Redefining Perfect

Goal #1 was Body Image

Finances have always been a challenge at Casa de Perfect.  We’re impulse buyers.  I haven’t used a check register since I worked at the bank 3+ years ago (seriously…I do not keep a register).  We live paycheck to paycheck and shouldn’t need to.  We have no savings to speak of and credit card debt – not as much as when we got married, but enough. 

So, once again…my Big Dreams, and the Baby Steps to them.

Big Dreams
1. Pay off our Credit Card debt.
2. Get a decent size savings account.
3. Start paying toward principal on our mortgage
4. Get a newer second car (and give away the Mazda as it was given to us)
5. Get a bigger house (con’t from #3 ) – this is a big, faraway dream, like 2 years at least.

Baby Steps for January
1. Start keeping check register again
2. Continue tracking extra principal paid on truck
3. Track spending on a budget sheet
4. Live without debit cards – cash only
5. Using tracked spending as guide, set a budget for February
6. Get back to clipping coupons and making/following grocery list
7. Use debt tracker I found for excel (Loving it so far)
8. Gather all things needed to run taxes ASAP.

I have many many more dreams, big and little…but these are keynote for now.  The credit card debt, along with my weight, will all be tracked on another page here.  I’m working on setting it up now. 

Again, if you want to play along go ahead and steal the banner.  I’ll be doing weekly updates

Tomorrow’s Goal – Personal/Family.

I believe tomorrow will be the last…unless I come up with something else in the mean time

 

Check out who won the $75 Gift Card to Ridemakerz!!

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I have big dreams for 2009.  But I also have no will power.  So to achieve the end-game goals, I’m going to break everything up into smaller, more achievable goals.  I’m going to try to keep track every week on Saturday’s, here on this blog, with posts and a page just for the goals.  Hence, the banner.  It’s keeping myself accountable for successes and failures along the way.  So, without futher ado – Goal #1.

I was just going to put “weight” for this goal…but it’s more than just my weight.  It’s my whole body image, and treatment of said body.  I used to be a dancer so skinny I was asked if I was anorexic.  That wouldn’t happen today.  I don’t need to be that skinny again, but I need to like myself. 

Big Dreams

1. Get weight from 157 (*cringe*) down to a more acceptable 125-130.
2. TONE the acceptable weight of 135-130 – i.e. exercise regularly
3. LIKE myself again. Feel sexy again.
4. Get back into my size 6 skinny jeans (I’ll settle for my 8 skinnies)
5. Be able to wear my baby t’s again (not that I would – being able to and doing are two different things *lol*)

Baby Steps for January

1. Cut back to 2 pops a day MAX by Feb 1.
2. Drink more water.
3. Exercise on the 2 days a week Angel is at school w/ FitTV
4. Cut out late night grazing.

I don’t have a weight goal at all for January, only long term.  I want to make sure I set ACHIEVABLE goals, remember?  I think I can mange these 4 simple goals.  Weaning off the pop is a huge one. I’m a Dr. Pepper & caffeine addict. I have some flavored coffee to replace my morning pop…I just have to work on the rest of the day!  Last year I did this for January and my current pants felt loose at the end of the month.  It was such a good feeling, and I wasn’t even tracking weight. Unfortunately I didn’t keep it up and I’m now worse than ever.  So.  That’s my goal for January now.

Tomorrow – Financial Goals

(P.S. if you want to join in, you can swipe the banner and start your Baby Steps to Big Dreams!!  I’ll be posting every Saturday once Goals are set!!)

For the week of 12/21-12/27/08
Weekly Winners is the brainchild of the wonderfully Sarcastic Mom, Lotus

I’m going to be a wee bit egotistical and ask you to pay attention to the girls’ skirts (& pettiskirts) – they were handmade by me and delivered by Santa!

Getting ‘into’ the spirit

Joy

Box of Wonders

Puddle of Skirt

Little Drummer Boy
(This is my nephew – unnamed and unseen w/o permission)

Action Shot

Opening Carefully

Don’t forget!!
Enter to win a $75 Gift Card to Ridemakerz!!

