2010 New Years Goals revisited

I can't believe July is almost over! Wow time has flown. I decided to take a look back at one of my last posts of 2009, where I listed my goals and aspirations for 2010 to see where I have come and how far I have to go and just get some perspective. So how have I done so far....

2010 GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS
1. Lose 30 pounds/ get down to 199--- I am down to about 215-216 lbs. Not too bad, but I really haven't been working at it either.

2. Financial goals:
- Pay off ambulance bill--done
- Pay off anethisiologist bill-- done
- Pay off Sears card--done
- add $500 or more to savings--not done, if anything we have taken a lot out of savings, but we still have our $1000 emergency fund and that we are not touching.

3. Declutter as much as possible--my stuff and basement---by selling, donating, or throwing away.
-sell $500 worth of stuff by Dec. 31, 2010 --- We have probably sold about $300 worth of stuff. We ended up donating and tossing a ton of stuff before we moved, so we decluttered a lot. Just didn't sell a lot of it.

4. Write on blog at least once a week--ummmm....no.....

5. Take family trip that the kids would enjoy (can be a weekend trip)---we took the kids to Indiana for a couple days

6. Find a way to bring in extra income---working on this. I did some tutoring before we moved. Now I am supposed to start working at Walmart and St. Vincents once the school year started.

7. Don't snap at Bill or Rebecca--ummm....some days are better than others.

8. Make decisions with confidence---again some days are better than others.

9. Find a church and join---ummm...no...

10. Have 200 no-spend days in 2010.---ummm....not even close.

11. Make a menu for each week---I have done this about 1/3 of the time.

12. Exercise at least 3 times a week--- nope

13. Buy NO junk food at all this year--nope, although I have been trying to buy less.

Overall, some things are good. Some things are not so good. I just need to revisit them and refocus on the ones that I feel like I should be doing better on, mainly the weight one and the saving money one.

Have you revisited your New Year's resolutions or goals? How are you doing?

Happy birthday to me! (and a note about jobs)

Happy 31st birthday to me! Today is my birthday, but it is like any other day. Dear hubby is working, Rebecca is little miss attitude and no one really seems to care. Hubby did tell me happy birthday, but then he spent the rest of the time complaining....Well hopefully it isn't a sign of things to come this year.....

On the good news front, I got 2 new jobs. I have orientation with Walmart this weekend for an overnight job, and then I just found out I got the St. Vincent job that I wanted that is part time and is working with kids! :):) So that is some good news. I really need to focus on the good news!

Some of my favorites and 2 book reviews

I am trying to focus more on being positive and looking at the wonderful things that are a part of my life. One of the things that I need to remember is that that are good things in life. There are things that I enjoy and that bring a smile to my face. Some of my favorite things recently are:

Love this competition!

Love this show!

Love this team!

What are some of the things you love or that bring a smile to your face??

Another thing I really love and enjoy doing, even if I don't have a lot of time to do it is to read. I hope that maybe if I review books on this blog that I will stay motivated to read. I recently read 2 very good books.
(both of which I got from the library, so they didn't cost me anything!)

THE MIRACLES OF SANTO FICO by D.L. Smith

This book was a departure from the normal type of books that I like to read. I am trying to expand my horizons, ( I think part of my discontent is that I am stuck in a rut!).  This book expands on the lives of of a few men and women whose lives are entertwined in a small, remote village. The book includes deceptions of loved ones, and the passion or lack of passion for life of some people, loss of belief in life or what is important, loss of belief in God, and the struggle to overcome these obstacles and thrive mostly done with the power of love. I found the book to be a very good read, and a touching tale. There were parts that seemed to drag on and to not really make sense. There was some parts that could have been left out and the point would have still been the same. At the same time, I wish that a couple of the minor characters would have been more developed. Overall, it was a good read and I am glad that I took the chance.


SHEM CREEK by Dorothea Benton Frank

This book features the life and challenges of main character Linda Breland, who decides to uproot her daughters, almost on a whim and to move back to her hometown of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She arrives with no job, no permanent home and no idea of what the future holds. As the story unfolds, you see Linda being welcomed home with open arms, making new friends, discovery things about herself that she had forgotten or had not known was there. She finds love and friendship and lavishes her second chance on life. This was a great read. It really gave me courage and hope that things will be okay if I take chances. Not all chances pan out, but what is important is that you live your life for yourself and you do what is best of you! Now if only I could make that work for me in real life...lol...This was a wonderful read and I look forward to reading more of Mrs. Frank's works.

So there are some of my favorites and 2 book reviews. What are some of your favorites? What books have you enjoyed reading?

