New Year, New Tradition

Note:  inspired by my good friend Sarah, I'm making some changes on the blog.  If every time you visit my blog and you see a new background or fonts or designs, just "let it go."  I'm playing around with some different ideas until I find something I'm completely happy with.  Read on. :)

Happy last day of 2014, friends!  This was a heck of a year for the Gaddie Family.  Disney trip, a three year old, kitchen remodeling, basement remodeling, news of a fourth member being added to the Gaddie household.  What a great year!  Leaps and bounds above how I felt about 2012 and 2013.  I was thankful for a year full of (mostly) good news, finally.

So, here I sit.  I can hear the bells of a New Year ringing in the very near future.  My mind, naturally, is on resolutions.  Just for fun, I decided to go back to my post this time last year to see if I actually accomplished anything I set out to do in 2014.  I resolved to be a better Christian, save money, organize my 28th and Hudson business, organize the basement, feel better about myself, to single-handledly bring back snail mail, finish my furniture redos, keep my house picked up, and to keep up with my blogging.  Whew.  I'm exhausted just reading that list.  In an ideal world, this would be the part where I tell you that I did all of these things and more to fulfill my resolutions.  But this is real life and I accomplished some of these things.  I wish I could tell you that I was a better Christian this year.  But a tragedy happened in our community, to a family I barely know, and my faith hasn't really been the same since.  Hopefully I'll get brave in 2015 and talk more about my struggles, but I definitely failed this year.  Marty and I did do better with budgeting our money and saving.  I didn't organize my 28th and Hudson business, because I ended up shutting the business down....for right now.  Talk to me again when I have my own super organized craft room and am able to go to my very own space to craft again.  Our basement is getting organized because we're finishing it, and I'm getting my own craft room, Avery is getting a playroom and Marty is getting a space for all his junk.  Almost as good as the craft room?  We're getting an area for storage.  I'm envisioning walls of shelves for all our stuff.  It's going to be glorious.  I don't feel any better about myself.  Same story, different day.  I did send more snail mail in 2014.  I didn't finish any of the furniture pieces I wanted to.  Keep my house more picked up?  I just laugh at that one.  My house is always a wreck.  Right now, I'm blaming it on being pregnant and miserably sick.  After that?  I don't know what my excuse will be.  Keeping up with blogging.  I started out really great, and ended up taking a two month break from blogging.  That's the way it goes I guess!  Accomplish some things, fail at others, don't beat yourself up for the ones you don't do.

So, in 2015, I resolve to not make any resolutions. 

Of course, I have goals I would like to accomplish in 2015.  But this new year is bringing us a new baby.  There's absolutely no telling what I'm going to have time or energy to get done in the new year.  I can't say that I'm going to start crafting more or be a better housekeeper or read more.  In 2015, with a 3 year old and a newborn, I may be lucky to just keep my head above water. 

Instead of resolutions, the Gaddie family is going to do a "Blessings Jar."

When we make resolutions, they have a way of making us feel bad about ourselves when we look back at our past year and think about all the things that we didn't accomplish.  I'll be honest.  When I looked back at my January 1, 2014 post, I was disappointed at myself for the things I didn't get done.  Ergo, no resolutions.  Instead, we're going to make a "Blessings Jar."  Idea from this awesome post my sister shared on Facebook.  Every time a good thing happens to one of the Gaddie Three (soon to be four, God willing), we will write it on a piece of paper (reality: Mommy will end up writing it on a piece of paper) and stick it in our blessings year. 

When December 31, 2015 rolls around, we'll open up the jar, revist our blessings and marvel at what a wonderful year 2015 was, filled with blessings. 

I smell a new tradition in the making.  Happy New Year, y'all!

2014 Resolutions.

It's January 1st.  So, naturally, I feel compelled to do what people are doing all over the world today:  making my New Year's Resolutions.  This year, though, I'm doing it a little differently.  In the past, my resolutions would be things like "Lose 15 pounds."  "Blog every single day."  "Make dinner 5 times a week."  

Get real.  You and I both know that I'm not going to lose 15 pounds or blog every single, we're talking 365 posts, day this year.  I'm really not even sure why I make resolutions like that because I KNOW I'm going to break them before March 1st (if I'm lucky).  So this year, I'm making my resolutions a little less specific, yet more attainable.

[insert fireworks, applause, whatever celebration you prefer]

1.  Be a better Christian.

2013 contained several events that really shook my faith.  I'm not proud to admit it, but I've been a horrible Christian this past year.  I've picked up my Bible a handful of times and I haven't prayed like I should.  I feel my best and in control when God and I are close.  Get back to that in 2014.

2.  Save money. 

I feel like this is on my list every year. But this year, with Marty's extra job, we have the potential to make more money than we ever have before.  I don't want to blow all that extra income by being stupid with our finances.  To save money this year, I will:

--Make a written budget.
On Black Friday, I scored my own personal budgeting book from May Designs.  It's a place where I can have our budget, in my hands, and look at every single day to remind me what our financial goals are.

Want one?  Get yours here.

--Do the 52 week plan. 

Marty and I would really like to take a Disney vacation this year.  That crap is expennnnnnsive.  I've found multiple sources that have tips to save money at Disney World.  But I would love to have the money set aside ahead of time, so when we go we don't have to worry about if the trip is putting us in the poorhouse.  If you haven't seen the 52 week plan, here it is (corrected by me because the original was incorrect at 49 weeks):

--Couponing

I'm planning on diving into the world of couponing this year.  While I don't want to become an extreme couponer that's hoarding 300 tubes of toothpaste, I would like to learn more about how coupons can save me money at stores.  Because, honestly, they confuse me right now. 

I have other ideas for saving money like cash envelopes, making any and all gifts, follow blogs that offer money saving and budgeting tips, but these are the three that I really want to stick with. 

3.  Organize my "28th and Hudson" business.

I am ashamed to admit that, in 2013, I found myself WAYYY too many times, at my kitchen table until 2 in the morning, rushing to finish painting orders that needed to be sent out the next day.  Thank you to everyone that ordered in 2013 and was patient with me, but I HAVE to implement a better system.  I have all my orders in a binder, but that binder stays tucked away in my car.  What good does it do when I'm not seeing what orders need to be completed on a daily basis?  So, I want to do the following things: 

--Set hours for my painting.  If this is going to be like an extra job, I need to start treating it like one.  Which means deciding that I'm going to paint on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 11.  Or Sundays, while Marty takes Avery to play.  Even if this means that I have an order that the customer doesn't want for another 3 months, I need to go ahead and make it, so I'm not waiting until the very last minute to get the painting completed. 

--Setting up a workstation.  Did you miss the part where I paint at my kitchen table?  My set up right now is less than ideal.  In our old home, I had an office.  I could go in, shut the door and shut out the rest of the world while I painted.  I don't have that luxury now.  We decided to make the 3rd bedroom in our new house into Avery's playroom.  A decision I don't regret.  But now I have no place to go.  And my painting business is scattered all over the house as a result.  Paints in the living room, canvases on the kitchen table...it's chaos.  I NEED my own space.  Which brings me to......

