Hello all,
It's been awhile. I suck. I have been super busy with school. I know I haven't said much about school on here because it was supposed to be about Me and Robert... but I just want to share. We started a program this year that forced the kids to practice fundamentals. They have to "pass off" to us all of the different things we have them do each grading period. So... needless to say we are at school a lot listening to kids play. But that's cool because I know how each of my kids play and it's like mini private lessons with each of them. It has made them better, well the ones who are trying to do it. We also made it to where the kids had to get 30 stickers from August to December (a sticker means they got a 100 on something) in order to be invited to attend the Spring Trip next semester. We had quite a few reach that honor. And quite a few who didn't because they're lazy. But the ones who made it - we passed out Olympic Medals (the program is called Band Olympics) based on how many stickers they earned. 30-34 was a bronze medal. 35-39 was a silver medal. 40+ was a gold medal. Passing out those medals to the kids made all of the busy-ness that was this semester worth it. :-)
Next semester I have joined a team for the school wide Teacher and Staff competition "Hambrick's Biggest Loser". Really it is so I can wear jeans every Monday. But losing weight would be nice. If I gain weight I have to pay $1 for every pound gained. So there's my motivation to at least maintain! I'm going to try the crock pot route to see if it will help with the whole eating out issue that Robert and I are plagued with. If for nothing else to save money!
Robert will be moving to Minnesota (hopefully) at the end of this upcoming summer to learn how to be an instrument repair technician. It is a 2 semester program, so he'll be back at the end of the next school year. I'm not quite sure what the living situation is going to look like yet. I think going up to Minnesota with him would be difficult because I'm not guaranteed a job. At least I have a job now. If/When I stay I'll either end up living with my Dad - or finding a roommate and a really cheap situation just so we can afford to live in two different states. At least with him only staying those 9 months, he won't have to register to live in that state. That costs a lot of money... And plus, vacations really would be that! I would fly to Minnesota every chance I got. That will be cool. I'll already have clothes there or I can buy what ever I need there (warm clothes wise) and never even have to bring a bag or anything. Just a purse full of things I would need!
Alright, once I get a house I think this blog will be more of what I want it to be. I want to try different organizational ideas and make life more efficient. I know I can do that all now... I just don't have the funds or the room for it really. My life is as de-cluttered as it can be. I just need to keep the space cleaner so you can tell haha. :-) When I have a house that just means that Robert and I are both finished with school and are working and making money! Until then... they will remain ideas! Have a really good holiday break and enjoy your family and friends!!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Well it's been awhile...
Things are kind of stagnant for me right now... The house gets dirty throughout the week, I've stopped buying the healthy meals I planned for. Mostly because the vegetables I bought never got eaten but rather rotted in my fridge. I'm still staying away from boxed meals and trying to make more frozen veggies and homemade pasta/rice dishes. I've attempted to make a macaroni and cheese dish, but they've all sucked. A lot. Plan B suck. But it will get better... right?
I've thrown around the idea of getting a second job to afford maid services. But that's just silly. I would just like more time throughout the day to get things done. I spend 2 hours driving to and from work (which stresses me out a lot - some people are cut out for commuting - and some are not) and then I spend a good 9-11 hours at work Monday through Friday. I'm not trying to whine - but wah! I would like to live closer to work or find a job closer to where I live. Both things aren't really feasible right now, unfortunately. I would also like to, in the future, find a job that has less time commitment so I can have more time for a family. Not that I don't like my job now - good things are happening and it's very exciting.
I've got to make a new plan. So far my plan includes buying simpler meals to make during the week, which I started doing last week and is actually working better. My ultimate desired result of making this plan work, is to just stop eating out. Eating out is just a monetary leak... And my plan for the keeping the house clean... ha, well I guess that would be to not get it dirty in the first place! haha I guess we will see how that one works out. But really I guess it's just to suck it up more and do a little more each night, so it won't be a lot on the weekend.
I've thrown around the idea of getting a second job to afford maid services. But that's just silly. I would just like more time throughout the day to get things done. I spend 2 hours driving to and from work (which stresses me out a lot - some people are cut out for commuting - and some are not) and then I spend a good 9-11 hours at work Monday through Friday. I'm not trying to whine - but wah! I would like to live closer to work or find a job closer to where I live. Both things aren't really feasible right now, unfortunately. I would also like to, in the future, find a job that has less time commitment so I can have more time for a family. Not that I don't like my job now - good things are happening and it's very exciting.
I've got to make a new plan. So far my plan includes buying simpler meals to make during the week, which I started doing last week and is actually working better. My ultimate desired result of making this plan work, is to just stop eating out. Eating out is just a monetary leak... And my plan for the keeping the house clean... ha, well I guess that would be to not get it dirty in the first place! haha I guess we will see how that one works out. But really I guess it's just to suck it up more and do a little more each night, so it won't be a lot on the weekend.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
it finally started!
Hello world,
I wanted to share that my workout buddy and I started doing stuff today! Woo hoo! We went on a brisk walk in the neighborhood across the street for about 30-40 minutes. It felt so good outside we couldn't resist staying out. We were supposed to go to the "gym" my apartment complex has, but they have nothing on the cool air we are experiencing right now.
Speaking of the cool air, I just wanted to throw this out there. It feels like to me that summer abruptly ended and bam there was fall. I'm not complaining by any means. I am very happy actually. I don't like the hot weather. I'm ready for winter again!
This past weekend had many ups and downs - but the overall consensus was good. South Padre was fun and I'm glad we went. Robert got to do things that he hasn't done before so that's cool, too. I haven't drank a soda since that post about the pants not fitting in July. This weekend I tried a soda and it didn't taste good to me! So yay!! I'm happy for that! My Dad's girlfriend cooked delicious food this weekend so we didn't eat a lot of unhealthy food, so also good. Keeping up with the healthy eating isn't as hard as I thought it would be! :-)
Life is good. (Minus the crappy apartment we live in - however its still clean!)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
I wanted to share that my workout buddy and I started doing stuff today! Woo hoo! We went on a brisk walk in the neighborhood across the street for about 30-40 minutes. It felt so good outside we couldn't resist staying out. We were supposed to go to the "gym" my apartment complex has, but they have nothing on the cool air we are experiencing right now.
Speaking of the cool air, I just wanted to throw this out there. It feels like to me that summer abruptly ended and bam there was fall. I'm not complaining by any means. I am very happy actually. I don't like the hot weather. I'm ready for winter again!
This past weekend had many ups and downs - but the overall consensus was good. South Padre was fun and I'm glad we went. Robert got to do things that he hasn't done before so that's cool, too. I haven't drank a soda since that post about the pants not fitting in July. This weekend I tried a soda and it didn't taste good to me! So yay!! I'm happy for that! My Dad's girlfriend cooked delicious food this weekend so we didn't eat a lot of unhealthy food, so also good. Keeping up with the healthy eating isn't as hard as I thought it would be! :-)
Life is good. (Minus the crappy apartment we live in - however its still clean!)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Not looking good...
Hello world,
How do you find energy when you're giving 110% at work for close to 12 hours 5 days a week?? At least my house for the most part is staying clean. The work out isn't working... I'm tired by the time I get home and waking up early to work out... Well... I can just go ahead and tell you No, that's not going to happen. My alarm already goes off at 5:45 so I can start my un-girly morning routine and leave for school in 45 minutes. And I'm a morning person. Not an early morning person. I wake up naturally in the 8 o'clock range. 5's and 6's aren't my friend. ;-) But back to that work out thing... I really feel I'm just going to have to bite and push through the tiredness... the question then becomes when will that happen. Writing this stuff down like this, honestly, makes me feel like a pansy! I'm going to figure this out... I'll keep you updated.
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
How do you find energy when you're giving 110% at work for close to 12 hours 5 days a week?? At least my house for the most part is staying clean. The work out isn't working... I'm tired by the time I get home and waking up early to work out... Well... I can just go ahead and tell you No, that's not going to happen. My alarm already goes off at 5:45 so I can start my un-girly morning routine and leave for school in 45 minutes. And I'm a morning person. Not an early morning person. I wake up naturally in the 8 o'clock range. 5's and 6's aren't my friend. ;-) But back to that work out thing... I really feel I'm just going to have to bite and push through the tiredness... the question then becomes when will that happen. Writing this stuff down like this, honestly, makes me feel like a pansy! I'm going to figure this out... I'll keep you updated.