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And the chaos of the holidays is over.   It’s time to step back from the stress of cookie baking, present making (and wrapping, ugh), AND two weeks straight of sick children!! 

I’m beginning to look to the new year.  Not New Years (I hate that accursed ‘holiday’ almost as much as Valentine’s Day)…but the New Year.  It’s becoming 2009.  My girls will both be in school full time starting in April (well, until summer).  My boy is turning 11 in 3 weeks.  My girls will be 3 & 4 instead of 2 & 3. 

I’m also looking at myself.  I have changes I need to make.  Two pregnancies followed by a hysterectomy and becoming a SAHM has wreaked havoc on my body.  I now weigh MORE than I did when I was 9 months pregnant with either of my girls.  I don’t like what I see in the shower.  I don’t like habits I’ve obtained.

So for the new year I have not necessarily resolutions (blech), but goals.  Over the next week I’ll be posting each goal in its own post as I work them out in my head.  So that I have a record of them, and something to look back on, and something to note with progress (or failure). 

What about you?  Are you already looking toward the new year?  Or are you already sick of it??

Win a $75 Gift Card to Ridemakerz at Two Brooms Up!!!

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As the holiday approaches, my concern grows.  Will we manage to see a happy and joyous Christmas with my family? 

Riley has healed, though she is once again PAINFULLY thin (she’s lost 2 pounds in the past 2 months – pounds she didn’t have to spare in the first place).  She is joyous and rambunctious and pestering the HECK out of Mommy.

Angel is not yet out of the woods.  Despite a brief respite on Saturday at Archie’s family Christmas thing…Angel has still spent much time like this:

Today, after a week of being sick w/ no fever…she spiked a fever up to at least 101.3 by ear (I do not trust our thermometer), and she had a rash.  The rash started on Saturday on her face, appearing in such a way we didn’t realize what it was.  Today it covered her upper arms and both cheeks.  After nap her cheek looked bruised and swollen from it.

Now is when I start to worry.  When panic creeps into my consciousness.  When at the edges of my awareness is that occassional cough and the definite change in attitude.

Because as much as I love her, Angel is NOT the type to just lie still in your arms for hours on end…which she has spent the past 4 days (at least) doing with either Archie or myself.  That’s what worries me most of all.

When will I get my baby back?  Will she be here for Christmas?  Or are we destined for this to get worse still?

 

Well, you don’t want to know what I’m drowning in.  Let’s just say that since I last left you (a WEEK ago!  Holy cow!) I’ve done abut five loads of laundry a day…all bed clothes and towels. 

Riley was sick first, waking up at 6AM friday in a puddle of puke.  Since then it’s been a rollercoaster of up and down healthiness.  Angel caught it next, and now Archie has been in bed since yesterday. 

So far Brandon and I have escaped the wrath of the actual illness *knocks on wood*…but I’ve been so wrapped up in caring for everyone that a blog post just hasn’t been forthcoming.  I have no tree.  And last night was the first time I washed dishes in days.  I’m behind and miserable about it. 

Presents are not done being sewed.  I haven’t been able to get to the store to pick up the last of the supplies for one of them.  Brandon’s is done.  Archie’s is bought, but the company I ordered from decided that my 3 day ship time was just a guideline…AND that one of the items ordered that was in stock when I ordered was NOW backordered.  Who knows if they’ll be here in time. 

I have a really awesome review and giveaway to post about…and I haven’t been able to do it…and I have plenty of other items to post about (like my evening of freedom to see the remarkable Lion King)…but again…just not able to.

Hopefully some day soon I’ll be able to sit down without a clinging monkey on my lap (Angel) that cries every time I put her down…and that a coherent thought will form.

Don’t ask why I haven’t blogged since Sunday (actually, technically late Saturday night).  Because I can’t honestly say…well, I can…and you didn’t ask, but I’m going to tell you anyway

I spent the weekend baking approximate 750 cookies and candies.  I got all but about 80 of them frosted by Tuesday.  I love baking cookies for Christmas…so this wasn’t a problem to me…but it took a LOT of time. 

