Simple Steps for the new year

New Year's Resolutions. I love new beginnings but I have to admit, I don't know that I've ever made a new years resolution that I kept. Maybe it's because I have too much ambition or I'm unrealistic, but they always seem to go by the side fairly quickly. This year I've resolved to do something a bit different! I'm following the plan in this book: Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life: Health, Weight, Home, Spirit. The idea behind the book is that each week you have a new habit to incorporate into your life for each of the 4 sections. So each week you learn a new habit to improve your health, a new one to help you loose weight, something new to improve you home (mostly organization) and a habit to heal your spirit. Having a newborn, I'm not sure if that is too big of a bite for me, 4 new habits each week, so I'm going to spread it out more and do 1 or 2 habits a week. That way it will spread out for 20 to 40 weeks, at least half the year. I do plan on really focusing on each thing until it is truly incorporated into my life and I will be discussing each step in my blog in detail. The why, the how, and the success or failure of each step. I would love to share this with others so if you'd like to join in, please feel free to email me or post a comment here and we'll encourage each other.

So where to start? Well the book lists these four for the first week: Drinking eight cups of water a day, walking twenty minutes a day, clearing out one drawer, cabinet or closet space every week and saving two dollars a day. I'm going to keep it simple and start at the beginning. Eight cups of water a day. We all know that we should do this, but it can be a hard habit to establish. i know that I have tried this one before and I have a tendency to get busy and just forget to drink anything, much less my water. So how can I make sure I do it? Well, I'm going to drink out of something special. I like my water ice cold, so I've got one of those metal water bottles that I will use. It's 16 ounces, so I only have to fill it up 4 times a day. I'm going to try and look for times that I can make it a habit to drink from it. Take it in the car with me; drink while I'm at the computer LOL!(reading blogs)Make sure it's next to me when I sit down to nurse or when I get a moment to stitch. I'm trying to quit drinking soda, so the water will be my substitute for that. Did you know that if you drink one cola a day, that at the end of one year you'll have gained 10 lbs? That's the reality of why I am overweight. I love soda, particularly Coke and I can drink 3 or 4 a day without even trying. :) That's a habit to break instead of start! So here we are

Week one, Simple Step number one: Drink eight cups of water a day!

God rest ye merry gentlemen...

I love Christmas songs. Carols - music, all of it. LOL! My family thinks it's a bit cheesy, but they put up with me from the day after Thanksgiving until January 1st, I play it where ever I am and sing along. (grin) Now I'm definitely not your next American Idol, I haven't got a singing voice at all, although I do enjoy singing. I usually crank the tunes when I'm cleaning house and sing along, It makes it all go faster and improves my mood. During the year I've got a pretty varied playlist; everything from Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to Prince and Michael Jackson to Avril Lavine and Gwen Stefani. Well my Christmas music runs the gamut as well. I got two new Christmas CD's this year; Elvis and the Jackson 5. Last year I got Colin Raye and Bette Midler. I probably have a dozen different christmas albums and I love them all!
So a few more days til chrismas and I'm all ready except for a bit of wrapping. I'm taking the kiddies to get pictures with Santa today (hope my 2 year old doesn't freak out this year) and then I'm hoping to cuddle up with my chrismas music, a cup of cocoa and my stitching. A bit of peace for the holiday. The new year will be full of resolutions and difficulty, so I could really use a calm, a silent night and a bit of peace and a little of God's grace or even just a bit of cuddling with my little Grace. LOL! Happy holidays!

Sad news

Wow, December is flying by and I'm almost ready for Christmas. (Sigh) Still battling the blues and of course the universe is kicking me while I'm down, LOL isn't that the way it is? My Mother-in-law, who I loved very much and has been an important person in my life since I was 16 years old, has passed away. My husband was able to fly to Portland and be by her side, holding her as she died. I'm so glad he was able to do that because they were particularly close and I'm sure it comforted her to have him there. I know for sure that it helped him and his older sister who was there as well. It was really nice to see the sibling bond strengthened by this tragedy. When my father-in-law passed away last year, my Hubby's sister was alone with him and was very angry at the family because it was so hard for her and she felt like everyone just abandoned her to the task. This time she called and my hubby raced up there to help and offer support. She essentially taught him how to say goodbye and gave him the strength to do it, and in return he was there to help her be strong. It's amazing and wonderful. All in all, my mother-in-law's death was a good thing on several levels. Even though I'm sad, I'm so grateful for the results. My husband has a new outlook on life and my mother-in-law, who was miserable in her sick, painful body and trapped by a diseased and damaged mind (dementia and alzhiemers) is now free of that misery. God bless and keep her. She will be missed deeply.

Blue Blue Blue

Baby Grace is 9 weeks old!

