I “borrowed” this little idea from Kenz at All the Weigh ~ she did it yesterday, and it seems like just the perfect way to get in a little blog post on this busy busy Tuesday.
Today I… will not get buried in the ever~increasing piles of paper that are threatening to take over my office. I will get file folders made this week and finally get my filing done!
Today I… will pray for my almost~mother~in~law who is taking the next step in her reconstruction process this morning. {She had a double mastectomy in November as a preventative measure after testing positive for the breast cancer gene. Today they are putting in expanders to make room for the implants she will get in four to six months.}
Today I… will get a good start on my garter orders for the week. Business has been growing and I HAVE to stay on top of orders or things will get really ugly really quickly.
Today I… will spend some much~needed cuddle time with Nate and Daisy on the couch.
Today I… will complete at least four circuits on Jillian Michael’s Blast Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD ~ it’s even better than 30 Day Shred!
Today I… will give Daisy a good brushing which she so desperately needs {but with seriously hate}.
Today I… will add salad back into my diet. I’ve been horrible about eating my leafy greens lately.
Today I… won’t go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. {My new plan is to wash them every night so they don’t pile up and take over the kitchen counters. It’s been known to happen…}
Today I… will celebrate Day 2 of employment with Nate ~ he started his new job yesterday!
Today I… will drink 48 oz. of water. I got close yesterday, but will get there today for sure.
Today I… will enjoy life!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friend Makin' Monday ~ The Simple Woman's Daybook
It has been a LONG time since I participated in FFM, mainly because I can no longer access Blogger at work, which makes blogging and commenting next to impossible as my time in the evening is mainly taken up with garter orders, couple time with Nate, and play time with Daisy. But I decided to carve out a few minutes during the workday to do this little meme with the intentions of posting it when I get home from work. So here goes!
The Simple Woman's Daybook
Outside my {office} window... is the light blue cubicle wall of my sweet, sometimes annoying coworker. She’s a squealer and a loud talker, which tends to grate on me. But she always offers an ear when I need to vent and we have a pretty good working relationship.
I am thinking... of finally placing an order for some of the beautiful ribbon I’ve been drooling over for months. The higher expense will mean I have to raise my garter prices, but I think it will ultimately be worth it because the ribbon is leaps and bounds above what I have been using and will mean my garters will be higher quality. More about that later this week…
I am thankful... that I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a job to go to every day. During these difficult economic times, I thank God for these things every day.
I am praying... for the people of Haiti, and for a strengthening of my relationship with Nate. I am anxious for us to take the next step in our relationship, but know that we are not quite ready for it yet. We decided last week to really focus on strengthening our relationship and working towards marriage, and I am praying that we will get there sometime this year.
I am reading... Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and listening to... Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon {the fourth book in the Outlander series}
I am creating... Garters, garters, and more garters! I wouldn’t say it’s wedding season quite yet, but given the number of orders I’ve been getting lately, it must be right around the corner!
From the kitchen... Ah, if only I had more to share in this section. I generally avoid the kitchen at all costs, but am planning to tackle my favorite recipe, Chicken Giardino from the Olive Garden this week. The dish is no longer on the menu, but I was able to find the recipe on the restaurant’s website. I know that it was one of their healthier choices, so I’m excited to make it and figure out how many WW points are in each serving.
Around the house... I am really enjoying the Shark vacuum my mom got us for Christmas. Our entire house is hard-wood, and it’s been such a pain to keep clean. I HATE sweeping, and have found that the Shark is a nice substitute for a broom and dustpan. I love having clean floors!
One of my favorite things... This week, it’s having a full staff in our department. In addition to our boss leaving the company a few weeks ago, we’ve had two members of the department lose parents in the past week and a half. This has made for sad and stressful times for everyone ~ it’s hard to know that people you care about are hurting, and it’s a very stressful time to be covering for someone who is absent as this is our business time of the year. I have fallen behind in a lot of areas and am hoping to finally get caught up this week.
A few plans for the rest of the week... I’m planning to finally take down the Christmas decorations {yes, I know I’m horrible} and put up my new Valentine’s Day decorations; I’m also hoping to get caught up on garter orders and get a few new styles listed on Etsy.
Have a happy Monday!
The Simple Woman's Daybook
Outside my {office} window... is the light blue cubicle wall of my sweet, sometimes annoying coworker. She’s a squealer and a loud talker, which tends to grate on me. But she always offers an ear when I need to vent and we have a pretty good working relationship.
