All I Ever Need To Know I Learned from Watching MacGyver

A couple quick updates: My Sailor and I had the money and chipping in talk and I just gotta give him kodus for listening seriously - and acting on it. It's pretty awesome. I'm now confident that I won't have to bust my hump forever at a 9-5 just so we can get by. In a couple years, he'll be higher ranking and making more money. We'll also be happier in a house - and happier translates into more relaxed and more relaxed translates into more creative juices. We have a 2 year plan set up for me to be able to get into the writing world in a professional capacity than I already am. In the meantime, I'm on the look out for local writing groups to join to hone my skills AND make new friends. Everybody is happy and that's a good thing. I feel a million times better knowing that "my turn" is coming soon - and that I can already take steps towards it.

As for wedding stuff, we're carefully looking over our options. If we have it here, it'll be more expensive because more of his very extended family is likely to attend, and more of my friends are willing to make the drive rather than book a flight to Florida, but it'll have to be indoors due to the time of year (aiming for Feb 2013). If we have it in California, my family is more likely to help out with more expenses since they wouldn't have to travel, and we could do it outdoors (most likely) BUT it would mean we travel and change our honeymoon plans to Hawaii instead of the Cruise we had planned. So we may just end up doing it in Florida and keeping it small. After all, everything is pretty much still lined up and just waiting on the word "go"!

But outside of all that - we got rid of cable. Cutting the cable bill from $120 too $52 (internet only) is such a great way to save money! We do use Hulu and Netflix to stay in the loop, and local channels are free anyway.  So I've been catching up on some old favorites lately.

Namely MacGyver.

 
 I realize that I was only 5 years old when I started watching this show. It aired from 1985-1992 and I don't think I missed a single episode. Strange thing is, it actually reinforced a lot of the values I already learned at home and did it's part in shaping my life a bit.

For example, I've always been attracted to nerds and Mac was a total nerd in the brain department. Guys that know things I don't know I can learn from them. It keeps life interesting and exciting to me. Even in my adult life, I'm constantly looking at what I can learn from those around me. Even someone I don't particularly like can teach me something valuable, so I learned to be tolerant, keep an open mind, and actually listen to folks. After all, everyone knows something I don't.

Macgyver was also big on compassion. He showed it in a non-Desperate-Housewives way that came off as legitimate and not condescending. His modesty isn't something I see enough of these days. I love that, and learned a lot from it. He gave back whenever and whatever he could to make people's lives better. Most often what he gave was hope, his expertise, and his imagination, proving that money and stuff rarely truly enhance people's lives in a measurable, lasting way.

Finally, he wasn't afraid to call a spade a spade. Bad guys were bad. There was very little grey area. (Gotta love the broad strokes writers use!) I think that life is more black and white than we think, but often we're reluctant to admit it. Sure, no one is entirely bad. Conversely, no one is entirely good either. Mac lied when it suited his purposes so he was no saint. But at the same time, I feel that today, we're so afraid of offending someone we forget that accountability isn't our enemy. It's a good thing (in my book). Holding each other accountable for our actions, words, etc, isn't a negative thing.

 Mac took a job and he finished it, giving it his all and his full attention.I've struggled with this one throughout my life, being ADD (diagnosed and everything). I just learned to deal with it, and learned how to focus. ADD can be a gift - you tend to see EVERY OPTION around you, rather than have tunnel vision. Those with ADD often think out of the box and create astounding pieces of art and science, when left to follow their own passions. But it does mean that often it's hard to focus on a task someone else gives us. But there is something else I learned from Mac:

 Just because a task is hard and you're not sure how you'll accomplish it, doesn't mean you give up.

And he always came out on top (and always got the girl with the big shoulder pads and poofy hair - gotta love the 80's).

So, when it comes to life lessons, maybe I did learn a few things from TV as a kid. Star Trek (the 1960's one and Next Generation), MacGyver, and Beauty and the Beast all shared some values in common that I still hold dear today. Unlike Members Jackets and hypercolor t-shirts, some things never go out of fashion.

