choices and push myself to work out even when i really just want to go home and do nothing. And then to work that hard and GAIN weight?
Its just hard to find the motivation in that to continue. Ultimately, i am going to continue to try. I have to because i want to be healthy and i want to be happy. On sunday i'll be starting the 30 Day Shakeology Challenge with a few friends. It's basically a healthy meal replacement that is equal to all your fruits and veggie needs in one shake. So i am going to start doing that and i think i'll replace my dinner with it this week. My only thought is that maybe i need to reconsider my big meal timing. Move it more to breakfast/lunch and do the shake for dinner.
Who knows. I just know i have to keep trying. Tears before 8am are not fun. I'm determined to be who i know i can be and be the healthier, happier version of myself that i was a little over a year and a half ago.
Where did that gal go?
But then as your blogging life continues - you realize that life isn't always funny and charming. And it's hard to be at your best all the time.
So this morning i had a melt down. I guess i've been on the brink of it for awhile. I've been working out and cooking healthy meals, limiting my snacking to healthy snacks and correct portions. I've been doing this for about a month or so now. And the last three weeks have been sort of a "well i didn't lose any but i didn't gain any" result and i kept telling myself that i'm probably just putting on a bit of muscle and my body is going to start really responding here soon. But it's been hard. Every other time in my life when i've put THIS much effort into being healthy - I've seen a pretty steady drop in my weight.
But today - stepped on the scale and i'm 1.8 pounds heavier than i was last week. I mean - almost two pounds? *sigh*
It's just so frustrating. So hard to keep my chin up and to keep trying to make better choices and push myself to work out even when i really just want to go home and do nothing. And then to work that hard and GAIN weight?
Its just hard to find the motivation in that to continue. Ultimately, i am going to continue to try. I have to because i want to be healthy and i want to be happy. On sunday i'll be starting the 30 Day Shakeology Challenge with a few friends. It's basically a healthy meal replacement that is equal to all your fruits and veggie needs in one shake. So i am going to start doing that and i think i'll replace my dinner with it this week. My only thought is that maybe i need to reconsider my big meal timing. Move it more to breakfast/lunch and do the shake for dinner.
Who knows. I just know i have to keep trying. Tears before 8am are not fun. I'm determined to be who i know i can be and be the healthier, happier version of myself that i was a little over a year and a half ago.
Where did that gal go?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Credit Burden
I have always been good with my credit cards. My parents helped me establish good credit during college and I've always "respected the plastic."
Due to a few unlucky housing situations and a string of long distance relationships and getting paid peanuts at my last job, I unfortunately drummed up a bit of debt for myself. Now - I have to say that i fortunately have no student debt, i own my car (a beat up geo that i paid cash for 4 years ago) and becos of the old car, my car insurance is pretty low as well.
So when i say i have debt - i'm not talking about 10's of thousands of dollars. But enough to give me worry because i feel like owing anyone is a burden. It's always on my mind. I have 3 credit cards, and i recently paid off one of them by utilizing my tax refund and some extra money i received for presenting at a conference. So i think i've been pretty responsible about using the "extra" money in my life to pay my debts. Literally.
As i've gotten older - i've realized how important it is to be in control of your finances. There for awhile - i just felt like this happy go lucky sense of "everything will work out, it always does." But now i live in my own place and am totally responsible for the bills coming to my name and my address. And i made a new years resolution to really start paying attention to my budget so i can make a dent in my credit cards and start focusing on SAVING money instead of paying off debts.
I got a free online account with Quicken - and it connects with my bank account and i can go in and categorize my spending, create budgets for certain categories and see the trend of my spending. It's been a big wake up call for me.
I've made some major changes in my spending habits. The biggest thing i've found that has helped is that i do NOT make any online purchases with my credit card with the promise to "pay it off later." That always turned into me deciding i didn't really have the money to pay it off from my paycheck that month and so i'd pay a little bit of it and then start paying interest anyway. It was a slippery slope.
So now - if i really want to buy something online or buy someone a gift off a registry online, etc - I simply use my debit card so it comes straight from my bank account. This way - there is no "i'll pay it off later" because it's being paid for immediately. So if i don't have the money in my account - i shouldn't be buying it anyway.