I am normally an upbeat positive kind of person, but lately I have really been struggling. I figured I had a touch of the Baby blues since my 4th baby was born in October and I’ve been getting little sleep and dealing with a 2 year old and a pubescent 11 year old. Perfectly normal to be out of sorts, I told myself. Well apparently it’s a bit more than just the ‘baby blues’. My OB told me I have Postpartum depression. I have to admit, I was both shocked and a bit embarrassed. I’m such a “glass is half full” kind of person that I could be depressed seemed weird. I’m pretty old school about depression – I think it’s way over-diagnosed today and I honestly think that some people use it as a crutch to not deal with reality. I figure that I’ve got a pretty good life, my reality doesn’t need escaping – so why would I end up depressed? Apparently I’ve held a rather simplistic view of it. Depression is a physical thing, a chemical imbalance in your body. Now you can treat it with medication, but I’m not much of a pill taker, so I’d rather not do that. So my option for treating this imbalance is to strive to correct it with behavior. I’m supposed to do things that used to make me feel good; get outside, exercise, be social and be creative. All those things help pull a person out of depression and they’re all things I like to do. However, and this is a big one and probably why people get deeper into depression; I not only don’t have TIME to do all those things, I don’t really feel like doing those things. I FEEL like hiding in my bathtub with the door locked and never coming out. I Feel like going back to bed with a weepy romance and a big bag of Oreo’s cookies. Lucky for me I don’t have the time for those things either! LOL! So I’m trying to do what I can. I’m going to try to finish up as much Christmas stuff as I can early so I have a bit of relaxation time before and after the holiday and maybe I’ll get some stitching in. I’m going to my Bunco group tonight after 2 months off because I’m squeezing in social interaction, even if it’s damn inconvenient and I really feel pressured by my family to not go, I’m still going. I’m going to start my Fly Lady routines again and see if I can get this house under control, because when it’s tidy and clean I’m happier. And most of all, I will not resort to comforting myself with food – I will exercise instead! If I can do all those things I’m sure I will be able to pull myself out of this depression.

Twas the night of Thanksgiving

*'Twas the night of Thanksgiving ~ *

*But I just couldn't sleep, *

*I tried counting backwards ~*

* I tried counting sheep ... *

*The leftovers beckoned ~ *

*The dark meat and white, *

*But I fought the temptation ~ *

*With all of my might ... *

*Tossing and turning with anticipation *

*The thought of a snack became infatuation *

*So, I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door *

*And gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore *

*Gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes *

*Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes *

*I felt myself swelling so plump and so round *

*'Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground! *

*I crashed through the ceiling, Floating into the sky *

*With a mouthful of pudding, And a handful of pie *

*But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees *

*Happy eating to all! Pass the cranberries, Please! *

*May your stuffing be tasty, May your turkey be plump *

*May your potatoes 'n Gravy, Have nary a lump *

*May your yams be delicious, May your pies take the prize *

*May your thanksgiving dinner stay off of your thighs! *

*May your Thanksgiving Be Blessed!*

Blue book blues

One of the things I really strive for in life is SIMPLICITY. With 4 kids it’s pretty difficult to achieve, but that doesn’t stop me from trying! : )

Ever have times in your life that everything seems to be crazy-hectic though? That’s where I am right now. The new baby, refinancing our home, car shopping, plus all the regular sports/social/girl scouts things that my kids have going on. Of all of those the one that’s really getting to me is the car. I have a 99 Toyota Sienna that I love. I bought it at the end of 1998, after months of research and driving the opposite extreme ( a 69 Volkswagen van, with no heater!) It was the perfect, PERFECT car, but it’s a decade old now and things are starting to wear out. Sigh. I wish I could just keep it forever, but the hubby insists that now is the time to replace it. I hate car shopping. I’m willing to do the whole Consumer reports thing and research the models and safety and all – it’s the car lots I dread. Some people like it, but to me, I’d rather get a tooth pulled with no Novocain! I hate the high pressure sales, the tactics, the outright lies! The reason it disturbs me so much is that it’s in direct contrast to my general opinion of people in the world – I think that people are generally honest and caring. Most people in this beautiful world are good. True there are ‘bad’ people, but usually they are mixed up or selfish, not truly evil. The thing about Car dealers is; it’s their job to steal from you. They are paid to manipulate you into spending the most amount of money they can. They don’t care if you can afford it; if they get you to sign a contract for more than you can pay – they still get their money from the bank so they don’t care if you loose your shirt and hurt your credit. And they are really good at the whole manipulation thing. I’m not a really socially savvy person and I’m a bit naïve, I’m the first to admit it. People and how their minds work are mysterious to me, so I’m a sitting duck for these salesmen! Luckily my hubby is the opposite of me in this regard. He gets people, understands them and can see right through the manipulations. Lucky for me or I’d never own a new car in my life! Anyway, I’ve done the research part and picked out the kind of car I want and hubby is going to do all the negotiations, so I don’t have to do anything. Whew. Man is he a keeper!

The Holidays are coming, the holidays are coming!

yikes! Halloween is come and gone and November is blazing by already. Sigh. I'm just not ready! I love fall and the cooler weather, but it seems that it just started - which is the usual for where I live in northern California -we have only had one chilly Halloween since my kids started trick or treating, so that's about 10 years now. Usually Halloween is hot during the day and mild at night. This year the night was a bit wet and rainy, but still not cold. Anyway I know that having a baby this year made october zoom by (my fourth child was born on October 13th, 2008) so I'm not surprised about that month being an eyeblink, but by this time last year I was DONE with my Christmas shopping. Yup. D O N E! I haven't even started this years yet. Each year I use my Christmas Control Journal (If you want one, check out flylady.net - she's a great resource)and I start prepping at the end of September. If I do it that way, I actually get to enjoy the christmas season, so it's important to me. I'll have to dig out my CCJ and get to work! Maybe head over to Big Lots and do a bit of shopping! LOL! bet you two bucks I do the shopping and not the organizing part today!