Oh - and one more thing I learned from MacGyver...

Anything is possible with a good pocket knife, some chewing gum, and a roll of duct tape.

Tax Return and The Rule of 3rds

I'm doing the happy/relieved dance today! The Tax Return came in! My Sailor and I decided to use the rule of Thirds to decided where the money goes this year. 1/3rd will go to bills. 1/3rd will go to savings. 1/3rd will go to us. Man, does it feel good to see that extra money sitting there!

This is the first year since 2001 that I've gotten money back on my taxes. As a single adult with a good job - the government LOVES to stick it to ya. Sure, we're paying for important things, but I'm happy if I break even. I'm THRILLED if I get something back! Now to decide which bill gets to disappear! I'll be checking out interest rates and making sure it goes to the highest one.

We're also going to be cutting back a bit when we move. We'll be canceling cable - which makes me VERY happy. Currently, we pay over $100/month for internet at TV. My Sailor wanted his sport channels when we moved and didn't really have an idea on how little he'd be home. Now that he does, it's time to cut that back. He's rarely home enough to catch a full game, and I prefer to head to the sports bar for a change of scenery and a beer. Most sports networks are available online, so we're going to let the cable TV go. We have a computer and a PS3 hooked up to that TV. We can watch things on Hulu.com or online for free or next to free. This has the potential to result in a savings for $750 PER YEAR! Pretty significant if you ask me!

I'm not used to being financially stable. I'm used to freaking out over money. It's kind of funny how it's working out. Sure, I'm still the chief breadwinner (what do you expect? I've been at my job since 2005), and I handle most of the money, but we make decisions together regarding how to save or spend it. I think it's proving to be a nice balance for me. I'm making headway in paying down my debt, my car is paid off, and we're looking at BUYING A HOUSE! Yeah, I know. I've mentioned it before. We're waiting on our pre-approval.

It looks like it's going to happen in this order:
House
Wedding
Baby

So that brings up the last one on that list - Baby. We're talking about starting the adoption process at the same time we pull the goalie, since chases are more than likely that my body won't cooperate. Filing for adoption will take the stress off for "must have something that looks like us", so in some ways, it might actually INCREASE our odds of getting pregnant.

I wrestle a little bit with the kid thing because it means I seriously need to beef up my writing resume, so I can work part time at my day job, and bring some money freelance writing. My current gigs pay in bragging rights mostly. I'm VERY proud to be following my passion and be part of the Celebrations Press team. It's my FAVORITE gig and I'm hoping to expand it. If I had the funds, I'd LOVE to do a Disney Parks International column for them as well. So far, I haven't been able to afford to take research trips to Tokyo, Paris, or Hong Kong, but the desire is there!

But I know I'll have to get books rolling if I want to get out of the Medical Coding world. Medical coding just pays really well and is steady. Being a starving artist is overrated.

So we'll see how things pan out, but one thing is certain -
Little Sailor's first trip to Disney is going to ROCK!

Some New Goals

It's been an... eventful past couple days...so you'll have to excuse my blogging silence as I process things.

Because I think I complain far too much - first, the good stuff!

Tomorrow, My Sailor and I are going to look at a few houses. Yeah! They are short sales or foreclosures. I'm more excited than scared. The scary part will come tomorrow morning when we find out how much we're approved for.

It's a new chapter - with some old vocabulary thrown in the mix -

Like the term "Finding Nemo". My Sailor will have lots of time to look for him this time, so that means, I'll have LOTS of time on my hands to accomplish things! First up, a weekend in So Cal with Sistah' Girl this summer.

I don't have anything else planned at the moment, but I am considering a solo trip somewhere - since I have plenty of vacation to use up this year.

Aside from that, the Run For Your Life Zombie 5k in Portland/Seattle in August! Hopefully My Sailor will be there with me! We've registered to run as prospect survivors, AND to chase people as Zombies! It also includes overnight camping! Should be fun!