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Friday, August 26, 2011
week 1 - setting goals
Hello world,
Life is getting settled and it feels good. School started and we have finished our first week. It has been one long week, but a really good one! This has been the best first week yet! I'm really excited about the year and everything that we have planned. It's been great. In band we are talking about Goals and how there are long term and short term goals. There was this cool article I read on mindtools.com and am using their SMART Goals. I even made a bulletin board out of it! The SMART goals are Specific Measurable Attainable Rewarding Trackable. There were other words you could use, we just used those because they went along with the activity we are doing this year.
I'm going to apply my own teaching to my life. I'm making a SMART goal for myself. I haven't worked out yet, but my workout buddy and I have made plans to start next week. My SMART goal for the week is to workout at least 2 days during the week and for 30 minutes each day. I'm going to start off small and attainable.
Eating healthier is going to help with this. I'm not really a breakfast person. Just can't really eat in the morning. But I know that if I'm going to help speed up my metabolism then I need to start eating breakfast. I am happy to report that I have eaten breakfast every day this week and I've had more energy at school this week than any other. So that's cool! Also, I have been eating (with the help of my husband) healthier lunches and we've been cooking dinner more often.
The house has stayed pretty clean and that's great. Especially with help from Robert, it's been great living here. (Minus the fact that the apartment is falling down around us.) The idea of living in a clutter free one bedroom apartment is nice. :-) I just need to figure out how to get the laundry fairy to do the laundry instead of eating the socks.... Hah! Good luck with your own SMART goals if you so choose to make one! ;-)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Life is getting settled and it feels good. School started and we have finished our first week. It has been one long week, but a really good one! This has been the best first week yet! I'm really excited about the year and everything that we have planned. It's been great. In band we are talking about Goals and how there are long term and short term goals. There was this cool article I read on mindtools.com and am using their SMART Goals. I even made a bulletin board out of it! The SMART goals are Specific Measurable Attainable Rewarding Trackable. There were other words you could use, we just used those because they went along with the activity we are doing this year.
I'm going to apply my own teaching to my life. I'm making a SMART goal for myself. I haven't worked out yet, but my workout buddy and I have made plans to start next week. My SMART goal for the week is to workout at least 2 days during the week and for 30 minutes each day. I'm going to start off small and attainable.
Eating healthier is going to help with this. I'm not really a breakfast person. Just can't really eat in the morning. But I know that if I'm going to help speed up my metabolism then I need to start eating breakfast. I am happy to report that I have eaten breakfast every day this week and I've had more energy at school this week than any other. So that's cool! Also, I have been eating (with the help of my husband) healthier lunches and we've been cooking dinner more often.
The house has stayed pretty clean and that's great. Especially with help from Robert, it's been great living here. (Minus the fact that the apartment is falling down around us.) The idea of living in a clutter free one bedroom apartment is nice. :-) I just need to figure out how to get the laundry fairy to do the laundry instead of eating the socks.... Hah! Good luck with your own SMART goals if you so choose to make one! ;-)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
it's the small victories
Hello world,
It's the time of instant gratification. I struggle with this as a teacher, motivating my students to keep pushing! Anything worth achieving takes time and dedication! Without realizing it, I got sucked up into the frame of thought that it has to happen RIGHT NOW! Sticking to eating better and exercising is hard because there isn't instant gratification. Last month, I went to a friend's new place to check out the new digs and I wanted to look cute. So I put on my school pants for the first time since school let out. And they wouldn't even close. I was devastated! And that was even after I had been trying to lose weight and consciously watching what I eat and drink. And they didn't fit!! I had a good time that night anyways. Being around great friends is always a fix to any bad day. :)
There's good news though. I have pretty much eliminated sodas and other sugary drinks from my everyday life. I also have been trying to cook more and better food. We used to eat out a lot. I mean a lot. A ridiculous amount really. But anyways, staying on track and eating healthier food and drinking pretty much nothing but water and lime juice, I am happy to tell you that today I wore those pants to school today and they weren't even tight, they weren't loose, but they weren't tight. :-) Now if I can only get the exercise on board...
Motivation. How to find it?? I'm still working on that one. My friend is moving down the street from me and is excited to be my work out buddy. I'm hoping power in numbers will help me. It helped before and I stuck to it and lost weight. It's not like I haven't done this before or not know what to do... I just need to start. If I can make it through 2 weeks and continue that next day, I think I will be good to go. I'm excited and I think this will be a good thing.
Bottom line, I'm feeling better; inside and out. Life is good and I can't complain. School is starting out great. My house is clean and organized and not crowded. My husband is awesome. My dog is cute. And my belly is full. I feel like I'm finally living a life that I can thrive with. :-) Let's just keep this up!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
It's the time of instant gratification. I struggle with this as a teacher, motivating my students to keep pushing! Anything worth achieving takes time and dedication! Without realizing it, I got sucked up into the frame of thought that it has to happen RIGHT NOW! Sticking to eating better and exercising is hard because there isn't instant gratification. Last month, I went to a friend's new place to check out the new digs and I wanted to look cute. So I put on my school pants for the first time since school let out. And they wouldn't even close. I was devastated! And that was even after I had been trying to lose weight and consciously watching what I eat and drink. And they didn't fit!! I had a good time that night anyways. Being around great friends is always a fix to any bad day. :)
There's good news though. I have pretty much eliminated sodas and other sugary drinks from my everyday life. I also have been trying to cook more and better food. We used to eat out a lot. I mean a lot. A ridiculous amount really. But anyways, staying on track and eating healthier food and drinking pretty much nothing but water and lime juice, I am happy to tell you that today I wore those pants to school today and they weren't even tight, they weren't loose, but they weren't tight. :-) Now if I can only get the exercise on board...
Motivation. How to find it?? I'm still working on that one. My friend is moving down the street from me and is excited to be my work out buddy. I'm hoping power in numbers will help me. It helped before and I stuck to it and lost weight. It's not like I haven't done this before or not know what to do... I just need to start. If I can make it through 2 weeks and continue that next day, I think I will be good to go. I'm excited and I think this will be a good thing.
Bottom line, I'm feeling better; inside and out. Life is good and I can't complain. School is starting out great. My house is clean and organized and not crowded. My husband is awesome. My dog is cute. And my belly is full. I feel like I'm finally living a life that I can thrive with. :-) Let's just keep this up!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Sunday, August 14, 2011
homey feeling
Hello world,
Life is going good. My home is feeling better and better everyday! I wanted to show you some pictures.
Life is going good. My home is feeling better and better everyday! I wanted to show you some pictures.
Here is our new bedroom furniture. Sorry for the weird glare - that's from the globes in the fan. We still need some art for the walls, but that will just have to wait.
For extra storage in our little apartment I like utilize hooks! I have tons of nails and hooks on/in my closet. It's off the floor and there is a place for everything!
Here is the new couch and the family. Without the new picture.
Here is the new couch with the new picture! We got this awesome picture from my Dad's warehouse. He has all kinds of stuff for home decoration. I also want to get some sort of small skinny candle features to hang on either side of the picture.
Here is the bookshelf. It doubles as the office area as well. There is some decoration at the top.
I'm trying to highlight the reds in the room more. I think throw pillows for the couch and perhaps different curtains will help me with that. The curtains blend into the wall... I don't like that...
Do you like Prissy Dog's big ole' bed?? So does she! ;-)
This was the DVD rack we got from my Dad's warehouse. They also have a lot of furniture!
All of the DVD's were on the bookshelf, and it was way too over crowded. I didn't want to get rid of anything. This DVD rack was perfect. It fits behind the door and even gives us a place to put our shoes! Above more hooks! To hold leashes, hats, and keys. The cube on the floor is where we keep all of Prissy's treats and medicines.
Here is our pantry. Another bookshelf I got from my Dad's warehouse. I really like it the bookshelf. It is an A frame bookshelf that just fits perfectly. We didn't get a pantry with this apartment so we made our own. The food was just all over the counter tops in the kitchen. Now we have more room in the kitchen! :)
The only thing left to fix up is the table. Right now it's kind of a catch all for all of our old office stuff. I'm working on a project for school that is using the computer. But I'm almost done with it and then we can get rid of most of the stuff on the table.
In the bathroom I have my toiletries organized in this gardening bag I got from the dollar store. It's just tacked on to the wall. It keeps everything off the counter tops and it's easy to find. The jewelry boxes are in there only because I don't have room for them in my bedroom. That's where they used to live. I have my jewelry hanging on hooks behind the door.
To make more room WalMart (I'm sure other places too) have things you can stick on the mirror. That's what we are using to hold our toothbrushes and toothpaste.
A few more things that I want to do is get baskets for the entertainment center to hide as much stuff as I can. Then hang the TV on the wall so I can move the cable box and the PS3 to the top giving me more room to spread out my office stuff.
