Recent happenings

We have had a very busy week!  We've been working through Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover & getting into a more solid budget & routine.  I'll blog more about that later, but one of the biggest things we've changed is completely planning out our weekly meals, shopping for everything on Saturday and paying with cash from a budget we've set for ourselves.  I made a list of meal ideas on the dry erase board in our laundry room & pick from it each week.  As I come up with more ideas from shows I watch, I add them to the board.  It's made menu planning a lot easier!

 
If you're at all familiar with Dave's program, you create an envelope system for any of your non-bill needs & budget each paycheck down to the dime.  When the cash is out, the cash is out.  No borrowing from another envelope.. if you don't have it, you wait!  It's teaching me a lot of patience!!!  We've been thinking more & more about our future & want to be sure we have our ducks in a row so we can retire at a decent age, send our kids to college, be able to travel, etc.  Working through this book has really, really helped us get on the same page financially.  We used to get into a fight any time we had a budget talk, but this has seriously made a world of a difference.  We've set weekly budget meetings for every Wednesday night.  I'm sure you'll hear me blather on about this more in future posts, but I'll stop now!

I'm still working on The Happiness Project too, but February somehow got away from me!  Last month focused on marriage.  Since a solid marriage is strongly associated with happiness, this is a big goal for the project.  Mike & I met when we were 16, started dating a month after I turned 17 & got married on my 23rd birthday.  We have always had a very solid relationship, even as high schoolers.  We've never done the drama bit, breaking up & making up.  But like any relationship, if you become complacent, things can suffer.  The book states that marital satisfaction drops substantially after the first child arrives.  I found this to be very true... the sleepless nights & stress of having a new baby really tested our patience with one another.  I feel like the foundation of a good relationship is sticking together through the tough times.  I recently read someone from a long-term relationship say that they're secret was knowing there would be some bad years mixed into your marriage.  Can't just expect peaches & cream all the time; I know I'm certainly not always a ray of sunshine!!  Especially when it's PMS week... yikes, run for cover, Mike!!

Weeknight walk in our PJs!

My biggest goal for making a positive change is to think before I speak.  When I'm tired, stressed & frustrated with things that have nothing at all to do with Mike, I tend to be snappy, impatient & rude.  He doesn't deserve it!  I also want to be more outspoken with my appreciation of him & more considerate.  Do you ever notice that sometimes you're more considerate & charming with a stranger than your own spouse?  It's crazy when I think about it.  

Reese, where's your belly?!

Look at that big attitude in such a small package!

As I'm rambling, I'm posting pictures off my cell that I took throughout the week.  The kids are celebrating Dr. Seuss week in honor of his birthday & Monday was mixed-up Monday.  We sent the kids totally mismatched so I was shocked when they were seriously the only mismatched kids in their classes as I dropped them off!! 

About two weekends ago, our girl decided walking was a great idea & she's never looked back!

So, back to The Happiness Project..  My goal for January was to tackle some nagging tasks & I really feel like I succeeded.  I finally went to the dermatologist for a skin test & I'm so glad I did.  I had three moles removed & biopsied.  I got a call back last week; two were benign & one was dysplatic which is also benign but has an increased risk for developing into cancer.  Once the scab is gone from the biopsy site, I need to make sure there is no trace of the mole; if there is, I have it further removed.  The latest I go back is 6 months from now.  I've also been hammering away at my continuing education hours.  When I started 2013, I had zero & now I have 13.5 out of the 30 I need by mid-May.  It feels so good to get things that have been bugging me off the to-do list.

My big helper!

We've been having some issues with Cam & his teacher lately.  Daycare pick-up has not been pleasant since I'm getting a negative report nearly every day.  I'll never have the mentality of "not my child!" but I do feel like his teacher is part of the problem.  She is so abrasive & impatient.  I see her yelling at other kids when they're doing nothing but being kids.  Monday, he was so happy when I picked him up & she was quick to swoop over & ask me why I didn't return his soccer coach's phone call.  (Every Monday he is part of a soccer team that comes to the school.)  I told her there was no phone call to return & she told me they were not happy with his behavior.  Mike called the coach who said there was no true problem & that's why he hadn't even bothered to call us.  He said Cam's attention span was a little short, but otherwise he was great.  That tells us that Cam's teacher is just looking for trouble.  If this keeps up, we'll have to call in a meeting with her & the director.

And lastly, our little Drama Queen has gotten into throwing little tantrums on the floor.  They are hilarious to watch, let me tell you.  It starts with a very ungraceful belly flop where she then rolls & flops around like a fish out of water!  Such a nut!!  Anyway, that's what's going on in our neck of the woods.. hope you're all having a great week too!

Failing miserably

As 2013 started, I've talked about reading The Happiness Project & began working through each month in order to create a happier version of me.  Well, let me tell you, over the past week I am failing miserably.  I've been so stressed out & my attitude has been horrible some days. We've been on a tight budget since our Thanksgiving trip to Asheville, Christmas, our Chicago trip & from the overall move into our new house five months ago.  So, we're waiting on our tax return to do a few projects around the house; paint the dining room & convert it into a playroom, get a new sink, new kitchen table & maybe a light fixture or two.  Then last week I came home from work on Tuesday to find a few bugs in our shower.  When I say I'm disgusted & terrified by the idea of bugs, I mean it.  Mike was getting ready to head to poker that night, so we didn't have all that much time to talk about it.  After the kids were in bed, I furiously Googled bugs to figure out what it could be.  When I discovered this, I nearly had a panic attack...