Menu Plan-- July 26- August 1, 2010

So last week didn't go so well.... 2 kids being sick, temperatures outside and in our non-air-conditioned house being around 110 degrees being major factors in this. The result is shown below. Hopefully this week will be a little better!
Last weeks menu and results:

MONDAY: Grilled chicken, homemade pasta salad with veggies and cheese, cut up cucumbers and tomatoes--Yes for the most part. Had chicken, pasta, and tomatoes and mandarin oranges. The cucumbers had gone bad. They had a really funny texture to them and taste.


TUESDAY: fish sticks, green beans, pineapple-- Rebecca had fish sticks and green beans. I don't remember what I had, but it wasn't that.

WEDNESDAY: Grilled cheese, bacon, tomato sandwiches, carrots and pears-- nope. I think I made chicken nuggets for Rebecca. She was sick and didn't feel good.

THURSDAY: Whole Chicken in the crockpot, salad, peas-- Yes and no. Had the chicken and the peas. Did not make it to the grocery store before dinner as planned so no salad. It was too hot to eat for me. Bill and Rebecca had this.

FRIDAY: spaghettios, chicken quesedillas (using leftovers from Thursday) with salsa-- Nope. It was way to hot to be at home today, so we spent the day at my mom's house. We had Hunan Garden chinese for dinner!

SATURDAY: cheeseburgers with all the fixings, broccoli and fruit-- Nope. Again it was so hot. Rebecca who was still sick wanted chicken nuggets and ice cream so that is what I gave her. I had leftover pizza that Bill had brought home from work and a Klondike bar!

SUNDAY: leftovers or pizza (haven't decided yet)-- Rebecca wanted spaghettios so I made her those. I made a chicken, cheese and onion quesedilla on the foreman grill. This was supposed to be Fridays menu :P

Overall not too bad, considering the heat and the sickness. I hope this week is better and Rebecca's appetite is back to normal. (fingers crossed!)

So this week's menu is:

Monday: leftovers/ chicken fried rice, melon
Tuesday:  hamburgers, fruit
Wednesday: (my b-day): hot dogs, fruit
Thursday: dinner out with my in-laws for my b-day
Friday: grilled chicken, broccoli, pineapple
Saturday: fish, corn, applesauce
Sunday: leftovers or pizza night

So there you have it. Hopefully I can do a better job of following this this week! Hopefully everyone gets well and Bill and I don't end up sick!

To check out more dinner ideas, check out orgjunkie.com

Good, Bad and Ugly-- July 25, 2010

THE GOOD:  Well this week has had only a few goods. I had 2 interviews with Walmart and as long as my drug test and my background check come back fine, then I will have a job with them..Yay! I also had a pretty good interview (I think) with St. Vincent's after school program that I am waiting to here back about (fingers crossed!). I also got a ton of grocerys this week for only $55- I stocked up on lots of deals, including 12 cans of spaghettios for Rebecca and Jacob for only $0.45 a piece! That is way cheap! I also learned that Krogers here does take Internet coupons! Yay!!

THE BAD:  Both kids have been sick this week. Rebecca had 3 days of temperature of 101-102 degrees and a bad cough and no energy. The fever went away, now she is just coughing a little and has a runny nose. Jacob had one night of a fever, but the little man has a bad runny nose, especially today. I hate when the kids are sick! And since we don't have health insurance I really, really don't want to take them to the doctors if I don't have to. I think it is just a summer cold so we are weathering the storm. I think it will get better this week since the weather won't be so hot. It felt like 110 degrees here the last couple days, and with no a/c things were not good.

THE UGLY: Things have been really bad around here with Bill and I. It seems like all we do is fight and argue. I think that part of the problem is that my stress and anxiety issues have gotten really bad lately. I think my depression is also rearing it's ugly head. That is making things very tense between Bill and I. We had a fight over why he continues to spend close to $500 a year on the Sunday Ticket and college football packages when he is usually not home to watch them. We could be using that money for something else. He said he was going to call to cancel them but we will see. Then today he came upstairs this morning and started complaining about his phone. We took it to Verizon and they won't replace it because it was water damaged. Well he went off and I was so embarrassed to be there. It was not good. The big thing though for me is that he keeps wanting to spend, spend, spend on this stupid tv stuff and I want to get us out of debt and get us a new, used car. Ugghhh....I don't know what to do sometimes.

Be sure to check out others GBUs including the original: at Digging out of our mess

Stress is my middle name....

There are so many things going on right now that are VERY stressful!

