Blog will be shifting gears!

I have been having a....time.... trying to get here and do things. For that I apologize! My focus the last 6 mo or so has been different, and redirected, and it's time to redirect the scope of the blog as well!

So, what does that mean? Oh, I'm still going to be giving tips on saving money, organizing, and just generally being who I have been! BUT.... My focus has changed to include healthy living, losing weight, cooking well, embracing my fibromyalgia/food allergies, exercising, my cataract surgery and how things we are doing/eating affect us physically and mentally- and not just us, but our family as well.

I have been getting on www.sparkpeople.com more consistantly the last 2 months to log my food (most of the time) and record my exercise (we now have a treadmill we got at "play it again sports" for $150- and a great one!, and a recumbent bike we got at www.essex.com - the store actually- for $65 (compared to $160!) and also to blog on spark. Over the next week or so I will be working to get all of those blog entries added to this blog, and any new ones added as well- when I add them.

My husband did his "biggest loser" contest at work, and had a GREAT partner! They both realized about 1/2 way through they needed to work on making lifestyle changes rather than dropping tons of weight fast! His partner (www.garybowman.blogspot.com) is now taking on the task of training for a 1/2 marathon in October! My husband will be training as well, and I have always wanted to do this (much to Gary's surprise I think!) so I will be training along with them! October 9 is our anniversary, what better gift could we give eachother but the gift of health?

One thing I will have to work out in the beginning is how the training will affect my fibromyalgia, and also in 3 weeks I will have my second cataract surgery. I had my right eye done Feb 15th, and the dr really thought I would have until the fall to do my left, but it tanked in the last couple weeks. So, training starts next week (when we are on vacation!) so the 2 weeks after surgery I will continue to get my miles in, but just by walking slowly. The first few weeks of training is just a couple- 5 miles/day depending on the day, so this shouldn't be too bad.

I will be posting about Once a month cooking- I "rediscovered" this book today, and looking at the recipes it seems like pretty healthy food! I will put my recipes into my www.sparkrecipes.com recipe calculator to see if they are "worthy" of making (more on what I consider "good amounts" for meals in another post), and making/saving some up the week we get back from vacation to be prepared for after surgery! Not only will it save you time at night, BUT, money in the long run.

Speaking of money, I will be talking about one of my favorite guys more... Dave Ramsey! Gotta get things buttoned up in our household, get things back on track. I've been looking for a new job for over a month (as this job is on "contractor status" and haven't worked in 3 weeks) and it just seems God keeps saying "not right now" to me. So, my job for now will be to save us money, cook us good healthy food, and get us all on the right track!

Feb 12, 2009 Day one of This!

Ok, so I decided that I have so many wonderful tips and tricks about saving money and cooking and other things that I would love to share with many other people that I would just start blogging about them! I decided to post wonderful links to other money saving sites (some you do have to pay for, but they are just wonderful) and others you don't. I will tell you daily something how I saved that day, or about a favorite trick/tip. We have lived on a single income since my oldest child was 11 months old. She will be 13 next month! I am JUST NOW going "back to work"

Yes, I tried "working" off and on during that time, but with 3 kids 2 years apart, daycare would have been to expensive, and we decided to homeschool. Up until last year we did. In Sept 2007 we started them in Public School. It hasn't always been easy, but somethings have been great. I wouldn't change the homeschool experience for anything, as well as the public school experience. I think they both have their pluses and minuses! More on that another time. LOL

For today I will tell you that my "chosen" profession for the moment will be as a substitute for the public school system in our county. I have signed up for the 2 schools my 3 girls go to because they have been BEGGING me to do this, and I will. It brings in extra pay, and I think getting out of the house will be a good thing for me! Sometimes MOM just needs that!

Mom, take advantage of any opportunity handed to you to do something with PEOPLE! I got an automated call from "My church" last night (we haven't been to service in over a year! :( I know, bad) but it was about a "ladies night" pj party, $5 per person and they just ask that you bring something to help out one of their ministries (very cheap). So, I am going to call 2 of my friends today and ask them to come with me because I am a big chicken and then we will all go. Even though we are tight tight tight with money this month, I can handle $5. As far as what they are asking for their ministry, I will look through my coupons and they will get what I can get dirt cheap. (more on that another time!)

But as for now, I need to get myself ready for my day, get my list organized and ready to clean. I think (and pray!) my week will be busy next week with subbing so I want to be able to start with a clean house/full menu/all clothes clean- you know what I mean.