Yep, the disgusting insects in our shower were TERMITES!!!!!  So, I immediately freaked, imaging the unseen damage that was done.  I have zero experience with termites & only recall the horror stories I may have heard from other people.  So, I text Mike & he set up four bug guys to come through on Wednesday, my day off, to give us quotes.  I was a wreck, having nightmares of bugs crawling on me & being unable to eat because I was so freaked out & overwhelmed by the idea of these termites & the possible steep cost.  The first bug guy sent me into an absolute tizzy as he talked about ripping out the shower & bathroom tile.  We do not have that kind of cash laying around, so my mind was in a whirl.  The next guy was an absolute saint & made me feel so much better as he said, "this is not a big deal" & proceeded to show me  pictures of true termite problems.  Anyway, I learned more about termites in those 24 hours than I ever cared to learn in a lifetime.  What it boils down to is we're going to have an application of Termidor put around our house to treat this current issue & protect us from future issues.  If you live in the Tampa area, I highly recommend Dave Nelson, he was so helpful, sensed my unease & really helped me feel better.   We had a home inspection done prior to buying this house, but it showed no termite problems because there weren't any signs.  We only found the problem because the "swarmers" which are pictured above, came through a gap in our shower grout.  The bug guys estimate they've been there for 3-8 years since that's how long it takes for the swarmers to emerge.  Our house is about 9 years old.  They're subterranean termites & don't appear to have done damage, according to the inspections.  We'll be paying the $1200 for this Termidor application once our tax return comes through in a few weeks & that will take care of the problem & protect us for the next 10 years. It's something that needs to be done regardless of this current issue, it's just not something I really felt like spending our money on since we have so many other things I want done in our house.  I am not a patient person!  In the meantime, the bug guy, Dave just advised that we put duct tape at the area they've been able to squeeze through so I don't have to look at them.  Since they're been there about five years at this point, another few weeks isn't going to make a bit of difference.

So, other than learning everything I never wanted to know about termites last week, it also reinforced that I need a major attitude adjustment.  My mindset goes South during times of stress, especially financial stress.  Mike always has such a positive outlook that it only magnifies my poor outlook.  And once I've gotten onto a rant & am behaving badly, I just keep going because I figure, I'm already looking like a horrible person, I may as well just get it all out.  Once it's said and done, I feel awful.  It's not fun for me or Mike, so it's something I need to work on.  I often wish I had Mike's sunny disposition on life!  He's the "glass half full" and I'm the "glass half empty" in our relationship.  I think that's why I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to the appearance of my house since it's something I CAN control.  I have such a hard time controlling my attitude & outbursts so I focus on things I have control over.  It appears that the take-home from this post is, I am a big ole hot mess!  Gotta run, it's back to the self-help books for this gal!

The Happiness Project - January

I'm still working on the Happiness Project & plan to the rest of the year!  I can't fully say that it's working all too well these days since I've been a little cranky, but I'm trying!  So, like I said in my first post, January is about boosting energy & vitality.  My goals for this month are to get to bed early & work out three days a week.  I did terrible with this task until this week when I finally got back to the gym after a nearly one month hiatus.  Now that we're back from Chicago & settling back into our routine, I've gone two days so far this week & also plan to go on Friday.  It is so hard to get out of bed early, especially on my Wednesday off, but I feel so much better mentally & physically when I'm done.  I do notice that I have more energy during the day when I'm working out too.  Win win!

The other aspect of January is tackling a nagging task.  My two biggest nagging tasks are working on continuing education hours to maintain my credentials & getting a skin check with a dermatologist.  I have not done a thing with continuing education in nearly two years & since my licensure is up for renewal in May, I need to get 30 hours tackled by then.  It wouldn't be too hard, but ten of those hours need to be from live education which is more difficult.  It's hard enough for me to be away from my family in the 32+ hours I work per week so getting to an outside conference is not top priority.  But, like it or not, it's what I have to do!  The topic of my continuing education is one that immediately causes anxiety.  Facing my fears & tackling this task will definitely solve that problem.  It's amazing how freeing it is to get things done!  The other anxiety inducing topic is the dermatologist.  I've never had a skin check & it's gotten down to fear & laziness that's prevented me from going.  What if they find something?  What if I have cancer?  How ridiculous!  Especially since I work in the healthcare field & know that facing your fears & being proactive with your health is so important.  With that being said, I have an appointment made for February 12th!  Yay, me!

Speaking of happiness, I always try to reflect on the big & little things in life that make me happy.  Especially when I get into a rut & feel sorry for myself.