• The kids are sick. Both Rebecca and Jacob have fevers and are coughing a little. Rebecca woke up with a fever last night and slept in our bed...which meant no sleep for me. She has had a fever all day and been laying around, etc.  Jacob developed a fever tonight and has been coughing a little. He also hasn't had as much energy as usual. I HATE when my kids are sick.
• I have had 2 interviews this week. One on Monday at Walmart, which I didn't think went well and one on Tuesday at St. Vincents for a part time after school care job. That went well, however I won't know until tomorrow at the earliest b/c she is interviewing 4 people for 1 position (3 on Tuesday and 1 on Thursday). I really would like that job...but Walmart called tonight and want me to have a 2nd interview tomorrow at 1. Hubby wants me to do the interview so I will but I hate the thought of leaving the kids home when they are sick.
• Bills seem to be piling up and I think we are on top of things but I am not sure.
• Bill has been working a lot of hours and it feels like I haven't seen him.
• The house is a mess. It feels like all I have done is feed the kids, and that is about it. No laundry has been done, and there are toys scattered through the family room....
• I need chocolate! and there is none in the house.

I just feel a little stressed and overwhelmed right now...gotta remember to breathe....

MENU PLAN (July 19- July 25)

 

Okay before I do this weeks plan, let's see how I did last week:

Monday: Hot dogs, baked beans, and pasta salad---had that.

Tuesday: lasagna, cukes, garlic bread---had this

Wednesday: lean cuisine, chicken nuggets, peas-- had this

Thursday: fish fillets, mac and cheese, broccoli--- Bill and Rebecca had fish and mac n cheese. I did not make the broccoli and I did not want any for dinner. It was too hot. I ended up eating some pasta salad later.

Friday: dinner out for our anniversary--- we had Outback Steakhouse for dinner

Saturday: sausage, eggs, toast, fruit-- Big fat Fail! Did not have this. Made hot dogs and baked beans for Rebecca and Bill. Again I was too hot to eat, so I made a smoothie later that night.

Sunday: frozen meal for me, hot dog and mac and cheese for Rebecca---had this (minus the hot dog for Rebecca) plus peaches.

Overall not too bad. I stuck to the plan for the most part! YAY!! Lesson learned though I need to incorporate meals that are not really greasy and that don't heat up the house (since we don't have a/c and it is VERY HOT  and HUMID here! ). I also received a large George Foreman grill this week as a gift so I will  definitely be making use of that! :) Overall Grade for the week: A-

SO with all that in mind, here is this weeks menu:

Breakfast: cereal, fruit, homemade pancakes (in freezer), milk

Lunch: leftovers, sandwiches, pb and crackers, fruit, apple juice, milk

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Grilled chicken, homemade pasta salad with veggies and cheese, cut up cucumbers and tomatoes

TUESDAY: fish sticks, green beans, pineapple

WEDNESDAY: Grilled cheese, bacon, tomato sandwiches, carrots and pears

THURSDAY: Whole Chicken in the crockpot, salad, peas

FRIDAY: spaghettios, chicken quesedillas (using leftovers from Thursday) with salsa

SATURDAY: cheeseburgers with all the fixings, broccoli and fruit

SUNDAY: leftovers or pizza (haven't decided yet)

So there goes. Another week of menu planning. Last week was a success so that's see what this week holds.

Special thanks to Laura, at Orgjunkie.com, for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Check out her page for hundreds of meal ideas and inspiration!

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (Sunday July 18, 2010)

So I was blog hopping and came across a great series from Digging Out From Our Mess where she talks about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly that has happened in her life financially. So I have decided to join in and do the same. I am using this as another tool to become more financially sound and to gain a better understanding of our life...so here goes:

THE GOOD: I have 2 interviews lined up this week for jobs. Bill and I talked about it and I need to go back to work if we are going to stop living paycheck to paycheck and get ahead. Also we HAVE to get another car. With him working 1 hour away and me being home with the kids we have to have a car in case of emergency and if something happens to the Saturn (which has over 120,000 miles) so I have to get a job. I am VERY nervous about these interviews, my stress level is HIGH, but I have to do something for the family. I have an interview tomorrow morning with Walmart and I have interview Tuesday morning with the Catholic School here for an after school care position (part-time). I have an interview next week with Creative Foundations for a full time job. I hope and pray one of these pans out.

THE BAD: We got our last phone bill from AT&T and it was $256!!!! That is over double what it was supposed to be!! Eek!!! Apparently I didn't notice that our minutes were expiring and so I was to blame :( We also had several overlap bills which made our budget VERY tight this month with bills. Hopefully by next month things will get back to normal.

THE UGLY: The car messed up on Bill on his way to work today...to the tune of $135...apparently Faslube used the wrong oil last time and there was sludge in the fuel line...sigh....and he got in trouble for dealing with the car instead of being at work....sigh...I hope he makes it home alright tonight.