I am thinking... of finally placing an order for some of the beautiful ribbon I’ve been drooling over for months. The higher expense will mean I have to raise my garter prices, but I think it will ultimately be worth it because the ribbon is leaps and bounds above what I have been using and will mean my garters will be higher quality. More about that later this week…
I am thankful... that I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a job to go to every day. During these difficult economic times, I thank God for these things every day.
I am praying... for the people of Haiti, and for a strengthening of my relationship with Nate. I am anxious for us to take the next step in our relationship, but know that we are not quite ready for it yet. We decided last week to really focus on strengthening our relationship and working towards marriage, and I am praying that we will get there sometime this year.
I am reading... Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and listening to... Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon {the fourth book in the Outlander series}
I am creating... Garters, garters, and more garters! I wouldn’t say it’s wedding season quite yet, but given the number of orders I’ve been getting lately, it must be right around the corner!
From the kitchen... Ah, if only I had more to share in this section. I generally avoid the kitchen at all costs, but am planning to tackle my favorite recipe, Chicken Giardino from the Olive Garden this week. The dish is no longer on the menu, but I was able to find the recipe on the restaurant’s website. I know that it was one of their healthier choices, so I’m excited to make it and figure out how many WW points are in each serving.
Around the house... I am really enjoying the Shark vacuum my mom got us for Christmas. Our entire house is hard-wood, and it’s been such a pain to keep clean. I HATE sweeping, and have found that the Shark is a nice substitute for a broom and dustpan. I love having clean floors!
One of my favorite things... This week, it’s having a full staff in our department. In addition to our boss leaving the company a few weeks ago, we’ve had two members of the department lose parents in the past week and a half. This has made for sad and stressful times for everyone ~ it’s hard to know that people you care about are hurting, and it’s a very stressful time to be covering for someone who is absent as this is our business time of the year. I have fallen behind in a lot of areas and am hoping to finally get caught up this week.
A few plans for the rest of the week... I’m planning to finally take down the Christmas decorations {yes, I know I’m horrible} and put up my new Valentine’s Day decorations; I’m also hoping to get caught up on garter orders and get a few new styles listed on Etsy.
Have a happy Monday!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Do You Shred?
Inspired by Kenz at All the Weigh {if you haven’t stopped by to visit her yet, you MUST do so now ~ she is a fabulous inspiration to any and all who are unhappy with their weight}, I decided to join many others in BlogLand and try out Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. I think there a quite a few of us out there “shredding” at the moment ~ Amber, JennyKate, Rhonda and ShortMama are just a handful that I am aware of.
I have to admit that I bought the 30 Day Shred DVD about three weeks ago {I found it at Fred Meyer for $9.99, and I believe it’s the same price at Amazon}, but only just started it this week. Today will be Day 3, and while I’m not entirely looking forward to it because I’m a little sore and tight from yesterday’s Shred, I don’t think it will be incredibly difficult to motivate myself to get my workout clothes on and let Jillian kick my butt for 20 minutes. I mean, c’mon, isn’t Jillian’s body motivation enough?!? :o)
My goal is to complete the program by the end of February. I don’t believe that the 30 days need to all be in a row in order to be completely effective ~ I think it’s good to give your body a day or two off to recover, and I know that if I try to make myself do the workout every day for 30 days, I’m setting myself up for failure. I don’t even think I’d make it a week! Five or six days in a row with a day off to rest sounds great to me.
Have you tried the 30 Day Shred? Thought about it? I’d love for you to join me ~ we can share our progress and successes!
I have to admit that I bought the 30 Day Shred DVD about three weeks ago {I found it at Fred Meyer for $9.99, and I believe it’s the same price at Amazon}, but only just started it this week. Today will be Day 3, and while I’m not entirely looking forward to it because I’m a little sore and tight from yesterday’s Shred, I don’t think it will be incredibly difficult to motivate myself to get my workout clothes on and let Jillian kick my butt for 20 minutes. I mean, c’mon, isn’t Jillian’s body motivation enough?!? :o)
My goal is to complete the program by the end of February. I don’t believe that the 30 days need to all be in a row in order to be completely effective ~ I think it’s good to give your body a day or two off to recover, and I know that if I try to make myself do the workout every day for 30 days, I’m setting myself up for failure. I don’t even think I’d make it a week! Five or six days in a row with a day off to rest sounds great to me.