I'm waiting on my new shoes before I start training for ANYTHING. Don't want to screw up my feet even more and REALLY set myself back!

(I also ordered a Fitbit! Can't wait to see how that helps me keep my health on track!)

But tonight I'm happy to report that I got 41 minutes of Just Dance 3 on "Sweat" mode. It was a blast! I signed up for a 7 day challenge to help keep me focused and in shape over the next couple months.

I've also been out of the house twice. I do notice that I'm stammering more when I talk to people, even on the phone lately. Oy! The side-effects of me not getting out enough means I get a tad anxious when talking to new people, and I stumble and trip over my words to say what I mean to say.  It's an embarrassing habit I hold to LOSE  before I meet My Sailor's family and friends on 2 weeks.

The bad news was sort of laced in there. My Sailor is VERY busy at the Sub and will be for at least the rest of this year. It makes me even more grateful to look back on my past and see how far I've come.

But it does take me a little while to process all this - between 12 hour work days (worked over 50 hrs this week) and the house stuff - and reminding myself to take care of me...which reminds me... Me needs a bubble bath and some book time before bed tonight. Off I go!

Walk A Mile in My (Broken Down Cheap old Running) Shoes

As most of you already know (if you read my blog regularly) - you know that I am on a quest when it comes to my athletics. I played LOTS of sports as a kid, but that didn't stop me from being overweight. But I want to continue 'getting better and better' (thanks Kyle for the tagline!). And today I put in an investment towards that.

One of the greatest lessons I learned in life (so far) is that any investment you make in bettering yourself, betters those around you as well. It can inspire people on their own journey, encourage those going the same direction you are, and build stronger relationships with other people who are interested in 'getting better and better' as well.

When I first bought my running shoes (Asics GT-2160), they ran me about $100. Yikes! That's more than I think I've ever spent on athletic shoes, but My Sailor helped to convince me that my lousy feet need a little TLC when it comes to running. I tend to beat them into a pulp since they'd been, well, lousy since I can remember.

Take a look and you'll see what I mean:

Let's take a look at the bottom of the shoes, shall we? If you look carefully, you'll see that only worn areas are the outside of shoe (from ball to heel) and just below the ball of the foot. That's where you can see the purple peeking out from the yellow-ish greenish sole. So obviously those areas take a lot of abuse. Now lets look at my feet on the left. Md's say I was probably born with high arches, but as I put on weight as a kid, and played sports (soccer), my arches fell. Now, we have technology that fixes this in children under 10. A tiny ball like thing is implanted into the weakening bones, which helps the body correct itself. Pretty cool, huh? Too bad it wasn't around in the 1980's (when I was 10 and under). Obviously, my heels take a lot of abuse - see all the callouses there? They don't hurt, and I never really worry about how my feet "look" so I rarely bother with them. On the lower right hand corner, you'll see my "good foot". This is one that has a tiny bit of arch left. Arches give your feet spring and helps them bounce back from daily stuff. Now, the 2nd photo from the right shows me standing. You'll notice my ankle of my "good foot" is pretty much lined up w/ my leg, despite the lack of arch in either foot. (Believe it or not, this is actually PROGRESS from where I was 10 years ago.) On the other side though, you'll notice that my ankle rolls in pretty severely. I am NOT leaning in this picture, but it looks like I am, huh? Crazy stuff! Anyway, over the course of my teen years, my ankles collapsed. (Which is why it's progress to have 1 nearly line up on it's own finally - but losing 50lbs will do that!) The left ankle joint, when not properly supported, actually pretty much touches the ground when I walk.

And you know when you're feet are off so are your knees, hips, back, etc. I'm so grateful not to struggle with any sort of chronic pain in those areas!

As for my feet - when I'm bare foot, my toes go numb on a regular basis. That's how I knew I couldn't keep these shoes one day longer. My lousy feet killed em.

