Week 1, Gratitude

I am thankful for...

• ....The opportunity to make dinner for my family. Although it isn't always my favorite chore- OK, it's never my favorite chore, but I DO really appreciate that I'm actually home at night to do it. For 2 years, I worked nights at Discover while teaching school in the day. During that time, Jason was the sole cook in our home. I never want to forget what it's like to be gone 5 nights a week for dinner. 1/2/13
• ...Being DONE with the dating scene and thankful that my husband chose me (even with all of my "baggage") Where did this come from? Well, there's a terrible game show called Baggage- hosted by none other than Jerry Springer. It's a show where 1 guy chooses between 3 girls, each with "baggage". When the guy finally chooses the girl, he has to reveal his baggage and she gets to decide if she'll go out with him or not. (it also does the opposite- 1 girl choosing between 3 guys) 1/3/13
• ...Feminine hygiene products.  I would have never made it as a pioneer, I tell ya! I'm also thankful for rice packs and naproxen for pain. Even though I'd prefer not to worry about that stuff, I am very glad I haven't gone through menopause. I'm not ready for hormone changes and hot flashes! 1/4/13
• ...Fruitcake- a labor of love from my mom. It takes a few weeks to make it! She sent our family some baked goodies for post-Christmas celebrations, I called and thanked her for it. I'm noting it here because my mom and I rarely speak to one another. Typically, it's like a couple times a year. It was good to catch up. p.s. (this part is for Melinda, just in case she happens to read this) I ate a few slices and put it in the freezer. 1/5/13

I'll leave you now with a song I'm very grateful for. I absolutely love Imagine Dragon's Radioactive

2013 Resolutions

Honestly, I  usually don't make resolutions for fear of not following through with them, however, I think it's time I try to improve rather than stay the same- which is why I'll document it here for the world to see. (or the 1 reader of my blog would be more realistic)

1. Be thankful. Each day I will write one thing I'm thankful for. I may not put them all here. I think it will depend on my mood, but so far I'm 100% to goal!
2. Get back to "goal" weight. I lost nearly 40 pounds doing weight watchers. I joined almost 3 years ago to the day. I let loosened up the reigns over the past year, and as a result, I've tightened up my jeans! Yuck! I want to feel good about myself again!
3. Drink more water! Sounds silly, but I don't often drink enough of it, and in the past, drinking more has been a pivotal part of my losing weight. I plan to drink AT LEAST 6 cups per day (ww recommendation), however, I read that a woman should drink 9 cups per day! Ultimately, that will be what I strive to reach!
4. Get out of bed by 7 am on school days. Lately, I crawl out of bed sometime between 7:15 and 7:45. I'm totally rushed. Supe doesn't get out of bed with her alarms (yes- there's more than one), so by the time I'm out of the shower, she only has a few minutes left before she needs to leave for school, and she's been late so many times over the past couple months. Getting up earlier will also insure I have enough time to eat breakfast- something that is always a last priority with me, and should be on the top of my list!
5. Do a load of laundry every day. Fold it. Then put it away. (because Fly Lady says so). I really believe in this rule of hers. Laundry quickly gets OUT OF CONTROL and I detest folding a mountain of laundry. Plus I hate all the wrinkles from sitting in a big huge pile.
6. Make time for Blogging. Notice I said MAKE time. I'm super busy (so is everyone). I really enjoy this and need to take time out for me to do it!
7. And lastly, keep my office clean. For 2 years, it was a giant hole- a dumping ground for everything! Loo helped me clean it just before Christmas. It's been clean since then. But I've got to keep it clean so that I want to be in here. Not only will it serve as a place to blog, it's also where I do the majority of my preschool stuff.

So. There you have it. My resolutions. As always, I have to post a song. Enjoy Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis.

Hello again, Hello

Wow! Hello again my friends. (Is anyone out there still?)
Well, I've decided it's high time, I join the blogging world again! It's something I truly enjoy and deeply miss. I think for my sanity, I'll just start out like I haven't missed a day. They used to say about scrap-booking, that if you fall behind, not to try to go clear back to the very next event, but to begin with today, and catch up on the past when you get time. That's what I'm going to have to do here. I have my sanity I need to preserve and protect!

So, my daughter Loo and I, have decided that we're going to do a gratitude journal for 2013. It's part of our resolutions for this year. Loo actually came to me with this idea a few days ago. I guess she read about it on Pinterest. I remember Oprah talked about it several years ago too- having an attitude of gratitude and making a gratitude journal. I  can't decide if this is something I should post every day on here, or if I'll just post periodically. In my own journal, I plan to do it every night. Thoughts?

I ran across a couple great quotes today about being grateful: 
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
-Epicurus
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Without further ado, I shall share my attitude of gratitude for the day:
I'm so grateful for a nice, warm home! It's been in the teens over the past few days. Burrr! Talk about cold. I also really appreciate the ability to crank up the heat, if we feel like we need to! 

