Monday, May 20, 2013

Is there a balance to be had?


Enough is enough, and I've had enough (for now).

I haven't been regularly working out, though I've been wanting to.  I haven't been eating as healthy as I could or was, though I've been wanting to.  However...

I have been sorting through some of my personal messes and stresses.  I've been a shoulder for others.  I've been spending more time with my kids each night.  I've been sorting and cleaning more.  I've been doing a lot of other things that need to be done.  That's something to consider.  Granted, my health is a priority and sometimes it's hard to keep that in mind when so many other priorities are cropping up, but... there is a balance and health should not be brushed aside simply because other important issues and tasks start pressing in.

So today is a new day.  It's one day at a time and every damn day.

Some possible things I might implement to help me out with keeping my health in order, but without driving me crazy when other 'fires' crop up.  One thing I was thinking about doing is making daily goals and tasks.  For example, do X push-ups, do X squats, write down all expenses from the day, write down daily food.  I want to figure out my household budget and get my apartment in shape again.  But I also want to be able to have some alone time and creative time.  Who says you can't find a way to do all of this?  There has to be a way to do this without losing one's sanity and without facing burn out.

There's a few websites I found that touch on some of the household changes I want to implement.

In regards to paying off my family's debt, I found The Nesting Place Blog:  Becoming Debt Free & 6 Odd Tips That Helped Us.  I haven't looked at other parts of the blog, but I will be.  I also found another blog called And Then We Saved.  Both blogs are by people who payed off huge debts in a relatively short time.

For my health and fitness, I found 100 Most Inspirational Weight Loss Bloggers (of 2013).  I will be looking through them as I get time.  I'm also going to be looking through the What Did Jillian Say? blog, which has key points to the Jillian Michaels Show podcasts (though it doesn't start with the first podcasts, it's still useful).  I've been thinking about doing something similar, so it's a relief that I might not have to, given my time restraints.

I'll also be going through 100 Days of Real Food and trying to catch up.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Style is so much more


There's a certain point where a woman comes to her own.  Some hit that point in High School; some hit it when they are  well into their 50's or later.  There's just that moment where she just seems to feel completely at home in her own skin, that she feels the lusciousness of her being and the mystery of her soul.  A point where she doesn't feel the need to prove anything to anyone, even herself, when it comes to who she is, nor does she need to flaunt that fact either.  She just is.

Not all women reach this, sadly, but I'd like to hope that many do.  I honestly believe that most little girls (approximately 18 months to about 6 years old) naturally live in that stage.

I think I've touched on this moment in this past year.  Now, I may have firmly taken root in it.  Where fashion, personal style, self confidence, self awareness, and self acceptance finally become me.  For a short while, I tried to go back to the way I dressed the last few years, where I didn't really care how I looked as long as I was presentable and acceptable.  It didn't feel right.  I really only lasted a couple days before I went back to the newer style I've grown into.

In the last couple weeks, I've had several people comment on this (apparently very noticeable) change.  The most recent saying, "I've been watching you."   Creepy a little, but the elderly man is nice and I know he didn't mean anything by it.  The difference in how I am regarded by others is obvious, and I don't mind it.  I've had several people ask me where I find my clothes, accessories, and jewelry; they are usually surprised when I tell them that most of the items they ask about come from the same mainstream stores where they shop.  Perhaps that's the difference between being in fashion and having your own style.

Here's the thing...  My style is not to attract the attention of others; my appearance is just another artistic creation for me.  It's a story, a painting, a poem.  I sometimes wonder how others are interpreting who I am from what they are seeing.

There's this belief, that women dress for other women.  I've heard it go even farther with "if women were dressing for men, they'd be naked all the time."  But it was usually men that created the laws restricting how women can dress, and if no laws were written in regards to a woman's clothing, taboos usually existed (and were usually heavily enforced by men... though other women definitely had an influence on both).

For me, I don't dress for other women (or to compete with other women).  It's not worth my time or effort.  I tried it once (a friendly competitive game) and it was far too much work.  I do sometimes dress in a way I know will garner some attention, but that's not the driving force.

The person I dress for is myself.

It's nice when the way I'm dressing is appealing to or appreciated by other people, but that's not my motive.  I'm just me, I like me, and I have no reason not to express that fact.  I hope that my daughter and son see this in me, and carry it within themselves as they grow older.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Monsters taste like...


My son is scared of the dark.  He's scared monsters will come out and eat parts of him (like his ears).  It's a normal stage of development.

I don't like telling him that monsters aren't real, because to him, they are.  No amount of me tellng him that will change that reality for him.  I also don't want to tell him that real monsters are people who are very, very bad.  He's too young to be burdened with that.  I've heard of "Monster Be Gone" sprays, but I really would prefer the idea of him not being afraid of monsters rather than him just being 'protected' against them.

So... what do I tell him?

I tell him that there are no monsters in our apartment because Mommy eats monsters.
Yes... I eat monsters.  I like to eat monsters.  They are nummy.  Monsters taste like chocolate and chocolate is full of yums.

Here's the run down so far:
  * Zombies taste like shrimp; I cut them up and stirfry them with mushrooms and garlic.
  * Monsters taste like chocolate (which we just covered above).
  * Ghosts taste like whipped cream.
  * Vampires taste like coconuts.
  * Skeletons taste like candy canes.  (And I make ice cream sundays out of monsters, vampires, skeletons and ghosts because that is just the best.)
  * Aliens taste like lemonade, and I make smoothies out of them.
  * Evil Robots are taken apart to use as cooking pans and such.

I also sit in scary trees to hunt those creatures.  I like creepy old houses, because that's where those creatures like to go.  Mommy is one hungry lady.

I'd love to hear how other parents handle this sort of situation or how their parents did.  :-)