Have you tried the 30 Day Shred? Thought about it? I’d love for you to join me ~ we can share our progress and successes!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sadness & Celebration
After coming back from my last bloggy break, I was sure that I wouldn’t stay away for long again. Well, I called that one wrong. It’s been over six weeks since my last post! Craziness! I’m hoping to be more diligent about blogging regularly in the future because it is such a great outlet for expressing myself and my feelings, and because I have lots of new things to share with everyone! But before I get to that sharing, I need to share a few other things...
It has been a week of great sadness at my work. Our CFO and my boss, Lars, had his last day with the company last Friday. The official word is that he stepped down, but regardless of how it happened ~ whether it was his choice or someone else's ~ he's gone and we weren't given a chance to say goodbye.
Lars wasn’t just a great boss ~ he was also a great man. In my life, I have met few people who are as selfless and caring as he is. Several years ago, when I was dealing with legal issues with my ex, Lars not only accompanied me to a law office to talk to a lawyer, but he also paid my legal bills. Knowing how much strain I was under, he asked me every day without fail how I was doing and what my stress level was. He was always there to listen and offer advice; to this day, I don’t know if I could have gotten through that time without his support. I would venture to say that he had similar special relationships with each of my nine coworkers who worked under him ~ that’s just the type of person he is.
And now he’s gone. All of us in the department are grieving for our loss. All evidence of him is gone ~ his office has been ceremoniously cleaned out, his name and picture have been removed from our website, all the locks and key codes have been changed. We weren’t given time to mourn for him ~ the attitude has just been “Soldier On, and Don’t Look Back.” And I’m miserable about it. I feel so sad that I feel like I might burst. I can’t sleep without dreaming about the whole situation; I worry about how he is doing almost non~stop. I want to send him a note and let him know that while he may be gone from the company, he is not gone from the hearts of those who worked with him, but I’m not even sure how to put that into words.
THIS. JUST. SUCKS. I miss my boss. And I want him back.
On a happier note, Nate received a job offer last night! After nearly nine months of unemployment, this is truly a blessing. He will be working in a call center at Verizon {where my dad works ~ my dad was instrumental in getting Nate connected with the right people in order to get this job} as an independent contractor. It’s not his dream job by any means, but the pay is reasonable, he’ll be working hours similar to mine, and it’s less than seven blocks from our house. We are both very excited that he’ll be joining the workforce again within the next week or so, and I’m hopeful that we can finally start preparing more seriously for our future now that will be a two~income couple once again.
It has been a week of great sadness at my work. Our CFO and my boss, Lars, had his last day with the company last Friday. The official word is that he stepped down, but regardless of how it happened ~ whether it was his choice or someone else's ~ he's gone and we weren't given a chance to say goodbye.
Lars wasn’t just a great boss ~ he was also a great man. In my life, I have met few people who are as selfless and caring as he is. Several years ago, when I was dealing with legal issues with my ex, Lars not only accompanied me to a law office to talk to a lawyer, but he also paid my legal bills. Knowing how much strain I was under, he asked me every day without fail how I was doing and what my stress level was. He was always there to listen and offer advice; to this day, I don’t know if I could have gotten through that time without his support. I would venture to say that he had similar special relationships with each of my nine coworkers who worked under him ~ that’s just the type of person he is.
And now he’s gone. All of us in the department are grieving for our loss. All evidence of him is gone ~ his office has been ceremoniously cleaned out, his name and picture have been removed from our website, all the locks and key codes have been changed. We weren’t given time to mourn for him ~ the attitude has just been “Soldier On, and Don’t Look Back.” And I’m miserable about it. I feel so sad that I feel like I might burst. I can’t sleep without dreaming about the whole situation; I worry about how he is doing almost non~stop. I want to send him a note and let him know that while he may be gone from the company, he is not gone from the hearts of those who worked with him, but I’m not even sure how to put that into words.
THIS. JUST. SUCKS. I miss my boss. And I want him back.
On a happier note, Nate received a job offer last night! After nearly nine months of unemployment, this is truly a blessing. He will be working in a call center at Verizon {where my dad works ~ my dad was instrumental in getting Nate connected with the right people in order to get this job} as an independent contractor. It’s not his dream job by any means, but the pay is reasonable, he’ll be working hours similar to mine, and it’s less than seven blocks from our house. We are both very excited that he’ll be joining the workforce again within the next week or so, and I’m hopeful that we can finally start preparing more seriously for our future now that will be a two~income couple once again.
It's odd to be feeling sad and rejoiceful all at once, but I guess that's life!
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I've Said Goodbye to Counting Calories...
And hello to Weight Watchers!