In their defense, they were great shoes! Worth every penny! I wore them A LOT, and they lasted nearly a year. Since running shoes aren't known for their durability, and should be replaced every 6 months anyway, it's past time.

But that doesn't mean I am looking forward to the 2 hour commute to the mall and back to find a great Lady Footlocker and spend over $100 on new shoes, RIGHT before a vacation!

So here's where I get savy -
  Yesterday, I got a reward card in the mail for $20 my next purchase at Famous Footwear. While I never have good luck at their physical stores, I have great luck with their online specials. Today, the exact same brand/model of shoe (different color) is on sale! Instead of $99, it's $69.99! How's that for a deal? I add on my coupon and I got it down to $56.01 after taxes. "But what about shipping and handling?" Since I'm a rewards member (which was free to sign up for), shipping is free. So I saved on gas by not even having to go to a store. Oh, and I have one more savy shopping goodie - I went through ebates.com to get them. So I also get 9% put back into my paypal account, which is a little over $5.

So I actually bought $99 shoes for $50.96.

And now, I just have to get a new swimsuit top and I have a feeling I'll be all ready for our vacation and well within budget.

Quote of the Blog - "It feels good to outsmart the feet." - Me.

And another Date Bites the Dust!

Hi there readers!
  Many of you may already know this through other media, but I'm trying to get the word out. Last night we learned that the October 18th, 2012 wedding date is going to have to be postponed. Yes, again. Just like last year, My Sailor will be off Finding Nemo during October of this year, making it impossible to hold the ceremony.
  "So, when's the new date?"
We don't know. And we won't until probably Jan of 2013.  We can't afford to move it up (and he can't get any more leave approved this year anyway), so it'll most likely be next spring.
  How do I feel about all this?
 To say I'm disappointed is as true as it can be. And frustrated, as this is the 3rd date change, each of them pushing it into another calendar year.
  I'm painting it with a good brush because now we can focus more on our next move. Literally. We're aiming to move into a 3 bedroom (or a 2 bedroom with a den) in June. Now, we'll be able to focus on house hunting, deciding if we should rent or buy (mortgages are cheaper than renting anything over 2 bedrooms) and such.
  So there's the latest and greatest. I'll be posting to the Wellness Blog tonight all about Financial Wellness! Stay tuned! You might find some tips and tricks (like ebates and swag bucks) that you didn't know about! :)

A Linkful Blog of Goodness

First, the Sunshine!

I have almost 30 hrs of PTO saved up! That gives me some peace of mind regarding some upcoming plans I have to get away for the holidays.

Volleyball might start up next week! I'm excited to get back out and into a sport!

Payday!  Hey, it's something I look forward to twice a month!

One Step Closer to Being Debt Free! There are 2 credit cards that have been major sources of stress for me for the last few years. However, I've managed to chip away at them slowly. Last night, I made a phone call, told them I was trying to pay them off, and asking what they could do for me. Well, 'ask and ye shall receive' is very true. They lowered my interest rate almost 10% on each card! I also called the hospital, as I'm still paying off last years laparoscopic salpingo-oopherectomy (that's a scope assisted ovary removal for all of you non-medical folks out there). Yes insurance covered most of it, but there was still a balance and a few odd things that weren't covered. Anyway, I called them now that I am finally within $200 of paying it off entirely, and THEY knocked some money off as well! Not a ton, but some and every little bit helps! My foreclosure from 2005/2006 will be off my credit report next year for sure (yeah!) and my car will be paid off at the end of the month! That's a big fat ray of sunshine right there.


As for the other stuff:
 I'm very thrifty shopper. It's not uncommon for me to go without something or repress some shopping impulse because I can get it cheaper somewhere else, later, or because I don't really need whatever it is to survive. (Example: for YEARS I went without cable TV, and if it weren't for my job, I wouldn't have cable now.) But I thought I'd take a cue from my blogger pal ThatDisneyGirl  and see if I am missing saving/earning oppurtunities.
  Here's the video that reminded me how just a little extra work can add up to a very good thing:

If you like what you see, vote for her by clicking the here.