4.  ORGANIZE THE BASEMENT. 

A.k.a  Make room for a home office.  Our basement isn't finished, so it's not ideal, but I still think I can come up with some creative ideas to make it "my" space.  A table to paint, a table for shipping, corkboards to display current orders.  I NEED this space.

While I'm setting up my home office, I'm going to also unpack.  Yes, unpack.  Marty and I have been at our house since March and we still have probably 15 boxes FULL of stuff that needs to be unpacked.  In 2014, that's gonna happen. 

5.  Feel better about myself. 

In the past, I would have put "Lose 15 pounds."  But my issues with self-confidence go much deeper than that.  I'm the heaviest I've ever been.  I hate looking at myself in the mirror.  I cringe when my husband compliments me because I have a very hard time believing that I could be attractive to him.  I realize this isn't healthy.  And, as I've mentioned before, I worry about the example that I'm setting for Avery.  The absolute last thing I want for her is to have confidence issues.  For me though, it's more than my weight.  I'm not a very good cook, I've been a HORRIBLE housekeeper this past year and I don't feel like a very good mom.  And I think it all stems from my self-confidence issues.  If I didn't worry all the time that I'm doing it all wrong, I think I'd feel confidence in my abilities as wife and mother.  Instead, I worry that I'll mess dinner up, so I don't even try.  I worry that I'll never be able to get my house clean, so I let the laundry pile up.  To a normal person, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  So, in 2014, I resolve to feel better about myself.  To try things and not feel like a failure when they don't succeed.  To laugh more with my daughter, instead of worrying about if I should be working with her more on her manners/alphabet/development.  To feel like I'm good enough. 

6.  Single-handedly bring back snail mail. 

Okay, maybe not.  But in 2014, I resolve to send more snail mail.  I love getting it.  Why not pass that joy on to someone else?  So, if you get a written letter from me asking you how life is, don't freak.  I'm just trying to save the Postal Service and bring you a little piece of snail mail happiness. 

7.  Finish my furniture redos. 

Remember all those pieces I keep saying I'm going to redo?  Hasn't happened.  I've found some pretty inspirational ideas on  Pinterest and I'm ready to rock that crap out.  Once it gets warmer, of course.

8.  Keep my house picked up.

Like I mentioned in #5, I've been a horrendous housekeeper this year.  2013 was a complete whirlwind.  In August, I was pregnant and too tired.  In September, I was depressed and just wanted to sleep all day.  In October, I miscarried and had little energy to walk from the bed to the couch.  In November and December, I was so overwhelmed with painting orders that I barely found enough time to wash underwear for my family.  My house has suffered.  I would be mortified if any of you stopped by my house right now.  The old Devan wouldn't stand for that.  In our Bardstown house, save a couple of piles of laundry to do, I kept my house clean.  Maybe not polished, dusted, mopped clean, but picked up, not a thing out of place clean.  It's time to stop making excuses and make my house something I'd be proud of again. 

9.  Keep up with my blogging. 

I took quite a lengthy break this Christmas from blogging.  It felt good.  But now I'm ready to get back to regular blogging.  I enjoy it.  It brings me so much happiness, even if no one reads it.  I'd like to blog at least 3 times a week, but I'm not going to tie myself to that.  Just blog  more. 

That's it!  Of course, I have tons of things I want to accomplish in 2014:  be more organized, redo Avery's room, organize the playroom, overhaul my kitchen.  But the 9 above listed things are the ones that I'm REALLY committed to.  The ones that I want to read back over on December 31, 2014 and say "Heck yes!  I did ALL those things!"  

Here's to 2014 being the best year for me yet. :)

Color Runnin' It. {part 2}

My favorite ideas are ones that come together with excitement and enthusiasm in a short amount of time.  That's the way this Color Run idea has happened....I posted on my blog yesterday afternoon about doing the Color Run, and within a couple of hours we had 8 members, costume ideas and possible team names.  I. Am. SO. Pumped.  Do you even realize?  Not only am I getting to do the Color Run (which is on my bucket list), but now our team is DISNEY THEMED.  With DISNEY COSTUMES.  Cue the Hallelujah Chorus.

Here's what we've decided on:  our team name is going to have something to do with Disney....like the Dashing Disney Divas or something along those lines.  We're each choosing a Disney character.  You have to wear a white t-shirt (as required by the Color Run) and we're all wearing tutus to go along with our character.  This isn't a character that's been picked yet, but you get the idea:

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Belle!  So you get the idea!  We're still playing with logos, but this seems to be the favorite so far:

Here's our team and characters chosen. 

If you can't tell, I'm EXCITED.  And our team is still open!  If you want to join, we're going to sign up online....if we sign up before April 1st, we get to register for $35 ($10 off the registration price). 

Here's a new development.  I've talked a lot about Brooklyn and all the amazing fundraisers that are happening to help out her family.  One of those events is a marathon, with all entry fees going to Brooklyn.  In addition, there's a 5K in memory of Addison Jo Blair--another little Elizabethtown girl that lost her battle with the same cancer that Brooklyn's been diagnosed with.  Another girl on my Color Run team thought that we could support these two local families by running (a.k.a. probably walking) these marathons as well.  Bonus?  We get to wear our super sweet outfits more than once.  Win-win people. 

If you're interested in Color Run-ning, running for Brooklyn or Addison and wearing AWESOME Disney themed tutus, let me know.  We'd love to have you :)

Ready to {Color} Run!

I've needed a swift kick in the bee-hind to get back on the fitness track.  I've said I'm going to watch my weight, I'm going to count calories again, I'm going to eat healthy breakfasts, blah, blah, blah.  Haven't done any of it.  I needed a motivator.  And I think I've found it:

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Whaaaat?!  The Color Run?!?  Only the "happiest 5K on the planet!"  Seriously, they say so:

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I've reallllllly wanted to do a Color Run for awhile now.  Really bad  (said like Kid President). We're talking "on the bucket list" kind of stuff here people.  And it's coming to a city near me (Cincinnati to be exact).  On August 24th.  I'm doing it.  Not even kidding.  Have fun, get colorful and check an item off the Bucket List?  I'm there.

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Is this something you're interested in?  Because they offer a registration discount for teams of 4 or more.  We can come up with a sweet team name and maybe even do costumes (I'm feeling tutus...or superheros....or Disney Princesses *gasp!*).  Totally serious.  If you want to run with me, let me know and we can get a group to go.   We have plenty of time to train.  That's where my original thought was....do a 5K and have to train for it.  My sights were set a little higher--like the Disney Princess Half Marathon or the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Royal Family 5K or the Disney Family Fun Run 5K.....but the Color Run will do :)  So, starting April 1st (I'm giving myself time to hopefully move in our new home and get settled), I'm going to start training.   I've downloaded the "Couch-to-5K" app on my phone and created a "Ready to {Color} Run" playlist on my iTunes with kick-butt workout/running songs.  Join me?  (Seriously.  Let me know if you wanna!)  If you join my team, we may or may not make a trip to IKEA while we're in Cincy...that's worth doing the race alone.  :)

Weakness Points

Recently, I made the commitment to pinch my pennies, go on a budget and start a shopping ban once again.  I thought the first step I should take is to identify all of those places that I fall prey to spending more money (I'm nervous this is going to be a long list....) so I know which places (and areas) I need to steer clear of when out in town.