I’ve blogged often about my desire to lose the weight I gained shortly after Nate and I started dating. I don’t have a lot to lose ~ only ten pounds ~ but have been struggling with little to no success for over a year and a half. A week and a half ago, I decided that it was time to try a new approach, and within twenty minutes, I was all signed up for Weight Watchers Online and on my way to thinking in terms of “Points” instead of “Calories” and “Fat Grams”.
At first, I was freaked out by the idea of only getting to eat 18 points a day {plus my 35 weekly points that can be used all at once or throughout the week and any activity points I earn through exercise that can be transferred to food points}. But I’ve been surprised at how full I can feel after eating smaller {and healthier} sized portions, and I’ve actually only used a few of my weekly points so far. And I’ve found that just taking a different approach to eating ~ counting points instead of calories ~ is making a huge difference in my outlook and my hopes for success this time around. I haven’t seen much of a change on the scale yet, but I’m staying positive and feel confident that I will get the results I want with this program.
What’s even more exciting is that I’m not alone in this endeavor. I was talking to my boss yesterday about joining Weight Watchers {she has been struggling to lose a little extra weight for months also} and we decided to see if there was enough interest in our building to have Weight Watchers meetings here. She sent out an email and got an overwhelming amount of immediate response. Out of 120 employees, a whopping 25 have expressed interest so far! That’s 20%!!! We have an informational meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, and hopefully we’ll get started the week after that. I’m ecstatic that so many of my coworkers are interested in doing this together and am really looking forward to the support we can provide one another!
Have you tried Weight Watchers, or are you a current Weight Watchers member? Have you found success with this program? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
I’ve blogged often about my desire to lose the weight I gained shortly after Nate and I started dating. I don’t have a lot to lose ~ only ten pounds ~ but have been struggling with little to no success for over a year and a half. A week and a half ago, I decided that it was time to try a new approach, and within twenty minutes, I was all signed up for Weight Watchers Online and on my way to thinking in terms of “Points” instead of “Calories” and “Fat Grams”.
At first, I was freaked out by the idea of only getting to eat 18 points a day {plus my 35 weekly points that can be used all at once or throughout the week and any activity points I earn through exercise that can be transferred to food points}. But I’ve been surprised at how full I can feel after eating smaller {and healthier} sized portions, and I’ve actually only used a few of my weekly points so far. And I’ve found that just taking a different approach to eating ~ counting points instead of calories ~ is making a huge difference in my outlook and my hopes for success this time around. I haven’t seen much of a change on the scale yet, but I’m staying positive and feel confident that I will get the results I want with this program.
What’s even more exciting is that I’m not alone in this endeavor. I was talking to my boss yesterday about joining Weight Watchers {she has been struggling to lose a little extra weight for months also} and we decided to see if there was enough interest in our building to have Weight Watchers meetings here. She sent out an email and got an overwhelming amount of immediate response. Out of 120 employees, a whopping 25 have expressed interest so far! That’s 20%!!! We have an informational meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, and hopefully we’ll get started the week after that. I’m ecstatic that so many of my coworkers are interested in doing this together and am really looking forward to the support we can provide one another!
Have you tried Weight Watchers, or are you a current Weight Watchers member? Have you found success with this program? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friend Makin' Mondays ~ Survey!
It has been WAY too long since I participated in Friend Makin’ Mondays {I’ve been in a bloggy rut} but I just couldn’t pass up on today’s survey brought to us by Amber at {aefilkins}. I’m emailing my post from my work email because I can’t log onto Blogger from work, so I apologize for any weirdness in spacing and display. I'll fix it all when I get home from work. :o) Here goes…
1. Favorite website ~ Etsy. My garter business wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it’s been without it, and I love browsing through other crafters’ creations for inspiration. Although it does make me wish I could spend all my days crafting rather than stuck behind a desk at work…
2. Favorite color ~ Pink!
3. Facebook? ~ Umm yes. I’m a bit of a Facebook junkie. You can find me at hmccormick3 at gmail . com ~ I would love to be your friend!
4. Favorite Christmas song? ~ Nat King Cole’s Buon Natale (Merry Christmas to You). I discovered it in college on Napster {back before it was a pay~only site ~ yes, I illegally downloaded music back in the day. Whoops.} I’m not sure if it’s one that even gets played much, but I love it {and pretty much everything else Nat King Cole sings}. It’s about a town in
5. Christmas tree: Real or fake? ~ Fake. In my experience, going with a fake tree is the only way to guarantee a decent~looking tree. My last experience with a real tree was years ago with my parents ~ they decided to cut down a dying tree from the yard and use that instead of forking out some $ for a REAL real tree. It was, by definition, a Charlie Brown tree if ever there was one. I bought my own fake tree a few years ago, complete with lights, and I love how easy it is to get the tree set up and start on the best part ~ putting on the ornaments!
