I'm kind of embarrassed at the fact that another month has gone by and I haven't put up a blog post. I've thought about it several times, but always had something that needed to get done first. Isn't life funny like that?
Let me see, what has happened in June? For starters, my son E finished ninth grade with straight A's. There are no words to describe how happy I am with how well he did. I quickly signed him up for tenth grade and all the classes he'd need to take in August. About a week after he'd finished, I got a call from the Florida Virtual School office saying that they aren't doing full-time online school anymore. I felt my heart hit the floor. No, don't do this! Then the woman explained that I had to sign up for part-time homeschooling, which in essence is the same as full-time virtual school, except that I set the schedule instead of the online school. I had to re-register him, which took a while but I was able to finish it. We won't be using the same program as we did for ninth grade, which is kind of sad since my son enjoyed it. But I'm relieved that we will still be doing homeschool. My son did so much better and learned so much this year; I don't want him to have to go back to a school system he hated.
A week after E finished school, I had a week off from work. Well, almost a week off. My boss MM had explained that, while the tutors would have the week off, we would still have to come in and set up for summer tutoring. I didn't mind, but she did. She wanted a week off as much as the teachers. So, we got to work early the previous week and did all the paperwork for the new session. The only thing that couldn't be done was reminders - calls to the parents to remind them when their kids would start the summer session. My bosses went out of town for the week, so I was "nominated" to make the calls. I figured it would take me a couple of hours at most. It took almost four hours, but it was one day and I rested that week, so I can't complain.
The following week, however, was pure insanity. I signed up to serve at our church's vacation bible school (or VBS) in the mornings. I had to be at the church before 8:30 in the morning to help with registration and sign ins, then I was off to the snack room, where I helped prepare snacks and clean up for the four age groups. I was on my feet from 9am till noon. Then I ran home, changed my clothes, ate quickly, prepared my dinner, and went to work from 1:30 till 7:30. I'd get home, prepare the crockpot for the next day, go to bed and start the whole thing all over again the next day. Add to that the fact that my monthly friend paid a visit on Thursday morning, and you can well imagine what my week was like. I was thankful that I don't work Fridays, but we had our women's bible group prayer night that night. It was close to home, which is great, but I was exhausted. I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep during prayer time! Actually, it was beautiful, such a lovely time with these wonderful women, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. In fact, if I had to do it again, I would do it all in a heartbeat. Serving the kids was the highlight of my day, and I'm thankful I have the health and energy to still get it all done.
I went to NY & Co for some shopping because I had some City Cash that was about to expire. It allowed me to get a couple of pretty necklaces that were on sale. The original price was $25 for each; they had a buy one get one for $5 deal going on, and with my $20 in City Cash I spent $10 for the two. I also picked up some pants for work. I'd wanted to get some jeans but all they had was bootcut and I prefer straight leg jeans. I also got some purses at Target. One purse, in a pretty mint color, was $29.99; more than I usually pay for a purse but it's a lovely color and the perfect size for my wallet, umbrella, and bible. I used it today for church and it's so springtime, I just love it. Then my daughter and I went to Target today to return some makeup she'd bought that she didn't like, and I found a couple of purses on clearance. One is black, the other is light green, and they were $7.48 each, reduced from $24.99. Yeah, more my style! I got a couple of tank tops too, at $6 each. I like wearing a tank top with a cardigan for work because it's professional but still light. One tank top is red and the other is purple. I think I'll save the red one for July 4th, which is just a few days away. Wow, the year is halfway gone! Can you believe it?!
I also purchased some stuff from Bare Escentuals during their Friends and Family sale. I had a $20 off coupon and they were offering 20% off and free shipping. Works for me! I got a cream concealer which I'd been wanting to get, a neutral eye kit with a 5 in 1 cream eye shadow primer, an eye shadow duo in brown and champagne (love!!) and a brown eye liner pencil (double love!!), and a sample Mineralixers kit. Mineralixers is Bare Escentuals oil skincare line. This kit brings the oil based cleanser, an eye balm and the 5 in 1 oil/moisturizer. The 5 in 1 is my favorite; my dry skin appreciates it greatly. It's not a greasy oil by any means. I can use it in place of my moisturizer and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and silky. The cleanser is good as a makeup remover - it melts the makeup off my face - but I don't feel like my skin is completely cleaned after I use it. The eye balm is very nourishing to the delicate skin under my eyes, but so is their eye cream. I'm not sure I like the balm more than the cream. I'm glad I got the kit, though. I've used it and my skin has responded well to it, which is good considering I'm struggling with adult acne. It comes and goes; I can have days when my skin is perfectly clear, then all of a sudden I start breaking out. It might be hormonal. It might be my age. Or... It might be that I've been having chocolate, which has always made me break out. Which is terribly unfair.