1.  Wal-Mart

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I touched on this yesterday, but I'm terrible about making a grocery run and buying a bunch of crap I don't need.  I'm the poster child for effective advertising.  If it promises to make my life easier, more organized, simpler or just looks pretty in the package, I'm probably going to be tempted to buy it.  Thanks to some really great readers, I've gotten some great suggestions on where to shop for groceries once we move back to Etown.  Now, I need a lesson in couponing.  I don't want to be an extreme couponer, by any means, but I always seem to find the coupons that are "Buy 6, get 1 free."  Well, I don't need 6.  I'll barely use the one that I have to buy.  I need to know where to find good, worthwhile coupons that are going to save me money on the things I need without making me buy 80 of them to get a discount. 

2.  Target

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Oh Target.  How I could talk for hours about your Clearance section and clean stores and Bullseye logo that suck me in.  Your accessories, your clothing, your shoes, your home section.  I love it all.  And that's why I won't be seeing you for 90 days.  At all.  I just can't.  I don't have that much willpower.  But please know that I will miss you very much....even though my bank account won't.

3.  Organizational aisles

I'm an organized nerd.  I love planners, binders, bins, shelves, containers, anything that makes my life even halfway organized. I will buy planners just because I like the way they're laid out....even though I already have a planner for 2013.  I'll buy stackable containers to store office supplies...even though I already have an organizational system in place in my home office.  Therefore, I must stay away from Office Depot, Staples, Michaels and all organizational and home supply aisles in any store I go in.

4.  Pier One, Kirklands, TJ Maxx, etc.

We're moving.  We're getting a new home.  A blank canvas.  That's just begging to be decorated exactly how I want it to be.  That I'm dying to make look exactly like all the pins I've been faithfully pinning on Pinterest.  But I can't.  That would be EXPENSIVE.  Instead, I'm not going to unpack all of the old stuff that I didn't like about our current house.  I'm going to work on my house a tiny little bit at a time.  It may take 5  years, but it would finally be how I wanted it.  I'm horrible about buying little knickknacky clearance things if I think it looks cute.  As a result, my house looks.....jumbled.  Not pulled together.  Not how I want it.  Stay away from all home goods stores, Devan.

5.  Avery clothing

Ugh.  Little girl's clothing.  I buy it like crazy...even when my child doesn't need it.  I buy the cutest dress, the cutest shoes, the cutest shirt.  As a result, she has a pair of shoes that only match two shirts in her entire wardrobe, shirts that don't match any pants and dresses for the wrong season.  I'm going to plan ahead when it comes to shopping for Avery.  Before buying that adorable shirt, make sure it's practical and that she can wear it more than just once.  I'm going to allow myself to buy Avery clothes during my shopping ban, but only on a limited basis and only if she truly needs it.

6.  Clearance sections

Do I need to say more?  Totally off-limits.


That's it.  It's easier for me to spend less when I can identify my weaknesses and know exactly what I need to stay away from.

What's your shopping weakness??

Acting My Wage.

This past summer, I embarked on a personal finance journey that was really successful for me and for my bank account.  I think it's time to dredge it out of the archives....with some slight changes.
Introducing:  Penny Pinching Summer LIVING!

I'm bringing it back y'all!  It's time to start, as Dave Ramsey would say, "acting my wage."  Marty and I have had a pretty significant life change happen to us in the last couple months.  I eluded to it a couple of posts ago, but I think it's finally safe to say:  we're moving!  We're finally moving back home to Etown!  I'll go into more detail later, but we're leaving our little starter home for a bigger  home, more suited for our family and closer to the ones we love.  But with a new, bigger home comes new, bigger expenses.  Bigger utility bills.  Bigger problems.  Bigger upgrades and work I want done to make the house the one of my dreams.  And Marty and I can afford all this (obviously, or we wouldn't be moving in the first place), but I don't want to get to the point where we're scraping together our pennies and dimes because we've strapped ourselves down with a bigger mortgage.  So I'm taking the first step to discipline myself.  I don't have to.  I WANT to.  I'm the world's worst about buying crap I don't need.  I go to the grocery and I end up with probably $30 of stuff that wasn't on the list, I just felt like I needed it.  I go into a store and end up buying myself two shirts off the clearance rack because I felt like it was a deal I couldn't pass up.  I don't spend money with my head.  I don't logically think about what I should or shouldn't be buying.  I shop with my emotions...the worst kind.  I impulsively buy things, get them home and then later feel guilty about not saving the money for something more important.  I'm HORRIBLE about going out to eat.  Getting a Coke in the mornings.  Grabbing myself some breakfast.  Hitting the drive through for lunch because I was too lazy to get up early and make myself a lunch.  Well, no more.  Not only am I resurrecting the "Penny Pinching" idea, I'm going to put myself back on a shopping ban.  I did it a couple of years ago, and I was successful.  But I limited myself to not buying anything for myself--meaning new clothing, shoes, a pair of earrings.  I'm taking that a step further.  I buy NOTHING.  For 90 days.  Unless it's a necessity.  I spend absolutely no money except on groceries, necessities for the new house and necessities for Avery.  That's it.  No more little knickknacks at Kirklands or cute little home items at Target.  No more shoes from the clearance rack or craft items that I don't need.  I am going to start crafting and selling again when we get moved into our new house to make myself a little extra "cushion" money (a.k.a. I'm saving to treat myself to a new couch!), but if it's not a necessity for the specific craft I'm making, I won't buy it.  Now, here's where you come in.  Hold me accountable.  Ask how my shopping ban is going (and then be a shoulder to cry on when I tell you about an adorable purse I had to pass up).  Tell me about great deals and how to save money at the grocery (where I fail miserably at saving money).  Tell me where I can get good discounted clothing or deals on Avery things.  Let's make this a group thingy!  You share deals and penny pinching tips with me, and I'll do the same for you (here's my first--start by making  your own laundry detergent!).  And hopefully later, we'll both be in excellent financial shape and be able to brag about being debt free (hey, I dream big, okay?).
I'll leave you with a couple of Dave Ramsey quotes that are going to be my motivation for the next 90 days.

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No, shoes.  I don't need you.  No, unnecessary Walmart crap.  I don't need you.  No, Marty.  We don't need to go out to eat tonight. Let me make dinner tonight.

Printing this off and putting it in my wallet.  Right by my debit card.

Goodbye Michaels and Target.  I'll see you in 90 days.

Hot Mama!! Update!!

Well, ladies and gentleman.  I'm back on the diet track.  Is it fun?  No.  Is it as yummy as eating cheeseburgers and drinking Dr. Pepper?  Absolutely not.  But it's healthier.  And a healthier me means a more confident me.  One that can keep up with my daughter and hopefully be around for a long time because my arteries aren't getting clogged with McDonald's fat. 
Weigh in!
Original weight:  142.5
Last time:  131.4
This week's weight: 

Loss from last week:  1 lb.
Overall lost: 12.1 lbs.