So there you have it...the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY of my week.  For more information feel free to go to http://diggingoutfromourmess.blogspot.com/.

Happy 5th Anniversary to my dear husband and I!

So yesterday was our 5th anniversary. So much has happened in the last five years. I really feel like we have lived through our wedding vows over and over and over... somedays it feels like just yesterday we got married. Other days it seems like we have been married 20+ years.

 So what did we do to celebrate...

Bill started out the day on a conference call with work. Ugghhh. Nothing like having to work on your day off. While he was doing this, I was running around trying to get things together to leave for the day (diaper bag packed, etc. )...we only left 1/2 hour late which is good for us.

We headed back to Columbus to stop at the bank to change our address. They do not have a branch here, but we love the bank so we will be sticking with them. Then we took the kids to Burger King for lunch. After that, we took Jacob to the doctor for his 9 month checkup. He is up to 22 lbs and 30 inches long. They are a little concerned about the size of his head but we are going to just monitor it until he is 1. After the doctors it was time to take the kids to the inlaws house so we could go on a date. Yes we actually went on a date...it has been so long and it is definitely something that we need to do more often. So we dropped the kids off and then we had our date night...

We went to the dollar theatre and saw....

It was actually a really good movie. Okay, in reality I thought it was a great movie. The actors were great-- I gained a new respect of Mickey Rourke. I love Robert Downey Jr. in this movie. The role as made for him I think. There was hardly any swearing and the fight scenes were not too graphic :) There were lessons to be learned and I love the conflict of emotions that goes through Iron Man in this movie. And Bill loved that I picked a guy type movie to go see. It did take me over half the movie to stop thinking about the kids and focus on the movie but I am working on that. After the movie we decided to get dinner and so we went to....

The food was SOOOO YUMMYYYY!!!! I almost forgot what it was like to eat hot food and not worry about cutting up kids food first. lol.... I had the teryaki filet medallions on rice with bell peppers and onions served with side of steamed french green beans (these were FABULOUS). I also splurged and had a blueberry martini. It was so yummy too! Bill had the bbq trio of chicken, ribs, shrimp, coleslaw and a baked potato and a beer. He brought half of his dinner home. The service was great and there was really only like a 5 minute wait when we got there, which at 6:30 on a friday night is not bad at all.

After dinner we got the kids, came home to a hot house and went to bed.

I made the resolution that we HAVE to have date night at least once a month. I really think we both need it desperately so that we know that we are important in each other's eyes.

MENU PLAN JULY 12- JULY 18, 2010

Better late than never....in trying to get a fix on things in our house...aka get things back to normal...one area that desperately needs help is menu planning and not waiting until the kids are starving and you have NO idea what to make. So hopefully this will be the beginning of a weekly thing (fingers crossed)! So here is what we are eating this week....


Breakfasts: cereal, homemade pancakes (in freezer), fruit, zucchini bread, milk, juice


Lunches: leftovers, pbj sandwiches, pb crackers, pasta salad, fruit, milk, juice, water


Dinners:


Monday: hot dogs, baked beans, homemade pasta salad, milk


Tuesday: lasagna with provolone cheese, cucumbers, garlic bread, milk


Wednesday: lean cuisine meal (for me), chicken nuggets, peas and milk (for Rebecca)


Thursday: beer battered fish, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, pasta salad, milk


Friday: dinner out (it is our 5 year wedding anniversary)


Saturday: (tentative): sausage, eggs, toast, fruit smoothies
                *might find a different recipe to use the sausage in as hubby and Rebecca don't really care
                 for  breakfast for dinner. Any suggestions???


Sunday: lean cuisine meal (for me), hot dog and mac n cheese (for Rebecca)


Thanks to Orgjunkie.com for sponsoring Menu Plan Monday! orgjunkie.com

Starting Over Again...

Alright so time to start over. I logged on and saw that I hadn't done a post since January! EEEKKK! Well needless to say things have been CRAZY around here...let's see....we had:
January--Jacob had surgery
February--Bill had emergency gall bladder surgery
March--Bill lost his job
April--Bill got a new job and had to go out of town for 4 weeks to train
May---dealing with training and LOADS of car problems, plus looking for new place to live, packing to move
June---moving all month long, Bill working LONG hours, and only having one car
July---??? Maybe things will settle down????
I sure hope so. Time to get some things back on track and figure out some things. I need to get back onto meal planning, Flylady, budgeting, etc....better focus on on thing at a time. But it is time to be more accountable so I am going to use this blog to be more accountable to the things I NEED to work on for our family's sake. I promise!