I've been watching Poirot on Netflix. A few seasons that hadn't been on Netflix before are on now, and I have been enjoying my favorite Agatha Christie sleuth. I try to watch one episode a day. It's about all I have time for. It's a struggle not to fall asleep because it's late at night when I finally can sit down to watch.
Oh! One more thing! I've booked our hotel for our mini vacation in September! We will be going to Night of Joy again this year, my son E, my daughter A and myself. My oldest son R has to work, so he stays behind and takes care of Molly. We will be staying at the Pop Century resort at Disney World, which is so cool because we've never stayed there before! We got a great deal, $108 a night, which for Disney is a steal. Just 2 days after I'd booked the room the prices had gone up to $114, so I'm glad I got it when I did. We are soooo looking forward to Night of Joy - Skillet will be performing again, along with several bands we're eager to see. I'm so excited!!
I think that's all the updates for this month. I could say that I'm going to post more often, but...I'll say that I will try. I really do enjoy recording our days and weeks. I have to make an effort to keep my blog up to date. Here's to hoping! God bless.
Showing posts with label NY&Co. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NY&Co. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Where Have I Been?
I just realized I haven't blogged in over a week. What the heck?! I was supposed to be blogging more often, not less! I've got some catching up to do.
The reason I didn't blog last weekend was because I was barely home. Saturday was grocery shopping day. It was also fair/concert day. One of the local county fairs in South Florida had Danny Gokey and Brandon Heath in concert, and my best friend IV was dying to go. She's a concert junkie more so than I am - I usually tag along with her, though I have to admit I love the Christian concert scene myself. She'd gotten some really cheap tickets too: $5 per person, when the regular price is $18. That's to get into the fair, but both concerts are free once you're inside, so we got to enjoy a really great evening. The weather was perfect too, neither too hot nor cold. There was a nice breeze, and a chill was in the air but nothing uncomfortable. That's a big change from the fair concert last year. We went to see Matthew West and SonicFlood. We got a sonic flood all right: it poured like crazy! We were thankful that didn't repeat itself this year! Our kids went on a gazillion rides while we sang and worshiped with these two incredible artists and lovers of God. We got home at midnight but we had a blast.
Then Sunday I got up early for church - barely got any sleep - and my friend DS asked me if I had any plans for the afternoon. "Yeah," I said, "sleep." She quickly protested and explained why: she managed to get tickets to see Third Day that evening, and the tickets were $15! We hadn't planned on going because ticket prices were $45 and up, and the $45 tickets were not very good seats. I was sure we were getting lousy seats at such a low price, but DS insisted we should go and make a girl's night out of it, her, IV and myself. We agreed. I went home, took a 15 minute power nap, then got ready. When we got there we were all shocked: third row seats! I couldn't believe it! None of us could, really. And who opened for Third Day? Brandon Heath! We got to see him two nights in a row! We were so tired, but so incredibly blessed by the worship, that it didn't matter if I didn't sleep for another two nights!
Monday started our school week again, along with preparations for spring break for work. There was plenty to do and finish up, so it was a crazy hectic week. I'm glad to have this week off, so E and I can get caught up on some of his school assignments - not that he's far behind, but especially his PE class has been put on the back burner in an effort to get all his other assignments in on time. We'll be focusing on that.
Wednesday our Awana group was blessed with a visit from a missionary! This young lady is 20 years old and attended the school that is affiliated with our church. She is now a missionary in Argentina, and she talked to the kids about her experience. They were really interested and asked lots of questions, though the boys were mostly concerned with what kind of food is served in Argentina, LOL!
We had our Good Friday service at 2:00 in the afternoon. I don't know why we continue to have Good Friday services so early. Unfortunately, gone are the days when folks had Good Friday off from work. We had a good amount of people show up, though, and I was thankful. We had communion, then Pastor gave a lovely sermon based on Isaiah 53:1-6 and how Jesus was misidentified and misunderstood. He did an awesome job; we left feeling grateful for the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for us.