Holy weight loss Batman!  I feel a lot better.  It took a major wake up call for me to get my diet back in gear.  I kind of had the attitude like I didn't care for awhile.  I ate out a lot.  I drank a lot of Cokes.  I ate in excess.  Until I couldn't button my pants one day and my skinny dress that I worked so hard to get back into didn't fit anymore.  Wake. Up. Call.  Ladies and gents, I'm back on the wagon!  And can I make one tiny observation??  This is the least I've weighed since before I had Avery.  I'm at my smallest I've been since starting my "Hot Mess to Hot Mama" journey.  Can I get a high five on that one? *virtual high five*  As awesome as I feel right now, I'm not done yet.  I still have 10 pounds to go before I hit my goal weight.  Think I can do it?

I'm Baaaaaack!

Hey y'all.....remember me?  The mommy behind the Super Messy blog?  Well, lately this mommy has been SUPER BUSY--and absent from the blogging world.  It's all been for a good cause though, I promise!!

Remember Brooklyn?  And the bracelets that I committed to making, selling and then donating the money to Brooklyn and her family?  Well, those bracelets have consumed my waking moments over the last few weeks.  Orders, payments, getting addresses, volunteers to make the bracelets, stressing over when the charms would arrive....and finally, MAKING them today.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining in the least.  I've enjoyed every minute of this bracelet making whirlwind.  I've loved watching the order count climb higher and higher, knowing that more money is being sent Brooklyn's way.  After multiple bracelets, knots, beads, hand cramps and FIVE HOURS LATER, all 109 Minnie Mouse bracelets are complete.   Whew. 

So.  For this moment, I'm caught up on bracelets.  We have no more orders coming in and the believe charms aren't here yet, so I can semi-relax other than taking payments.  Which means...I'm BACK!  With that, I'm going to do what every other blogger out there is doing today, on January 1st:  making resolutions.  A lot of people are super negative when it comes to making New Year's Resolutions.  "Who keeps them?"  "You'll make them and be back to your old ways by January 5th."  "Resolutions are a waste."  I, for one, completely disagree.  I know it's just a symbol, but the New Year is a chance to start things fresh.  I saw this completely appropriate and motivating quote on Twitter yesterday:

 

"Tomorrow (New Year's Day) is the 1st blank page in a 365 page book.  Write a good one!" 

New Year's is just that--a brand new year.  It's no secret....2012 wasn't the best to my family or the best year of my life.  A lot of things happened that made 2012 a year that I won't be sad to leave behind.  So, here's to starting new things and hoping that 2013 is better than 2012 even thought about being!

My 2013 Resolutions: 

1.  Be a better daughter of God.  

I LOVE my Jesus.  I love listening to WJIE and being uplifted in my faith and feeling like I can take on the world.  I love going to church and listening to the wonderful things that God has at work for my little church and little corner.  But I'm terrible about praying.  I pray when things seem helpless or when I need something.  I need to start praying whenever things are great.  Just to thank Him for another morning or another day with Marty and Avery.  I want to "pray without ceasing" (1 thessalonians 5:17).  I want to stop worrying about things and start turning them immediately over to my Father. 

2.  Be a better wife.

I will be the first to admit---I'm really hard on Marty.  He does more than I could ever imagine as a husband and father.  He helps me around the house, is extremely considerate, always puts me first, is an absolutely incredible father to Avery...and I still find things to nitpick.  I don't even notice I'm doing it.  I complain about things that aren't done instead of thanking him for everything that has been done.  That's why I'm going to restart my "Proverbs 31 Woman" journey again.  I want to be the kind of wife that makes Marty happy to come home to every day. 

3.  Start 2013 with only things I LOVE.

I'm a terrible hoarder.  I buy things I don't need in the clearance bin, I buy furniture when it's super cheap, I buy clothes because they've been marked 75% off--but I don't LOVE any of it.  Those clothes will come home and sit in my closet, never to be worn.  That piece of furniture will come home with me and hide in our storage shed because I can't find a place that it looks exactly right.  I want to start fresh and with things that I'm proud to show off and clothes that I feel great in. 

4.  Finish my "Hot Mama" journey. 

This holiday season has wreaked some MAJOR havoc on my diet.  I haven't stepped on a scale in weeks because I'm terrified of what it will read.  My pants are fitting a little tighter and I'm only wearing the shirts that fall loosely around my midsection.  Not anymore.  More packing my lunch, less eating out and more feeling like a Hot Mama again.

5.  Save money.

Here's where I've always struggled.  I don't blow money, by any stretch of the imagination.  But I do buy things here and there for $20 or under that adds up to a lot of unnecessary spending.  No more quick trips through the drive through--an extra $5 in my pocket.  STRICTLY sticking to our family budget--feeling more comfortable when it comes to paying bills and living everyday life.  It's time Marty and I start living the way Dave Ramsey taught us when we took his class. 

6.  Learn to sew.

Plain and simple.  I want to learn how to sew.  And sew well.

7.  Start crafting more.

It makes me happy.  It's my equivalent of a girl's night out.  It's a hobby that I love doing and is MY thing.  I stopped crafting and painting right before Avery was born.  I was exhausted and busy and stressed and overwhelmed and painting was the last thing on my mind.  Avery's older now and is actually sleeping well (please, can't talk about it or I'll jinx myself) and it's time I start crafting for myself again.  Make some extra money too.

That's it.  Sure, there's a million other things I'd love to do this year, but I know that making a ton of resolutions becomes completely unreasonable.  I feel these are things that I can do.  With encouragement and a lot of prayer, I can complete these 2013 goals.  Happy 2013 all.....can't wait to see the book you're writing this year!  

Hot Mess no longer.

I'm done playing around.  I'm done saying that I'm going to lose weight and do all of these things to shed the baby pounds and then pull right back into the McDonald's drive-thru the next day.  Where'd my motivation come from?  Check out Mama Laughlin's blog and her progress from "former fatty" as she calls herself to a size 4.  She lost 60 + lbs.  And has two kids.  I have no more excuses.  I'm tired of being all talk and no action.  I'm tired of being self-conscious.  I'm tired of taking forever to get ready in the morning because I hate how everything looks on me.  I'm tired of being afraid of new clothes and the dressing room.  I'm tired of not being confident enough in my body to even want my husband to see me without a shirt on (sorry if that was TMI).  So, I'm beginning my "Hot Mess to Hot Mama" journey.  Today.  I'm going to document my weight and take pictures and share my journey.  It's my hope that I won't be judged by my extra baby fat or how I look in my "before" pictures.  I just hope to build up a support team and feel good about myself again.  And this is how I'm going to do it:

