Take a good look at yourself

Right now I'm still sick and it's frustrating me.....I can't function when I'm sick, I don't have time to be sick.....but I'm sick! Grrr! It's more of a sinus/head cold combo now - the strep throat is gone and it's morphed into this - I'm dealing!

However, in my Dayquil/Green Tea/Amoxicillin fog, I have been taking a good hard look at my "goals" for the year and just seeing where I'm at in all of this. You have to check in with yourself every once in awhile and make sure you are on the right track - so that's what I've been doing.

#1 Pay off debt - I'm doing really well here, I have budgeted a little extra each month to go towards debt and it's paying off....ha! Literally paying off! I don't use credit cards, I am frugal with groceries, etc., I watch our money closely and one of our hurdles will be tackled at the end of this month already.....so it's working! We didn't create our debt overnight, so unfortunately, it won't be taken care of overnight - it will take some time, but there is a plan in place and I can see the end of it all - so that's definitely a step in the right direction!

#2 Lose weight/Exercise more - I have been able to lose weight since the holidays because I've been exercising more. I had every intention of running a marathon in April - I was cutting it close by having only 12-weeks to train and since I've been sick, I haven't run at all - so I'm thinking that I will only be able to run the half-marathon in April and will possibly attempt the Chicago marathon in October.....working in athletics means the Fall is a busy time with football, so I will have to check my schedule to see if it's possible. So I feel like I'm on track with this one - I'm hoping to lose a little more before the summer - I want to feel comfortable in my shorts/bathing suit/tank tops.

#3 Go green - I am proud to say that I've been doing well in this area. I've introduced organic foods into our diets.....my husband wants to know what the difference is! ha! I have changed our soaps, lotions, and hair care products to more natural ones and have in fact noticed less itching in my scalp and my skin feels really good. I have made our laundry detergent and it works really well, no complaints from the hubby, and it's cheap! I am finding alternatives to harsh chemicals in our cleaning products and our house still smells nice! These are small changes, but they are something! Next task is to start getting serious about recycling!

#4 Be frugal - This kind of goes with #1 and #3......but it's more than just being smart with our money and finding alternatives to things in the store - it's figuring out how to plan your meals around what is on sale, whether or not your coupons will give you the best deal, and teaching your children and yourself that you are surrounding with resources that provide you with a good life without spending money every day. I have found beauty tips using household goods, craft ideas for my children by recycling toilet paper rolls, paper bags, etc., again, making my own household cleaners, and I am not as wasteful with things.

For instance, when we have apples that are starting to go soft - I know that nobody will eat them, so I peel them up, throw them in the crock pot with a little sugar and cinnamon and make applesauce that everyone likes. I make my own chicken stock with the split chicken breasts that are on sale for usually $0.99/lb. - and I use this in soups, stews, etc. I use our crock pot a lot - last night I stretched out a steak that would have barely fed the 4 of us at dinner - I put it in the crock pot with a can of baked beans, a cup of rice, a little water, some roasted red peppers, barbecue sauce, and some seasonings - it shredded up and we rolled it in tortillas. There was enough for dinner and lunches today for my husband and I.

I'm definitely learning how to be frugal and I really wish that I would have been practicing these things all along.....but it's better late than never right?

So take a good look at yourself today and your goals. Change things up if you need to and make sure you are on the right track. The security guard in our office said something to me yesterday morning that perked me up a little and made me giggle.....and I will say it to you today - "We are all in our places with fresh, shining faces" - happy Tuesday!

Angela