Friday morning I got an email from New York and Company, my favorite clothing store. They were having a huge sale, but we had school to do, and Good Friday service to attend in the afternoon. I went ahead and took a look online, and found some cardigans on sale for $15. I have one of their cardigans, and the quality is outstanding, so I ordered 3 more, along with a couple of tank tops ($7 each) and a pretty top ($15). I don't mind buying from New York and Company because everything I buy from them lasts me a good long time, but I especially like getting stuff cheap!
Today was designated Floor Cleaning Day. I love our dog Molly, but she is a slobberer and a shedder. I cleaned the floors recently, and they looked like I hadn't touched them in months. I got to work mopping the hallway and living room, then looked at the red wall in my living room.
Don't get me wrong, I love the red wall. It's a great accent wall. Except for one thing. My living room faces west. I get no morning sunlight in this room, and in the afternoon I only get sunlight for a short amount of time while the sun is going down. With dark brown floors and dark green furniture, the room looked dark. And I don't like dark.
I'd been thinking about changing the wall for some time, painting it the same color as the rest of the walls to brighten up the room. There's a red wall in the dining room and another in the family room, but those aren't anywhere near as dark looking because the back of the house faces east, and these rooms get lots of sunlight. I decided to check and see if I had any paint left; after all, I'd painted the house back in 2010. Lo and behold, there was a little less than half a can of paint left. I made up my mind and got to work. Here is the end result:
That is one bright room! It's much more cheerful, and that's what I wanted. Now I'll have to schedule a trip to Kirkland's to get some artwork for that wall. It'll have to wait, though. I have to take my car to the dealership on Monday to have it checked out. The steering wheel is making a rattling sound, and it kind of sticks. I hate car problems.
That's it for now. I pray everyone has a blessed Resurrection Day. He is Risen! Glory To God!
The reason I didn't blog last weekend was because I was barely home. Saturday was grocery shopping day. It was also fair/concert day. One of the local county fairs in South Florida had Danny Gokey and Brandon Heath in concert, and my best friend IV was dying to go. She's a concert junkie more so than I am - I usually tag along with her, though I have to admit I love the Christian concert scene myself. She'd gotten some really cheap tickets too: $5 per person, when the regular price is $18. That's to get into the fair, but both concerts are free once you're inside, so we got to enjoy a really great evening. The weather was perfect too, neither too hot nor cold. There was a nice breeze, and a chill was in the air but nothing uncomfortable. That's a big change from the fair concert last year. We went to see Matthew West and SonicFlood. We got a sonic flood all right: it poured like crazy! We were thankful that didn't repeat itself this year! Our kids went on a gazillion rides while we sang and worshiped with these two incredible artists and lovers of God. We got home at midnight but we had a blast.
Then Sunday I got up early for church - barely got any sleep - and my friend DS asked me if I had any plans for the afternoon. "Yeah," I said, "sleep." She quickly protested and explained why: she managed to get tickets to see Third Day that evening, and the tickets were $15! We hadn't planned on going because ticket prices were $45 and up, and the $45 tickets were not very good seats. I was sure we were getting lousy seats at such a low price, but DS insisted we should go and make a girl's night out of it, her, IV and myself. We agreed. I went home, took a 15 minute power nap, then got ready. When we got there we were all shocked: third row seats! I couldn't believe it! None of us could, really. And who opened for Third Day? Brandon Heath! We got to see him two nights in a row! We were so tired, but so incredibly blessed by the worship, that it didn't matter if I didn't sleep for another two nights!
Monday started our school week again, along with preparations for spring break for work. There was plenty to do and finish up, so it was a crazy hectic week. I'm glad to have this week off, so E and I can get caught up on some of his school assignments - not that he's far behind, but especially his PE class has been put on the back burner in an effort to get all his other assignments in on time. We'll be focusing on that.
Wednesday our Awana group was blessed with a visit from a missionary! This young lady is 20 years old and attended the school that is affiliated with our church. She is now a missionary in Argentina, and she talked to the kids about her experience. They were really interested and asked lots of questions, though the boys were mostly concerned with what kind of food is served in Argentina, LOL!