Weight: 142.5
Biggest weaknesses when it comes to my weight:  fast food, Dr. Peppers, snacking, unbalanced meals. 
Goal weight:  120
How I'm gonna do it: 
{1.} No more Coke.  Not long ago, I said I was going to cut myself down to just 1 can of Pepsi a day.  So far, it's not happening.  I've found that I have zero willpower when it comes to drinking sodas and I can't have just one.  If I've had one, it opens the door to more and before I know it, I've had two cans of Pepsi and a large McDonald's Dr. Pepper.  No, my daughter still doesn't sleep well.  But there are other ways to stay awake during the day than a constant caffeine intake.  Water makes me feel good and that's all I'm allowing myself. 
{2.}  Work-out.  I don't know that I'm comfortable yet with going to a gym.  I'm slightly asthmatic and LOATHE running because I look like a dying cow with my thundering feet and wheezing breaths.  Maybe work out videos?  I'll keep you updated on what works best for me.
{3.}  Motivation.  Every week I'm going to do a "Hot Mess" update, complete with a picture of the scale and myself to show you if I'm making any progress.  It's easy to sit on the other side of this computer and vow to change, but if you guys never see me, I can go on pretending that I'm living this healthy lifestyle.  Through pictures, you will know if I cheated.  You will know if I've lost any weight that week or that month. 
{4.}  Having a support system.  This is the best part....I'm not doing this alone.  My friend Sarah from "Our Family of Three" and I are doing this together.  Her daughter is just 3 months older than my Avery, so she knows all about having the baby fat hanging around.  She'll be documenting her progress and will be guest posting on what works for her.
{5.}  Feedback.  I'm not a gym rat.  I hate working out, I hate sweating and I hate the idea of eating like a rabbit forever and never enjoying another burger.  But if I want to feel good about myself again, I have to suck it up.  But I need your help.  What works for you?  What healthy recipes do you have that you'd like to share?  What's the secret to building endurance and running without collapsing a lung and wanting to die?  I'm all ears. 
This won't just be my journey to lose weight.  I'm going to work on all areas of my life that aren't making me feel like a "hot mama" right now.  It's going to be a self-discovery and self-love trip as well.  I don't like myself much right now.  I'm a hot mess....minus the hot part. 
Hopefully, with all of these factors, I'm going to lose my Avery weight and have confidence again.  Flabby to fabulous, here I come!

Going Coke-free....almost.

Recently, I went on a mini-rant about feeling pretty crappy about myself and my post-baby body.  I hate looking at pictures of myself.  I don't really like looking at myself in the mirror.  I'm tired of taking FOR-EV-VER to get ready every morning, trying to disguise my extra baby weight, only to feel self-conscious the entire day.  Every time I felt bad or a little heavier than I would have liked, I whined about it.  But I wasn't doing anything to change it or get back to my former self.  I complained, I said I needed to work out, but I wasn't taking any step towards changing.  Today, I went through some of my old college photos.  I was amazed at how skinny I was and how good I felt in my clothes.  I saw a happier Devan that looked good and felt good in her clothes.  I want to be her again.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you have to be skinny to be happy.  I know that I'm not going to get back to my former weight.  Heck, I'm probably not even going to get close.  My goal is not to be skinny.  It's to have confidence and feel good in my clothes again.  To do that, I need to get my butt in gear and get rid of my Avery weight.  Today, I'm taking action.

Step 1:  No more Cokes (P.S. in my world, everything is a "Coke"...when I really don't even like Coke).  During my pregnancy, I drank water like it was going out of style.  I stocked up on the giant 1 Liter bottles and drank 3 a day, at the minimum.  I couldn't get enough of it.  Then Avery arrived, I became wrapped up in my life with her and forgot to eat some days, much less drink my required amount of water.  Now, fast forward to present day.  I've been so used to not sleeping well at night and relying on Dr. Peppers and the included caffeine to get me through the day.  It's quickly become a habit that's out of control.  When I'm thirsty, I crave a Pepsi.  In the morning, I want a Dr. Pepper.  At night, I reach for a can of Pepsi.  I'm never going to lose my extra pooch if I don't knock it off.  I'm realistic.  I cannot completely quit drinking caffeine cold-turkey.  I will be the meanest person in the world.  Since I love my family and don't want them to hide in fear when I'm around, I'm going to restrict myself to ONE can of Pepsi a day.  If you see me at McDonald's ordering a large Dr. Pepper, you have my permission to smack it out of my hand.  If you see me with a can of Pepsi, ask how many I've had that day.  If I tell you any number greater than one, take it away.  They say that the easiest way to drop some unwanted pounds is to stop drinking Cokes.  My hope is that I'll eventually be able to stop drinking them completely.  But for now, I'm embarking on Step 1....one Coke/Pepsi/Dr. Pepper a day.   Orders of the day:  drink water......drink water......one Coke.....drink water.....stay awake......try not to kill anyone......drink more water.....

My cooking journey....sort of.

Well, I hoped to have better news on the cooking front.  Like everything in life, I've had to be flexible and unseen things that came up this week prevented my "6 out of 7 day cooking project."  Friday, I published my blog post, went to the grocery and was fired up for my newest quest to be a super mommy.  Friday, I made Chicken Bacon Pasta.  It. Was. Fabulous.  Naturally, I took the recipe and changed a few things.  We don't have a grill (yet....I hope to have a grill one day soon) other than the dinky countertop, fat-reducing grill that doesn't ever cook my chicken completely or evenly enough.  So I decided to pan sear my chicken.  Salt, pepper, olive oil and a skillet.  Couldn't be easier.

Mmmmm...

Holy pots and pans Batman.

As I was pan searing chicken, boiling water and making a white sauce, I was so excited.  For too long, I've had the attitude that the cleaning, cooking and baby raising shouldn't be all my responsibility.  I shouldn't be the one to provide meals, clean clothes and a happy baby every single day.  I'm not sure what happened, but a light bulb has gone off and I've realized that taking care of my home and making sure my family is happy and well-fed shouldn't be a chore, but a priviledge.  Yes, I still strongly believe that my husband should help out around the house, but it's my responsibility.  When someone walks in my house and sees that it's filthy and I have an empty pantry, who does that reflect on--me or Marty?  As unfair as it may be, it's me that would look bad if we didn't live in a well-run home.  And I'm accepting that.  I was looking at cooking as an exciting activity and not a chore.....finally.

Why is it that my dish is never as pretty as the picture??

So back to the cooking.  The sauce in this dish is fantastic.  I didn't have red pepper flakes, so I would recommend a little more salt in the dish if you choose to leave that seasoning out.  Since we're huge fans of broccoli in this household, I decided to throw some in to give us our veggie serving for the day.  Successful dish.  Marty gave it his stamp of approval and said he'd eat it again (always how I measure my success). 
Saturday night, I found this awesome recipe for gluten-free crust-less pizza.  I was PUMPED.  For about two years, I've been watching my gluten intake due to a gluten "intolerance" that was diagnosed after some pretty intense stomach pain.  For the most part, I'm okay to eat breads and pastas, although I can't have a whole lot of wheat breads.  But pizza is 100% off-limits.  One slice will send me crawling right to my heating pad.  So when I found this recipe, I was excited to try it.  I chose to make my pizza with sausage, pepperoni and green peppers.  While the taste of this pizza was pretty great....it wasn't really a pizza.  The crust is made mostly of cream cheese that I baked before adding the pizza toppings.  Even after baking first and leaving it out to cool, the "crust" wasn't firm enough to pick up and eat.  The dish basically ended up being more like a pizza casserole.  Forks were needed, but the taste was great.  Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, I definitely recommend the recipe for anyone trying to live the gluten-free lifestyle.

