I've been mulling around my post from a couple of days ago, thinking and analyzing possible strategies to make 2011 a great year full of accomplishment. I've determined that the four areas of my life I'd like to focus on are Health, Money, Education, and Personal Development. Those are broad areas, and we've all heard that goals should be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound, so here is a breakdown of goals within each area.
HEALTH
1. Drop BMI by 3%.
I'm right on the cusp of the "marginally overweight" category on BMI charts. It's so depressing and discouraging to know that I've let my health get this bad. BUT it's reversible. If I drop my BMI by 3% that will put me mid-range in the acceptable BMI category. I will attain this goal by exercising 5 days a week, at least 30 minutes each session. This goal should be complete by 3/31/11.
2. Run a 5k.
The company I work for participates in corporate challenge each year. One of the events is the 5k. I've never been a runner, but one of the things I've always wanted to do is to be healthy enough to run a 5k without stopping. The event is normally sometime in May I think, so I'm going to set my deadline for 5/31/10. Luckily, this will also help out with goal number 1. In order to help me train, I've started the Couch-to-5k Program. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
3. Maintain a consistently healthy diet
There will be days when I want to enjoy Burger Thursday or when I need a piece of cake, but I'd really like to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed junk. To do this, I'm going to visit a dietitian a few times per year, depending on what is covered by our health insurance plan. There really isn't a deadline for this since it's something I need to maintain all the time, not just for a few months or even years. Crucial to the success of this is another goal...
4. Eat lunch brought from home four days per week. Eat dinner at home 6 nights per week.
MONEY
1. Pay off credit card.
I don't have much credit card debt, but the APR is high on what I do have. There's no reason why I cannot pay this off completely in 2011. Deadline - 12/31/11.
2. Stick to a budget
At the suggestion of a blog I follow, I spent last night checking out http://www.mint.comand have really started scrutinizing where my spending is going. I want to spend less of my money eating out and more of my money on important financial goals, like retirement, or a vacation, or financing 'Lil Bit's college education. I plan on going over my budget on a bi-weekly basis when I get paid.
3. Open a college savings account for 'Lil Bit and contribute $100 every month. This one has already been set up! YAY! The reason it's not more money is that I've got to continue to pay my own tuition costs while paying off that pesky credit card. Therefore, I'm going to start small for this year, but hey, by 12/31/11, there should be at least $1200 in her account.
EDUCATION
1. Obtain Cisco Certified Networking Associate certification. Deadline - 1/19/11. This one is coming up quickly! I'd like to finish it before I start classes in the spring semester.
2. Finish my Associate's degree. By taking three classes in the spring, one in the summer, and three again in the fall, I will be able to complete my Associate's degree in 2011. Is it going to be hard? Heck yes. But it's going to be so worth it, and I really feel it will renew my motivation to keep going for my Bachelor's degree. Deadline - 12/22/11
3. Obtain VMware Certified Professional certificate. Deadline - 12/31/11
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Write more. I've got this blog right here at my fingertips that I really enjoy posting in but haven't done consistently for quite some time. My goal for 2011 is to post weekly. As a result of this, you'll be seeing a lot of changes coming up, including some themed weekly posts and such. Stay tuned!
2. Find a reliable babysitter! The Hunk and I rarely spend time together without 'Lil Bit in tow. While we love our family time, we need time together as a couple as well. Babysitter location deadline - 2/28/11. After that, we'd better be going out once a month!!
So there you have it! In order to keep tabs on these goals, I'll be checking in on the last day of each month.
Until next time,
MFW
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Who says you can't have bacon for Christmas?
We had such an awesome Christmas! Everyone got great gifts, and we got to spend lots of time together as a family.
You might remember that CAG (Cool Asian Guy) and The Hunk have this endearing fascination with all things bacon. Might I remind you about the Bacon Explosion?
And the red velvet bacon cupcakes?
CAG and The Hunk also went to Bacon Fest this summer, but they were silly and didn't take any photos. At any rate, the point has been made - we love bacon.
Therefore, it was only fitting that CAG give the three of us bacon-themed Christmas gifts!
Be jealous.
That's right, Bakon - "a premium bacon infused vodka" - for The Hunk, a delicious-looking chocolate pig (I wonder if it's bacon flavored?) for me, and a "My First Bacon" for 'Lil Bit.
Have you ever seen such a perfectly themed set of gifts?
We have yet to taste the Bakon; we're waiting until CAG gets back from visiting his family. I really should search for cocktail recipes featuring this so we stand a chance of enjoying it, although The Hunk says we are required to try it straight out of the bottle. Yum....???
I haven't eaten my pig yet either...it's kind of cute! I should try it soon.
And 'Lil Bit...precious little girl... she's terrified of "My First Bacon." It has a button you press to get it to say, "I am bacon!" The voice is somewhat menacing. She won't go near it and says, "Bacon scared me, Mama!" LOL
Thanks, CAG for the ultra-cool gifts. We hope you will come enjoy some the Bakon with us soon!
Until next time,
MFW
You might remember that CAG (Cool Asian Guy) and The Hunk have this endearing fascination with all things bacon. Might I remind you about the Bacon Explosion?
And the red velvet bacon cupcakes?
CAG and The Hunk also went to Bacon Fest this summer, but they were silly and didn't take any photos. At any rate, the point has been made - we love bacon.
Therefore, it was only fitting that CAG give the three of us bacon-themed Christmas gifts!
Be jealous.
That's right, Bakon - "a premium bacon infused vodka" - for The Hunk, a delicious-looking chocolate pig (I wonder if it's bacon flavored?) for me, and a "My First Bacon" for 'Lil Bit.
Have you ever seen such a perfectly themed set of gifts?
We have yet to taste the Bakon; we're waiting until CAG gets back from visiting his family. I really should search for cocktail recipes featuring this so we stand a chance of enjoying it, although The Hunk says we are required to try it straight out of the bottle. Yum....???
I haven't eaten my pig yet either...it's kind of cute! I should try it soon.
And 'Lil Bit...precious little girl... she's terrified of "My First Bacon." It has a button you press to get it to say, "I am bacon!" The voice is somewhat menacing. She won't go near it and says, "Bacon scared me, Mama!" LOL
Thanks, CAG for the ultra-cool gifts. We hope you will come enjoy some the Bakon with us soon!
Until next time,
MFW
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
In the Spirit of All Things End-of-Year
Like most people, I find myself reflecting on the past year as the year 2010 draws to a close. I marvel at how much shit I've managed to accomplish, and then without skipping a beat, I chastize myself about all the shit I feel I should have accomplished. Do you find yourself doing the same? I'll bet that most of you do! It's human nature, after all.
Before I go into any specific whiny tangents about how things could have, would have, should have done, I'm going to take a little while to toot my own horn.
Did you know I finished FOUR classes in 2010? I didn't realize it either! That's 15 credit hours completed towards my degree. And I did them while managing a household (with the support of The Hunk) and while being a career woman (with the support of Bossman).
In addition to checking the requirements off of my degree program, I used that coursework to develop my skillset that I use day to day at work. This makes me a better employee and more marketable down the road should I want to or need to move on. How empowering is that?! It's such an awesome feeling to be able to really understand advanced networking concepts and how they relate specifically to the architecture at my current job. (And dammit, I feel SUPER smart!)
I almost completed the P90X program on two different occasions. Okay, okay, it's cheating to list that as an accomplishment since I didn't actually finish it either time I set out to, but trust me, if you've ever tried it, you know that it's only cheating a tiny, tiny bit. However.....well, we'll get to the however statements later....
My daughter is amazing. No, I didn't make that happen by myself either; it also goes down in The Hunk's list of 2010 Greatest Acheivements. Still, I'm claiming half of it. Being a parent is really, really hard work no matter how you spin it. Is it worth it? Hell yes. It's so awesome to watch her run around, singing songs, pointing out shapes, reciting her ABC's, and being a joyful little girl (for the most part).
I learned the value of a hobby and decorated some cute cakes along the way. When I'm tapped out from working and going to school, it's nice to have something to do for sheer pleasure. The Hunk will tell you that my hobby also tends to stress me out, but at least it's to a lesser degree! LOL
I began learning how to save money. This is something that I plan on capitalizing on in 2011 to pay down some debt. It's so crazy to think of how much money I blew paying full price for everything for so long. I still have a lot to learn, as well as some other things I can do to cut my spending, like eating lunch in the office instead of going out, but I made a lot of great progress in this area! Our grocery and household goods bills are cut in half!
While that's all fine and dandy, I still find myself feeling like I fell short for the year. Maybe it's my endless quest for self-improvement. Maybe it's that I'm overly critical of myself and normally fail to give credit where credit is due. Who knows? At any rate, there are so many things that I find myself wishing I'd have done. Some of you are nodding your heads and thinking, "Amen, sista, I'm SO THERE!"
ALL HAIL THE NEW YEAR, right? I mean, isn't this a "fresh, new start"? Don't we get a do-over on all the crap we didn't accomplish? Isn't that what all this New Year's Resolution hocus pocus is all about every year? Don't worry about eating those extra three Christmas cookies because you can just start over on January 1st. Don't worry about spending that money on that extra pair of boots - you'll work on saving money NEXT year. Come on, you know you've rationalized something to that effect this week! (Or is it really just me?)
So that brings me to the concept of the New Year's Resolution. For the most part, I think people make them with the purest, best intentions. I want to lose weight. I want to learn to budget. I want to be nicer to people. Whatever the case may be, it's all great stuff to work on, but the question is two fold - WHAT do we need to do in order to be the person we want to be and HOW are we going to do it? For me, it's going to require a complete overhaul. I know, it's completely unrealistic to think that I can reinvent myself in a year, and truthfully, I don't think that. I think I can, however, make a good bit of progress.
The thing I'm most in need of is to be able to wake up in the morning and feel GOOD. The Hunk pokes fun at me because I normally have some sort of ailment on an almost daily basis. I'm either tired, have a headache, have sore knees, have heartburn, or a host of other things. The truth is, I'm terrible to my body. I fill it full of junk and don't take care of it consistently. Remember my ALMOST completed attempts at P90X? Yeah....see? I suck at consistency. And I tell you this while putting away a few Reece's Pieces because I'm "getting rid of them before the new year hits."
