- Living next door to my sister
- Carlton having a friend next door, too
- Loving my sister’s kids as my own
- A good friend helping me with Sunny’s rainbow bridge planning
- Old vines reds
Fortunate 5
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Monthly Archives: May 2008
Weight Loss Update
After gaining 75 pounds in 9 months, I had parked some weight-loss updates in my blog. It’s not a dedicated weight loss blog; however, nutrition and fitness mean more to me now than ever.
I have been wanting to post about weight loss but I’ve been battling the same three pounds for at least eight weeks now. I’ve learned that one of the indicators of defeat in a weight loss blog is when the blog writer is silent for a while. But I have not given up and I’m redoubling my efforts. I promise I’ll post a full update when there is a loss to report. Before and after photos will be included!
Happy 5
- The first sip of well-brewed coffee
- Being incredibly productive at work
- My little waver
- My sweet Sunny girl
- Fruity olive oil
Amazon Subscribe and Save Review
I am pressed for time. Yeah, right, aren’t we all, but I do work outside the home, and I have a young daughter. I’d rather spend time reading her books than strapping her into the car for a long trip to the grocery or mall. I’ve significantly reduced my time at stores by using Amazon’s new Subscribe and Save program.
I first found it while shopping for diapers. I can tell the store how often/how many packages I want and I never have to think of it again. If I’m running low, I can have the delivery sent early; if I have too much, I can delay or skip a shipment. It is intuitively customizable and can be changed at any time. As if that isn’t enough, there is always free shipping AND the item is 15% off of regular price. I’ve never bought a diaper in a brick and mortar store.
After the success with diapers, I added more and more subscriptions for items I use frequently, from detergent that’s hard to find locally to nutritious whole grains for my baby. I currently subscribe to 14 different items.
As for prices, I have (of course) created a spreadsheet to calculate the prices versus the regular grocery store. As you can see, not every price is better. So I make sure that my subscriptions are those that won the cost war.
What about environmental impact? Well, the UPS guy drives past here every day anyway, so I’m actually saving fuel by not driving to the store as often. That detergent I can’t find easily is at a store that’s a 30-minute drive from my house and would consume about a gallon of gas per trip. And about all the packaging? Well, most quantities are by the case, so they are delivered in the manufacturer’s original packaging. I recycle every bit of the cardboard and packing plastics.
Just a few downsides… while the packaging is recycled, there have been occasions when it’s out of hand. Of note was this package. I was pretty excited when I saw the big box: six feet long, three feet tall, and a foot wide. I thought it was a gift from someone. But no, it was the result of my purchase of a cord channeling kit, with dimensions of 3’ long by two inches wide by half an inch thick. This is a ridiculous waste.
Also, I can’t use manufacturer’s coupons. For things like diapers, this can be up to $5. There should be a place to enter the UPC from these coupons.
I absolutely love the program and would recommend it to anyone.
Today’s 5
- Homebrew
- Ainsley’s giggle
- Making an easy dinner for 8
- Cool storm breezes
- Potential
Grateful 5
The Grateful Journal
Wow, my last post was depressing! As I was puttering around the house and cleaning this weekend, I found a journal that my mother had given me. It’s a blank book with the goal of writing 5 things that made me happy. It’s meant to be daily but I would find myself leaving the journal on a side table for a day, a week, a year (oo! Look! Something shiny!).
It’s so old that it’s fun to review and reflect. I also recall that even if it was a hokey Oprah thing, it still worked. I still could find five things on bad days, and the good days were glowing with happiness. So I’m going to dust off the journal and start again. I know it won’t happen every day, but I’m going to do it when I think of it.
For fun, I’ll post them on my blog, and also an old entry just for kicks.
Today’s Five
A delicious, authentic Indian meal prepared by someone I love
Carlton taking over for diaper changing at five in the morning
Ainsley’s soft little hand on my back
My sister’s sacrifice to move closer to me so our kids can be like siblings
My brother’s unflagging enthusiasm
Archive Five:
Um, yeah, I already can’t find the book. Oops.
Happiness
I can’t explain it.
My job: the one I’ve dreamed of having since college.
My car: a wonderful surprise gift- the car I never thought I’d have.
My house: let’s face it, I’m living in my dream home.
My family: parents, brother, sister: check, check, check. All are great friends.
My husband: a great dad and wonderful to me.
My daughter: you’re kidding asking this one, right? She is perfect.
My bank account: not empty.
So why the malaise? Why the inability to move? I feel guilty even feeling down. I have it better than 99% of the earth’s population and here I am feeling lonely and depressed. I just wanted to stay in bed today. What a waste of time it is to be so sad for no good reason. Maybe it’s because I’m overly dramatic, or maybe it’s because I’ve been in denial about my dog’s health for quite some time now.
Normally I don’t publish my whiny days on my blog but I do feel that it’s overtaking me. I have about 30 fun posts to write but my fingers aren’t typing those.
OK. Back to work.
Day to Serve
My company is hoping to set some world records for volunteerism today. There are 38 sites across the globe teaming together to help make our communities better. In Indianapolis alone, more than NINE THOUSAND of us are scheduled to work on local projects.
Please please don’t let it rain!
Mother’s Day
It’s my first official Mother’s Day. However, last year, I was already 6 months pregnant and let me tell you, being a mom was already affecting me.
What strikes me most is how much more I value my own mom. She’s always been great and I have always been good friends with her. I guess I just didn’t realize the depth of her sacrifices and how hard this job really is. She is such a smart and wonderful person and she raised three kids in some very difficult times.
Finally, and this is the hard part…I guess I don’t feel like that great of a mom. I feel like I do the minimum required. Yes, I read to her and I make her food and I keep her safe, but I thought that I’d feel much more satisfied with my own performance. When I make a meal, I can pretty objectively tell if it’s any good. True, my daughter isn’t a plate of nachos, but I think what I’m saying is that I am usually a decent judge of how I’m doing.
So the fact that I’m so blah about my performance makes me think I really am just doing the minimum. I wish I thought I were a great mom like everyone says I am. But I feel more like the one who lives in mediocrity. Is it OK to give her salty crackers? Will too much cow’s milk (once she turns one year old) cause hormone problems? Can I give her anxiety if I keep her room too neat? Am I spoiling her with all the applesauce when I’m too tired to put forth the effort to feed her avocado? Does she need a bath more often? Will she wish she had a different mommy?
I guess that’s all. I realize this post is quite a downer compared to most, and I almost didn’t post it. But it’s true and so I’m clicking “publish.”