My little kitchen helper :)

And unfortunately, this is where my cooking story has ended.  Sunday night, we exercised the "see-food" night and fended for ourselves.  Monday, I was ready to fix my chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.  When I got home, I realized that I didn't put out any chicken to thaw out.  Oops.  So Marty ended up eating the leftover chicken bacon pasta (another plus to making dinner...leftovers....and saving money!) and I made myself a grilled ham and cheese.  I cut my losses and swore to get back to cooking the next night.  Tuesday night, Marty and I ended up going to my parent's house to visit and ate over there.  No biggie, go with the flow, try again Wednesday......until I woke up this morning with a massive migraine and Marty ate at his sister's house so I don't have to make dinner tonight.  I'm disappointed that I'm not getting to hone my cooking skills, but isn't that what life is all about?  Being flexible and rolling with the punches?  Cooking 6 nights a week sounds amazing on paper, but you don't factor in those nights that Avery needs to spend just a few more hours playing peek-a-boo with Granddaddy and Grandma's house or illnesses that make walking from the bed to the bathroom painful, much less pulling out pots and pans to make a homemade dinner.  It doesn't make me a terrible mom that we had some dinners away from home or that I might have to make a McDonald's run later to feed myself.  I know my family is still happy and I promise to return to cooking tomorrow night....no unforseen circumstance provided.

In 2012, I resolve to drive myself crazy.

I know there's still a few days until the new year and the time for making resolutions for 2012 is a couple of days away, but I thought I would get a head start on making my (rather lengthy) list of resolutions. Here goes.

1. I WILL make dinner again. I love to cook. I don't have the skill to be able to whip something together from 5 ingredients in my pantry, but I can follow a recipe. And actually like doing it. There's nothing like the feeling of accomplishment when you sit down to a home cooked meal each night, knowing that your hands put together this meal (along with Pillsbury and Sara Lee--every cook needs a little help). I'm tired of eating out, I'm tired of seeing money disappear due to eating out. If I make dinner again six out of the seven nights a week, going out to a restaurant will become a treat again, not just a couple of times a week occurance like it is now. Cook dinner. No excuses.
2. This one's a little trickier.....lose weight. Now, I'm not naive enough to think that I'm going to get my fairly skinny pre-baby body back, but I would like to drop one more jean size and a few inches around the waist. Right now, I'm two sizes bigger than what I was before Avery. I would enjoy wiggling back into a size 6 jean and be perfectly content. This will be achieved through exercise. A tough one for me. I do not, in any way shape or form, have motivation to exercise. Even as a UK student, when the campus gym membership was FREE, I could not bring myself to put on work out clothes, drive to the gym, walk from the parking garage and work out. Not to mention how inadequate I felt being around those health nuts. Here I would be, huffing and puffing and close to death on the treadmill, while they barely broke a sweat running their third mile. No thank you. But I can do some form of a work out at home. Lift light weights with Marty. Do sit ups. Walk around our neighborhood. Too bad doing laundry and changing diapers doesn't burn more calories.....
3. Organize and clean my disgusting house. Listen. I'm a new mom. I'm exhausted 80% of the time. Currently, my attitude about cleaning house is that I don't have the energy to do it on a daily basis. I HAVE to get out of this mindframe. Instead of walking in the door and dumping everything on the kitchen table, I need to make the effort to put things away. Right now, when Avery goes to sleep around 8:30, I'm faced with the dilemma of chosing to accomplish things around the house that don't get done during the day or sleeping. 3 out of 4 times, sleeping wins. I know that my baby will be awake in a few hours (no, at 5 months old, we do not have a sleeping schedule figured out yet) and I want every precious hour of sleep that I can get. Instead, I need to accept the fact that I am not supposed to sleep during this period of Avery's life and start keeping my house neater. I'm not saying that I have to be an obsessive, oh-my-Lord-there's-dirt-on-my-floor-and-I'm-going-to-freak kind of person, but at least having my stuff put away would be a start. Then my 2013 goal can be to have a "Pinterest-esque" organized home.
4. Save money. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the "cook more, eat out less" goal, but I need to stop buying things for myself. When I walk into Target, I usually peruse the clearance section of the women's clothes and shoes. Why? I have PLENTY of both. I don't need another black shirt or pair of flats. Make do with what I have. And I have some pretty great pieces in my closet that I haven't worn in awhile. And while I'm not buying clothes for myself, I need to stop randomly buying clothes for Avery. Believe it or not, this one will be harder to do. Baby girl clothes are sooooooo adorable. And so hard to pass up. But she's going to outgrow that onesie in 3 months...no matter how cute it is. She has two entire drawers full of onesies and a closet jam-packed of cute clothes. Stop. Buying. Baby clothes. Spend that money instead on formula and diapers. Or, better yet, put that money in Avery's college fund.
5. Be a better wife. Sometimes, I feel like with the crazy whirlwind that is my life of a mother with a 5 month old, my husband gets lost in the shuffle. We get up, we talk to Avery, we go to work, I pick up Avery, we get home, we play with Avery, we feed Avery, we put Avery to bed, I go to bed. I see very little "us" time in our current schedule. My husband has asked me several times to sit and watch a DVR'ed episode of "Mike and Molly" with him. I usually decline, opting instead to wash bottles or go to bed. What would thirty minutes of watching TV hurt? Especially when it means that I'm actually getting to spend uninterrupted time with Marty? I feel so frazzled most of the time with my new mom status and my inability to keep a clean house or do anything remotely domesticated anymore, that usually my frustrations come out on the target that's nearest....usually Marty. And I don't understand why. I'm so lucky to have a husband like I do. I hear stories of friends with babies whose husbands don't change diapers or clean up after themselves or do any type of housework in general. I have a husband that will change a diaper (although we're struggling with the dirty diapers right now), does his own laundry and will help me with housework when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Why don't I thank him more? This resolution should probably be moved up to the number 1 spot in importance.
6. Do more with Avery. I browse Pinterest probably once a week and find a million good ideas to do with or for your children. And I immediately pin it to my "Avery stuff" board and resolve that I will do those things for my little girl. Just like everything else, it gets lost in the hustle of our lives and the idea is quickly forgotten. Stop. Make moments count with Avery because she's only little once and I want her childhood to be as memorable as mine.
7. Figure out a way to balance this new-and-improved, domesticated, supermommy me, while also keeping time for myself. Since having Avery, I haven't been able to paint much. Mostly because I don't have the time, but also because my craft room/the office has officially become "the junk room." Don't judge me, I know you have one too. Avery in all her baby adorableness, arrived with a lot of stuff. In our house, that means very little place to keep it. We have a fairly small house with not much storage...few closets, no attic, no basement, no garage. This results in things being thrown in the office, because there is absolutely nowhere else for it to go. When I would walk into the office to relax and paint, I would become so overwhelmed by the clutter that I would immediately hyperventilate and walk back out. I will get this office cleaned, I will paint more, and I WILL find that "me" time that I've lost.