I also don't get enough sleep. My mind is always working, even when I'm trying to sleep in order to be ready for the next day. I often wonder just how much better I'd feel if I could regulate my sleeping habits. Those headaches I get? Almost always in the morning or a couple of days after a stretch of poor sleep. I spent most of 2010 blaming my husband's snoring for my craptastic sleep habits. He got a C-PAP a few weeks ago, and while he's waking up feeling more refreshed than he has in years, or maybe even ever, I'm still waking up exhausted, wishing I could go back to bed. Maybe it's a matter of habit; maybe I'm just used to waking up so often from the past snoring that my body just thinks it's ok to wake up every hour. Or maybe I'm just stressed out from taking on so much and not making it a priority to spend some time decompressing and taking care of ME.
I KNOW the things I need to change. I know I need to eat healthier. To put it plainly, I SHOULD BE EATING HOW I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO EAT. I know I should exercise REGULARLY. I don't want my daughter spending her waking moments in front of the tv, so why do I do it? I know I should sleep more. I know I should learn to maintain patience with my daughter, especially at a time when she's really starting test boundaries. I know I could spend less money on frivolous things and more money on getting rid of my car loan and student loans in addition to saving for retirement and my kid(s) college expensive. But how? HOW?!
This is the part I'm still working on....
Until next time,
MFW
Before I go into any specific whiny tangents about how things could have, would have, should have done, I'm going to take a little while to toot my own horn.
Did you know I finished FOUR classes in 2010? I didn't realize it either! That's 15 credit hours completed towards my degree. And I did them while managing a household (with the support of The Hunk) and while being a career woman (with the support of Bossman).
In addition to checking the requirements off of my degree program, I used that coursework to develop my skillset that I use day to day at work. This makes me a better employee and more marketable down the road should I want to or need to move on. How empowering is that?! It's such an awesome feeling to be able to really understand advanced networking concepts and how they relate specifically to the architecture at my current job. (And dammit, I feel SUPER smart!)
I almost completed the P90X program on two different occasions. Okay, okay, it's cheating to list that as an accomplishment since I didn't actually finish it either time I set out to, but trust me, if you've ever tried it, you know that it's only cheating a tiny, tiny bit. However.....well, we'll get to the however statements later....
My daughter is amazing. No, I didn't make that happen by myself either; it also goes down in The Hunk's list of 2010 Greatest Acheivements. Still, I'm claiming half of it. Being a parent is really, really hard work no matter how you spin it. Is it worth it? Hell yes. It's so awesome to watch her run around, singing songs, pointing out shapes, reciting her ABC's, and being a joyful little girl (for the most part).
I learned the value of a hobby and decorated some cute cakes along the way. When I'm tapped out from working and going to school, it's nice to have something to do for sheer pleasure. The Hunk will tell you that my hobby also tends to stress me out, but at least it's to a lesser degree! LOL
I began learning how to save money. This is something that I plan on capitalizing on in 2011 to pay down some debt. It's so crazy to think of how much money I blew paying full price for everything for so long. I still have a lot to learn, as well as some other things I can do to cut my spending, like eating lunch in the office instead of going out, but I made a lot of great progress in this area! Our grocery and household goods bills are cut in half!
While that's all fine and dandy, I still find myself feeling like I fell short for the year. Maybe it's my endless quest for self-improvement. Maybe it's that I'm overly critical of myself and normally fail to give credit where credit is due. Who knows? At any rate, there are so many things that I find myself wishing I'd have done. Some of you are nodding your heads and thinking, "Amen, sista, I'm SO THERE!"
ALL HAIL THE NEW YEAR, right? I mean, isn't this a "fresh, new start"? Don't we get a do-over on all the crap we didn't accomplish? Isn't that what all this New Year's Resolution hocus pocus is all about every year? Don't worry about eating those extra three Christmas cookies because you can just start over on January 1st. Don't worry about spending that money on that extra pair of boots - you'll work on saving money NEXT year. Come on, you know you've rationalized something to that effect this week! (Or is it really just me?)
So that brings me to the concept of the New Year's Resolution. For the most part, I think people make them with the purest, best intentions. I want to lose weight. I want to learn to budget. I want to be nicer to people. Whatever the case may be, it's all great stuff to work on, but the question is two fold - WHAT do we need to do in order to be the person we want to be and HOW are we going to do it? For me, it's going to require a complete overhaul. I know, it's completely unrealistic to think that I can reinvent myself in a year, and truthfully, I don't think that. I think I can, however, make a good bit of progress.
The thing I'm most in need of is to be able to wake up in the morning and feel GOOD. The Hunk pokes fun at me because I normally have some sort of ailment on an almost daily basis. I'm either tired, have a headache, have sore knees, have heartburn, or a host of other things. The truth is, I'm terrible to my body. I fill it full of junk and don't take care of it consistently. Remember my ALMOST completed attempts at P90X? Yeah....see? I suck at consistency. And I tell you this while putting away a few Reece's Pieces because I'm "getting rid of them before the new year hits."
I also don't get enough sleep. My mind is always working, even when I'm trying to sleep in order to be ready for the next day. I often wonder just how much better I'd feel if I could regulate my sleeping habits. Those headaches I get? Almost always in the morning or a couple of days after a stretch of poor sleep. I spent most of 2010 blaming my husband's snoring for my craptastic sleep habits. He got a C-PAP a few weeks ago, and while he's waking up feeling more refreshed than he has in years, or maybe even ever, I'm still waking up exhausted, wishing I could go back to bed. Maybe it's a matter of habit; maybe I'm just used to waking up so often from the past snoring that my body just thinks it's ok to wake up every hour. Or maybe I'm just stressed out from taking on so much and not making it a priority to spend some time decompressing and taking care of ME.
I KNOW the things I need to change. I know I need to eat healthier. To put it plainly, I SHOULD BE EATING HOW I WANT MY DAUGHTER TO EAT. I know I should exercise REGULARLY. I don't want my daughter spending her waking moments in front of the tv, so why do I do it? I know I should sleep more. I know I should learn to maintain patience with my daughter, especially at a time when she's really starting test boundaries. I know I could spend less money on frivolous things and more money on getting rid of my car loan and student loans in addition to saving for retirement and my kid(s) college expensive. But how? HOW?!
This is the part I'm still working on....
Until next time,
MFW
Friday, December 17, 2010
Paying it Forward at Pump 15
Have you ever noticed that holidays tend to bring out either the best or the worst in people. The Hunk isn't typically a fan of Christmas due to its commercialization and the stress people wear on their faces or spit out in vile phrases because they've overspent, can't find a Sing-a-long Pal or whatever the hot toy is, or simply can't afford to provide their kids the Christmas they wish they could. I, however, love this time of year, and I was reminded of one reason why yesterday morning.
It was a typical Thursday morning. 'Lil Bit and I rushed out of house, only to find that the gas light came on as I was pulling out of the driveway. Oh great. I was already later than I wanted to be. I made a mad dash to the QT just down the street from our house. Once I got out of the car, I swiped my debit card, only to find that it didn't seem to be working. Suddently, I noticed that the little screen said "Prepaid $25." Thinking I was about to rip someone off and not wanting someone else to pull up to the pump and rip whomever off, I got 'Lil Bit out of the car and went inside. The clerk informed me that the customer before me instructed him to tell the next person that went to Pump 15 "Merry Christmas" and said that it was my lucky day. How damn cool is that?
I, in turn, did the same for the next patron. Wouldn't it be cool if it lasted all day long? I sure think so!
There really ARE decent people left, as scarce as they may seem. They're the ones that don't steal the coins and dollars out of the Salvation Army buckets they man at the retail shops. They're the ones that call up the local radio stations and selflessly donate a couple hundred bucks so a stranger can make rent and get their child a winter coat. They're the ones that spend hours organizing and managing the toy drives, the food drives, and ways for soldiers to send a story for their kids back at home. They're the ones that prepay at the gas station, not knowing who is going to pull up next. Maybe, just maybe, the person after me was a single mom or a college student or someone that needed just a little help. And even if they did the same thing I did and decided to "pay it forward", maybe in the very least, I gave them a small reminder about the GOOD that holidays can bring out in others.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Until next time,
MFW
It was a typical Thursday morning. 'Lil Bit and I rushed out of house, only to find that the gas light came on as I was pulling out of the driveway. Oh great. I was already later than I wanted to be. I made a mad dash to the QT just down the street from our house. Once I got out of the car, I swiped my debit card, only to find that it didn't seem to be working. Suddently, I noticed that the little screen said "Prepaid $25." Thinking I was about to rip someone off and not wanting someone else to pull up to the pump and rip whomever off, I got 'Lil Bit out of the car and went inside. The clerk informed me that the customer before me instructed him to tell the next person that went to Pump 15 "Merry Christmas" and said that it was my lucky day. How damn cool is that?
I, in turn, did the same for the next patron. Wouldn't it be cool if it lasted all day long? I sure think so!
There really ARE decent people left, as scarce as they may seem. They're the ones that don't steal the coins and dollars out of the Salvation Army buckets they man at the retail shops. They're the ones that call up the local radio stations and selflessly donate a couple hundred bucks so a stranger can make rent and get their child a winter coat. They're the ones that spend hours organizing and managing the toy drives, the food drives, and ways for soldiers to send a story for their kids back at home. They're the ones that prepay at the gas station, not knowing who is going to pull up next. Maybe, just maybe, the person after me was a single mom or a college student or someone that needed just a little help. And even if they did the same thing I did and decided to "pay it forward", maybe in the very least, I gave them a small reminder about the GOOD that holidays can bring out in others.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Until next time,
MFW
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Lil Bit is 2
This post comes just shy of being two weeks late... sorry, folks, that's what motherhood, school, and work do to me. They tear me away from blogging and sharing life with the world. Darn you, obligations!