This new mentality kicked me in the pants a few times at first and now i'm much more in tune with what i can spend when i'm not living on the cushion of credit.
I also have started grocery shopping with my boyfriend. This means we pre-plan our meals, make a list (check it twice) and we only shop ONCE a week. This has majorly impacted my budget, but in a positive way. Before, grocery shopping was a roller coaster bill. Some times i'd go in and spend 100 bucks, and i'd end up eating out more than i should and throwing away good food.
Now i've limited that by pre-planning my meals and only budgeting for 2 meals "out."
Weekends are my only wild card now - but i've been able to keep things in check.
While i'm being paid more at my new job - we've been having "furlough days" so my paychecks since Christmas have been smaller than normal. I've basically been getting paid 140 bucks less each month which really adds up quickly!
But things are looking up as today as the first paycheck of the new fiscal year and we get full checks again - so now i'm in a position to double what i pay to my credit card each pay period and not even feel the impact in my budget.
So - God willing nothing happens unexpectedly in the next month - I should be debt free by August 1. And then after that i can start using the money i was paying toward debt to start saving for the future.
My future already feels brighter - just knowing i'm on the cusp of a major accomplishment - one that has been YEARS in the making.
YAY!!!
Due to a few unlucky housing situations and a string of long distance relationships and getting paid peanuts at my last job, I unfortunately drummed up a bit of debt for myself. Now - I have to say that i fortunately have no student debt, i own my car (a beat up geo that i paid cash for 4 years ago) and becos of the old car, my car insurance is pretty low as well.
So when i say i have debt - i'm not talking about 10's of thousands of dollars. But enough to give me worry because i feel like owing anyone is a burden. It's always on my mind. I have 3 credit cards, and i recently paid off one of them by utilizing my tax refund and some extra money i received for presenting at a conference. So i think i've been pretty responsible about using the "extra" money in my life to pay my debts. Literally.
As i've gotten older - i've realized how important it is to be in control of your finances. There for awhile - i just felt like this happy go lucky sense of "everything will work out, it always does." But now i live in my own place and am totally responsible for the bills coming to my name and my address. And i made a new years resolution to really start paying attention to my budget so i can make a dent in my credit cards and start focusing on SAVING money instead of paying off debts.
I got a free online account with Quicken - and it connects with my bank account and i can go in and categorize my spending, create budgets for certain categories and see the trend of my spending. It's been a big wake up call for me.
I've made some major changes in my spending habits. The biggest thing i've found that has helped is that i do NOT make any online purchases with my credit card with the promise to "pay it off later." That always turned into me deciding i didn't really have the money to pay it off from my paycheck that month and so i'd pay a little bit of it and then start paying interest anyway. It was a slippery slope.
So now - if i really want to buy something online or buy someone a gift off a registry online, etc - I simply use my debit card so it comes straight from my bank account. This way - there is no "i'll pay it off later" because it's being paid for immediately. So if i don't have the money in my account - i shouldn't be buying it anyway.
This new mentality kicked me in the pants a few times at first and now i'm much more in tune with what i can spend when i'm not living on the cushion of credit.
I also have started grocery shopping with my boyfriend. This means we pre-plan our meals, make a list (check it twice) and we only shop ONCE a week. This has majorly impacted my budget, but in a positive way. Before, grocery shopping was a roller coaster bill. Some times i'd go in and spend 100 bucks, and i'd end up eating out more than i should and throwing away good food.
Now i've limited that by pre-planning my meals and only budgeting for 2 meals "out."
Weekends are my only wild card now - but i've been able to keep things in check.
While i'm being paid more at my new job - we've been having "furlough days" so my paychecks since Christmas have been smaller than normal. I've basically been getting paid 140 bucks less each month which really adds up quickly!
But things are looking up as today as the first paycheck of the new fiscal year and we get full checks again - so now i'm in a position to double what i pay to my credit card each pay period and not even feel the impact in my budget.
So - God willing nothing happens unexpectedly in the next month - I should be debt free by August 1. And then after that i can start using the money i was paying toward debt to start saving for the future.
My future already feels brighter - just knowing i'm on the cusp of a major accomplishment - one that has been YEARS in the making.
YAY!!!
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