We are on day 6 of the big change and have accomplished quite a bit. The living room looks so vacant without our bulking 3 piece sofa set taking up space as we sold it over the weekend along with the bedroom set that once sat in my son's room. I lost count of the trash bags and boxes of that have quickly exit this home and I feel so great about the cleaning process. It's all so liberating to de-clutter and organize my family of 5.
Last night was the first evening we tackled the new place as we cleaned out the items that turned that place into a storage area. I literally swept that place from ceiling to floor and everything in between as it seemed to be never ending. We finally found a stopping point by fogging the place for insects and closed up shop for the night. I am so excited to return today and get more work done. Even though the place is ridiculously SMALL, I am so grateful we have it to call our own as we prepare for better things to come.
Well I do hope it doesn't take me longer than 48 hours to update everyone and I look forward to posting before and after pics. For now, I need to contact a storage company, a college advisor, and continue packing. Hasta Luego ;-)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Family Journey through a DownSize
I know I rarely mention "the husband" when I do post but he does exist. LOL On a serious note, last night we had a heart to heart in reference to where we're at, where we've been and where we want to be in life as a family. I shared with him my fears, prayers and dreams for us 5 as he did as well. After 3 hours of positive communication, we came to the conclusion...we need to downsize to survive in our marriage and family life.
The economy has affected so many through out the US and we are part of that "many". Awhile back I caught a segment on Oprah regarding the toll it's taken on families today and I must admit it has stuck with me since then. There were clips of families that once lived comfortably in there middle class neighborhoods and are now residing out of pitched tents and/or shelters. This got me thinking... a lot! The countless past due bills along with the current bills began to race through my mind as I wondered if we keep this up much longer we will lose it all as well.
Last night we decided to take control of our future by DOWNSIZING! We made a note of what we can afford at the moment, what debts we need to clear and along with the light at the end of the tunnel we set a long term goal for ourselves. Since my husband had to close up shop in May '07, we were left with a cottage like building that was once his office. You guessed it! That will be our new home... for now! It's very tiny to say the least but I am confident it will bring us together as a family as we dig ourselves out of this hole we're in today.
It most certainly will not be easy but with patience, prayer and communication it is possible. I look forward to sharing our journey with everyone so that others know they are not alone in this struggle we face today. Everyone has their own problems, issues, etc but it's how you take hold of them that sets you apart from everyone else.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13
The economy has affected so many through out the US and we are part of that "many". Awhile back I caught a segment on Oprah regarding the toll it's taken on families today and I must admit it has stuck with me since then. There were clips of families that once lived comfortably in there middle class neighborhoods and are now residing out of pitched tents and/or shelters. This got me thinking... a lot! The countless past due bills along with the current bills began to race through my mind as I wondered if we keep this up much longer we will lose it all as well.
Last night we decided to take control of our future by DOWNSIZING! We made a note of what we can afford at the moment, what debts we need to clear and along with the light at the end of the tunnel we set a long term goal for ourselves. Since my husband had to close up shop in May '07, we were left with a cottage like building that was once his office. You guessed it! That will be our new home... for now! It's very tiny to say the least but I am confident it will bring us together as a family as we dig ourselves out of this hole we're in today.
It most certainly will not be easy but with patience, prayer and communication it is possible. I look forward to sharing our journey with everyone so that others know they are not alone in this struggle we face today. Everyone has their own problems, issues, etc but it's how you take hold of them that sets you apart from everyone else.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I Am A Work In Progress
As many of my dear friends have seen the explosion of the 30Day Shred on my facebook site, a few may wonder what is all the hype really about anyway. Is this just another one of my countless Health Kick attempts or truly a New Way of Living? Well a little of both but so much more inspiration behind it than an old pair of jeans I once loved dearly and definitely a work in progress.
We are well aware DIABETES is a deadly disease. It has claimed the lives of my grandmother Carmen at age 36 and my Aunt Carmen at age 40 (mother & daugther). It has taken a physical toll on my mother and her remaining 6 siblings. Half of my aunts and uncles have had a limb amputated and some have lost their sight as well. My mother's youngest sister (in her mid-40s) had both her lower legs amputated over a year ago along with other complications. If this isn't motivation enough for anyone to get off their rear and get moving I don't know what else it will take to do so.
Since I turned 30, I had 2 children in less than 2yrs (14mos to the day) and never managed to lose the weight. I don't blame my pregnancies for my weight gain but as my doctor stated (when I attempted to lose weight last year) I was just trying to survive the first years of motherhood. I became very comfortable with that statement and since then I've maybe worked out here and there but never committed long term. A few weeks ago I decided it was time to do something consistent and get results.
I want to thank my dear friends for their continued support the past 20 days. Without y'all there is no way I could or would have kept going. There were days I wanted to quit but seeing the comments from the days before on facebook gave me the boost I needed to keep going. Carmen, Mary, Sonia, Krissy, Marissa, Renee', Michelle and Stacy have been my daily cheerleaders and I thank you for that. A few have also joined me in the challenge and I look forward to their updates as well.