Anyway, yeah, so Lil Bit turned 2 on September 22nd. Amazing, isn't it? We were fortunate enough to be able to fly The Hunk's parents out to celebrate with us, so she got to hang out with much of the extended family and got a lot of great new toys. Our living room looks like Toys R Us blew up in it!
I took her to the pediatrician for her checkup last week. She was not pleased about getting shots, nor was she even happy when she got bandaids. Not even the shiny one would do! She ripped them off and yelled, "NO STICKERS!" as she threw them at the poor nurse. I couldn't stop laughing. When she calmed down I asked her if she wanted to go bye-bye. "Yes, mama, I go bye-bye NOW." She was never so excited to go to daycare. :) For the record, she's average size and hitting all of the milestones she should be plus some. The doctor said she's speaking incredibly well for her age. Way to go, Lil Bit!
Lil Bit is by far the coolest thing I've ever had any part of making. Seeing her grow over the past two years has been incredibly rewarding. From the first moment I saw her and freaked out that it took her a few seconds to cry to hearing her sing her ABCs, I knew that being a mom, HER mom, would be wicked awesome. And it totally is.
Anyway, yeah, so Lil Bit turned 2 on September 22nd. Amazing, isn't it? We were fortunate enough to be able to fly The Hunk's parents out to celebrate with us, so she got to hang out with much of the extended family and got a lot of great new toys. Our living room looks like Toys R Us blew up in it!
I took her to the pediatrician for her checkup last week. She was not pleased about getting shots, nor was she even happy when she got bandaids. Not even the shiny one would do! She ripped them off and yelled, "NO STICKERS!" as she threw them at the poor nurse. I couldn't stop laughing. When she calmed down I asked her if she wanted to go bye-bye. "Yes, mama, I go bye-bye NOW." She was never so excited to go to daycare. :) For the record, she's average size and hitting all of the milestones she should be plus some. The doctor said she's speaking incredibly well for her age. Way to go, Lil Bit!
Lil Bit is by far the coolest thing I've ever had any part of making. Seeing her grow over the past two years has been incredibly rewarding. From the first moment I saw her and freaked out that it took her a few seconds to cry to hearing her sing her ABCs, I knew that being a mom, HER mom, would be wicked awesome. And it totally is.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Example of how awesome coupon stacking is...
The Hunk got a wonderful little booklet of Target coupons. After clipping coupons out of three newspaper inserts last week, I have SO many coupons just waiting to be joined with a store coupon. Thankfully, I matched coupons today and many of the store coupons (SQ) The Hunk got matched wonderfully with the manufacturer coupons (MQ).
So off to Target I went today to stock up on household supplies. I saved ALMOST $30!!!
Ok, here's what went down. I learned a couple things from my first major couponing trip.
Diapers:
19.99
-2.00 catalina (this are the ones that print from the register)
-1.00 MQ
=17.99 (box of 86)
Glade cashmere woods air freshener (smells SO good)
$2.79
-1.00 SQ (is that the right abbreviation for store coupon?)
-1.00 MQ
=.78
Tide Stain Release
$5.99
-1.00 SQ
-.75 MQ
= 4.24 never used this product before, but Lil Bit has been very rough on her clothes as of late, and I'm hoping this stuff helps remove fingerpaint and ink....ugh.
Bounce Dryer bar
$5.99
-3.00 MQ
=2.99
Bertoli Frozen Dinner
$5.99
-1.50 MQ
=4.49 EASY dinner for a night when we're exhausted or for The Hunk and Lil Bit while I am in class
Axe Shower Jel
3.49 for 2 using BOGO MQ
Degree Clinical Stregnth Deodorant
6.89
-1.00 SQ
-2.00 MQ
=3.89
Schick Extreme 8ct
8.99
-1.00 SQ
-5.00 MQ !! this one was exciting lol
=2.99
Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
2.99
-1.00 SQ
=1.99
Should have gotten another dollar off but apparently it didn't actually scan....grrr......didn't catch it.
Ziploc Bags
2.33 x 2 boxes = 4.66
- .75
-.1.50
=2.41 or 1.20 per box
Total OOP $41.77
SAVED $29.36 using coupons and sales!!!
Then I went to the grocery store and got $75 worth of food for $53. All in all, a very good day! I have over $50 extra in the bank this week.
So off to Target I went today to stock up on household supplies. I saved ALMOST $30!!!
Ok, here's what went down. I learned a couple things from my first major couponing trip.
Diapers:
19.99
-2.00 catalina (this are the ones that print from the register)
-1.00 MQ
=17.99 (box of 86)
Glade cashmere woods air freshener (smells SO good)
$2.79
-1.00 SQ (is that the right abbreviation for store coupon?)
-1.00 MQ
=.78
Tide Stain Release
$5.99
-1.00 SQ
-.75 MQ
= 4.24 never used this product before, but Lil Bit has been very rough on her clothes as of late, and I'm hoping this stuff helps remove fingerpaint and ink....ugh.
Bounce Dryer bar
$5.99
-3.00 MQ
=2.99
Bertoli Frozen Dinner
$5.99
-1.50 MQ
=4.49 EASY dinner for a night when we're exhausted or for The Hunk and Lil Bit while I am in class
Axe Shower Jel
3.49 for 2 using BOGO MQ
Degree Clinical Stregnth Deodorant
6.89
-1.00 SQ
-2.00 MQ
=3.89
Schick Extreme 8ct
8.99
-1.00 SQ
-5.00 MQ !! this one was exciting lol
=2.99
Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
2.99
-1.00 SQ
=1.99
Should have gotten another dollar off but apparently it didn't actually scan....grrr......didn't catch it.
Ziploc Bags
2.33 x 2 boxes = 4.66
- .75
-.1.50
=2.41 or 1.20 per box
Total OOP $41.77
SAVED $29.36 using coupons and sales!!!
Then I went to the grocery store and got $75 worth of food for $53. All in all, a very good day! I have over $50 extra in the bank this week.
Friday, August 27, 2010
MFW is going frugal.... Lesson 1: Stacking Coupons
Watch out, world! I've decided to learn the ways of "Couponing", and it totally just clicked in my brain!
I've tried in the past to use coupons, but I found that it really didn't save as much money as I'd hoped. However, I found a "Coupon Newbies" group on www.babycenter.com to show me the "proper" way to "coupon" so that you save the most money possible. At first, it was making my brain malfunction and I think I smelled a little bit of smoke. All of the sudden, though, I just got it!
Ok, here's the first secret I've learned. There's this wonderful thing in the coupon world called "stacking." Let's say your favorite store is Target. (It's definitely in my top 3.) On their website, there is a coupons link at the bottom of their home page. You go there, click the coupons you want, and presto - savings! But wait, there's more!
Depending on how the coupons print, you will get Target In-Store coupons and/or Manufacturer coupons. Unfortunately, you can't tell what they are until you actually print them. Pesky Target!
Let's say one of the coupons you print is a store coupon for $1 off your husband's and daughter's favorite brand of pretzels. So right there, you've saved a buck. It gets better! Now let's say you find a manufacturer coupon either online or in your newspaper insert for another $1 off. YOU CAN USE THEM BOTH!! That means you save $2 on the bag of pretzels your husband was going to put in the cart anyway! AND! Let's pretend for a moment that the bag of of pretzels have a retail price of $3.25 for the bag. If you get lucky, they'll be on sale for $2.50. If you use both of your coupons, you'll pay $0.50 for the bag and save $2.75! That's not a lot, but if you can figure out how to do that on most of your household products and packaged foods, that can add up quickly!
My next endeavor will be to learn the ways of getting stuff for free using CVS' Extra Care program.... I'll let you know when I figure that mess out....
Until next time,
Newly Frugal MFW
I've tried in the past to use coupons, but I found that it really didn't save as much money as I'd hoped. However, I found a "Coupon Newbies" group on www.babycenter.com to show me the "proper" way to "coupon" so that you save the most money possible. At first, it was making my brain malfunction and I think I smelled a little bit of smoke. All of the sudden, though, I just got it!
Ok, here's the first secret I've learned. There's this wonderful thing in the coupon world called "stacking." Let's say your favorite store is Target. (It's definitely in my top 3.) On their website, there is a coupons link at the bottom of their home page. You go there, click the coupons you want, and presto - savings! But wait, there's more!
Depending on how the coupons print, you will get Target In-Store coupons and/or Manufacturer coupons. Unfortunately, you can't tell what they are until you actually print them. Pesky Target!
Let's say one of the coupons you print is a store coupon for $1 off your husband's and daughter's favorite brand of pretzels. So right there, you've saved a buck. It gets better! Now let's say you find a manufacturer coupon either online or in your newspaper insert for another $1 off. YOU CAN USE THEM BOTH!! That means you save $2 on the bag of pretzels your husband was going to put in the cart anyway! AND! Let's pretend for a moment that the bag of of pretzels have a retail price of $3.25 for the bag. If you get lucky, they'll be on sale for $2.50. If you use both of your coupons, you'll pay $0.50 for the bag and save $2.75! That's not a lot, but if you can figure out how to do that on most of your household products and packaged foods, that can add up quickly!
My next endeavor will be to learn the ways of getting stuff for free using CVS' Extra Care program.... I'll let you know when I figure that mess out....
Until next time,
Newly Frugal MFW
Monday, August 9, 2010
Just a small town girl
On a recent trip to Chicago on business, I rediscovered the fact that I am very much a small town girl. Sure, I may live in a city now, but it is nothing compared to something like Chicago.
The town I grew up had a population of 225. Nope, I didn't forget any digits on that one. The nearest town offering a Walmart is roughly 15-20 minutes away. There are no malls, unless you count the tiny outlet mall, which I don't. The nearest REAL mall is about an hour away. The median household income in that town is about $28,000. I bring up these stats just to show that there really isn't a whole lot going on.