Stupid Halloween candy

Ugg. Stupid Halloween Candy.
I can't resist it! - I have no will power! I ate some on Halloween of course, some on Saturday (a lot, actually) enough to feel sick enough that I didn't really want to eat any on Sunday, but did anyway. LOL How sad is that? I was sick from eating candy, didn't WANT to eat candy and then I did anyway. See what I mean about addiction? It's like an addict that knows what they're doing is hurting their body and they do it anyway. Well today I'm back on the wagon so to speak and I have bundled up the leftover candy

Frugal Tip for Halloween candy - I took one gallon ziplock back and put together my 'Gingerbread house Kit' That's all the little candies that the kids will use next month to decorate gingerbread houses. I do that every year. Then I gathered all the candy bars and Reese's peanut butter cups and put them in another bag. I'm going to have the kids make 'gift in a jar' mixes for their teachers for christmas and we'll cut up the Reese's and the Hershey bars, etc to add to those mixes. I did this a few years ago and they were really cute and yummy, plus it's a good use of the leftover candy. Everything that was left; lollipops, gum, etc. I gave to my hubby to take to work so now, to my brain, the candy is gone and I no longer have that temptation. I had oatmeal for breakfast and I will have a healthy salad for lunch to try and clear my body of all that junk - sigh. yummy, tasty junk :)

coke addict

So maybe I underestimated my self-indulgent side. I made it one whole day without cheating and drinking a coke. One day. Yesterday I went to Costco and had a hotdog and a coke. sigh. I've read that having just one sugary soda a day, each day for a year will cause the average person to gain 16 lbs. per year. I know that's how I got most of my weight because, other than the fast food binges, I'm a coke junkie. I have been known to finish off a sixpack in a few hours, a 2 liter bottle all to myself. I can gulp a Big Gulp and re-fill it. I LOVE coca-cola. Thoroughly addicted. In fact I probably get the costco hotdog deal just for the coke. LOL! Anyway, other than that slip I've been doing well - avoiding the halloween candy, no fast food runs even though I did have a weak moment this morning craving one of those yummy breakfast burritos from Jack in the Box. MMMM :P I had oatmeal instead. Yea me! Tonight I'm making tortilla soup with the leftover rotisserie chicken we had for dinner last night. I love soup but my family is not really keen on it, so I rarely make it. However, in my goals to be frugal, I'm instigating a soup and salad night, once a week. That way I can make a batch of soup and have it 3 or 4 days for lunch myself when I'm wanting something hot. Save me from the ease of fast food and the expense! We'll see how it goes.

Food Addiction rehab

Day 1 - home scale: 215lbs
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. LOL. Yea right! I've heard that before, but today is the day that I'm starting to change the way I've lived for the last 38 years. I am done being fat. I have struggled with diets and exercise before, hated myself and everyone around me and remained fat.
What's different this time? Well, a lot. First of all, my hubby who has also struggled with his weight his whole life has spent the last year being determined and working hard, he's lost 100 lbs. and is healthy and in shape. Part of me is so jealous, because I was pregnant and couldn't do it too, but it has also helped me resolve to copy him. I know how he did it, and I can do it too.

The other thing that's different this time is that I'm done having kids. I just gave birth (on Oct 13th 2008) to my fourth child, and since I had a c-section, I had my tubes tied at the same time. It was a little hard for me because of several reasons - I hate messing with my body - I think it's best to leave stuff the way god made it and not mess around with nature. Also I had a very hard time getting and staying pregnant (17 years of marriage with no birth control) so my instinct was against a procedure to prevent pregnancy. I had always said I wanted four kids and for years there it didn't look like it was going to happen, but it did, so I decided that there was no reason to be greedy. It is time that my body needs to rest and I am blessed with 4 beautiful children.
Now that I don't have to worry about the constant possibility of being pregnant, the only drain on my body is the breastfeeding I'm doing for the next year or so. When that's done, my body will be MINE again.
So today, even though I gave birth and had surgery two weeks ago, I am starting my program. I am breaking my bad habits, the ones I indulged in while I was pregnant and before that; my addiction (that's really the best way to label it) to fast food and sugary sodas. I'm going to keep track of my progress here in this blog. So today is my first day of rehab - Here are my beginning guidelines for all future food and drink that I put in my mouth:

Jackie's New Life Rules:
1) No JUNK FOOD , no fast food - nothing fried or fatty - no sweets.
2) Eat whole grains, lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats.
3) Drink lots of water.

So that's my start. I probably will add to the rules list as I go, based on what I'm struggling with or what's easy. Once I'm totally healed I will be adding exercise as well - my goal for the next few weeks is to simply break my brain and body cravings for the sweets and fats. Baby steps!