Song for the day:Hello Again- Neil Diamond (It's the first one I thought of. Sorry)

My life right now consists of 3 basic things:

Work
Preschool
Wedding

Work has it's ups and downs. I'm thankful for the job and being able to make a little extra money to pay for the wedding. Today though, I listened to one of my phone calls because I had a "coaching tip" aka something I did wrong. I was so embarrassed. I said the word "crap" on a phone call. The moment I said it, I thought that was probably not my best choice of words. Thankfully, the card member didn't mind. If I hadn't said that one word, I would have gotten a perfect score! Bummer.
Preschool is getting ready to start. I seriously can't wait to start! I have so many cool things that I'm adding to my program this year. It's gonna be awesome! Oh, and I have a new preschool room, which I'm totally stoked about. I'm getting ready to paint in the next couple days. Hopefully that goes smoothly.
Wedding...I updated that in the last post.

In the midst of it all, I'm trying to be a good mom, a good wife, a good housekeeper, pay bills, and take care of myself too. Good news is I've lost 36 pounds now and I only have 9 more until I reach my goal!

How sad is this...I can't even think of a song. I think I've lost my mo-jo. :(

Wedding Bells

The wedding bells are beginning to ring. We're knee deep in planning right now. Since I last updated the plans, we've met with the florist and ordered the flowers, designed the bridesmaid dresses and are having them made as we speak, the cake has been decided upon and will be ordered soon, and tomorrow, we're meeting with a photographer to look at her work and get a quote. (think cheap thoughts on this one. Trust me, we need it)
Until next time,

Groovy Bay-Be!

We're alive. We're still here. Just keeping very busy, as I'm sure you all are too. I started a job about a month and a half ago. It's been crazy! I've been training for 40 hours a week. Yes, I'm still going to do preschool! I love teaching! This job is primarily to get us through the summer and then to help with wedding costs a bit. Next week, I start my real shift. I'm very anxious to do that. It's less hours and a better time slot, so that makes me happy!
We've been spending much of our free time together at Lagoon. I think we've gone 6 or 7 times since we bought our season passports. We're having so much fun with that! Some day, we'll bring the camera along with us and snap some pictures, but in the meantime, you'll just have to take my word that we go there frequently, and we have fun!!
We've also treated ourselves to a couple movies. We saw Toy Story 3; excellent, by the way! Our family gave it 6 thumbs up! (we took Prince Charming along with us to celebrate his 22 birthday) This past weekend, we saw How To Train Your Dragon at the dollar theater. Very cute too!
Anyway, thanks for watching me ramble. I really just wanted you to know I haven't forgotten my blog. I DO enjoy reading all of yours and updating my own, as well. I hope to get my groove back on very soon!
Until then,
TTFN!


Oh, and lets not forget about the songs! I'm feeling groovy today. What about you? How about Groove is in the heart by Dee-lite, Get into the Groove by Madonna, and lastly, 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

-25 and counting

If you've seen me lately, you may have noticed I'm missing something. 25 pounds. Well, 27.9 pounds to be exact. I've got more to go, but feeling great about my progress thus far!Those used to be my favorite pants!

Not to toot my own horn, but I've gone from a size 16 down to a 12 or sometimes, even a 10... depending on the manufacturer.
The last time I checked, I was down over 8 inches. (I haven't checked in a while though)
I've been doing weight watchers. Basically, that means, I'm watching my portions and making healthier decisions about what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm also exercising 4 to 5 times a week.

A couple weeks ago, I gathered all of my too big clothes and got rid of them! Dr. Phil says that you should get rid of 'em and never look back. If you keep them, it's like giving yourself permission to go back to your old size. I'm not going there. Ever again!
I'll let you know when I've reached another milestone worth sharing. Until then, Pounds lighter! (that's what my cute ww friend Carol tells me at the end of our meeting. Carol, I might add, just turned 75. She looks great! She's been a member for something like 20 years!)

I almost forgot the song of the day!! Oh my!
How about Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen

I Write The Songs That Make The Whole World Sing

I've written a song for all my mommy friends today. Here goes:

I wish you a happy mom's day
I wish you a happy mom's day
I wish you a happy mom's day
and good kids all year.
Clean houses for you where ever you are
Clean houses for mom's day
and good kids all year!

Happy Mother's Day!!

We Brake for Comics

Saturday was National Free Comic Book Day. Supe and Jason ventured out to see what they could find. It was a success! Not as good as the loot they got last year, but still good nonetheless. Supe was pretty excited! She brought part of her collection to school on Monday and all the kids were oo-ing and ahh-ing over her stash. Needless to say, she felt proud!

Notice Supe is clad in her Wonder Woman shirt... It says "It's a girls' world. Boys just live here."
Part 2 of the story:
While at school Monday, one of the boys in her class was playing with his Pokeman cards. Supe begged him for one and he agreed. BUT, when she brought it home, I told her "No way! Sci Fi- yes, Legos- yes, but I have to draw the line at comic books." I know. I'm mean.

P.S. so far her favorite comics are The Simpson's and The Incredible's.

In honor of comic books AND the fact that Iron Man comes out Friday...enjoy some Black Sabbath~ Iron Man (this song always makes me think of Nelson from the Simpson's)

The REAL Thing

I just saw something funny that totally relates to my previous post.

• You: I'll take a Coke, please.
• Waiter: Is Pepsi OK?
• You: Is Monopoly money OK?