However, my uncles and I always managed to find something to keep us occupied. My uncles are 3 years and 5 years older than me, so we grew up as siblings. The younger of the two and I were especially close. We'd scour through the 90 acres of fields and woods, exploring and having adventures. My fear of snakes is rooted in those times, in fact. As you can imagine, there were many of them on my grandmother's property, and any time we'd spot one, Uncle J would yell, "RUN!! I'll kill it!" He was my protector from all things serpent-y. I shall forever thank him for that, despite the fact that I shudder every time I see a snake now, even at the zoo.
Even when my grandfather bought my uncles a Nintendo, Uncle J and I spent much of our time outdoors. We'd camp out near the pond and go fishing. Once he even made a fire and cooked one of the little fish speared over a stick that he'd whittled with his pocket knife. I did not eat it. He did. I can't remember if he got sick the next day or not.
When it rained, we'd go stomp in puddles outside or go play in the water that collected in the huge ditches along the gravel roads. Yes, that sounds gross to some of you out there, but we didn't think anything of it. What's a little mud? Some women pay to sit in mud. And on the off chance we couldn't play outside, we'd play hide and seek in the basement, in the pitch black darkness. I swear I almost broke my nose one time running into a door frame chasing after him.
Uncle M and I were much more studious. We'd play school. I think he's part of the reason I started school already knowing so much. He had all these old books and papers, and we even had a desk. It was awesome. Me? Nerd? Why, yes, thank you.
I tell you all of this to explain the experience I had in Chicago. You know, to set it up. I highly doubt kids raised in Chicago go fishing much or swim in ditches or even pick blackberries and get a stomachache from eating so many before even getting home.
I was only in Chicago overnight, and most of the time, we were working or driving, so I didn't even get to see much of the city. But it was enough for me to realize that it was wildly different than what I'm used to. Though I live in a city now with a population of 450,000 - 2 million in the metro area - it pales in comparison. It isn't so much about the number of people either. It's all in the attitude.
People in Chicago are far too busy to say hi to one another or even be polite drivers. IMMEDIATELY after the light turns green, people start honking. There is no opportunity to react before being honked at. And pedestrians and cars are equally important, both trying to make their destinations, neither one paying any attention to the other. So many people have so many near misses. Stop signs are optional. And it goes on and on and on all day and all night. Trust me, I stayed right downtown and didn't have the intelligence to think to turn on the fan to drown out all of this honking and sirens.
One thing I did appreciate and wish were more available where I live is the idea of mass transit. Sure, we have buses, but no one takes them. We definitely do not have a train, although The Hunk and others keep telling me "No, HB, you DON'T want to ride the train. It's a scary place." So, I guess it's just one of those things that sounds good in theory but in practice isn't so glamorous.
All this was basically to say that I came back to my mid-sized city, happy to have a little bit of both a small town feel with convenience, but I really feel sheltered. I long to travel. I could have spent days in Chicago, sitting in inconspicuous places, observing those that live there. But I'll never live in such a huge city. I like being a small town girl.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Now, THAT's talent...
As a multifaceted woman, one of my favorite things to do is to bake. The Hunk is probably laughing right now because every time I have a cake to make, I end up waiting until the very last possible minute. This causes me to stress out and proclaim that I'm never going to bake a cake again. It's as maddening for him as it is for me, I'm sure.
At any rate, last week, I made a cake for someone at work. It turned out fairly well.
However, those flowers are real.... I'd LOVE to learn how to do this:
Those flowers, my friends, are not real. They are delicately fabricated out of gumpaste. Amazing, immaculate, detailed, and probably even MORE maddening.
At any rate, last week, I made a cake for someone at work. It turned out fairly well.
However, those flowers are real.... I'd LOVE to learn how to do this:
Those flowers, my friends, are not real. They are delicately fabricated out of gumpaste. Amazing, immaculate, detailed, and probably even MORE maddening.
So, my birthday is tomorrow....
....and this is what I want.
And it is on sale! For $199 I could have the whole thing. Down from $731. Look at that discount! Sigh....so tempting.
The Hunk and I are always joking about how I'm going to be a hoarder once our kid(s) move out of the house in 20-some years, depending on when we decide to procreate a second time. I've decided he's right and that I'm going to hoard China. He better prepare himself. Stacks and stacks of plates, bowls, tea cups, and gravy boats are in his future
And it is on sale! For $199 I could have the whole thing. Down from $731. Look at that discount! Sigh....so tempting.
The Hunk and I are always joking about how I'm going to be a hoarder once our kid(s) move out of the house in 20-some years, depending on when we decide to procreate a second time. I've decided he's right and that I'm going to hoard China. He better prepare himself. Stacks and stacks of plates, bowls, tea cups, and gravy boats are in his future
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Crane and an Almost-Sprain
I finally got off my butt and started P90X all over again this week. It's such a buzz kill to know that I undid all of the progress I made by letting life get in the way of continuing my workouts in the first attempt. I'm trying to convince myself that the important thing is that I'm back on the horse, taking it one day at a time.
The first time I attempted P90X, I made it through the first month. I felt great, and I could already see some results. It was a half-hearted attempt, too. I only did the Yoga X one time. The rest of the time, I avoided it.
Prior to doing P90X, I'd never done yoga. I consider myself to have flexibility and balance, but yoga, particularly Yoga X, honestly makes me feel like a clumbsy fat kid. I powered through it the best that I could, tumbling quite often. It is uncomfortable, long, and just downright painful. But I did it because I was so sore from the first three days and was hoping for some relief from stretching....which I did get. I feel much better today.
Anyway, towards the end of the workout, there is a pose called the Crane. Tony Horton even says, "DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE NOT READY OR YOU WILL FALL ON YOUR HEAD." Eh, what do you know, Mr. Horton?
Here's a picture of what the Crane looks like:
See? Piece of cake, right?
WRONG.
Guess what, kids? I fell on my head! No, seriously, I did. And then I fell over in an awkward motion on my arm. It really hurt! Luckily, it feels fine today. I was worried I was going to end up with a stupid sprain...all because of the stupid Crane.
Do you think this will keep me from trying it again? Heck no. I'll be back at it next week....
The first time I attempted P90X, I made it through the first month. I felt great, and I could already see some results. It was a half-hearted attempt, too. I only did the Yoga X one time. The rest of the time, I avoided it.
Prior to doing P90X, I'd never done yoga. I consider myself to have flexibility and balance, but yoga, particularly Yoga X, honestly makes me feel like a clumbsy fat kid. I powered through it the best that I could, tumbling quite often. It is uncomfortable, long, and just downright painful. But I did it because I was so sore from the first three days and was hoping for some relief from stretching....which I did get. I feel much better today.
Anyway, towards the end of the workout, there is a pose called the Crane. Tony Horton even says, "DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE NOT READY OR YOU WILL FALL ON YOUR HEAD." Eh, what do you know, Mr. Horton?
Here's a picture of what the Crane looks like:
See? Piece of cake, right?
WRONG.
Guess what, kids? I fell on my head! No, seriously, I did. And then I fell over in an awkward motion on my arm. It really hurt! Luckily, it feels fine today. I was worried I was going to end up with a stupid sprain...all because of the stupid Crane.
Do you think this will keep me from trying it again? Heck no. I'll be back at it next week....
Friday, May 7, 2010
Grievances Over Green Grapes
When Aunty C and I were little, we used to go stay the night with Grandma Soup. Her name was really Sue, but Aunty C always added that "p" at the end, and thusly, she became Grandma Soup. It's especially ironic because I don't recall ever having seen her eat soup even once, but I digress.
There are several instances where I can recall sitting at her light oak kitchen table with the blue floral cushions, a bowl of fresh green grapes in front of me as I colored princess pictures, getting slightly out of the lines JUST because I could while Grandpa read "the pixie book" a half dozen times.
As I colored and ate bunches and bunches of green grapes, Grandma Soup oooohed and aahhhhed over my drawings, making me feel as if I was a Picasso in training. The truth is, I still color outside of the lines, but now it's because I just suck at art unless it is in the form of music, not because I'm pushing the boundaries of conformity without even knowing what it means. In fact, I'm so terrible at art that my dad has a paint-by-numbers that I painted and framed for him for Father's Day....not when I was nine but when I was NINETEEN.
I think about these times often, especially as I cut up green grapes into small little bites for my 'Lil Bit. I smile as she requests more because she, too, loves the green grapes. Red just won't do. And then I take a step back and swallow hard, trying to supress the giant lump forming in my throat, for I miss my Grandma Soup and I wish that she were here. Sometimes I consider throwing the grapes and never allowing them into the house again.
I can just picture my own daughter, sitting at that same table coloring princess pictures and eating green grapes carefully chosen, washed, and placed in a green plastic bowl. 'Lil Bit is just starting to "comer" (that's how she says "color"). Right now, she doesn't even know what lines really are, but someday she will. Whether or not she colors in the lines and the reasons she does or doesn't is no matter. Although she'll never know Grandma Soup, she'll know what it's like to feel like a Picasso in training. The green grapes will always be there as long as she likes them, and I will always oooh and aahhh over her drawings, no matter how great or how not great they may be.
There are several instances where I can recall sitting at her light oak kitchen table with the blue floral cushions, a bowl of fresh green grapes in front of me as I colored princess pictures, getting slightly out of the lines JUST because I could while Grandpa read "the pixie book" a half dozen times.
As I colored and ate bunches and bunches of green grapes, Grandma Soup oooohed and aahhhhed over my drawings, making me feel as if I was a Picasso in training. The truth is, I still color outside of the lines, but now it's because I just suck at art unless it is in the form of music, not because I'm pushing the boundaries of conformity without even knowing what it means. In fact, I'm so terrible at art that my dad has a paint-by-numbers that I painted and framed for him for Father's Day....not when I was nine but when I was NINETEEN.
I think about these times often, especially as I cut up green grapes into small little bites for my 'Lil Bit. I smile as she requests more because she, too, loves the green grapes. Red just won't do. And then I take a step back and swallow hard, trying to supress the giant lump forming in my throat, for I miss my Grandma Soup and I wish that she were here. Sometimes I consider throwing the grapes and never allowing them into the house again.