I also want to find an end table that doubles as a two drawer filing cabinet that locks and that looks decorative for the living room. Right now our filing cabinet is in the closet and we have a hard time getting to it. And mail is piling up on the table... That has got to stop!
The apartment is staying clean, but I've only gone to school for two days. So we will see how long it lasts. It definitely is easier to keep a 1 bedroom apartment clean than the two bedroom. :-) Good luck with your organizing and decluttering!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Thursday, August 11, 2011
school is starting
Hello World!
Life in a decluttered apartment is super nice. And I definitely recommend a decluttered life to anyone! It's been the summer so I feel it has been pretty easy to keep up with the house cleaning and such. School started today for me, so we will see how easy it is to keep up with everything. I'm not lazy at school, but school makes me lazy at home!
There are still things that need to be done around the place before I will feel its 100% complete, but the stuff we've done so far makes me happy. I feel we are making good progress, especially since most of the stuff I want is going to cost some money... haha. That's just beside the point. We got a new couch! And the stuff I had set aside for school and my dad's warehouse are gone! So now it feels even less cluttered and more spacious! If I can only do something with our old old computer... I still need it, but it just takes up a lot of space! Grrr! There is no "office area" in the new apartment.
I'm also looking to get cloth baskets for my entertainment center, mostly to hide the things that go there. I feel baskets and cloth drawers are a nice decorative way to hide things - not a place to be a catch all though. BUT - I also feel everyone needs a junk drawer. Because sometimes you just don't know where to put something. And besides - it's like going treasure hunting every time you go in there, because you never really know what you'll find! And that's only if it's a true junk drawer!
Well people - wish all of the teachers and students luck as we kick off this 2011-2012 school year! Things are changing for all of us, and I just hope that it's for the better.
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Life in a decluttered apartment is super nice. And I definitely recommend a decluttered life to anyone! It's been the summer so I feel it has been pretty easy to keep up with the house cleaning and such. School started today for me, so we will see how easy it is to keep up with everything. I'm not lazy at school, but school makes me lazy at home!
There are still things that need to be done around the place before I will feel its 100% complete, but the stuff we've done so far makes me happy. I feel we are making good progress, especially since most of the stuff I want is going to cost some money... haha. That's just beside the point. We got a new couch! And the stuff I had set aside for school and my dad's warehouse are gone! So now it feels even less cluttered and more spacious! If I can only do something with our old old computer... I still need it, but it just takes up a lot of space! Grrr! There is no "office area" in the new apartment.
I'm also looking to get cloth baskets for my entertainment center, mostly to hide the things that go there. I feel baskets and cloth drawers are a nice decorative way to hide things - not a place to be a catch all though. BUT - I also feel everyone needs a junk drawer. Because sometimes you just don't know where to put something. And besides - it's like going treasure hunting every time you go in there, because you never really know what you'll find! And that's only if it's a true junk drawer!
Well people - wish all of the teachers and students luck as we kick off this 2011-2012 school year! Things are changing for all of us, and I just hope that it's for the better.
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
someone's junk is OUR treasure!
Hello world,
So we've been helping my Dad with his new business venture. Have you ever seen the Storage Wars shows?? He's going around and buying storage units that have been abandoned and trying to sell the stuff to make a little money. That is a lot of work! Especially the units that are nothing but boxes and storage bins.. There have been some cool stuff - and definitely stuff to make his money back. We have found a brand new coach purse and a brand new louis vuitton purse. Also an autographed photo of Chevy Chase back in the day along with a CofA! And some Disney pictures. There was also a gigantic castle bedroom set that someone had built. Just a bunch of cool stuff. We have even been able to sell $600 worth of our stuff. I can't believe it!
Well, this one unit had a DVD rack! So for our help we swiped that thing up and have been able to spread the things on the bookshelf out. It has made a tremendous difference in the living room and I just love it! I was able to separate the books on the bookshelf from "pleasure" and "informative" so now I even have room for some of the knick-knacks I had up at the old apartment. We even have an office shelf to store the office stuff. The living room is almost complete. The next thing I need to find/buy are those cloth drawer things to hide the clutter on the entertainment center. The TV will be hung on the wall, and the cable box and PS3 can go on top and then I have 4 spaces to store things and keep them out of sight! Well really just 3 because our nephews have one of those spaces for all of their toys. :)
Our newest idea for the pantry instead of the bookshelf type, we are going to follow my friend Brittany with the hanging wall shelves - however we are going to get corner shelves. I think its going to look nice and save a lot of room. I'm excited! Robert wanted to make them, but I think they're cheaper at Home Depot if you just buy them pre-made.
I need to post pictures of everything - but that will just have to wait until I feel its completely done. Pictures for the living room will come after the couch has been purchased. I'm thinking a small sectional couch for optimum seating. With a reclining chair after Christmas. I need somewhere to put my Christmas Tree! :-)
Ok thats all for now on the decluttered front. It's getting there slowly! (I guess I better hurry it up since school is close to starting - well closer than the beginning of the summer! Bummer!)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
So we've been helping my Dad with his new business venture. Have you ever seen the Storage Wars shows?? He's going around and buying storage units that have been abandoned and trying to sell the stuff to make a little money. That is a lot of work! Especially the units that are nothing but boxes and storage bins.. There have been some cool stuff - and definitely stuff to make his money back. We have found a brand new coach purse and a brand new louis vuitton purse. Also an autographed photo of Chevy Chase back in the day along with a CofA! And some Disney pictures. There was also a gigantic castle bedroom set that someone had built. Just a bunch of cool stuff. We have even been able to sell $600 worth of our stuff. I can't believe it!
Well, this one unit had a DVD rack! So for our help we swiped that thing up and have been able to spread the things on the bookshelf out. It has made a tremendous difference in the living room and I just love it! I was able to separate the books on the bookshelf from "pleasure" and "informative" so now I even have room for some of the knick-knacks I had up at the old apartment. We even have an office shelf to store the office stuff. The living room is almost complete. The next thing I need to find/buy are those cloth drawer things to hide the clutter on the entertainment center. The TV will be hung on the wall, and the cable box and PS3 can go on top and then I have 4 spaces to store things and keep them out of sight! Well really just 3 because our nephews have one of those spaces for all of their toys. :)
Our newest idea for the pantry instead of the bookshelf type, we are going to follow my friend Brittany with the hanging wall shelves - however we are going to get corner shelves. I think its going to look nice and save a lot of room. I'm excited! Robert wanted to make them, but I think they're cheaper at Home Depot if you just buy them pre-made.
I need to post pictures of everything - but that will just have to wait until I feel its completely done. Pictures for the living room will come after the couch has been purchased. I'm thinking a small sectional couch for optimum seating. With a reclining chair after Christmas. I need somewhere to put my Christmas Tree! :-)
Ok thats all for now on the decluttered front. It's getting there slowly! (I guess I better hurry it up since school is close to starting - well closer than the beginning of the summer! Bummer!)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Thursday, July 14, 2011
eating better
Hello world,
You are what you eat. Have you seen that commercial where the kids are playing soccer but they can't run very fast because they're a burger or a thing of fries?? That commercial is so true!! We've been eating better this whole week and I feel great! Even in this short amount of time. I have taken the time to cook for pretty much every meal this week, and if I haven't Robert has. Or we have just had sandwiches with meat from the deli. I don't know if Deli lunch meat is better for you... but it tastes better haha.
Some of the meals we have made are Smashed Potato Pot Pie, Bleu Cheese burgers and zucchini sticks, and last night we had chicken and apple sausages and garlic sage zucchini. It's been fun cooking it and fun eating it! Tonight I'm going to make a spinach lasagna again.
I've been doing zumba this week, and I was right about one of the things I hoped for. I hoped for it to be easier to do and easier to move. It's definitely getting easier to do - but I still suck at dancing haha. Maybe that comes with a little more time.
The decluttering has come to a stop without those shelves to spread my stuff out. I don't feel I should have to downsize anymore, I just need to maximize the space better. And you need money to do that.. So.. Here we are!
Now here is my next concern. I'm totally kicking butt on the cooking thing, the cleaning thing, the laundry, and just pretty much everything house being awesome - however I fear this will all go out the window when school starts. Because that's what happened last year. School makes me lazy at home. I'm most definitely not lazy at school. I work my butt off - and it drains me. Mostly the hour ride home tops everything off and leaves me with little when I get home. However, I didn't do the eat better and exercise thing last summer. So maybe if I keep that part up my energy will go up as well, and school won't beat me down as much. We will see. I have about a month. Well not even. I'm teaching a summer camp the last few days of July to make some extra cash to pay off the new awesome furniture we got!