We had our Good Friday service at 2:00 in the afternoon. I don't know why we continue to have Good Friday services so early. Unfortunately, gone are the days when folks had Good Friday off from work. We had a good amount of people show up, though, and I was thankful. We had communion, then Pastor gave a lovely sermon based on Isaiah 53:1-6 and how Jesus was misidentified and misunderstood. He did an awesome job; we left feeling grateful for the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for us.
Friday morning I got an email from New York and Company, my favorite clothing store. They were having a huge sale, but we had school to do, and Good Friday service to attend in the afternoon. I went ahead and took a look online, and found some cardigans on sale for $15. I have one of their cardigans, and the quality is outstanding, so I ordered 3 more, along with a couple of tank tops ($7 each) and a pretty top ($15). I don't mind buying from New York and Company because everything I buy from them lasts me a good long time, but I especially like getting stuff cheap!
Today was designated Floor Cleaning Day. I love our dog Molly, but she is a slobberer and a shedder. I cleaned the floors recently, and they looked like I hadn't touched them in months. I got to work mopping the hallway and living room, then looked at the red wall in my living room.
Don't get me wrong, I love the red wall. It's a great accent wall. Except for one thing. My living room faces west. I get no morning sunlight in this room, and in the afternoon I only get sunlight for a short amount of time while the sun is going down. With dark brown floors and dark green furniture, the room looked dark. And I don't like dark.
I'd been thinking about changing the wall for some time, painting it the same color as the rest of the walls to brighten up the room. There's a red wall in the dining room and another in the family room, but those aren't anywhere near as dark looking because the back of the house faces east, and these rooms get lots of sunlight. I decided to check and see if I had any paint left; after all, I'd painted the house back in 2010. Lo and behold, there was a little less than half a can of paint left. I made up my mind and got to work. Here is the end result:
That is one bright room! It's much more cheerful, and that's what I wanted. Now I'll have to schedule a trip to Kirkland's to get some artwork for that wall. It'll have to wait, though. I have to take my car to the dealership on Monday to have it checked out. The steering wheel is making a rattling sound, and it kind of sticks. I hate car problems.
That's it for now. I pray everyone has a blessed Resurrection Day. He is Risen! Glory To God!
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Mid Week Recap
Is the week over yet? No? Ugh. I was kinda hoping it would be.
Ever have one of those weeks? Yeah, me too.
I've been battling this cold and congestion for several days now. Tuesday I went in to work with absolutely no voice. At all. I didn't feel so poorly that I couldn't work, I just couldn't help answer the phones, which is a primary reason I'm there. That made me feel a bit useless, but I made sure I got the filing cabinet in order (MM is so grateful for that) and made up some of the reading books for students. Whatever I could do, I would do, and I felt appreciated for the effort.
My voice is slowly coming back, but not without this annoying cough, and now my nose is drippy. What I want is a good night's sleep. I took Benadryl last night and it did help, but of course my days are packed with activities and I don't get to slow down much. Just yesterday we had school, then I went off to work for 3 hours, only to run home, change, eat something quick, and run off to Awana. I love being busy - it beats being bored - but when you aren't feeling 100% (or even 80%) it's rough on the body. I'm looking forward to (hopefully) getting some extra sleep this weekend.
Wait, what am I saying?! I've got the garage to organize, meaning I'm planning on getting the storage cabinets and finishing that job up. And to top it off, our clocks have to spring forward this weekend! Yikes! That means getting up a whole hour earlier for church!! I hate Daylight Savings Time with a passion!
In other news, I placed an order with New York and Company for another couple pairs of pants and a pretty top I'd seen at the store. I had some City Cash to spend ($30 worth) but no time to get to the store. Thankfully I've tried on the clothes and I pretty much know my size. Besides, if the clothes don't fit I can go to the store and exchange them. If they do fit, I've avoided a trip to the mall. Here's to hoping!
That's it so far. My week has been a cycle of homeschooling and work, with a side order of I-feel-yucky. Here's to praying for a better rest of the week, and God's provision which is always much needed. Have a blessed day!
Ever have one of those weeks? Yeah, me too.
I've been battling this cold and congestion for several days now. Tuesday I went in to work with absolutely no voice. At all. I didn't feel so poorly that I couldn't work, I just couldn't help answer the phones, which is a primary reason I'm there. That made me feel a bit useless, but I made sure I got the filing cabinet in order (MM is so grateful for that) and made up some of the reading books for students. Whatever I could do, I would do, and I felt appreciated for the effort.