Okay. I'm done for now. There's a million other things that I'd love to list (organize our back porch, keep up with our landscaping, clean the front porch and put out chairs, start collecting antiques and incorporating them with the modern-ish pieces in our house, become a trend-setter and stop worrying what everyone thinks about my clothes and wear what makes me feel good (a.k.a. hats and dresses), make photo books, finish my dad's scrapbook, blog more) but I know that's not being realistic. Heck, out of the seven things I have listed, I'll probably be lucky to keep more than two of them for a few months. But I'm going to give it the old college try. Wish me luck. (and good luck to you in all your 2012 endeavors)

Super mommy, where are you?

I've got my cape on and I'm ready to.....oh wait, hold on....it's on backwards. There. Now I'm ready to tackle...crap. Is that a stain? I guess it needs to be washed. Let me lay it in one of fifteen piles of dirty clothes in my laundry room. Maybe I'll wash it later, after I do a load of baby clothes of course. Which reminds me, I need to sanitize Avery's pacifer, since I forgot to pick up paci wipes at the store.....where is that stupid pacifer? I thought I put it right here by my five empty water cups sitting on the nightstand....maybe it's here under the bed......so that's what happened to my other gray sock! Gosh. I really should vacuum under there. Do I remember where the vacuum is? I think it's in the laundry room. Geez, that reminds me! I have to wash baby clothes!
I knew I was going to be able to be "super mom." You know the type--the mom that always volunteers for everything, looking completely polished and put together while her baby sported an adorable outfit with a matching bib and hairbow? The one that bragged about her job, ability to make lasagna noodles from scratch, all while keeping a spotless house and documenting every single second of her child's life? That was going to be me. I would lay in bed at night and rub my big pregnant belly and smile, thinking of all the of the amazing things I would do as super mommy. The craft projects we'd create. The organizational tips I would implement. The super strict, but loving discipline I would enforce. The bedtime routine I would establish. The homemade dinners I would make. The clothes I would clean. The clean house I would manage. It was going to be amazing. People have babies all the time and they manage to make it work, right? And then I woke up. I look back at that pregnant me of 4 months ago and laugh my butt off. Super mommy? How about super messy? On a typical day off with my baby girl, I struggle to find time to run to the bathroom by myself before she screams to be entertained. Discipline has gone out the window, as I attend to her every whimper. My laundry room is source of fear for me now....my own personal version of hell. I walk in and the clothes practically taunt me--"A super mommy would have had us washed WEEKS ago. You're out of clean towels? You're a failure." My dishes are piled up in my sink. I no longer have a visible kitchen table top. My Halloween pumpkins are decorated, but didn't even make it out onto the porch. Clothes are everywhere, shoes are scattered, and my car looks like a homeless family has been living in it for months. Where are you super mommy? I look at myself and wonder how other people do it. How does my sister-in-law manage her 3 and 1 year old and watch Avery twice a week? How did my mother work a full time job with three kids under the age of 8--one with a heart defect and in need of extra attention? How did my Meemaw have SIX children in a row, while helping my Peepaw on the farm and always manage to have a homecooked lunch and dinner ready every day? How did my Granny also have SIX children, while following my Papaw around the country as a military family and get all six children readjusted and manage a home? What's my problem?? Why can't I handle an adorable, yet slighty needy, three month old and do all of those things that I set out to do? My blog is the ultimate testiment to my inability to multitask. I don't even remember the last time I was able to sit down and blog. I'm writing this after my sweet baby has gone to bed....the ONLY time of day I seem to be able to get anything done. Is this what I'm going to be reduced to? Washing clothes by the light of the moon and cleaning my room, while tiptoeing around the bassinet that holds my sleeping baby? If that's what I have to do, then so be it. I need a reality check. Repeat after me: my house is not clean and I'm okay with that. Repeat as needed. Next: it will probably be SEVERAL months, if not years, before you have time for the little projects and "super mommy"-ish things you had planned. This is okay. Keeping Avery fed, clean and occupied should be your number one priority now. I wanted to be that mom that was able to have a happy baby, a spotless house and dinner on the table every night. But I'm hanging up my cape for now. Because there certainly isn't anything wrong with a happy baby, a messy house and a Hot Pocket every now and then.

Four letter dirty word: d-i-e-t.

This morning, I was going through my daily routine. Shower, primp, dress...when I noticed my reflection in the mirror. Where did that extra little bit of fat come from? I've heard that after the first year of marriage, the average bride gains approximately 20 pounds. I vowed that I would not be one of those brides. I would be the same size that I was on our wedding day (at least until babies came along). And for awhile, I was. Slowly, I noticed a change. My college sized jeans were a little tighter. My work pants weren't as comfortable as they used to be. I refused to acknowledge this change. I continued to make myself wear the tiny-bit too small pair of pants because accepting it meant buying a bigger size. And that was NOT going to happen. For those of you that know me, I'm a faithful viewer of What Not to Wear. I LOVE Stacy and Clinton. Stacy, with her flippant attitude and her know-it-all fashion sense, is constantly lecturing women that are insisting on squeezing into their too small clothing. "It's not the number on the tag that counts, it's how you look in the clothing." I would scoff at the WNTW contestants and wonder why they couldn't accept going from a 8 to a 10 if it meant looking better and not wearing skin-tight clothing. Until I was that person looking at changing clothing sizes. It wasn't just a change from a 4 to a 6, it was accepting that I'm gaining weight. And before all of you freak out on me, I know I'm not fat. I have a small frame, but I have gained a few extra pounds that don't need to be there. And the result is a lower self-esteem version of me. I look at my wedding dress and wonder if I could even get it zipped. So here's my personal challenge. Lose 5 pounds. My stomach doctor has put me on a gluten free diet (which translates to no breads, no pizza dough, no pasta, nothing made with wheat) so I'm going to faithfully stick to it. I'm also going to go walking. Now that summer is coming to an end and it's not unbearably hot outside, I'm going to take a stroll. Heck, I might even start jogging (although I don't think my asthma will tolerate much of that...). Not only will it help me get into better shape, but it'll be relaxing. Starting today, I'm on a slim down a little and feel better about myself kind of diet. If Audrey Hepburn can make a vow that she'll never weigh over 103 pounds, why can't I make a similar pact?

The longest 3 months of my life.