I can just picture my own daughter, sitting at that same table coloring princess pictures and eating green grapes carefully chosen, washed, and placed in a green plastic bowl. 'Lil Bit is just starting to "comer" (that's how she says "color"). Right now, she doesn't even know what lines really are, but someday she will. Whether or not she colors in the lines and the reasons she does or doesn't is no matter. Although she'll never know Grandma Soup, she'll know what it's like to feel like a Picasso in training. The green grapes will always be there as long as she likes them, and I will always oooh and aahhh over her drawings, no matter how great or how not great they may be.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I want to write.
I haven't written here for over a month. Sad panda. Even sadder still is that I feel like I have a million things swirling all around in my head, but I can't pick out any single thing to write about. I feel uncreative and unexpressive. Blah.
Sometimes I wish I had a job that forced me to write, just so I'd have no excuse not to write, like not having the time or not having anything to write about.
Sigh.....
Sometimes I wish I had a job that forced me to write, just so I'd have no excuse not to write, like not having the time or not having anything to write about.
Sigh.....
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
P90X Month One - DONE
Yesterday was the last day of my first 30 days of the P90X Lean program. Admittedly, I was a little bit nervous when I weighed myself and took my measurements over again. I mean, really, I haven't done the best job (or even a good job) of sticking to the fat shredder diet. I had some rough spots where I got off a few days on exercising and then had to make mad dashes to catch up on workouts. Honestly, I even skipped a couple of days of Yoga. I know, I know.
At any rate, before I put down the stats, let me just tell you how I FEEL. I feel great! Some days I don't want to work out, but I begrudgingly pull myself off of the couch and make the trek downstairs. Once I get started, I feel a burst of energy. After the workouts I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for pushing through the lack of motivation that tries to take hold. That just happened tonight in fact. Of course now it's after 11:00 and I'm blogging instead of sleeping because my body is like, "YAY! I have energy now!"
About a week and a half ago, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. As I was putting lotion on my legs just as I do almost every morning, I stopped and thought, "Dang, yo! That's a calf muscle!" And it's a long and lean muscle! It was very exciting!
I feel totally different as I'm walking down the hallways at work. I feel as if I stand a little taller. Even sitting at my desk I notice much better posture compared to a month ago. I've already gotten compliments like, "Wow, I can really tell that is already working!" It's true - my pants are fitting better, my shirts are fitting better... it's not a huge change, but it is enough to make me keep going.
Now for the measurements...drumroll please!
Waist: Feb 18 - 33.25" (ugh, that number is so humbling still)
March 23- 31.5" loss of 1.75"
Bust: Feb 18 - 37.25"
March 23- 35.75" loss of 1.5"
Chest: Feb 18 - 31"
March 23- 30.5" loss of .5"
Hips: Feb 18 - 40.75" (what can I say, I've had a kid. lol)
March 23- 39.5" loss of 1.25"
Left
Thigh: Feb 18 - 21.75"
March 23- 20.25" loss of 1.5"
Right
Thigh: Feb 18 - 21.5"
March 23- 20.25" loss of 1.25"
Left
Calf: Feb 18 - 14.25"
March 23- 13.75" loss of .5"
Right Feb 18 - 14.25"
Calf: March 23- 14" loss of .25" and I suppose I have crooked legs :p
Left
Upper Arm: Feb 18 - 10.25"
March 23 - 10.75" gain of .5"
RUA: Feb 18 - 10.5"
March 23- 11" gain of .5"
Weight: Feb 18 - 133.4 lbs
March 23 -129.8 lbs loss of 3.6 lbs
I'm not posting pictures this time. I don't know where my "Befores" went, and there's really no benchmark for comparison. I took new pictures this month and put them on my 'puter, so you'll see them next time....maybe. LOL
In the second month, I get to swap out the Shoulders and Arms workout and do the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps instead. I'm excited for a change in routine, even if it is only subtle.
Anyway, that's it for month one! Yippee!!
At any rate, before I put down the stats, let me just tell you how I FEEL. I feel great! Some days I don't want to work out, but I begrudgingly pull myself off of the couch and make the trek downstairs. Once I get started, I feel a burst of energy. After the workouts I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for pushing through the lack of motivation that tries to take hold. That just happened tonight in fact. Of course now it's after 11:00 and I'm blogging instead of sleeping because my body is like, "YAY! I have energy now!"
About a week and a half ago, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. As I was putting lotion on my legs just as I do almost every morning, I stopped and thought, "Dang, yo! That's a calf muscle!" And it's a long and lean muscle! It was very exciting!
I feel totally different as I'm walking down the hallways at work. I feel as if I stand a little taller. Even sitting at my desk I notice much better posture compared to a month ago. I've already gotten compliments like, "Wow, I can really tell that is already working!" It's true - my pants are fitting better, my shirts are fitting better... it's not a huge change, but it is enough to make me keep going.
Now for the measurements...drumroll please!
Waist: Feb 18 - 33.25" (ugh, that number is so humbling still)
March 23- 31.5" loss of 1.75"
Bust: Feb 18 - 37.25"
March 23- 35.75" loss of 1.5"
Chest: Feb 18 - 31"
March 23- 30.5" loss of .5"
Hips: Feb 18 - 40.75" (what can I say, I've had a kid. lol)
March 23- 39.5" loss of 1.25"
Left
Thigh: Feb 18 - 21.75"
March 23- 20.25" loss of 1.5"
Right
Thigh: Feb 18 - 21.5"
March 23- 20.25" loss of 1.25"
Left
Calf: Feb 18 - 14.25"
March 23- 13.75" loss of .5"
Right Feb 18 - 14.25"
Calf: March 23- 14" loss of .25" and I suppose I have crooked legs :p
Left
Upper Arm: Feb 18 - 10.25"
March 23 - 10.75" gain of .5"
RUA: Feb 18 - 10.5"
March 23- 11" gain of .5"
Weight: Feb 18 - 133.4 lbs
March 23 -129.8 lbs loss of 3.6 lbs
I'm not posting pictures this time. I don't know where my "Befores" went, and there's really no benchmark for comparison. I took new pictures this month and put them on my 'puter, so you'll see them next time....maybe. LOL
In the second month, I get to swap out the Shoulders and Arms workout and do the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps instead. I'm excited for a change in routine, even if it is only subtle.
Anyway, that's it for month one! Yippee!!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Completely Inside My Head
With the promise of Spring comes the promise of rain
Washing away all of the dirt and grime of the dark winter
Fertilizing the Earth in preparation for the blooming vegetation and regrowth
No more dying trees, sad looking bushes
Instead of looking tired, the world will awaken
So will I.
I'm not the best writer of poetry, but those few lines sum up how I'm feeling today. It's not really a Spring-y day today, though we did have some earlier in the week. Yet I sit here in great anticipation of sunshine after a thunderstorm.
I've been enduring a few thunderstorms of my own as of late. Nothing major really, but they've been enough to rattle me out of my state of complacence. In light of that, it's time to rethink Spring cleaning. In addition to wiping the dust off of the surfaces in my house, I shall also wipe the dust off of my mind.
I've been focusing so hard on taking courses to get a degree that I haven't really actually LEARNED much of anything beneficial to my indefinite career path. At this point, I feel it is in my best interest to take a small break, even for just a semester or two, to really get out there and soak everything up that I can. Anyone can read a book and take an open book quiz, but to really get out there and APPLY that knowledge is where the real learning is at. Not sitting at a desk taking classes that have little to no relevance to my actual career. So, I'm finishing this semester and then redirecting my efforts to a more targeted approach. I want to get some certifications under my belt this year to make myself more marketable in the industry and to really prove to myself that I have what it takes to succeed as a female in a male dominated industry.
It is also time to declutter. I have way too much going on in this brain of mine. Instead of balancing a few items on my agenda and really doing them well, I'm jugging more than I can and not really making much contact with any one of them. As hard as it is to make decisons on what to place on the shelf, it has to be done. Therefore, I'm shutting down my website because it's doing nothing but taking up space and causing me stress. I've shed a few tears over it, and I still think it is a great idea; I'm just not at a point in my life where I can properly execute.
I've already started a transformation of my body with the P90X program. I just started Week 3 last night, and while I am extremely bruised from doing so many push-ups on my knees, I feel awesome. I'm proud of the progress I've made in a short period of time, and what I'm most proud of is that I am doing it. Even on nights when I really don't feel like working out, I pick myself up off the couch and just get it done. Normally, it just takes a few minutes anyway and then I'm over the feeling of not wanting to do it. It's just getting over that initial hump, and so far, I've been doing a fairly decent job. But wow are my knees purpley red and sore. :/
The Hunk has been so patient with me over the past few weeks as I've put more hours in at work and have been in quite a funk over everything. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful husband that supports me in whatever ways he can. It doesn't matter how craptastic my day at work is or how poorly I feel I'm doing in a class I don't really care about. Once I'm in his arms, it all melts away even if only for a minute. I love you so much, hubby.
Even writing all of this has been a breath of fresh Spring-like air.
Washing away all of the dirt and grime of the dark winter
Fertilizing the Earth in preparation for the blooming vegetation and regrowth
No more dying trees, sad looking bushes
Instead of looking tired, the world will awaken
So will I.
I'm not the best writer of poetry, but those few lines sum up how I'm feeling today. It's not really a Spring-y day today, though we did have some earlier in the week. Yet I sit here in great anticipation of sunshine after a thunderstorm.
I've been enduring a few thunderstorms of my own as of late. Nothing major really, but they've been enough to rattle me out of my state of complacence. In light of that, it's time to rethink Spring cleaning. In addition to wiping the dust off of the surfaces in my house, I shall also wipe the dust off of my mind.
I've been focusing so hard on taking courses to get a degree that I haven't really actually LEARNED much of anything beneficial to my indefinite career path. At this point, I feel it is in my best interest to take a small break, even for just a semester or two, to really get out there and soak everything up that I can. Anyone can read a book and take an open book quiz, but to really get out there and APPLY that knowledge is where the real learning is at. Not sitting at a desk taking classes that have little to no relevance to my actual career. So, I'm finishing this semester and then redirecting my efforts to a more targeted approach. I want to get some certifications under my belt this year to make myself more marketable in the industry and to really prove to myself that I have what it takes to succeed as a female in a male dominated industry.