So I signed up for a legitimate survey site. I'm still not convinced, as many of the things you are asked your opinion on require signing up for something. It's kind of like the mystery shopper - for example, applying for car insurance quotes and being contacted regarding those quotes. Eh, I don't have all day to answer the phone, so I skipped that one. I've yet to see if it really paid off, but I've found that Ebates is awesome. In less than a year, I've received over $50 I wouldn't have otherwise gotten on internet purchases. My Sailor has started using the Ebates account when he orders computer parts online. If your curious, click here to sign up and see if you could be getting money back on your purchases. Ebates also offers discounts as well, so it's been really handy. I've been using the money for things usually toward the wedding. For example, my hair piece would have cost me over $30. Because of the money in my paypal account from Ebates, it cost me $15. Not bad, right?

I'm also learning how to coupon smart. See, I'm a savvy shopper, but I don't really use coupons that often. At least, not on everyday items. So I started taking ThatDisneyGirl's tips to heart. She shares them here on her blog Great Big Joy...on a little tiny budget. Normally, I find that shopping at certain stores gives me a better discount on some things. For example, I get my produce from a farmstand. Not all of their deals are fabulous, and they don't always have what I want in stock, but usually I can get a fridge full of healthy fresh produce for under $25. So I don't really "shop around" for produce. This week, I'm going to take advantage of the fact that I am situated between FOUR grocery stores, and see how much I can save by using coupons and checking mailers. So far I've clipped a few good one. I'm just making sure that I'm not clipping a coupon for something we don't need. Overbuying with a coupon doesn't save anything. Today's first coupon will probably be for the oil change at Jiffy Lube. I signed up for a rebate that came in the mail just in time for my car to need an oil change. Since it's our one (almost paid off) car, we're really working on keeping it in running condition as long as we can. So I try to walk anywhere within a 3 mile radius. (You're also less tempted to overshop when you realize you have to CARRY IT HOME!) Not only does this help me stay in shape, but it's better for the planet, my car, and my wallet!

I'll keep ya posted on how the experiment goes!
Any money saving tips you want to pass on?

Oh yeah - I also walk EVERYWHERE I can!

Some Fun and Mixed Emotions

I've been such a mixed bag of emotions lately, I have a hard time making sense of it enough to blog it out. So let's catch up, shall we?

Sunday was bitter sweet. It was the closing day for Into the Woods. (Click here in case you missed the opening night blog.) The show went great, the goodbyes were unexpectedly emotional for me, and left me feeling a bit on the blue side. I had a lot of fun with the show, and I'm now completely exhausted, but I wouldn't have traded a moment of it. Funny how life does that, huh? While I didn't make any life-long friendships out of it, it's great to see people around town and actually recognize a few. Makes it feel a little more like home.

And now it's officially September. I'm reminded with each passing day that My Sailor will be deploying soon. I've been asking him to take a weekend off before he leaves, but he tells me won't be possible. He's actually schedule for duty at least 1 day/night at least 1 weekend day for every remaining weekends he has here.  I was really hoping we could have one solid weekend together, with no rehearsals, no duty days, no work, etc, but now it's clear that that isn't going to happen. And that doesn't make me happy. Sure, I'm putting on a good face daily, doing my best not to dwell on it - but I'd be lying to you (my readers - ye brave, ye few) if I didn't say the situation can be extremely frustrating. Him leaving hangs over us like a little cloud that we choose to ignore most of the time. Don't get me wrong - I'm not frustrated with My Sailor, I'm just generally frustrated with the situation. I hate waiting around, and planning (or, in this case, not planning) my life around anyone's schedule leaves me feeling just that - like I'm waiting around for him to have time to spend with me, doing my best to remain available.

So, I'm still learning as I muddle my way through all of this.