My voice is slowly coming back, but not without this annoying cough, and now my nose is drippy. What I want is a good night's sleep. I took Benadryl last night and it did help, but of course my days are packed with activities and I don't get to slow down much. Just yesterday we had school, then I went off to work for 3 hours, only to run home, change, eat something quick, and run off to Awana. I love being busy - it beats being bored - but when you aren't feeling 100% (or even 80%) it's rough on the body. I'm looking forward to (hopefully) getting some extra sleep this weekend.
Wait, what am I saying?! I've got the garage to organize, meaning I'm planning on getting the storage cabinets and finishing that job up. And to top it off, our clocks have to spring forward this weekend! Yikes! That means getting up a whole hour earlier for church!! I hate Daylight Savings Time with a passion!
In other news, I placed an order with New York and Company for another couple pairs of pants and a pretty top I'd seen at the store. I had some City Cash to spend ($30 worth) but no time to get to the store. Thankfully I've tried on the clothes and I pretty much know my size. Besides, if the clothes don't fit I can go to the store and exchange them. If they do fit, I've avoided a trip to the mall. Here's to hoping!
That's it so far. My week has been a cycle of homeschooling and work, with a side order of I-feel-yucky. Here's to praying for a better rest of the week, and God's provision which is always much needed. Have a blessed day!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Monday, Monday
Happy President's Day! Or as we used to say when I was a kid, George Washington's birthday. It used to be specifically about George Washington, then about Washington and Lincoln, then about all the presidents. Our poor first president has gotten lost in the shuffle.
I didn't post yesterday because, quite frankly, I was being lazy. I went to church by myself because my darling little boy woke up with pink eye. Not something he wanted to go sharing with the other parishioners. When I told a couple of my friends about the job they were thrilled for me, which made me feel even better about taking it. Surprisingly, I'm not the least bit nervous. The only thing I keep thinking about is how I'm going to manage my time so that I get everything done and still get where I need to be on time. I hate being late anywhere, and I hate when others are late, something I've had to get used to in this South Florida laid back culture. I want to make sure my family and my employers are taken care of, and that means making sure I manage my time wisely.
After making lunch and putting one load of laundry in the wash, I pretty much sat in front of my computer and watched YouTube videos most of the day. I did do my Bible study, but that was it. I didn't even put the laundry away. As I sat there mindlessly watching other women talk about makeup and fashion and weight loss and blah-blah-blah, I realized why I was having so much trouble figuring out how to manage my time. I've become an expert at wasting it. This has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm only now seeing how bad it's gotten. Well, that's gonna have to change. And fast.
I've decided there's only two YouTubers that I'm going to watch whenever they have videos because they're my favorites: Shelbey Ashburn and Alex Garza. Oh, and Angie at Hot and Flashy. The first two are young girls. I've been watching Shelbey particularly because she does a lot of Bare Minerals videos, especially new product reviews which I enjoy. Angie is a year older than me and does videos geared towards women my age. I'm going to watch their videos when I have time, which will most likely be on the weekends, since my weekdays will be packed. Today I haven't watched any videos, and I've managed to do another load of laundry, put all the clean clothes away, vacuum and mop the floors, cook a chicken pot pie from scratch, take the car in for an oil change, and even watch a couple of episodes of the Tonight Show. I've also got some pot roast meat on the counter which I'm going to put in the crock pot tonight so I don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow. MM has asked me to go in early so she can give me some training, so I won't have time to be in the kitchen cooking. I have lessons to go over with E before I leave for the school. I told her I'd be there between 12:30 and 1:00, and I want to be sure I don't leave any loose ends.
I did go online for something else: dress shopping. I still wanted to find a dress for this wedding, but I'm tired of going to the stores and finding nothing. Either the clothes were for girls in their 20's, or they were for women in their 60's. I fall into neither category, and I certainly don't want to dress like I do. I decided to check out New York and Company again. Score! They had a really good sale, and I found a black velvet Eva Mendes dress on clearance for - get this - $23.98! It is such a pretty dress, in just the right style and color to be appropriate for a special occasion. I know I'll get some use out it. It better fit too - since it's on clearance I can't return it. I'm normally a size 10 in their dresses. I really hope that's the case with this one, because quite frankly, it looks perfect. I can't wait to get it and see how it looks!