It is also time to declutter. I have way too much going on in this brain of mine. Instead of balancing a few items on my agenda and really doing them well, I'm jugging more than I can and not really making much contact with any one of them. As hard as it is to make decisons on what to place on the shelf, it has to be done. Therefore, I'm shutting down my website because it's doing nothing but taking up space and causing me stress. I've shed a few tears over it, and I still think it is a great idea; I'm just not at a point in my life where I can properly execute.
I've already started a transformation of my body with the P90X program. I just started Week 3 last night, and while I am extremely bruised from doing so many push-ups on my knees, I feel awesome. I'm proud of the progress I've made in a short period of time, and what I'm most proud of is that I am doing it. Even on nights when I really don't feel like working out, I pick myself up off the couch and just get it done. Normally, it just takes a few minutes anyway and then I'm over the feeling of not wanting to do it. It's just getting over that initial hump, and so far, I've been doing a fairly decent job. But wow are my knees purpley red and sore. :/
The Hunk has been so patient with me over the past few weeks as I've put more hours in at work and have been in quite a funk over everything. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful husband that supports me in whatever ways he can. It doesn't matter how craptastic my day at work is or how poorly I feel I'm doing in a class I don't really care about. Once I'm in his arms, it all melts away even if only for a minute. I love you so much, hubby.
Even writing all of this has been a breath of fresh Spring-like air.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Take THAT Week 1
Week 1 of the P90X is in the books! Aside from a few small stumbles, both literally and figuratively, I think it went well. I'm not going to measure or weigh in, so I can't really say that there are any visible results, but I do notice some changes. I'm already noticing a substantial increase in energy throughout the day. I don't feel sluggish nearly as often. It is probably a result of sleeping better since the workouts are long and rather intense. I'm not at the point yet where the workouts are an energy boost in and of themselves. Instead, they're extremely tiresome, and I normally just want to go straight to sleep after finishing.
So, I already posted about Core Synergistics last Wednesday. On Thursday, we did Cardio X. Surprisingly, it was comprised of segments that I wouldn't normally conisder to be cardio, like lunges and yoga, but it really did get my heart rate up and made me sweat. It was also only 45 minutes, which was nice compared to some of the other much longer workouts.
On Friday, we did Shoulders and Arms and Ab Ripper X. This one hurt. I'm much better at core work and cardio than I am the strength training. Still, it was nice to find a workout that The Hunk enjoyed. He doesn't like the cardio stuff like I do. The Ab Ripper X was also quite painful. It's sixteen minutes long, so you think, "Hmm, how bad can it be?" But in that sixteen minutes you do 330-something reps. OUCH!
Saturday was Legs and Back with another round of the Ab Ripper X. Again, ouch! Tons and tons of lunges and pull-ups. I cannot do a single pull-up, so I am going to use resistance bands. My goal is to be able to do one stinking pull-up by the time the 90days is over. I have NEVER been able to do one. Honestly, I was yelling at this chick named Dreya on the TV because she was doing pull-up after pull-up with ease. I hate her. I started to get really discouraged and genuinely pissed off at myself for letting my lack of upper body strength, but The Hunk helped me figure out something to do since we didn't have bands yet. He also gave me a giant encouraging hug when I was just about in tears because I'm so weak.
Anyway, my legs felt like spaghetti the next day, and my shoulders were so sore that I had to bend down to put my headphones on. LOL On a positive note, I managed to do more of the Ab Ripper the second time around. Small victory. Another small victory is holding position on the wall squats longer than The Hunk, which felt kind of vindicating after whole pull-up mess. HA! TAKE THAT! So you are against the wall, sitting in an imaginary chair...and then you put one leg out. Sounds like it should be easy, but it is painful, especially since you do this for 90 seconds.
Next was Kenpo, which is a mix of kickboxing and Americanized karate. I wasn't sure how they expected me to kick anything with my noodle-y legs, but I gave it a shot. :) I really enjoyed this one. Some of the combination moves are a little tough to grasp at first. I think it's important to note that the purpose of the workout is to burn calories and sweat. You don't have to get every move down perfectly in the beginning. At least that's my take... The Hunk and I got a little off-kilter for a moment when he got a little frustrated and paused the DVD. I, in turn, got frustrated at him because it's hard to keep focus and the heart rate up with a paused DVD. Hehe. In the end, he pushed through it, though he was still mad afterwards because "it isn't even real martial arts." Men. ;) It may not have been, but hey, I was seriously sweating at the end of the hour.
I wanted to do the Stretch X workout last night, yet my schedule just didn't allow for it. I may try to fit it in next week, either in the morning (HAHA, yeah right, like I'm going to wake up at 5:30) or after class, which would require me to be awake until 11:00 or 11:30. Yuck. But it's interesting that I felt LAZY not working out last night.
In addition to the intense workouts, we've been eating a lot better over the last week. I've cooked almost every night! What's more is I've actually enjoyed it! We tried a lot of new recipes, and some of them are going to become favorites, like the chicken and black bean salsa. Oh so good!
There are just two things I need to try to work on - water intake and limiting caffeine. I'm having such a hard time drinking enough water, mostly because I don't enjoy water. I'm going to go get some Crystal Light or something. And I'm trying to cut out the soda and coffee, but it's really hard. I'm down to one caffeinated beverage a day, which is better than about three per day.
All in all, I really enjoy the program so far. It's structured very effectively. Yeah, I may yell at the tv. Yeah, I may fall over because I'm just not that coordinated or graceful. Yeah, I may get discouraged because I can't do a stupid pull-up to save my life. But as the trainer on the dvd says, "Do your best and forget the rest." I'm trying to do just that.
So, I already posted about Core Synergistics last Wednesday. On Thursday, we did Cardio X. Surprisingly, it was comprised of segments that I wouldn't normally conisder to be cardio, like lunges and yoga, but it really did get my heart rate up and made me sweat. It was also only 45 minutes, which was nice compared to some of the other much longer workouts.
On Friday, we did Shoulders and Arms and Ab Ripper X. This one hurt. I'm much better at core work and cardio than I am the strength training. Still, it was nice to find a workout that The Hunk enjoyed. He doesn't like the cardio stuff like I do. The Ab Ripper X was also quite painful. It's sixteen minutes long, so you think, "Hmm, how bad can it be?" But in that sixteen minutes you do 330-something reps. OUCH!
Saturday was Legs and Back with another round of the Ab Ripper X. Again, ouch! Tons and tons of lunges and pull-ups. I cannot do a single pull-up, so I am going to use resistance bands. My goal is to be able to do one stinking pull-up by the time the 90days is over. I have NEVER been able to do one. Honestly, I was yelling at this chick named Dreya on the TV because she was doing pull-up after pull-up with ease. I hate her. I started to get really discouraged and genuinely pissed off at myself for letting my lack of upper body strength, but The Hunk helped me figure out something to do since we didn't have bands yet. He also gave me a giant encouraging hug when I was just about in tears because I'm so weak.
Anyway, my legs felt like spaghetti the next day, and my shoulders were so sore that I had to bend down to put my headphones on. LOL On a positive note, I managed to do more of the Ab Ripper the second time around. Small victory. Another small victory is holding position on the wall squats longer than The Hunk, which felt kind of vindicating after whole pull-up mess. HA! TAKE THAT! So you are against the wall, sitting in an imaginary chair...and then you put one leg out. Sounds like it should be easy, but it is painful, especially since you do this for 90 seconds.
Next was Kenpo, which is a mix of kickboxing and Americanized karate. I wasn't sure how they expected me to kick anything with my noodle-y legs, but I gave it a shot. :) I really enjoyed this one. Some of the combination moves are a little tough to grasp at first. I think it's important to note that the purpose of the workout is to burn calories and sweat. You don't have to get every move down perfectly in the beginning. At least that's my take... The Hunk and I got a little off-kilter for a moment when he got a little frustrated and paused the DVD. I, in turn, got frustrated at him because it's hard to keep focus and the heart rate up with a paused DVD. Hehe. In the end, he pushed through it, though he was still mad afterwards because "it isn't even real martial arts." Men. ;) It may not have been, but hey, I was seriously sweating at the end of the hour.
I wanted to do the Stretch X workout last night, yet my schedule just didn't allow for it. I may try to fit it in next week, either in the morning (HAHA, yeah right, like I'm going to wake up at 5:30) or after class, which would require me to be awake until 11:00 or 11:30. Yuck. But it's interesting that I felt LAZY not working out last night.
In addition to the intense workouts, we've been eating a lot better over the last week. I've cooked almost every night! What's more is I've actually enjoyed it! We tried a lot of new recipes, and some of them are going to become favorites, like the chicken and black bean salsa. Oh so good!
There are just two things I need to try to work on - water intake and limiting caffeine. I'm having such a hard time drinking enough water, mostly because I don't enjoy water. I'm going to go get some Crystal Light or something. And I'm trying to cut out the soda and coffee, but it's really hard. I'm down to one caffeinated beverage a day, which is better than about three per day.
All in all, I really enjoy the program so far. It's structured very effectively. Yeah, I may yell at the tv. Yeah, I may fall over because I'm just not that coordinated or graceful. Yeah, I may get discouraged because I can't do a stupid pull-up to save my life. But as the trainer on the dvd says, "Do your best and forget the rest." I'm trying to do just that.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Things I Learned from Core Synergistics
Did you know you use your ab muscles for just about everything? Walking, balance, raising your arms, coughing, laughing, and probably even farting, though as far as you all know, I don't do that because I'm a lady. ;)
The Hunk and I did the first workout of the P90X Lean program last night, which is Core Synergistics. I wasn't convinced that doing lunges and pushups and some crazy-ass superman/banana shit would work out my core muscles, but today I notice little twinges in my ab mucles when I do simple things listed above. I mean, really, raise your arms above your head right now. It takes AB MUSCLES TO DO THAT! Weird.