6. Hottest celebrity? ~ I’ve got a bit of a Zachary Quinto crush at the moment… Even as the evil villain, Sylar, I find him completely irresistible!
7. Favorite restaurant? ~ Olive Garden. Incidentally, the O.G. is also my favorite place of employment. I worked there for three summers and two Christmas breaks during college, and it was the best, most fun job ever. Plus the pasta is absolutely delicious and the breadsticks are to die for!
8. Favorite magazine? ~ Any bridal magazine. I’m a glutton for punishment, as I’m beginning to think that I am NEVER going to get married… But they sure are fun to browse, and I like to get garter ideas from them.
9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays? ~ I’m not a big eggnog or cider person, but I never say no to a lemon drop…
10. Favorite Christmas movie? ~ A Christmas Story. And Scrooged. And Twas the Night Before Christmas, a cartoon my dad taped for me back in the ‘80s that I still love to watch. And I do have a soft spot for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Happy FMM!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Clean the House in 30 Minutes?!?
I am 100% embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I am the world’s worst housekeeper. At present, our house gives a whole new meaning to the word “filthy.” There are 3+ days worth of dishes piled up in and around the sink {life without a dishwasher really is the worst}, pine needles from the shedding tree outside all over the floor, and puppy toys and treats scattered everywhere. A clean load of laundry sits in a basket waiting to be folded; another is still in the dryer. Our bed hasn’t been made in weeks, and I’m sure that my sewing room should be declared a national disaster area. And the only reason I can stand to bathe in our scummy shower is that I always shower sans contact lenses and thus can’t see exactly how disgusting the walls, curtain and floor of our shower really are.
I grew up in an immaculately clean house ~ my mom is borderline OCD when it comes to cleanliness {don’t get mad at me for saying so, Mom ~ you know it’s true!}, so our carpets were ALWAYS vacuumed, the floors were ALWAYS scrubbed, the toilets were ALWAYS cleaned, and so on and so forth. And to be honest, I miss being able to eat a cookie or cracker that’s fallen on the floor without a second thought about exactly how dirty the floor it fell on really was. I hate that our bathroom sink almost always has toothpaste stuck to it somewhere, and I am tired of the bottom of all of our white socks turning brown the instant we take a step on the floor. Plus it’s getting really old having to do a speed clean of the whole house so it is somewhat presentable if a family member or friend calls to let us know they’re on their way over for a quick visit. I know that I will never been the housekeeper my mom is, but I also know that I can keep a whole lot cleaner house than the one I’ve been keeping.
My new plan is to do a little bit of cleaning every day. Amanda at Imperfectly Beautiful had the same idea, based on a 30 minutes a day checklist she discovered here. It sounds AWESOME! The basic idea is that by doing maintenance cleaning in the main areas of the house on a daily basis, the mess won’t get away from you. We’ll see if I can actually stick with it, but it’s definitely worth a try!
Do you have any special tricks you use to get the house cleaned in a jiffy? I’d love to hear them!
I grew up in an immaculately clean house ~ my mom is borderline OCD when it comes to cleanliness {don’t get mad at me for saying so, Mom ~ you know it’s true!}, so our carpets were ALWAYS vacuumed, the floors were ALWAYS scrubbed, the toilets were ALWAYS cleaned, and so on and so forth. And to be honest, I miss being able to eat a cookie or cracker that’s fallen on the floor without a second thought about exactly how dirty the floor it fell on really was. I hate that our bathroom sink almost always has toothpaste stuck to it somewhere, and I am tired of the bottom of all of our white socks turning brown the instant we take a step on the floor. Plus it’s getting really old having to do a speed clean of the whole house so it is somewhat presentable if a family member or friend calls to let us know they’re on their way over for a quick visit. I know that I will never been the housekeeper my mom is, but I also know that I can keep a whole lot cleaner house than the one I’ve been keeping.
My new plan is to do a little bit of cleaning every day. Amanda at Imperfectly Beautiful had the same idea, based on a 30 minutes a day checklist she discovered here. It sounds AWESOME! The basic idea is that by doing maintenance cleaning in the main areas of the house on a daily basis, the mess won’t get away from you. We’ll see if I can actually stick with it, but it’s definitely worth a try!
Do you have any special tricks you use to get the house cleaned in a jiffy? I’d love to hear them!
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