But I'll tell you what - I couldn't be more grateful for my family and the skills I've learned from them over the years. (Not to mention the skills I learned from an amazing therapist during my recovery from a nasty divorce.)

So what's my solution to all this?

Embrace the new adventure!  So my journey through WWCA's Into the Woods is complete and the timing isn't right for a new show just yet. Shows are a large time commitment that I'm not ready to make for the above mentioned reasons - there will always be a show going on that I can audition for. Time with My Sailor is hard to come by. It wouldn't be fair to anyone to get into one right now, especially since I'm planning on traveling home for the holidays to visit my family.

But, what is the new adventure?




In order to end this listless feeling, I need define a direction here. So here are my plans:

Join the YMCA - They have some fun looking classes and this is a great way to focus on my health and to make sure I get out of the house. When you work from home and live in a new place, ya' need something else to go out for other than the eat.

Register for the Princess 1/2 marathon, 2012 - Having a small vacation to look forward to will help BIG TIME! Registration is $140 if I register before October 2nd and the race is on February 26th, 2012. There is a free training program that looks completely do-able. It would have be running (or run/walking) 3 days/week.  So while I have no fear of being unprepared physically, I know there is the chance that My Sailor won't be there to cheer me on. It would mean the world to me for him to be able to attend, but I know I'll have to be prepared to fly solo on this one. Well, maybe not completely solo! I am part of a running team (TeamVoice) so, instead of dreading going it alone, maybe I should look at this as a chance to make some new friends?

Join the Navy Women's Volleyball team - It's not yet clear how much of a time commitment this may be, but I'm in! I'm looking forward to finding out if I still have that ace of a serve I discovered in my youth. I'm betting I can figure it out again. ;)


Set build - To help stay plugged into the local theater community, I've voulenteered to keep on helping out with set building when I can.

Wedding DIY - With our wedding coming up next year, there are PLENTY of little projects to keep me busy - like building my feather fan, figuring out a new stationary design (since the Animal Kingdom was ex-nayed due to budget restraints and guest limitations). The Art Man ) will (hopefully) still be doing the artwork for them. Then it's just a matter of putting them together, coming up with a schedule of events, booking things, and then the final step of paying them off! Of course, the pay off won't come until closer to the event, but it's nice to get a start on everything and have actual dates and vendors set up. I already have Save The Dates ready for a new date to be put in (most likely, October 18th, 2012).  I'm also thinking of customizing some Keds for my wedding shoes... we'll see how creative I get, but I have some ideas.

Writing my first books - Since I write for a Disney World Fan magazine, and my family is already behind me being a writer since I was first published as a teenager, I've decided to go ahead and start work on some young children's books. Now, I don't do art, but I'm thinking doing Disneyland based, personalized, choose your own adventure books might be a fun way to indulge my Disney passion - and hopefully make some extra money! Though the thing about writing is that most authors don't get out much!

Offer Dog Walking Services - Since My Sailor and I have decided to extend our current lease, and the holidays are coming up, I think I could make some extra cash and get to know my neighbors by offering a dog walking/house sitting service. Of course, I'd have to work this around my schedule, so we'll see where this goes. It'll largely depend on where Thanksgiving finds me, and how long I'll be gone for Christmas. One good thing about My Sailor not taking any time off - I'm wracking up the vacation time!

So that's the map for the fall/winter... It's just the waiting to get into all of that that is killing me. But no matter what happens, it's fair to say that I'm gonna miss this guy... badly.

When the Stress isn't worth it.

I'm starting this blog off with a photo of a fantastic memory because tonight, I found a smile that I struggled to find a bit today.

I'll admit it. Few things scare the crap out of me like BIG PURCHASES. Lately, we've been discussing a LOT of them, so I've been feeling kinda overwhelmed. From buying/building/renovating a house, to the wedding, I've been trying to keep my cool, while secretly there is a whirlwind of "OMG, How are we going to pay for this??!" buzzing through my brain. Today, though, it feels like a weight has been lifted as we got some news from Disney.