We are well aware DIABETES is a deadly disease. It has claimed the lives of my grandmother Carmen at age 36 and my Aunt Carmen at age 40 (mother & daugther). It has taken a physical toll on my mother and her remaining 6 siblings. Half of my aunts and uncles have had a limb amputated and some have lost their sight as well. My mother's youngest sister (in her mid-40s) had both her lower legs amputated over a year ago along with other complications. If this isn't motivation enough for anyone to get off their rear and get moving I don't know what else it will take to do so.
Since I turned 30, I had 2 children in less than 2yrs (14mos to the day) and never managed to lose the weight. I don't blame my pregnancies for my weight gain but as my doctor stated (when I attempted to lose weight last year) I was just trying to survive the first years of motherhood. I became very comfortable with that statement and since then I've maybe worked out here and there but never committed long term. A few weeks ago I decided it was time to do something consistent and get results.
Today is the 20 day mark of my 30 day challenge! I have dropped 2pant sizes, lost 9lbs, lost 2+inches at waist, and show visible definition in legs, shoulders & arms, much better attitude and higher energy level altogether! As I mentioned to my friend Mary, the downfall is I now look frumpy in my fat clothes LOL. I love what the past 20 days have done for me and after completing my 30 day challenge I will attempt another 30 days with a more vigorous format.
I want to thank my dear friends for their continued support the past 20 days. Without y'all there is no way I could or would have kept going. There were days I wanted to quit but seeing the comments from the days before on facebook gave me the boost I needed to keep going. Carmen, Mary, Sonia, Krissy, Marissa, Renee', Michelle and Stacy have been my daily cheerleaders and I thank you for that. A few have also joined me in the challenge and I look forward to their updates as well.
Overall, I do not want to become another statistic due to diabetes. My children look up to me for guidance in everything they do. I don't want them looking up to an overweight mom. You don't need expensive exercise equipment, a posh gym membership nor the DVD I'm raving about these days. Just get up and get moving with your loved ones. I hope that my story and that of my relatives will inspire at least one person to get up and get moving and never look back. Whatever your reason may be for making the change... JUST DO IT!
;-) Caroline
Friday, April 10, 2009
No Cable TV... Oh My!!
I have been contemplating the possibility of no TV in my home for some time now. When I say "no TV", I mean no Soapnet, no Disney, no Lifetime, no Desperate Housewives (YIKES) and the clincher... NO DVR!!! My husband wanted to get rid of the services altogether back in December and even called it in. I felt like someone was ripping my heart out and I couldn't breathe, but at the end of his conversation with the service provider... HE FREAKIN' UPGRADED OUR SERVICES...WTH?! So much for saving, so much for cutting back on our TV watching, etc.
Well here we are the 2week of April and it is now our 5th day without our Dish network service. I guess one would say I'm an extremist...no in between... either I have it or I don't... the channel services that is LOL. I took the big leap and got rid of it...cold turkey!!
At first I was abit worried because Ben loves his Olivia the Pig episodes as I love to catch up on my AMC & OLTL soaps. Enough is enough... having all these nice extras were beginning to consume our time in a negative manner. Ben preferred to watch Olivia the Pig before a nap and bedtime than to have me read to him. OMG, I got my kid hooked on Baby Crack!! As for me, instead of working out to one of my many DVD videos, I'd find myself watching my own soap marathons into the wee hours of the morning! TV watching became a part time job except I didn't get paid to watch and my waistline continued to pay the price :(
I understand getting rid of the TV service is not going to solve all my problems but I need to start somewhere. I honestly don't know how long this will last but I do pray I use my time wisely like stay off my bum and keep moving. I've actually been good about it the past 3weeks so I may have gotten something started here LOL... anyone want to place a wager?!!
Well here we are the 2week of April and it is now our 5th day without our Dish network service. I guess one would say I'm an extremist...no in between... either I have it or I don't... the channel services that is LOL. I took the big leap and got rid of it...cold turkey!!
At first I was abit worried because Ben loves his Olivia the Pig episodes as I love to catch up on my AMC & OLTL soaps. Enough is enough... having all these nice extras were beginning to consume our time in a negative manner. Ben preferred to watch Olivia the Pig before a nap and bedtime than to have me read to him. OMG, I got my kid hooked on Baby Crack!! As for me, instead of working out to one of my many DVD videos, I'd find myself watching my own soap marathons into the wee hours of the morning! TV watching became a part time job except I didn't get paid to watch and my waistline continued to pay the price :(
I understand getting rid of the TV service is not going to solve all my problems but I need to start somewhere. I honestly don't know how long this will last but I do pray I use my time wisely like stay off my bum and keep moving. I've actually been good about it the past 3weeks so I may have gotten something started here LOL... anyone want to place a wager?!!
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