I am pleased to announce that my three month self inflicted shopping ban has FINALLY ended!!!!!!!! Three months of walking into stores, getting only what I needed and walking right out. Three months of being tempted by the change of season clothing like sundresses, shorts, tank tops and sandals. I can't say that I was a good girl the entire time. I came close to cheating SEVERAL times. Once, I was shopping with my sisters and mom (I do not recommend this if you're on a shopping ban. It's no fun to watch other people buy clothes). I found this fabulous navy blue and white peasant top that I could just picture with a white pair of shorts or a pair of jeans and a cute pair of flats. It had been a horrible week and the darn shirt was on clearance for an amazing $11. Against my better judgement, I picked the shirt up and carried it to the dressing room. Against my better judgement, I tried the shirt on. Just my luck, it looked fabulous. I walked around the store, shirt in hand and internal debate going on in my head. "You don't really need the shirt." "But it's so pretty!" "You're on a shopping ban." "It's so cheap!!" "You'll feel guilty after you buy it..." The argument continued as I walked up to the cash register. I could just feel the judgement being passed by my sister and mom. My rational side prevailed and I reluctantly walked back to the clearance rack and returned the shirt...a cute bargain for someone to find other than me. Temptation number two came in the form of a white linen dress at TJMaxx. Again, I ran into the clearance monster. It was adorable. It was perfect for summer. I could just picture wearing it to some of dad's campaign activities. I had a pair of bronze heels that would look AMAZING with this dress. Again, I made a trip to the dressing room (obviously, I'm a glutton for punishment). Twenty minutes of wandering around the store, I finally put the dress back and sulked out of the store. There are a million of little temptation stories I could share...a cute pair of shoes here, a jacket there....but the end of the story is, I resisted! I celebrated on Sunday by walking around Fayette Mall to BUY THINGS! Not just walk around and admire and feel jealous, but actually buy myself something. I ended up with two Anne Taylor shirts (both under $15, score!), a pair of flats and a pair of sandals. And I felt redeemed. I proved to myself that I could go three months without buying something for myself. I proved to other people that I was not materialistic and didn't have to buy a new article of clothing every time I made a trip to town. I can now go in a store and not feel the temptation to buy something every time. I can ignore the red clearance signs and just pick one thing. These past three months have been good for me. Unfortunately, I don't have a higher bank account balance due to my recent stomach issues, but my personal sense of accomplishment more than made up for it. So watch out malls! I'm free to shop again!!!

De-clutter....or else!

Ask anyone. At work, I am one of those insanely, super, sickeningly organized people. There is not a stray paperclip, loan document or manilla folder to be found. Everything is labeled, alphabetized and filed neatly away. I take pride in leaving my desk completely spot free at the end of everyday. If I need a paper, I know exactly where to find it at a moment's notice. Clutter sends me into a mini-panic and I quickly find a place for things that are set on my desk. I confess that I am semi-OCD when it comes to my workspace. I was never like this before. In college, I was too busy with extra-curricular activities, a part time job and college in general, that I really didn't care what my room looked like. Knick-knacks, papers, college books and dirty clothes were the story of my life. Now that I feel like an adult instead of a sloppy college student, I have shed my unorganized ways and my office is a true testament to the super organized person I strive to be. A few days ago, I had a customer walk into my office and promptly announce "Now THIS is what I want my office to look like." I beamed with pride. But then it made me think....what if she saw my house?? Would should wish she had the organization that I display in my home, or lack thereof? I spend 8 hours a day being OCD at work that by the time I make it home, I don't have the energy to be super organized there as well. When the customer complimented my uber-organization at work, I realized that I should be this organized at home too. I feel good when I'm at work, knowing that everything has a place. Shouldn't I feel just as good at home? So, I'm embarking on a major organizational overhaul. Focusing on one room at a time, I am going to make my way through my home, figuring out what works, what doesn't and most importantly, THROWING THINGS AWAY. Is it really necessary that I saved birthday cards from my 16th birthday? Or the map from Disney World where Marty and I got engaged? Yes, they're sentimental and I enjoyed looking at them, but in the end all it does is make for extra clutter. And in a fairly small house, clutter is not a good thing. This week begins "Operation Declutter-Organize-and Feel Good about my House." Task number one: attacking our office/my art room. At the risk of having all of you judge me, here are the before pictures, just so we can measure my growth:

As you can see, our office is kind of the catch-all room for everything. I had to move my dresses into the office because
there wasn't enough room in the master bedroom closet. Papers pile up in the desk drawers, books get shoved on the bookshelf, my art supplies sit out haphazardly around the room. In short, this room drives me absolutely insane. It makes the organized, OCD me want to scream. But the tired, worn out, I have 6 loads of laundry to finish me just can't find the energy to even begin. I began sorting through papers, mementos and odds and ends last night. I had no idea I was such a packrat. I took a trip to Target and purchased media boxes, file folders and magazine holders to help me in my quest to de-clutter. I organized my books and clothing and found my Helping Hand/yard sale pile growing larger by the minute. I organized file folders into paid bills, tax information and little newspaper clippings I couldn't bring myself to throw away. I can have mementos, as long as I have them organized. I am going to do this. To help me along, I've found some inspirations, thanks to google. I WILL have my office looking like some of these. If these ladies can be this ridiculously organized in their own homes, why can't I? Enjoy drooling over these pictures like I did:

It amazes me that they can mix organization, function and elegance in an office! I always thought of an office to be a place where your junk piled up and you only visited it to get on the internet. Not anymore! I am going to make my office the portrait of organization and beauty. If you have any organizational secrets, you'd love to share, send them my way. I've got a blank canvas and I can't wait to fill it with ideas :) I'll keep you updated on my journey to perfection (organizational perfection, that is).

No? I don't believe I'm familiar with that word....

Hello, my name is Devan and I am an over-committer. If you ever want anything done, be sure and ask me to do it, because the words "no" or "I can't" or "I'm sorry, I just don't have the time" are just not in my vocabulary. This is how I came to be completely overbooked in the month of June. It started when a girl at work decided she was going to get married in the VERY short time frame of three months. The overachiever, event-planner-wannabe in me immediately jumped on the situation and assured her that we could absolutely throw a wedding together in 3 months. People do it all the time! I immediately got to work, researching wedding venues, scheduling a day to go dress shopping, pricing different area florists. I was absolutely convinced that I could do this. I could help her plan the whole thing...after all, I'd done it once before, how hard could it be? I also saw the personal benefits--if I was interested in maybe one day in the future being a wedding/event planner, I could use pictures from her wedding to start my very own portfolio. I convinced myself that this would be fairly painless. However, as the weeks passed by, my bride grew less and less interested..."Have you made an appointment with the florist?" "Not yet, but it's on my list of things to do..." "When are we having the rehearsal?" "Well, I just assumed we'd do it the night before...." Planning this wedding was going to be more of a challenge than I expected. Now, I find myself less than two weeks from the wedding date with a mounting list of things to finish for the ceremony. The creative side of me found all of these amazing ideas, like a fingerprint guest book tree (which are now sold on my website: http://www.RusticElegancecrafts.etsy.com), little pockets to hold the ceremony programs, making the unity candle myself.....and I wonder, how did I get in this situation? I didn't procrastinate. I've worked on at least one aspect of the wedding each week. How do I have so many things left to do? And then I remember....oh yes, it's because I'm an over-committer. I agree to make all of these wonderful things because I want her day to be special. And I don't consider logistics or time management or whether or not I can fit all of these things into my schedule. I agree to make all of these handmade things for the wedding, while also trying to undertake planning the bridal shower. While also trying to be a good bridesmaid (I'm failing miserably) for my long-distance best friend's wedding (which is two days before the co-worker's wedding). While scheduling doctor's appointments to get my stomach problems straightened out (for those of you that are wondering, it's IBS...yay me). While trying to start my online business (not many sales yet). Is it pathetic that I left work early one day so I could clean my house and pick up medicine at the pharmacy?? I have so many good intentions...sigh. There just aren't enough hours in the day to be an over-committer. If anyone would like to come give me lessons on how to properly say the word "no", I'd appreciate it. :)