Basically it boils down to this: If we want our ceremony in the Animal kingdom, we'll have to kick in about $4k more and cut the guest list down to 35 people.

While disappointing, this is a very clear reality check for me. It boiled down to a simple question: Which would I rather have? A chance to celebrate with my family and friends and have it paid off before we do it? Or a chance to celebrate with a handful of people in a unique venue and pay it off for a few years afterwards?

Even for a Disney Freak like me, this wasn't a choice. I'd rather be able to invite more people. When I proposed it to My Sailor, he agreed. No Animal Kingdom for us. So while we're a bit disappointed (again), it's actually freeing in a lot of ways!  The decision on the dresses for the ladies has been made, and we still have the quote (which includes 65 people in a wedding AND Reception AND Illuminations Dessert Party for a little more than Disney would have charged us for the Wedding alone) from Shades of Green, so it's looking like we'll be heading back to our original plans for a morning Shades of Green wedding w/ a Brunch reception.

Also, by going with Shades of Green, I can take my bridesmaids up on their offers to help out with flowers, center pieces, and things before hand! It'll save money, time, but most of all help us all get closer to each other as we all pitch in for this event.

And ya know what? That sounds awesome. I do believe I'm starting to get a healthier perspective on this whole thing.

I used to feel bad about taking family and friends up on their offers to help. After all, they are all having to travel for our big day. But I don't anymore. I realize that helping gives us a chance to bond and gives everyone a chance to be a tangible part of a remarkable occasion. We're still getting our invitations done by a local artist, and we're probably going to have the cake topper made for us as well. Talk about a customized event!

I also realized something I lose sight of. Wedding planning should be FUN! If it stops being fun, take a step back and double check that your priorities are in the right place - rather than focused completely on one day. Yes, it's an important day, but it really is just one day.

Sure, we want to show everyone a good time, but the truth is, WE ARE IN DISNEY WORLD WITH OUR CLOSEST LOVED ONES! OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME! I'm going to Disney World with my family, My Sailor's family, and our closest friends. And taking a smart start to our future seems so much better than a debt filled one.


Moral of the Story: Sometimes stress is an indicator that a change of plan is called for.

  I actually can't wait for our Shades of Green day. After all - we're already getting the best part of this deal.

Confessions and Fresh Starts

One of the best things about life is true forgiveness. It's a gift we give ourselves sometimes. It's picking ourselves up when we stumble. It gives us the freedom to start again, change course, or just cut ourselves a little slack.

Lately, I've been cutting myself some slack in the food and work out department. Don't get me wrong, I'm still doing my daily mile with the dog, but sometimes that's all I get to. And yes, I've been eating my calories - and lately a bit more. 

With My Sailor leaving soon, I decided that now isn't the time to stress out about any of this. So I'm cutting myself some slack and deciding to move forward. I work long days a when My Sailor has overnight duty so that I can duck out early and spend time with him when he's free.

I realized the other night that our spending is getting surprisingly under control, despite all the craziness lately. I signed up for Mint.com. It's an amazing service that breaks down your spending habits into weekly or monthly updates. It links all your credit cards and bank accounts to really give you a complete picture of how you're doing.  For example, I noticed that we spent almost $70 last month at COFFEE SHOPS! We don't even really drink coffee!  That's WAY too much! So I'll be sticking to my tea and Tassimo at home. (My Sailor immediately trembled in fear as I can now see how much he spends at vending machines on base.)

In October, I'll be starting the Galloway training plan to get myself through (drum roll please) the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon in Feb! I figure My Sailor and I can use a short trip to Disney World to get our Wedding planning visit under our belts and to use our free day we have from the passes we bought for my birthday last year or head over to Universal and check out the Harry Potter attractions. My goal is to have all my weight lost by the time he returns! It's about 30lbs, so I think it's nearly doable.

So there we have it - forgiveness is giving ourselves the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and move on.