At any rate, the workout was intense. I was breathing heavy, sweating, tired, and really just chewed up and spit out in the living room floor by the time the hour was up. It felt like a small win just to get it done. I just need to maintain that mentality for the next 89 days. LOL
I'm still gathering pre-P90X info, like before pictures and measurements so I have a benchmark to compare at the end of this whole maddening process. I haven't decided if I'm going to post them here or not... On one hand, it would be good motivation. On the other hand, it would be embarrassing!
Tonight is Cardio X....
The Hunk and I did the first workout of the P90X Lean program last night, which is Core Synergistics. I wasn't convinced that doing lunges and pushups and some crazy-ass superman/banana shit would work out my core muscles, but today I notice little twinges in my ab mucles when I do simple things listed above. I mean, really, raise your arms above your head right now. It takes AB MUSCLES TO DO THAT! Weird.
At any rate, the workout was intense. I was breathing heavy, sweating, tired, and really just chewed up and spit out in the living room floor by the time the hour was up. It felt like a small win just to get it done. I just need to maintain that mentality for the next 89 days. LOL
I'm still gathering pre-P90X info, like before pictures and measurements so I have a benchmark to compare at the end of this whole maddening process. I haven't decided if I'm going to post them here or not... On one hand, it would be good motivation. On the other hand, it would be embarrassing!
Tonight is Cardio X....
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Song to Get You Thinking
I first heard this song on my Metric station on Pandora. Regina Spektor was someone who I thought had a lovely voice with an impressive range, but I didn't really like "Fidelity" or "On the Radio." I did, however, like the song she did with Ben Folds, "You Don't Know Me."
I was surprised to hear this song and absolutely fall in love with it. I Googled the lyrics and now I just really cannot stop thinking about it.
BLUE LIPS
He stumbled into faith and thought
God, there is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And all the gods and all the worlds
Began colliding on a backdrop of blue
Blue lips, blue veins
He took a step but then felt tired
He said I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
And all the people hurried fast, real fast
And no one ever smiled
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
He stumbled into faith and thought
God, there is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And no one saw and no one heard
They just followed the lead
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And no one saw
And no one heard they just followed the lead
The pictures in his mind awoke
And began to breed
They started off beneath an olive tree
And they chopped it down to make a picket fence
And marching along the railroad tracks
They smiled real wide for the camera lens
As they made it past the enemy lines
Just to become enslaved in the enemy lines
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue, the most human color [x3]
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
I was surprised to hear this song and absolutely fall in love with it. I Googled the lyrics and now I just really cannot stop thinking about it.
BLUE LIPS
He stumbled into faith and thought
God, there is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And all the gods and all the worlds
Began colliding on a backdrop of blue
Blue lips, blue veins
He took a step but then felt tired
He said I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
And all the people hurried fast, real fast
And no one ever smiled
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
He stumbled into faith and thought
God, there is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And no one saw and no one heard
They just followed the lead
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And no one saw
And no one heard they just followed the lead
The pictures in his mind awoke
And began to breed
They started off beneath an olive tree
And they chopped it down to make a picket fence
And marching along the railroad tracks
They smiled real wide for the camera lens
As they made it past the enemy lines
Just to become enslaved in the enemy lines
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Blue, the most human color [x3]
Blue lips, blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet
From far, far away
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Is there a cutest kid contest somewhere?
Seriously, 'Lil Bit is the cutest thing ever. EVER. Since I have school on Tuesday nights, I try to take a few extra minutes on Wednesday to play with her before going to work. 'Lil Bit loves music, so we spend many mornings listening to Pandora or watching Sesame Street videos on YouTube. This morning, we were singing Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Turn Into." It goes," I know what I know. Ah, yeah" at the end.
So 'Lil bit starts singing, "Oh no oh yeah." I was in hysterics.
I mean really, look at this face.
Now that I've made you smile, I gotta get back to work.
Until next time,
MFW
So 'Lil bit starts singing, "Oh no oh yeah." I was in hysterics.
I mean really, look at this face.
Now that I've made you smile, I gotta get back to work.
Until next time,
MFW
Sunday, February 7, 2010
MFW Gets Married Part 2
I left off part 1 of this wedding recap with a missing photographer. I should preface this with another short blurb… Just two days before the wedding, I received an email from said photographer asking where and what time the wedding was!! Oh.My.Gawd. How in the world did we get this far without ever discussing where and when she was supposed to meet us?! I am still in awe of that.
Finally, as I’m trying to get used to the idea of starting the ceremony with no professional photographer (after all, there were a minimum of five cameras between our guests), I happen to glance down the beach to see a girl walking extremely fast, with her camera bag flapping against her side. Whew! Crisis averted!
With everyone finally there, it was time to begin the ceremony. First, I walked back up the beach in order to prepare for my grand entrance.
As I stood at the boardwalk, waiting for the officiant to give me a wave when she was ready, I expected to feel nervous. After all, this was a lifetime committment I was about to make! However, instead of feeling nervous, I stood there with peaceful resolve. I knew that I was making the right decision to marry The Hunk.
When we found out I was pregnant with 'Lil Bit, we made a promise to one another that we would never get married solely for the sake of our child. Instead, we would wait until we were sure that we wanted to get married for no other reason than just to be with each other in the most sacred of unions. I felt that we were doing just that.
After I took a moment to ponder this, I saw the officiant wave. The photographer was already snapping photos of me standing at the boardwalk, and I let her know "This is it. Here we go."
I could hear the traditional Wedding March playing as I walked through the soft floury sand, but as I got closer to where The Hunk was standing, ironically, the music started fading instead of getting louder. I was so focused on looking straight into the eyes of the man I was about to marry, to try to speak with him as intently as possible without saying a word. Finally, I stood before him, placed my bouquet on the ground, and mouthed, "I love you" as we waited for the music to stop.
The ceremony began with a quote from William Shakespeare, "My bounty is as boundless as the sea,my love as deep: the more I give to thee,the more I have, for both are infinite." It was a great way to set the tone of our quaint little wedding.
After asking if we were ready to committ ourselves to one another, we said our vows. Both of us got a very teary-eyed and choked up as we made these promises to each other.
Once our vows were said, we were each given a bottle of sand. The officiant spoke of how our individual lives were now blended together. Our families are joined, our friends are joined, everything. We then poured our bottles into a bigger container, which now sits on our fireplace mantle.
Finally, the officiant pronnounced us husband and wife and family! We sealed it with a kiss. Or two or three. :)
And with that we were husband and wife.
Husband and wife!
The officiant kicked off a lively song while our families congratulated us....and then the CD began skipping. HA! I don't know what it is, but no matter what little slip-ups happen, The Hunk and I can always muster a laugh, although this time it didn't take much mustering at all. It was just damn funny.
Following the ceremony, we got some photos with our family. As we were taking photos, the officant said, "Where's the marriage license? I need to sign it." Guess what genius left the marriage license in the rental car?! Yep, you guessed it. Me. So while The Hunk and went to take our pictures, his family went to the restaurant, and my family went to grab the license and get it signed. Another close one!
Sadly, we didn't get as much time for pictures as I would have liked, but we had dinner reservations to make. I am trying to be patient in waiting to see the final product, but it is so hard! I'm really hoping she can tone down that horrible sunburn I so stupidly got. She did send me this awesome sneak peek!
I am so very thankful that so many of our closest family members and our best friend got to be there to share in our joy. I know it meant a lot for The Hunk's grandmother to get to see one of her grandchildren to get married!
Now for some awesomely funny pictures, MFW style!
I look like a super crazy lady with this giant knife, red eyes, and wild smile!
When trying to get a nice picture with my daughter, she decided to climb up me instead of just cooperating.
As usual, messing up what would have been an otherwise lovely picture:
But I don't always mess up pictures. I love this picture with The Hunk's grandparents. They are such sweet people.
Even with so many near misses, the ceremony and dinner were exactly what we had hoped for - a meaningful celebration of love, family, and downright fun. Oh, and I got to play princess for a day. What girl doesn't like that? ;)
Until next time,
MRS. MFW
Finally, as I’m trying to get used to the idea of starting the ceremony with no professional photographer (after all, there were a minimum of five cameras between our guests), I happen to glance down the beach to see a girl walking extremely fast, with her camera bag flapping against her side. Whew! Crisis averted!
With everyone finally there, it was time to begin the ceremony. First, I walked back up the beach in order to prepare for my grand entrance.
As I stood at the boardwalk, waiting for the officiant to give me a wave when she was ready, I expected to feel nervous. After all, this was a lifetime committment I was about to make! However, instead of feeling nervous, I stood there with peaceful resolve. I knew that I was making the right decision to marry The Hunk.
When we found out I was pregnant with 'Lil Bit, we made a promise to one another that we would never get married solely for the sake of our child. Instead, we would wait until we were sure that we wanted to get married for no other reason than just to be with each other in the most sacred of unions. I felt that we were doing just that.
After I took a moment to ponder this, I saw the officiant wave. The photographer was already snapping photos of me standing at the boardwalk, and I let her know "This is it. Here we go."
I could hear the traditional Wedding March playing as I walked through the soft floury sand, but as I got closer to where The Hunk was standing, ironically, the music started fading instead of getting louder. I was so focused on looking straight into the eyes of the man I was about to marry, to try to speak with him as intently as possible without saying a word. Finally, I stood before him, placed my bouquet on the ground, and mouthed, "I love you" as we waited for the music to stop.
The ceremony began with a quote from William Shakespeare, "My bounty is as boundless as the sea,my love as deep: the more I give to thee,the more I have, for both are infinite." It was a great way to set the tone of our quaint little wedding.
After asking if we were ready to committ ourselves to one another, we said our vows. Both of us got a very teary-eyed and choked up as we made these promises to each other.
Once our vows were said, we were each given a bottle of sand. The officiant spoke of how our individual lives were now blended together. Our families are joined, our friends are joined, everything. We then poured our bottles into a bigger container, which now sits on our fireplace mantle.
Finally, the officiant pronnounced us husband and wife and family! We sealed it with a kiss. Or two or three. :)
And with that we were husband and wife.
Husband and wife!