So here's to keeping up the new lifestyle!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
You are what you eat. Have you seen that commercial where the kids are playing soccer but they can't run very fast because they're a burger or a thing of fries?? That commercial is so true!! We've been eating better this whole week and I feel great! Even in this short amount of time. I have taken the time to cook for pretty much every meal this week, and if I haven't Robert has. Or we have just had sandwiches with meat from the deli. I don't know if Deli lunch meat is better for you... but it tastes better haha.
Some of the meals we have made are Smashed Potato Pot Pie, Bleu Cheese burgers and zucchini sticks, and last night we had chicken and apple sausages and garlic sage zucchini. It's been fun cooking it and fun eating it! Tonight I'm going to make a spinach lasagna again.
I've been doing zumba this week, and I was right about one of the things I hoped for. I hoped for it to be easier to do and easier to move. It's definitely getting easier to do - but I still suck at dancing haha. Maybe that comes with a little more time.
The decluttering has come to a stop without those shelves to spread my stuff out. I don't feel I should have to downsize anymore, I just need to maximize the space better. And you need money to do that.. So.. Here we are!
Now here is my next concern. I'm totally kicking butt on the cooking thing, the cleaning thing, the laundry, and just pretty much everything house being awesome - however I fear this will all go out the window when school starts. Because that's what happened last year. School makes me lazy at home. I'm most definitely not lazy at school. I work my butt off - and it drains me. Mostly the hour ride home tops everything off and leaves me with little when I get home. However, I didn't do the eat better and exercise thing last summer. So maybe if I keep that part up my energy will go up as well, and school won't beat me down as much. We will see. I have about a month. Well not even. I'm teaching a summer camp the last few days of July to make some extra cash to pay off the new awesome furniture we got!
So here's to keeping up the new lifestyle!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Monday, July 11, 2011
next move...
Hello world,
Not that I love moving, because I don't. BUT - when I move again there are some things I'm definitely going to think about.
First of all - when I'm packing things up, I'm going to visualize where the items will go. Because as I unpack the things that made the decluttering throw out, I find myself wondering WHY DID I KEEP THIS STUFF?! So now there is even more stuff getting thrown out. I can't believe some of the stuff I kept. This was from my mind just weeks ago, not years ago. I don't understand what I was thinking. That kind of scares me... haha.
Second of all - I'm going to consider WHEN we move. Moving in 100+ degree weather SUCKS! End of story.
Maximizing space is something I would really like to do for storage of all of things we did keep. I have a bookshelf that is overflowing and looking extremely cluttered. (which is ironic seeing as how I got rid of a bunch of stuff...) Two shelves are full of DVD's so we need a wide DVD rack for behind the door; there's plenty of space for one without the door hitting it. There's also a shelf in the hall closet that just maximized the space completely. We also need a small shelf tall and skinny or a corner shelf to put in the dining area to have a little more of a "pantry". That will clear up counter space in the kitchen.
I did Zumba today! I usually quit (embarrassed..) but this time, I finished a session! I hope to add one more by the end of the week!! Just have to keep doing it. Well that's all for now!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Not that I love moving, because I don't. BUT - when I move again there are some things I'm definitely going to think about.
First of all - when I'm packing things up, I'm going to visualize where the items will go. Because as I unpack the things that made the decluttering throw out, I find myself wondering WHY DID I KEEP THIS STUFF?! So now there is even more stuff getting thrown out. I can't believe some of the stuff I kept. This was from my mind just weeks ago, not years ago. I don't understand what I was thinking. That kind of scares me... haha.
Second of all - I'm going to consider WHEN we move. Moving in 100+ degree weather SUCKS! End of story.
Maximizing space is something I would really like to do for storage of all of things we did keep. I have a bookshelf that is overflowing and looking extremely cluttered. (which is ironic seeing as how I got rid of a bunch of stuff...) Two shelves are full of DVD's so we need a wide DVD rack for behind the door; there's plenty of space for one without the door hitting it. There's also a shelf in the hall closet that just maximized the space completely. We also need a small shelf tall and skinny or a corner shelf to put in the dining area to have a little more of a "pantry". That will clear up counter space in the kitchen.
I did Zumba today! I usually quit (embarrassed..) but this time, I finished a session! I hope to add one more by the end of the week!! Just have to keep doing it. Well that's all for now!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Sunday, July 10, 2011
first post since move
Hello world,
I sit here writing in my new apartment! Things aren't always greener on the other side is the phrase that comes to mind. Yes, I like how my new apartment looks and how all of my stuff is fitting into the new place. That part is awesome. I like that there is an ice maker! And even the little window box I have on my kitchen window that I can put a little herb garden on when I get a few extra bucks! But - the AC is broken. It is HOT in my apartment. I don't like hot. At all. And the maintenance guy says "yeah everything is working normally" - not. It really isn't. I'm sorry, but we kept the old apartment at 68 degrees because we didn't mind paying the electric bill but it hasn't gotten below 75. And that is unacceptable. But its the weekend - so Monday we will try our hardest to get it fixed.
In other news, the decluttering process is a little harder than I thought it would be. I would be lying if I didn't tell you I feel overwhelmed with it all! But I think its getting easier. Finding new places for everything and getting everything organized in itself is fun. I don't think I threw enough things away. That's for sure. Not everything is fitting in the new apartment. All of the furniture fits - and hey, even the freezer fits! All we need now is a DVD rack to open up the shelves on the bookshelf that my grandpa made for me. :) Then we can move the "office" stuff to the bookshelf. I would also like to get a decorative filing cabinet (to replace the one we have that's falling apart) and use it as an end table. We also want to get a new couch and a chair. So many things to get - and not so much money! That's where we are now.
As more and more boxes are being depleted and more and more floor space is being revealed, the new decluttered life is actually pretty good. I'm liking it. Now we just have maintain! But - so far so good! :-)
The new eating habits are good also. I've cooked a lot and have come up with snack alternatives to the frozen food counter parts! And the best part - Robert liked them! One of the snacks I made was a pizza snack. I took flat bread and spread pizza sauce on it and sprinkled cheese and put turkey pepperoni and ham cubes on the pizza. Winner!! Better than the frozen food! I also tried making zucchini fries today - they weren't perfect but they were pretty darn good! I didn't fry them either!
The physical part - well perhaps I am just making excuses which is a good possibility - but the ps3 just got hooked up today and my zumba game is on the ps3. I could have gone to the little gym already - there isn't an excuse for that. But Robert and I have obtained the Insanity Workout Videos and we plan on doing those guys - we will see. I told Robert that if he lost a bunch of weight - space camp for adults is his reward! I want to get a reward for myself... but what will make me want to get up and do stuff... And this is what I'll leave you with. Do you have any rewards that you've set aside for yourself??
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
P.S. Come check out the new apartment!!
I sit here writing in my new apartment! Things aren't always greener on the other side is the phrase that comes to mind. Yes, I like how my new apartment looks and how all of my stuff is fitting into the new place. That part is awesome. I like that there is an ice maker! And even the little window box I have on my kitchen window that I can put a little herb garden on when I get a few extra bucks! But - the AC is broken. It is HOT in my apartment. I don't like hot. At all. And the maintenance guy says "yeah everything is working normally" - not. It really isn't. I'm sorry, but we kept the old apartment at 68 degrees because we didn't mind paying the electric bill but it hasn't gotten below 75. And that is unacceptable. But its the weekend - so Monday we will try our hardest to get it fixed.
In other news, the decluttering process is a little harder than I thought it would be. I would be lying if I didn't tell you I feel overwhelmed with it all! But I think its getting easier. Finding new places for everything and getting everything organized in itself is fun. I don't think I threw enough things away. That's for sure. Not everything is fitting in the new apartment. All of the furniture fits - and hey, even the freezer fits! All we need now is a DVD rack to open up the shelves on the bookshelf that my grandpa made for me. :) Then we can move the "office" stuff to the bookshelf. I would also like to get a decorative filing cabinet (to replace the one we have that's falling apart) and use it as an end table. We also want to get a new couch and a chair. So many things to get - and not so much money! That's where we are now.
As more and more boxes are being depleted and more and more floor space is being revealed, the new decluttered life is actually pretty good. I'm liking it. Now we just have maintain! But - so far so good! :-)
The new eating habits are good also. I've cooked a lot and have come up with snack alternatives to the frozen food counter parts! And the best part - Robert liked them! One of the snacks I made was a pizza snack. I took flat bread and spread pizza sauce on it and sprinkled cheese and put turkey pepperoni and ham cubes on the pizza. Winner!! Better than the frozen food! I also tried making zucchini fries today - they weren't perfect but they were pretty darn good! I didn't fry them either!