Our temperatures are going haywire again. Yesterday we awoke to 41 degree weather; today it was 56. Tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the low 80's, then dip down into the 40's overnight. It's pretty hilarious; one day we're out in flip-flops and the next day we're wearing boots! Yes, South Floridians wear boots. It's quite comical.
I'm gonna shower now, then get that meat in the crock pot before I head on over to bed. Time management means I've gotta get up early (not just wake up early, but literally get out of bed), and that means getting to sleep early, too. I'm gonna try to post every other day so my blog doesn't get monotonous, unless something crazy and exciting happens (though not too crazy, I hope). Good night, ya'll.
I didn't post yesterday because, quite frankly, I was being lazy. I went to church by myself because my darling little boy woke up with pink eye. Not something he wanted to go sharing with the other parishioners. When I told a couple of my friends about the job they were thrilled for me, which made me feel even better about taking it. Surprisingly, I'm not the least bit nervous. The only thing I keep thinking about is how I'm going to manage my time so that I get everything done and still get where I need to be on time. I hate being late anywhere, and I hate when others are late, something I've had to get used to in this South Florida laid back culture. I want to make sure my family and my employers are taken care of, and that means making sure I manage my time wisely.
After making lunch and putting one load of laundry in the wash, I pretty much sat in front of my computer and watched YouTube videos most of the day. I did do my Bible study, but that was it. I didn't even put the laundry away. As I sat there mindlessly watching other women talk about makeup and fashion and weight loss and blah-blah-blah, I realized why I was having so much trouble figuring out how to manage my time. I've become an expert at wasting it. This has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm only now seeing how bad it's gotten. Well, that's gonna have to change. And fast.
I've decided there's only two YouTubers that I'm going to watch whenever they have videos because they're my favorites: Shelbey Ashburn and Alex Garza. Oh, and Angie at Hot and Flashy. The first two are young girls. I've been watching Shelbey particularly because she does a lot of Bare Minerals videos, especially new product reviews which I enjoy. Angie is a year older than me and does videos geared towards women my age. I'm going to watch their videos when I have time, which will most likely be on the weekends, since my weekdays will be packed. Today I haven't watched any videos, and I've managed to do another load of laundry, put all the clean clothes away, vacuum and mop the floors, cook a chicken pot pie from scratch, take the car in for an oil change, and even watch a couple of episodes of the Tonight Show. I've also got some pot roast meat on the counter which I'm going to put in the crock pot tonight so I don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow. MM has asked me to go in early so she can give me some training, so I won't have time to be in the kitchen cooking. I have lessons to go over with E before I leave for the school. I told her I'd be there between 12:30 and 1:00, and I want to be sure I don't leave any loose ends.
I did go online for something else: dress shopping. I still wanted to find a dress for this wedding, but I'm tired of going to the stores and finding nothing. Either the clothes were for girls in their 20's, or they were for women in their 60's. I fall into neither category, and I certainly don't want to dress like I do. I decided to check out New York and Company again. Score! They had a really good sale, and I found a black velvet Eva Mendes dress on clearance for - get this - $23.98! It is such a pretty dress, in just the right style and color to be appropriate for a special occasion. I know I'll get some use out it. It better fit too - since it's on clearance I can't return it. I'm normally a size 10 in their dresses. I really hope that's the case with this one, because quite frankly, it looks perfect. I can't wait to get it and see how it looks!
Our temperatures are going haywire again. Yesterday we awoke to 41 degree weather; today it was 56. Tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the low 80's, then dip down into the 40's overnight. It's pretty hilarious; one day we're out in flip-flops and the next day we're wearing boots! Yes, South Floridians wear boots. It's quite comical.
I'm gonna shower now, then get that meat in the crock pot before I head on over to bed. Time management means I've gotta get up early (not just wake up early, but literally get out of bed), and that means getting to sleep early, too. I'm gonna try to post every other day so my blog doesn't get monotonous, unless something crazy and exciting happens (though not too crazy, I hope). Good night, ya'll.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Happy Singles Awareness Day!
Nothing like a holiday to remind you of how unattached you are. The first year of my separation was difficult, and days like these only emphasized it. Especially since a week later, on the 21st, is my wedding anniversary. But you know what? I'm not letting a holiday ruin my day. No sir, I was determined to focus on the positive, not the negative. Easier said than done, huh?