The officiant kicked off a lively song while our families congratulated us....and then the CD began skipping. HA! I don't know what it is, but no matter what little slip-ups happen, The Hunk and I can always muster a laugh, although this time it didn't take much mustering at all. It was just damn funny.
Following the ceremony, we got some photos with our family. As we were taking photos, the officant said, "Where's the marriage license? I need to sign it." Guess what genius left the marriage license in the rental car?! Yep, you guessed it. Me. So while The Hunk and went to take our pictures, his family went to the restaurant, and my family went to grab the license and get it signed. Another close one!
Sadly, we didn't get as much time for pictures as I would have liked, but we had dinner reservations to make. I am trying to be patient in waiting to see the final product, but it is so hard! I'm really hoping she can tone down that horrible sunburn I so stupidly got. She did send me this awesome sneak peek!
I am so very thankful that so many of our closest family members and our best friend got to be there to share in our joy. I know it meant a lot for The Hunk's grandmother to get to see one of her grandchildren to get married!
Now for some awesomely funny pictures, MFW style!
I look like a super crazy lady with this giant knife, red eyes, and wild smile!
When trying to get a nice picture with my daughter, she decided to climb up me instead of just cooperating.
As usual, messing up what would have been an otherwise lovely picture:
But I don't always mess up pictures. I love this picture with The Hunk's grandparents. They are such sweet people.
Even with so many near misses, the ceremony and dinner were exactly what we had hoped for - a meaningful celebration of love, family, and downright fun. Oh, and I got to play princess for a day. What girl doesn't like that? ;)
Until next time,
MRS. MFW
Thursday, February 4, 2010
MFW Gets Married Part 1
As I sit here on the couch, wearing The Hunk’s red track pants with the rattiest t-shirt I own, I can’t help but feel pretty. My husband has that affect on me, even when he isn’t here.
Husband.
The day The Hunk and I got married started out like any typical Florida vacation day. We woke up, had breakfast with our friend Cool Asian Guy (CAG), and headed to the beach. Perhaps most would feel a little disappointment at the clouds in the sky, but not me. I love the fact that the ocean looks, feels, sounds, and smells different each day.
We spent the next couple of hours collecting sea shells and having an unofficial contest to see who could wade deeper in the water. The water was so chilly that it actually made our muscles cramp up for just a little bit before going numb. It is an extreme case of “getting used to the water.” If you’re wondering who won the “contest,” it was me. I managed to make it until the water hit mid-thigh.
Following the beach, we decided to have lunch at the Old Salty Dog, a small waterfront restaurant featured on Man vs Food. Helga, our less-than-trusty GPS, managed to get us lost on the way there. It was almost 1:30pm by the time we got there. I should mention at this point that we still needed to pick up the cake and drop it off at the restaurant, pick up flowers, make the bouquet, iron The Hunk’s shirt, take showers, and make my appointment at 3pm to have my hair and make-up done. My head started to throb, but I managed to enjoy lunch and not stress out. I knew that no matter what happened, at the end of the day, The Hunk and I would become husband and wife.
Wife.
By the time we finished lunch and made it back to the hotel, the clock read 2:30. I took the fastest shower in history while The Hunk and CAG took the car to get gas, only to have bad luck with Helga yet again, only to end up at an empty gas station. They finally fueled up the car and made it back to drop the car off at 3:05. Yes, at this point I was already late for my hair and makeup appointment. Surprisingly, I wasn’t mad or even stressed. I simply got in the car, started driving, and called the salon. They were running late anyway, so it mattered very little that I was as well.
The stylist and makeup artists worked quickly, all the while commenting on how calm I was considering how late I was running for a 5:30 ceremony. “Eh, it’ll be ok,” I reassured them.
While I was at the salon, the boys went to pick up the cake. Where we live, you can get anywhere by hopping on the highway. In Sarasota, however, there is no easy highway access. It is all city streets. Very busy city streets with lots of congestion and lonnnnng stoplights. It meant that driving to places took twice as long as you thought that it should.
After I finished up at the salon and made my way to my dad’s hotel to put my dress on, I realized that I had never gotten the flowers! WHOOPS! Luckily, there was a Pulix on my way. I parked the car in the back forty and ran into the store with my fancy hair doo and expertly applied makeup while wearing shorts and a tank top. I turned many heads, that’s for sure. The floral department was just inside the door, so I hurried and grabbed three bunches of flowers and made my way to the check on line. Oh, shit! My wallet is in the car!
The woman at the register, who was wearing way too much not-so-great smelling perfume and a look of boredom on her hollow face, was not pleased. I threw the flowers down, asked her to hold them, and ran out to the car. Grabbed wallet, ran back, all the while receiving funny glances from passersby and fellow Publix shoppers.
I finally made it back to the car and on my way to my dad’s hotel at 4:57pm. At that time, my husband called to tell me he wasn’t going to make it to the beach by 5:15. “You’re going to be late for your own wedding?!” I then shut my mouth because I was, too! Still, the officiant and all of The Hunk’s family were just waiting on the beach, totally unsure if they even had the right spot.
When I replay the events that occurred in my dad’s hotel, I can’t help but laugh. My dad’s girlfriend and my sister helped me into my dress, put on my jewelry, positioned hair pins, and tied a bouquet all in the span of about fifteen minutes. We must have looked like a movie stuck on fast-forward!
After I was dressed and ready to go, I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror in silence. I wanted to remember exactly how I felt and looked at that very moment. I do remember, but it’s difficult to think of the right words to describe it. I think the best way to describe it at this point is to say that I felt that I finally looked as beautiful as The Hunk makes me feel every day. I finally saw myself how he sees me. Cheesy? Yes. But true.
We finally made it to the beach right at 5:30, when the ceremony was supposed to start. The Hunk and I reunited, each just beaming with excitement. Of course, 'Lil Bit, who had been staying with her grandparents was also excited to see us.
Now, everyone was there and ready to get the party started! ...Everyone except the photographer...
stay tuned....
Until next time,
MFW
Husband.
The day The Hunk and I got married started out like any typical Florida vacation day. We woke up, had breakfast with our friend Cool Asian Guy (CAG), and headed to the beach. Perhaps most would feel a little disappointment at the clouds in the sky, but not me. I love the fact that the ocean looks, feels, sounds, and smells different each day.
We spent the next couple of hours collecting sea shells and having an unofficial contest to see who could wade deeper in the water. The water was so chilly that it actually made our muscles cramp up for just a little bit before going numb. It is an extreme case of “getting used to the water.” If you’re wondering who won the “contest,” it was me. I managed to make it until the water hit mid-thigh.
Following the beach, we decided to have lunch at the Old Salty Dog, a small waterfront restaurant featured on Man vs Food. Helga, our less-than-trusty GPS, managed to get us lost on the way there. It was almost 1:30pm by the time we got there. I should mention at this point that we still needed to pick up the cake and drop it off at the restaurant, pick up flowers, make the bouquet, iron The Hunk’s shirt, take showers, and make my appointment at 3pm to have my hair and make-up done. My head started to throb, but I managed to enjoy lunch and not stress out. I knew that no matter what happened, at the end of the day, The Hunk and I would become husband and wife.
Wife.
By the time we finished lunch and made it back to the hotel, the clock read 2:30. I took the fastest shower in history while The Hunk and CAG took the car to get gas, only to have bad luck with Helga yet again, only to end up at an empty gas station. They finally fueled up the car and made it back to drop the car off at 3:05. Yes, at this point I was already late for my hair and makeup appointment. Surprisingly, I wasn’t mad or even stressed. I simply got in the car, started driving, and called the salon. They were running late anyway, so it mattered very little that I was as well.
The stylist and makeup artists worked quickly, all the while commenting on how calm I was considering how late I was running for a 5:30 ceremony. “Eh, it’ll be ok,” I reassured them.
While I was at the salon, the boys went to pick up the cake. Where we live, you can get anywhere by hopping on the highway. In Sarasota, however, there is no easy highway access. It is all city streets. Very busy city streets with lots of congestion and lonnnnng stoplights. It meant that driving to places took twice as long as you thought that it should.
After I finished up at the salon and made my way to my dad’s hotel to put my dress on, I realized that I had never gotten the flowers! WHOOPS! Luckily, there was a Pulix on my way. I parked the car in the back forty and ran into the store with my fancy hair doo and expertly applied makeup while wearing shorts and a tank top. I turned many heads, that’s for sure. The floral department was just inside the door, so I hurried and grabbed three bunches of flowers and made my way to the check on line. Oh, shit! My wallet is in the car!
The woman at the register, who was wearing way too much not-so-great smelling perfume and a look of boredom on her hollow face, was not pleased. I threw the flowers down, asked her to hold them, and ran out to the car. Grabbed wallet, ran back, all the while receiving funny glances from passersby and fellow Publix shoppers.
I finally made it back to the car and on my way to my dad’s hotel at 4:57pm. At that time, my husband called to tell me he wasn’t going to make it to the beach by 5:15. “You’re going to be late for your own wedding?!” I then shut my mouth because I was, too! Still, the officiant and all of The Hunk’s family were just waiting on the beach, totally unsure if they even had the right spot.
When I replay the events that occurred in my dad’s hotel, I can’t help but laugh. My dad’s girlfriend and my sister helped me into my dress, put on my jewelry, positioned hair pins, and tied a bouquet all in the span of about fifteen minutes. We must have looked like a movie stuck on fast-forward!
After I was dressed and ready to go, I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror in silence. I wanted to remember exactly how I felt and looked at that very moment. I do remember, but it’s difficult to think of the right words to describe it. I think the best way to describe it at this point is to say that I felt that I finally looked as beautiful as The Hunk makes me feel every day. I finally saw myself how he sees me. Cheesy? Yes. But true.
We finally made it to the beach right at 5:30, when the ceremony was supposed to start. The Hunk and I reunited, each just beaming with excitement. Of course, 'Lil Bit, who had been staying with her grandparents was also excited to see us.
Now, everyone was there and ready to get the party started! ...Everyone except the photographer...
stay tuned....
Until next time,
MFW
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