I’ve also been sewing.  I finished a skirt for Riley, and am about 3/4 done with the pettiskirt for underneath it (I scored a great deal on some organza to use for the pettiskirts).  I have the fabric cut for a skirt for Angel, and have some amazing organza (also at a great deal) for her pettiskirt as well.  So I’ve been sewing my arse off as well – because pettiskirts are awesome, but they take a TON of time and effort. 

In between I’ve done some cleaning (although not enough…but I been busy), some laundry and occasionally cooking. 

I have also for some strange reason, decided that after 3 months of non-activity I needed to get involved in playgroup again.  And have attended two playgroup events this week so far (One I actually hosted), and I’m supposed to go to one tomorrow (though I might cancel that).

We’ve met with the psych this week, and had Angel’s annual appt for Early Intervention (including her transitional meeting). 

The only thing I haven’t done yet is decorating for Christmas/Yule…and it’s killing me.  This weekend I’m determined to get our tree up…Probably Sunday…because on Saturday I’m going to see Lion King with my Dad…and he’s taking me to eat at the Rathskeller – his treat since I bought the tickets. 

I still have to make more felt foods for the girls for Christmas (on top of their skirts), buy shirts to match their skirts, get Brandon’s Christmas presents wrapped up…and then I’ll be able to breathe…

Unless hubby’s coworkers want me to make the cookies that I haven’t made this year.  I made them last year and they were a huge hit…and when Archie took the cookie tray into work today everyone wondered where they were.  I may have to make another type of cookis

For the week of 11/30-12/06/08
Weekly Winners is the brainchild of the wonderfully Sarcastic Mom, Lotus

 

Remnant of Summer

Silent Witness

Jack was Here

Laced with Chocolate

Creamy Sweet

Marbled Decadence

Reminders of the Past

Mountains of Flavor

Two Days Progress

 (It should be noted that I forgot to put the fudge in the last picture. I also have 2 8X8’s of fudge, one w/ peanut butter!!

Life lessons from Cookie Land Central – i.e. my house for the next 3 days.

1.  DO take out your butter and eggs several hours before you begin.  It allows for much easier mixing.

2.  DO NOT – I repeat – Do NOT crack your egg so hard that it splits completely in half, dropping half the shell into your running KitchenAid that promptly shatters it and mixes it into 1c of butter and 1c of shortening.

3. DO ignore directions and go with your instincts on cookie size.  Otherwise you end up with one GIANT cookie where 5 smaller ones were meant to exist.

4. DO NOT think that the fit of the bowl is “Good enough” to be a double boiler if it moves at all…the chocolate gets burnt and you get miserable.

5. DO make plans for a bigger kitchenm and then pretend you’re in it so the misery of no counter space seems far away while you’re trying to work under those conditions.

5. DO NOT forget to clean as you go…makes it much easier to get to the NEXT type of cookie.

6. DO make a complete list of ingredients needed and make SURE you have enough so that last minute supply replenishing isn’t required.

7.  DO NOT forget to enlist the 10 year old to frost cookies so that once they are baked you can put your feet up and let them have the misery of frosting 10 dozen cookies.

I’m sure many more lessons are left to be learned…but we’re still on day 1 of cookie time!!

Cookies.

Last year at Christmas I baked about 600+ cookies – about 5 different kinds.  I tried new recipes and not one of them flopped.  I discovered the best-ever sugar cookie recipe, and discovered a few others that were just to die for. 

This year I’ve found new recipes to try, and I just don’t know where to stop.

I have to make at least 5-6 dozen for a cookie swap party – of one kind of cookie.  That will stamp out one kind. 

But how do I choose what else to make?  I don’t want my house overrun with cookies when my husband is a diabetic.  I know he’ll take some into work to share with everyone.  That will take care of several dozen as well.  Plus I have to send some to our soldier.

The problem comes down to what kinds to make?  I have too many options before me.  Want to help me choose? Just select below. I’ll choose the top 4 to make with my standard cookies and giveaway cookies!!