The physical part - well perhaps I am just making excuses which is a good possibility - but the ps3 just got hooked up today and my zumba game is on the ps3. I could have gone to the little gym already - there isn't an excuse for that. But Robert and I have obtained the Insanity Workout Videos and we plan on doing those guys - we will see. I told Robert that if he lost a bunch of weight - space camp for adults is his reward! I want to get a reward for myself... but what will make me want to get up and do stuff... And this is what I'll leave you with. Do you have any rewards that you've set aside for yourself??
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
P.S. Come check out the new apartment!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
moving is a workout
Hello world,
We are as my husband says 96.5% moved from the old apartment to the new apartment. We are not unpacked but most everything is in the rooms that they're supposed to be. I've already unpacked quite a few of the boxes. We actually ran out of boxes - moral of the story: It is better to have more than enough than not enough. We are going to take a few boxes back to the old apartment pack up the rest of the stuff. Just mostly kitchen stuff. And then of course we need to go clean a few spots and get a Mr. Clean thing and get some spots off the walls where hands touched a lot.
Moving from an upstairs apartment to a downstairs apartment was awesome. I definitely got a workout yesterday and am feeling it today. My friends Amaya and Nigel helped us and I know I would be way worse off this morning if they hadn't. So happy that they helped!
Now I'm unpacking everything and organizing things as I go (and realizing I didn't get rid of enough stuff haha) . Once I put everything somewhere, then I just have to maintain. I'm really excited to find new places for everything. So far so good. :-) Keep coming back as the road to organization, no clutter, financial soundness, and healthy living unfolds! :-)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
We are as my husband says 96.5% moved from the old apartment to the new apartment. We are not unpacked but most everything is in the rooms that they're supposed to be. I've already unpacked quite a few of the boxes. We actually ran out of boxes - moral of the story: It is better to have more than enough than not enough. We are going to take a few boxes back to the old apartment pack up the rest of the stuff. Just mostly kitchen stuff. And then of course we need to go clean a few spots and get a Mr. Clean thing and get some spots off the walls where hands touched a lot.
Moving from an upstairs apartment to a downstairs apartment was awesome. I definitely got a workout yesterday and am feeling it today. My friends Amaya and Nigel helped us and I know I would be way worse off this morning if they hadn't. So happy that they helped!
Now I'm unpacking everything and organizing things as I go (and realizing I didn't get rid of enough stuff haha) . Once I put everything somewhere, then I just have to maintain. I'm really excited to find new places for everything. So far so good. :-) Keep coming back as the road to organization, no clutter, financial soundness, and healthy living unfolds! :-)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
change is inevitable
Hello world,
Today is the last day in the old apartment. We move tomorrow morning with great friends! Thanks goes out to them for their help. :-) Prissy Dog is not liking this though. All of the rooms look different and I don't think she feels secure anymore. When Robert is gone, she lays up against the couch by the door. But that couch is gone now. So now she's been hanging out in our bedroom (even though Robert was gone), the room with the least amount of change. Except the fact that there are a million blankets on the floor that she can burrow in. I think she likes that part. However, she isn't going to like tomorrow when we start moving everything out of here. Hmm...
Wish us luck tomorrow! We begin our new lives in our new apartment! I am very excited about everything!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Today is the last day in the old apartment. We move tomorrow morning with great friends! Thanks goes out to them for their help. :-) Prissy Dog is not liking this though. All of the rooms look different and I don't think she feels secure anymore. When Robert is gone, she lays up against the couch by the door. But that couch is gone now. So now she's been hanging out in our bedroom (even though Robert was gone), the room with the least amount of change. Except the fact that there are a million blankets on the floor that she can burrow in. I think she likes that part. However, she isn't going to like tomorrow when we start moving everything out of here. Hmm...
Wish us luck tomorrow! We begin our new lives in our new apartment! I am very excited about everything!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Friday, July 1, 2011
physical activity is next on the list
Hello world,
I'm tired of hurting. Is anyone else? My neck and back are screwed up - from what I'm pretty sure has developed into bad posture. My spine around my neck has compressed discs and this sometimes causes really bad neck pains that turn into horrific migraines. I would not wish these upon my worst enemy. It just wouldn't be fair. Yoga and yoga-esque exercises really make me feel better; so why don't I do them?? Once again, it takes 21 days to make a habit, so I guess I just need to start with Day 1! If I dwell on why, what has happened in the past, I will get no where. It's like Rafiki (from Lion King) once said "It doesn't matta, it was in de past!" New apartment; new life.
Also, for my birthday I got a cool Zumba game for my ps3. I really like playing it - and it isn't easy. Or either that I can't dance... I think a little bit of both. But I never played because we lived in a 2nd story apartment. This apartment made SO much sound, I mean even my 10 lb Prissy Dog made creaking noises as she walked across the floor. But now we are moving to a 1st story apartment, so I can play all I want. And who knows - maybe I will get better at dancing! I know from watching So You Think You Can Dance (love the show) that dancers have amazing bodies, and I would love to have that body! So I think Zumba is a good place to start. And maybe if I get good enough to where I'm not making a fool out of myself, they have classes I can attend and really get some good work outs in.
The new apartment also has a work out facility. Which is a key reason why we are moving and moving to this apartment. It's not huge or anything - but it'll do. It's more equipment than I have access to right now! And even though gym memberships aren't "that expensive" we just can't afford the reoccurring payments especially if we were in the wrong frame of mind to go. Now I feel differently, and there is one just steps from my door.
I'm really looking forward to the new life. Living less cluttered, eating healthier, being more physically active, and more financially sound. All things that I believe are going to make life better. I still can't believe that we have only saved 13 boxes (8 small, and 5 medium boxes) from the apartment. Why was I so attached to things that didn't, well I can't say matter, because they mattered to me. But come one - I can't take it with me when I go, so why am I carting it all around?!
Anywho, in short, physical activity will be a must in the new house either with Zumba or the work out room, with a little bit of yoga before hand. Very excited! I really want to be able to post pictures of me so you can see the results of my work. So I guess when we move into new house - I have to give you a starting picture. Look for it! :-)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
I'm tired of hurting. Is anyone else? My neck and back are screwed up - from what I'm pretty sure has developed into bad posture. My spine around my neck has compressed discs and this sometimes causes really bad neck pains that turn into horrific migraines. I would not wish these upon my worst enemy. It just wouldn't be fair. Yoga and yoga-esque exercises really make me feel better; so why don't I do them?? Once again, it takes 21 days to make a habit, so I guess I just need to start with Day 1! If I dwell on why, what has happened in the past, I will get no where. It's like Rafiki (from Lion King) once said "It doesn't matta, it was in de past!" New apartment; new life.
Also, for my birthday I got a cool Zumba game for my ps3. I really like playing it - and it isn't easy. Or either that I can't dance... I think a little bit of both. But I never played because we lived in a 2nd story apartment. This apartment made SO much sound, I mean even my 10 lb Prissy Dog made creaking noises as she walked across the floor. But now we are moving to a 1st story apartment, so I can play all I want. And who knows - maybe I will get better at dancing! I know from watching So You Think You Can Dance (love the show) that dancers have amazing bodies, and I would love to have that body! So I think Zumba is a good place to start. And maybe if I get good enough to where I'm not making a fool out of myself, they have classes I can attend and really get some good work outs in.
The new apartment also has a work out facility. Which is a key reason why we are moving and moving to this apartment. It's not huge or anything - but it'll do. It's more equipment than I have access to right now! And even though gym memberships aren't "that expensive" we just can't afford the reoccurring payments especially if we were in the wrong frame of mind to go. Now I feel differently, and there is one just steps from my door.
I'm really looking forward to the new life. Living less cluttered, eating healthier, being more physically active, and more financially sound. All things that I believe are going to make life better. I still can't believe that we have only saved 13 boxes (8 small, and 5 medium boxes) from the apartment. Why was I so attached to things that didn't, well I can't say matter, because they mattered to me. But come one - I can't take it with me when I go, so why am I carting it all around?!
