Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Haven't blogged in a while because I really haven't found much I want to say.

Yet.

Several folks I follow have been drooling over their Pinterest boards. It looks interesting. Maybe even useful. Rather more useful than traditional bookmarks. Less gimme-gimme than the Kaboodle sidebar. Definitely trendy right now. I'm on a "waiting list." I wonder how they'll decide if I'm worthy for my own board. If they base it on how much I post on various social media, I guess I'd just better hie over to Hobby Lobby & get a sheet of cork-board. Or strips, like they use in classrooms. Which I might still do; I'm waffling between cork hang-strips or tacked cording for hanging up MLB's many pennants in his room.

See, that is something I could use my board for: side-by-side comparisons. A local woman makes Cake Bites, which I'd love to try. There are some purses I've discovered that are on my "radar," so to speak. I see stuff here & there-- recipes, inspirational words, funny pictures, that I'd like to be able to find again & again without having to dig though my bookmarks or try to remember what its file name is.

I could use an on-line bulletin board. I got my first cork-board in elementary school (right after my parents learned I'd discovered what Scotch tape was for) & just wore it out. I had so much fun decorating my locker in high school. In college, I'd corked an entire side of a bookshelf for just that stuff. I was lately using my refrigerator for that stuff................ until I had kids (ceramic magnets & unique papers and kids don't mix well.)

Please stand by.

Chore Chart Rewards

So, what happens when I earn my little Smiley Stars? I get rewards.
Whoo-hoo!

I've set up the reward increments in sets of 8, since there's only 8 lines on the chart. The Smiley Stars accumulate. I get rewarded for 8, 16, 24 and 32. Theoretically, I could earn a reward a week. The rewards also aggregate.

After a month, I've only earned 18 stars, but then again, this isn't a competition.

Y'all, I LOVE to read. I was the kid who would check out a library book in the morning and bring it back by the end of the day in elementary school. I'd read after bedtime with a flashlight under my covers in middle school. I knocked my teeth out in high school in an unfortunate bicycle accident involving a new book I'd just gotten at the public library but stashed in a purse, not a backpack. (The bicycle needed to be unbent, the purse needed to be thrown away, I needed crowns on my front teeth. The book, yea!, was fine.) I'm able to read a Harry Potter book in one weekend-- yes, even the last one. Seriously, a one-pound bag of M&Ms would last longer around me. Unfortunately, being a book-hound means that important things fall by the wayside like laundry, human contact & sleeping. I have to stay away from books unless I plan for reading time. I've tried telling myself, "Just one chapter a day." Doesn't work. I don't like avoiding books, and this makes a perfect reward. I could get a book a week, and if I'm able to accomplish my daily goals each week while having a book around means that my new good habits are getting more comfortable to do.

This is another "luxury" I don't indulge in like I should, mainly because it would also involve giving the tub a good, good scrub. I have a small collection of lovely bath salts that I'd like to use for more than foot soaks. How about a me-soak, with NO ONE calling my name unless there is large quantities of blood. If I ask sweetly, I might even get my husband to clean the tub (tee-hee!)

I don't treat myself well when it comes to clothes. I make sure everyone else has nice things to wear, and I don't get much of anything for myself. I have a long list of "reasons" for this: I'm not happy with my shape/size, so I'm not sure what would look good on me; I cannot clothes shop with my entourage, since I'd be chasing them instead of selecting clothes to try on; I ran up a small, but scary enough, unsecured debt in college with nothing to show for it except memories of dinners out and clothes that I no longer own; I don't have any room in my closet, since I'm using that for storing things we needed to move to give our kids some space; I don't have anyone to go shopping with. Yet I need some more basic pieces so I don't look like I'm the charwoman. My mother-in-law tries to help by taking me out to get new clothes on my birthday,  when I let her ( I don't want to take advantage of her generosity, and sometimes I tell myself paying on bills or clothing the kids would be better.) I hope that if I frame this as a reward, I'll feel more confident about shopping, and less bummed out about how I look.

It's written with black marker on a dark blue background, so I did a "reverse colors" trick to get it to show up. Gigi's Cupcakes are wonderful! Only one-third of it is cupcake.... the rest is luscious frosting! It seems counterproductive to the "Avoid Empty Calories," but since I'm not medically forbidden from sugar, why not have a planned treat? I've also got a gift card for my birthday and it's burning a hole in my pocket. Yes, of course the kids will get a cupcake, too. One for me and one for them; just two cupcakes. (If they whine about sharing a cupcake, I'll divide them in thirds, knowing that I'll likely end up with extra cake, at least, after they eat off all their frosting.)

So there you have it, myself improvement plan, since
"we could all use a little change."

Chore Chart, Line 8

So maybe I do want to lose some weight. I need to. I am 200 pounds but only 5'4" (barely.) Luckily for me, I've put on my weight everywhere (including my back where I can't see it) and I have big, dense bones, so I don't feel that I look as huge as I think I should be. If that even made sense.

Over the years I've "self-medicated" with food. Chocolate is fave, but I'm not picky: cold mac-n-cheese, french fries, uncooked pie crust, whatever I was in the mood for, or at least was handy & could be eaten without my family knowing it. Sounds like I have a food addiction, huh? I could give up alcohol, if I was consuming drinks like I've done with food, but I can't just give up food.

I can give up unhealthy patterns.

I'm trying not to count calories/carbs/fat, etc, but instead to look at my portions. Hence, "right-size meals." That would also include well-balanced meals, and not pasta every night while using canned veggies. I still snack a bit, too, but I'm choosing a dozen of the almonds my husband roasted without oil or salt, a spoon of hummus, some grapes or a glass of milk. This past month when I had my pre-menstrual chocolate cravings, I got one of these vitamin & protein enriched energy-type bars-- as many calories as a candy bar (and sometimes more fat,) but more filling with bonus nutrition. Trying to change.

I would like to be a good example to my kids; the boy doesn't eat enough and the girl sometimes eats more than her fair share. I'd like to stop envying other woman and how nice they look in their clothes, even the "plus size" ones. I'd like to think that I look good in my clothes.

Mostly, I want to get enough weight off so I can wear my wedding ring & engagement ring again. Those are the one thing I can wear and always feel beautiful.