This petite little thing with the big personality makes me so happy!  This picture perfectly shows my saucy little girl flaunting her attitude!  She is so opinionated & outspoken & as frustrating as it can be at times, I positively love it.  I hope she grows up to be a strong-willed, confident woman.  She has such a soft, sweet side too which is the perfect balance of salty & sweet.

My sweet pea is saying so many words lately!  Her current favorites are hi, bye-bye, Mickey, milk & doggie.  She's getting more & more hair & it's starting to flip & curl in the back which is so sweet & kissable I could scream!  LOVE THAT GIRL.

Speaking of love, this boy is awesome!  My buddy loves hanging out with me & lately he's gotten into wanting to watch The Chew with me.  The Chew is one of the little things that makes me happy.  I've recently started taping it everyday & watch it while I clean up the kitchen in the evening after Reese goes to bed.  Cam sits with me & asks me lots & lots of "why" questions as we watch.  His favorite is Mario Batali since he love the name Mario!   Music is another thing that makes me happy.  When I sit at my desk & chart my nutrition assessments at the end of the day, I can't imagine doing it without Pandora.  My favorite, favorite group is Maroon 5 & I have a mega crush on Adam Levine.  Ugh, that guy is ridiculous!  Don't worry, Mike, you're still my #1 guy, but a girl can look & admire, right?!  I love their new song Daylight... listening to it makes me happy.  And watching Adam Levine sing it makes me even happier.

On the subject of being ridiculously cute, Reese was just that this morning!  She was rocking out her brown sweat suit & knockoff Ugg boots.  So sweet!  It's a little chilly this morning which is NOTHING compared to what much of the country is feeling.  When I say chilly in Florida, that means about 50 degrees.  Yesterday it was about 63 degrees as I picked Cam up from daycare when I was scolded by his teacher for sending him in a long-sleeved shirt without a jacket.  What a joke!  Floridians are big time wimps when it comes to the cold.

Anyway, that's what's been going on over here!  Hope you're all having a great week!

The Happiness Project

Nearly three years ago I was in a funk, so as I browsed the shelves of the bookstore, I noticed a book called The Happiness Project.  I read the description & it really seemed to be something that pertained to me so I decided to buy it.  

I read part of it, but I tapered away from it for whatever reason.  Now that we're facing the end of a year & the beginning of another, I decided to pull it off the bookshelf & start over.  It's a good time for a fresh start with the new year & the fact that we've moved into a new house.  One of the lines in the book that I think about a lot is, "the days are long but the years are short."  This is so true, especially when you have small children.  Some days, especially when they're whiny & needy, the days seem to drag on & on & I keep looking at the clock wondering if bedtime will ever arrive.  But then as the birthdays whiz by, you can hardly believe how quickly it's happened.  So, I'm reading this book to try to help me take steps in making the most of my life.  I really fear getting old & looking back on my life with regret.  Especially feeling like I didn't truly realize just how great it was until it was over.  And like the author, Gretchen Rubin, I am happy, but maybe I'm not as happy as I should be.  I find that I'm very easily annoyed, I let other people's moods affect my own, I have a hard time relaxing on weekends since I'm so wound up, I buzz around cars while I'm driving, cursing in my head for their lack of turn signal, slow speed, etc.  And I often wonder why I feel so angry at the slow driver in front of me.  Where is it stemming from?

So, it's not as if I'm thinking this book is going to cure me & turn me in to an entirely happy person, but I'm hoping it will at least help. The book is broken down by months, starting with January which is all about boosting energy.  Part of the boosting of energy is having an uncluttered life with less, more organized belongings.  I've come to accept that fact that I will literally never ever be a person that can relax when my house is in disarray.  I can try to fight it, but why?  I may as well accept it & work with it.  I have an advantage with organization since we recently moved into a house that's more than twice the size of the one we moved out of.  It's so much easier to be organized with more space.  Plus, I'm not a hoarder by any means, so I have little sentimental attachments to my belongings & easily toss things away.  January also focuses on going to bed early, getting plenty of rest & exercising more.  I'm working on getting myself to bed earlier since I'm getting up for the gym before work three times a week.  It's not easy to pop out of bed at 5am when it's pitch black outside, but I know there's not a chance I'll go to the gym after work.  When the house is finally quiet & I actually have a moment to do what I want to do after the kids are in bed, I tend to make myself stay awake.  Having that looming early wake up call helps me get my butt in bed since I know I'll feel like crap the next day if I stay up.  Energy level does have so much to do with attitude & happiness.  The main thing I need to work on in January is tackling a nagging task.  There are dozens of little things that clutter my brain that I need to just knock off my to-do list.  For instance, I need to get to the dermatologist for a skin check.  I also need to work on my continuing education hours to maintain my credentials.  These are the things I think about in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep.  Some of thing things that nag at me are tasks that take only minutes to complete.

I'm not at all into New Year's resolutions, but oddly enough I'm being interviewed tomorrow by the local paper about resolutions for weight loss & healthy eating.  I'm way more into realistic, long-lived goals since I hate setting myself up for failure.  I'm going to try my best to use this book throughout the year in hopes that it improves me as a person.  I'm such a sucker for self-help!  Are you planning on doing anything differently in the New Year?  Any resolutions you might have?