Anywho, in short, physical activity will be a must in the new house either with Zumba or the work out room, with a little bit of yoga before hand. Very excited! I really want to be able to post pictures of me so you can see the results of my work. So I guess when we move into new house - I have to give you a starting picture. Look for it! :-)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Thursday, June 30, 2011
junk food clutters too
Hello world,
In the days of genetically modified, hormonal injected, and processed foods, how does one know what to eat?? For every book or documentary out there claiming that one way is the best and that the other way is wrong, there is another book or documentary out there disproving everything the first said. I want to eat better. I do know that junk food is not good anyway you look at it. And right now my life is cluttered with junk food. I really like fried foods and chips and frozen foods that are easy to cook!
Who do we blame for this?? The age of the TV dinner I suppose and the invention of refrigerated trucks! Or maybe ourselves.. we have all of the information out there in front of us and with the internet we have no excuse not to educate ourselves. We wouldn't put bad gasoline in our cars but we put bad food in our bodies. I would hope that we are more important than a car! But then that goes back to - what do you believe?? Short of going out to the farms and becoming part of the process, there really is no way to know what is truth. And then still, do you know 100% of the truth??
I'm becoming highly skeptical in my "old age" and I just don't know who to believe anymore. Everyone is out to make a buck, no matter who they hurt to get it. Politicians, doctors, and educators unfortunately are all people I grew up thinking were wonderful people and believed everything they said. But now - I don't. I find it hard to believe anything they say. And whats worse is I don't know how to find out the truth for myself. And for the record, I know that there are still good people out there that want to do the right thing - its just the bad people that create these dark shadows and ruin it for the good people. I mean I'm an educator, and I can assure you that I in no way shape or form am in it for the money. That thought is laughable - ha.
But besides all of that - I do have to start somewhere with eating better. Lets start with what I think I know. I know that processed foods aren't good for you and the homemade version is better. It usually tastes better, too. Fresh vegetables are better than canned. Frozen is better than canned but not as good as fresh. I assume sugary cereals aren't really that good for you, and really things that are high in sugar and salt aren't that good for you. My friend told me to shop on the outsides of the store, and that's what I plan on doing when we move - no point to do it right now because all of my stuff is packed up. But seeing as how we are moving in less than a week, then I think things are going to be good.
In short, I don't know what type of foods is better for me. Organic vs. not - I'm just going to start buying foods I feel are better for me, health wise and economically. And if I feel better than I do now, then I'm going to keep doing it. If not - then something has to change. I feel food should make you feel better and more energetic; not like taking a nap afterwards. Not only does life need to be decluttered from things, stuff, and more stuff - life needs to be decluttered of things that make you feel bad like bad food. I just hope I can maintain! Anyone want to come over for dinner??
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
In the days of genetically modified, hormonal injected, and processed foods, how does one know what to eat?? For every book or documentary out there claiming that one way is the best and that the other way is wrong, there is another book or documentary out there disproving everything the first said. I want to eat better. I do know that junk food is not good anyway you look at it. And right now my life is cluttered with junk food. I really like fried foods and chips and frozen foods that are easy to cook!
Who do we blame for this?? The age of the TV dinner I suppose and the invention of refrigerated trucks! Or maybe ourselves.. we have all of the information out there in front of us and with the internet we have no excuse not to educate ourselves. We wouldn't put bad gasoline in our cars but we put bad food in our bodies. I would hope that we are more important than a car! But then that goes back to - what do you believe?? Short of going out to the farms and becoming part of the process, there really is no way to know what is truth. And then still, do you know 100% of the truth??
I'm becoming highly skeptical in my "old age" and I just don't know who to believe anymore. Everyone is out to make a buck, no matter who they hurt to get it. Politicians, doctors, and educators unfortunately are all people I grew up thinking were wonderful people and believed everything they said. But now - I don't. I find it hard to believe anything they say. And whats worse is I don't know how to find out the truth for myself. And for the record, I know that there are still good people out there that want to do the right thing - its just the bad people that create these dark shadows and ruin it for the good people. I mean I'm an educator, and I can assure you that I in no way shape or form am in it for the money. That thought is laughable - ha.
But besides all of that - I do have to start somewhere with eating better. Lets start with what I think I know. I know that processed foods aren't good for you and the homemade version is better. It usually tastes better, too. Fresh vegetables are better than canned. Frozen is better than canned but not as good as fresh. I assume sugary cereals aren't really that good for you, and really things that are high in sugar and salt aren't that good for you. My friend told me to shop on the outsides of the store, and that's what I plan on doing when we move - no point to do it right now because all of my stuff is packed up. But seeing as how we are moving in less than a week, then I think things are going to be good.
In short, I don't know what type of foods is better for me. Organic vs. not - I'm just going to start buying foods I feel are better for me, health wise and economically. And if I feel better than I do now, then I'm going to keep doing it. If not - then something has to change. I feel food should make you feel better and more energetic; not like taking a nap afterwards. Not only does life need to be decluttered from things, stuff, and more stuff - life needs to be decluttered of things that make you feel bad like bad food. I just hope I can maintain! Anyone want to come over for dinner??
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Monday, June 27, 2011
advised plan
Hello World,
There is a new plan in place for when we move! This weekend we are going to move the stuff we don't want (a large majority of the things we own right now) to my Dad's place in Spring. He is getting a warehouse to resale the things he buys. (He kind of does the storage wars thing.) So he said we can keep the stuff there and sell it! So if you are in need of anything, then when that website gets up and running - you should stop by and check it out. Then the next plan of action once we get all of those things out of here is to move on Wednesday, July 6. Then we can begin our life in a decluttered apartment!! I hope that I can reverse my pack rat ways and never let it get like this again.
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
There is a new plan in place for when we move! This weekend we are going to move the stuff we don't want (a large majority of the things we own right now) to my Dad's place in Spring. He is getting a warehouse to resale the things he buys. (He kind of does the storage wars thing.) So he said we can keep the stuff there and sell it! So if you are in need of anything, then when that website gets up and running - you should stop by and check it out. Then the next plan of action once we get all of those things out of here is to move on Wednesday, July 6. Then we can begin our life in a decluttered apartment!! I hope that I can reverse my pack rat ways and never let it get like this again.
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Sunday, June 26, 2011
technology to help
Hello,
The only thing left to do is to move! (and pack the stuff up that we use on a day to day basis) Now we play the waiting game. And I look forward to that day! But, until then I am just going to enjoy the summer!
So recently, (as in yesterday) Robert and I got a new laptop! It's awesome. We haven't gotten a new computer in a long time! (Well ever really.. we always got hand me downs. Both of us.) I mean I'm pretty sure the computer we have now is 6 or 7 years old if not older. I want to try and use the computer to help organize my life. I'm going to be searching the internet for things; anything I can use to help! If I find something, I will let you know how it works out. Also if there are any suggestions, I would love to hear them!
I will let you know how things go when we move and how the unpacking goes. Hopefully as efficient as it was all packed. Until then!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
The only thing left to do is to move! (and pack the stuff up that we use on a day to day basis) Now we play the waiting game. And I look forward to that day! But, until then I am just going to enjoy the summer!
So recently, (as in yesterday) Robert and I got a new laptop! It's awesome. We haven't gotten a new computer in a long time! (Well ever really.. we always got hand me downs. Both of us.) I mean I'm pretty sure the computer we have now is 6 or 7 years old if not older. I want to try and use the computer to help organize my life. I'm going to be searching the internet for things; anything I can use to help! If I find something, I will let you know how it works out. Also if there are any suggestions, I would love to hear them!
I will let you know how things go when we move and how the unpacking goes. Hopefully as efficient as it was all packed. Until then!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
slow progress is still progress
Hello world,
I haven't done much on the moving front but that's because we can't move in until after July 1. BUT, that is this weekend!! Originally, we were supposed to move at this time, but then it got pushed back to the middle of July. But we learned that it is back to the first-ish! WOOT!
I know I packed up early, but I packed slow and efficiently. Robert and I packed everything in boxes in a nice and orderly manner, and all of the boxes are labeled. The only difference we really had during this time moving, is I used towels to pack the dishes. It gave place for my towels and it kept my dishes from breaking (well so far at least.) Robert wanted me to use the Greensheets or something like that. But that just causes trash - and isn't very GREEN! ;-) But other than that its been pretty painless. Except now I have nothing to do until we move!
Right now out of our whole apartment, we are keeping 13 boxes (we have a few more boxes that need to be packed - however, its a whole lot of things we use on a day to day basis.) I would say that we got rid of a bunch of unneeded things! I'm excited about that! Operation "De-Clutter" is working! I can't wait to see it in the new apartment though. I have a feeling I'll be getting rid of more things once we move and I find I have no place for them. In that case, I think it will be OK. I would rather have an uncluttered space from now on, than trying to find a spot for everything. It's almost a cleansing effect. =)
It takes 21 days to make a habit. I will be counting down those days until we get into the habit of doing things right! =) And I'm talking everything. The way we eat. (We have got to be healthier - especially if we want to have kids. I want to be able to keep up with my children and pass on good diet habits so they'll have a healthier life!) The way we house keep. (Which should be soo much easier seeing as how we have less space! To be honest, the only rooms that we really kept clean were the rooms that people were in. Now everyone is going to be in every room! And NO CLUTTER!!!!) The way we spend money. (We have to pay off all of our stupid debt and start saving money for a house!!) And just the way we do anything in life. I just want to be a better person all around. =) Here's to our second chance in life!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
I haven't done much on the moving front but that's because we can't move in until after July 1. BUT, that is this weekend!! Originally, we were supposed to move at this time, but then it got pushed back to the middle of July. But we learned that it is back to the first-ish! WOOT!
I know I packed up early, but I packed slow and efficiently. Robert and I packed everything in boxes in a nice and orderly manner, and all of the boxes are labeled. The only difference we really had during this time moving, is I used towels to pack the dishes. It gave place for my towels and it kept my dishes from breaking (well so far at least.) Robert wanted me to use the Greensheets or something like that. But that just causes trash - and isn't very GREEN! ;-) But other than that its been pretty painless. Except now I have nothing to do until we move!
Right now out of our whole apartment, we are keeping 13 boxes (we have a few more boxes that need to be packed - however, its a whole lot of things we use on a day to day basis.) I would say that we got rid of a bunch of unneeded things! I'm excited about that! Operation "De-Clutter" is working! I can't wait to see it in the new apartment though. I have a feeling I'll be getting rid of more things once we move and I find I have no place for them. In that case, I think it will be OK. I would rather have an uncluttered space from now on, than trying to find a spot for everything. It's almost a cleansing effect. =)
It takes 21 days to make a habit. I will be counting down those days until we get into the habit of doing things right! =) And I'm talking everything. The way we eat. (We have got to be healthier - especially if we want to have kids. I want to be able to keep up with my children and pass on good diet habits so they'll have a healthier life!) The way we house keep. (Which should be soo much easier seeing as how we have less space! To be honest, the only rooms that we really kept clean were the rooms that people were in. Now everyone is going to be in every room! And NO CLUTTER!!!!) The way we spend money. (We have to pay off all of our stupid debt and start saving money for a house!!) And just the way we do anything in life. I just want to be a better person all around. =) Here's to our second chance in life!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Sunday, June 19, 2011
progress is sweet!
Hello world,
We are through with the extra room and the living room finally! Those two rooms had the most stuff. Since our house kind of looks like a store right now (I'm just not sure you fully understand how much stuff I've stickered) we are going to move everything we are keeping into the extra room (minus the big furniture that we are trying to sell off of craigslist). Then everything we are going to sell next weekend, is going into the living room for easy access for when we have to haul it all down. Not looking forward to that day - well I kind of am. More so for the stuff to be out of my way! All we have left is the kitchen, which won't take much packing. And the bedroom which is mostly clothes. Oh and the bathroom, but we are getting new everything so I'll just need to pack the toiletries we still use (so that will obviously have to wait haha). I wish it were time to move now!
I've been thinking though; about the new apartment, and how life will be in said new apartment. Since we are moving to a first floor my excuse for not exercising is null. I don't do it now because I live on a second floor in which you can hear every single move we make... so I try not to add to the noise, because it's a lot. But in the new apartment we are on the first floor and have no worries. So I'm going to start playing my PS3 game that I got for my birthday this year. Zumba!! I'm totally excited - but I can't dance. Maybe the more I do it, the better I will get... right? That's how it works?? Eventually if I can do it and not look completely foolish, there are classes down the road that I would like to start taking. I love watching shows like So You Think You Can Dance because they move so artistically and controlled and it takes a mean body to do what they do. I mean dancers, to me, have the best looking bodies. So perhaps Zumba can do a little of that for me! I also think I forgot to mention that there was a workout facility at the new apartment as well. So that will help, too. Husband will be forced (I'm sure it won't take too much forcing) to go to the facility with me. Haha, I won't, however, force him to do Zumba with me, unless he just absolutely wants to.
I'm also thinking about the kind of food that we are going to be eating. I'm not sure yet. All I know from what little I've studied and been told is that all I need is natural food. Less processed foods. Which means I need to cook from scratch more. I have some great recipe books. The kitchen is slightly bigger so I'm hoping that will help that end of the problem as well. Right now we have a tiny kitchen and I really don't like to cook (which is why we end up eating out all of the time...) But you know what? I just need to suck it up and just do it right. The whole slogan for the new apartment: Just do it right.
Oh and I was right, throwing things away made a huge difference! I'm very happy!! :-) Now to go and spend Father's Day with a couple of fathers and one day, the father of my children. Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
We are through with the extra room and the living room finally! Those two rooms had the most stuff. Since our house kind of looks like a store right now (I'm just not sure you fully understand how much stuff I've stickered) we are going to move everything we are keeping into the extra room (minus the big furniture that we are trying to sell off of craigslist). Then everything we are going to sell next weekend, is going into the living room for easy access for when we have to haul it all down. Not looking forward to that day - well I kind of am. More so for the stuff to be out of my way! All we have left is the kitchen, which won't take much packing. And the bedroom which is mostly clothes. Oh and the bathroom, but we are getting new everything so I'll just need to pack the toiletries we still use (so that will obviously have to wait haha). I wish it were time to move now!
I've been thinking though; about the new apartment, and how life will be in said new apartment. Since we are moving to a first floor my excuse for not exercising is null. I don't do it now because I live on a second floor in which you can hear every single move we make... so I try not to add to the noise, because it's a lot. But in the new apartment we are on the first floor and have no worries. So I'm going to start playing my PS3 game that I got for my birthday this year. Zumba!! I'm totally excited - but I can't dance. Maybe the more I do it, the better I will get... right? That's how it works?? Eventually if I can do it and not look completely foolish, there are classes down the road that I would like to start taking. I love watching shows like So You Think You Can Dance because they move so artistically and controlled and it takes a mean body to do what they do. I mean dancers, to me, have the best looking bodies. So perhaps Zumba can do a little of that for me! I also think I forgot to mention that there was a workout facility at the new apartment as well. So that will help, too. Husband will be forced (I'm sure it won't take too much forcing) to go to the facility with me. Haha, I won't, however, force him to do Zumba with me, unless he just absolutely wants to.
I'm also thinking about the kind of food that we are going to be eating. I'm not sure yet. All I know from what little I've studied and been told is that all I need is natural food. Less processed foods. Which means I need to cook from scratch more. I have some great recipe books. The kitchen is slightly bigger so I'm hoping that will help that end of the problem as well. Right now we have a tiny kitchen and I really don't like to cook (which is why we end up eating out all of the time...) But you know what? I just need to suck it up and just do it right. The whole slogan for the new apartment: Just do it right.
Oh and I was right, throwing things away made a huge difference! I'm very happy!! :-) Now to go and spend Father's Day with a couple of fathers and one day, the father of my children. Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Saturday, June 18, 2011
no progress..
Yesterday we didn't have any progress in the moving department because lucky ole' me got a migraine. Took me out from like 3 o'clock yesterday until I woke up this morning. It was pretty bad. I need to go to the chiropractor but even with insurance the doctor is too expensive and I would have to get a "health credit card" and pay it off over time. Which I guess wouldn't be that bad, but we are trying to get out of debt. Not make more.
Getting out of debt is something else I want my family to do right. We kind of follow the Dave Ramsey plan... kind of. Our goal is to pay off the smallest debt first (a credit card) and then when that's paid off take the money we used to spend on that and roll it over to the next smallest, etc. In theory it works. No it works. We've done it before. All of our credit cards were paid off before we got married... and then we bought things for the wedding and other things. And now we are back to where we were 2 years ago. Except now we have added a car (needed) and bedroom furniture (not as needed but super nice!). We can't add anymore "not needed" items to our debt list. It is irresponsible.
I am looking forward to today getting a lot of packing knocked out. And a lot more things thrown away. I think the more trips we make out to the dumpster today the more our old apartment will look "packed up". So no time like the present!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Getting out of debt is something else I want my family to do right. We kind of follow the Dave Ramsey plan... kind of. Our goal is to pay off the smallest debt first (a credit card) and then when that's paid off take the money we used to spend on that and roll it over to the next smallest, etc. In theory it works. No it works. We've done it before. All of our credit cards were paid off before we got married... and then we bought things for the wedding and other things. And now we are back to where we were 2 years ago. Except now we have added a car (needed) and bedroom furniture (not as needed but super nice!). We can't add anymore "not needed" items to our debt list. It is irresponsible.
I am looking forward to today getting a lot of packing knocked out. And a lot more things thrown away. I think the more trips we make out to the dumpster today the more our old apartment will look "packed up". So no time like the present!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Friday, June 17, 2011
does junk mulitply?!
Man! We sort... we pack.. we sticker... and this stuff just seems to never end!! Man.. I'm a better hoarder than I thought. All of this stuff was neatly packed away in the million closets and bookshelves I have in this apartment... I would say that we are half way done - close to being half way done. We still have to pack the kitchen and bedroom and bathroom. But man... Husband doesn't feel we have put a dent in this mess, but I know we have. I have a lot of things off to the side to be sold, and so far we have packed 7 boxes. I underestimated how many boxes we would need, too; I thought we would only need 10. But I was wrong. If we have already filled 7 and there are three more rooms... yes we will need more. And to make myself feel better... I'm going to call it "pre-hoarding" because I could still walk around haha.
In the new apartment things will not get this crazy... ever. We will have an "Out with Old and In with New" rule. If it can be exchanged with something - then it will. Clothes included... why do I have 2+ months worth of clothes I don't even wear?? I always have too much laundry to do. Hopefully life in the new apartment will be everything I hope it will be, but if I just do it right then it should be.... right??
Once we start selling things and they start exiting the house, I think we will really feel that we've put a dent in it. Next weekend is the weekend! Hopefully we can get all of the smaller stuff out of the house. But for now, its time to make breakfast (chikfila style) and get the momentum back up and running! I must have wore Husband out yesterday, he fell asleep early! So I'll surprise him with some chicken-minis. My favorite!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
In the new apartment things will not get this crazy... ever. We will have an "Out with Old and In with New" rule. If it can be exchanged with something - then it will. Clothes included... why do I have 2+ months worth of clothes I don't even wear?? I always have too much laundry to do. Hopefully life in the new apartment will be everything I hope it will be, but if I just do it right then it should be.... right??
Once we start selling things and they start exiting the house, I think we will really feel that we've put a dent in it. Next weekend is the weekend! Hopefully we can get all of the smaller stuff out of the house. But for now, its time to make breakfast (chikfila style) and get the momentum back up and running! I must have wore Husband out yesterday, he fell asleep early! So I'll surprise him with some chicken-minis. My favorite!
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Thursday, June 16, 2011
overwhelming
So we started the packing process last night. And just one word can describe what we went through. OVERWHELMING! We are no where near being done... the BS has just taken over everything we own. I would love to just run my hand across and just empty everything in to a trashcan... but what if we throw away something important!? Now I guess I can just think well if I haven't seen it in the 4 years we've lived at this apartment, then we should be good, right? No... there's still a bit of pack rat inside of me. So I'm going through everything. But on a good note, I'm pretty sure I've stickered more than I've kept! So that's good! It really doesn't even look like we've put a dent in this mess...
Next weekend, we are taking a bunch of stuff to Trader's Village, a flea market-esque place in Houston. I've labeled everything really cheaply, so I'm hoping to not come back with anything. If I do - I am very tempted to just donate it all, just to be rid of the stuff forever. We are selling the big stuff on Craigslist and hopefully we can get rid of a bunch of stuff that way, too. The plan is to move everything we want to the new place and then have a moving sale, where people go into our old apartment and just look at the stuff we have to buy, which will also be advertised on Craigslist. With the money we get (if any) from selling our old life style away, a new couch will be bought! To signify a new beginning. :)
Anywho... I should get back to packing... this crap won't pack itself!
Life is too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
Next weekend, we are taking a bunch of stuff to Trader's Village, a flea market-esque place in Houston. I've labeled everything really cheaply, so I'm hoping to not come back with anything. If I do - I am very tempted to just donate it all, just to be rid of the stuff forever. We are selling the big stuff on Craigslist and hopefully we can get rid of a bunch of stuff that way, too. The plan is to move everything we want to the new place and then have a moving sale, where people go into our old apartment and just look at the stuff we have to buy, which will also be advertised on Craigslist. With the money we get (if any) from selling our old life style away, a new couch will be bought! To signify a new beginning. :)
Anywho... I should get back to packing... this crap won't pack itself!
Life is too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
getting to know me
I just wanted to start out by letting you know a little bit about who I am.
I'm married to one of the most amazing guys in the world, we are very compatible and I love him for that! I am a teacher in Houston, TX and love every minute of it! And we also have a dog named Prissy, who is 14 1/2 years old. She is my best friend, and I have had her since I was in the fifth grade.
OK now let me tell you what I want this blog to be about. My husband and I are starting over this summer. Right now we live in a 2/2 apartment that's just under 1000 sq. ft. We have so much stuff, we could fill a 3 to 4 bedroom house with no problem. We have so much BULLSH*T in our lives, that we just have to get rid of it! We are looking for no BS kind of life. Our solution? We are moving to a 1/1 apartment that is a little over 600 sq. ft. and we are getting rid of EVERYTHING! I swear I am almost bordering on "Hoarder" and that scares the crap out of me! So I'm stopping it now before it becomes too much of a problem that we can't handle anymore, and we end up on TV...
Right now, we are going through the stuff "Things we want to keep" and "Things we want to get rid of" and I'm stickering everything! You know with little garage sell stickers. I'm going to try and get some money off of all this crap - One woman's trash may be another woman's treasure! And to be fair, this stuff isn't exactly crappy, it just isn't needed by us. Most of the stuff got replaced when we got married and people bought us stuff. (Awesome!) Or it was just "college stuff" to fill an apartment. We have big kid furniture now! :)
But another way we are starting it over is with our weight. We are both overweight and unhealthy. We have succumbed to the temptations of the fast food places too many times. Yes its cheap and fast. And cheap being mostly the key word there. But in the new apartment, we are going to eat better! When we move I will let you know what we end up eating. We still have a month. I know you're saying why not start now? No time like the present! Well ... if were only that easy. We are packing away a lot of stuff. Because we are both going to be out of town several days/weeks out of the summer visiting various friends (it's our version of a vacation.) And in between visits - we will be moving. Which is why we are packing now.
Well that is a little bit about our situation and I'm going to try and blog everything I do mostly to make sure I keep on track but maybe it could help someone else, too. Who knows if anyone will even read this! BUT if you are, wish us luck as we start this journey of doing things right! :)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
I'm married to one of the most amazing guys in the world, we are very compatible and I love him for that! I am a teacher in Houston, TX and love every minute of it! And we also have a dog named Prissy, who is 14 1/2 years old. She is my best friend, and I have had her since I was in the fifth grade.
OK now let me tell you what I want this blog to be about. My husband and I are starting over this summer. Right now we live in a 2/2 apartment that's just under 1000 sq. ft. We have so much stuff, we could fill a 3 to 4 bedroom house with no problem. We have so much BULLSH*T in our lives, that we just have to get rid of it! We are looking for no BS kind of life. Our solution? We are moving to a 1/1 apartment that is a little over 600 sq. ft. and we are getting rid of EVERYTHING! I swear I am almost bordering on "Hoarder" and that scares the crap out of me! So I'm stopping it now before it becomes too much of a problem that we can't handle anymore, and we end up on TV...
Right now, we are going through the stuff "Things we want to keep" and "Things we want to get rid of" and I'm stickering everything! You know with little garage sell stickers. I'm going to try and get some money off of all this crap - One woman's trash may be another woman's treasure! And to be fair, this stuff isn't exactly crappy, it just isn't needed by us. Most of the stuff got replaced when we got married and people bought us stuff. (Awesome!) Or it was just "college stuff" to fill an apartment. We have big kid furniture now! :)
But another way we are starting it over is with our weight. We are both overweight and unhealthy. We have succumbed to the temptations of the fast food places too many times. Yes its cheap and fast. And cheap being mostly the key word there. But in the new apartment, we are going to eat better! When we move I will let you know what we end up eating. We still have a month. I know you're saying why not start now? No time like the present! Well ... if were only that easy. We are packing away a lot of stuff. Because we are both going to be out of town several days/weeks out of the summer visiting various friends (it's our version of a vacation.) And in between visits - we will be moving. Which is why we are packing now.
Well that is a little bit about our situation and I'm going to try and blog everything I do mostly to make sure I keep on track but maybe it could help someone else, too. Who knows if anyone will even read this! BUT if you are, wish us luck as we start this journey of doing things right! :)
Life's too short to have too much stuff,
Sandy
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