Our language is limited when it comes to the word "love". We expect it to explain the feeling we have towards our family, our friends, our spouse, our children, and our favorite food. In the Greek language, there are several words that are used in reference to love. Phileo love is affection towards friends, people that aren't related but who feel a sort of unity in brotherhood. It's where we get Philadelphia from, the city of brotherly love. It also denotes those things that we prefer or cherish, like foods, movies, clothes, styles of music, etc. There is Agape love, which is unconditional. It's the kind of love parents have for their children, the kind of love God has for us. And then there's Eros, which is where we get the word erotic. It's romantic love, love between a husband and wife. It's the one we immediately associate with Valentine's Day. But it doesn't have to be that way. Valentine's Day can be a day about any type of love. There's no reason to limit ourselves. I kept that in mind for today.
First thing this morning I prepared a menu plan for the next couple of weeks. It was important that I pick meals that are quick to make, or that can be made in the crock pot. That way I wouldn't be stuck in the kitchen cooking, then rushing to get out the door. I think I came up with a good variety that we all love and I can whip up in less than 45 minutes. I then got dressed in a long sleeved shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a white denim jacket. Not the typical South Florida type outfit, but it's been mighty cold here! We got some rain a few days ago, and since then the temps have taken a dip: it was 46 degrees this morning, but it felt like 41 thanks to the wind chill. For a Floridian, that's downright freezing! The temperatures got up to the mid 60's in the afternoon, but it still felt pretty chilly, even with the sun out. I bundled up accordingly. I also used my Complexion Rescue as foundation, and I am loving it! At first I wasn't sure I was impressed with it; it worked nicely under my liquid foundation but I couldn't see myself using it alone. With some experimenting I found the secret to making it look like a flawless face - mineral veil. Mineral veil is Bare Mineral's loose translucent powder. I set the Complexion Rescue with mineral veil, then add a little bronzer, blush, quick eye shadow and liner, mascara and lip gloss, and in less than 10 minutes I'm heading out the door looking amazing!
I'm still trying to shop for groceries every two weeks instead of weekly, and keeping to a budget of $300 or under for the whole two weeks. I know, not an easy feat with prices being what they are. I'd already gone to Winn Dixie yesterday and gotten my meats, along with a bunch of produce and canned goods. I'd spent $104.58, so I had about $200 left to spend. I went to Walmart first. I had to buy a few food items, including Molly's dog food which includes both wet and dry, and I needed some toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc). Despite getting a few items not typically on the grocery list, I spent $104.92, which I thought was eerily close to what I'd spent the day before. From there I went to Costco for the bigger items: toilet paper, olive oil, dog biscuits, bacon (yes, we eat a lot of bacon. Don't judge me). The total spent there was $58.99. So all in all I spent $268.49, $31.51 under budget. Yay me!
Of course I was quickly going to spend my savings :P. I wanted to take advantage of the pants sale at NY and Company to get some work appropriate pants. I once owned a large amount of dress pants which I used for work; being a purchasing manager meant I had to meet with vendors on a weekly basis, and while jeans were allowed, they weren't a professional look for me, so I dressed in skirts and pants most days. About a year after I stopped working, I got rid of all but two pairs of dress pants. It made no sense to keep a bunch of clothes that I wasn't wearing, and I was not wearing dress pants at all. The two pairs I kept in case it got cold out (like this winter) so I wouldn't have to go to church in a dress or jeans. Now, however, I'll be in an office where pretty much everyone is in dress pants or Docker style pants - no jeans allowed. Yes, I can wear a skirt, and I may occasionally, but the school gives us button down shirts with the school logo, and I don't know that those will look very nice with skirts. I got a couple pairs, one in navy blue that almost looks like dressy jeans but they aren't denim, and the other pair in brown. Nice neutral colors that'll go with anything. Then I looked for a dress. My daughter's college roommate's brother (did you get all that?) is getting married at the end of the month, and I need a dress that is dressy but not formal (that's what her mom said). So I'm looking for something that is pretty and wearable, classic and wedding appropriate. There's a catch, though: it can't look like the dress my daughter will be wearing, a navy blue lace dress. Okay, not a problem. I figured I'd find something I liked, since NY & Company is my favorite store. And I did find a dress I liked. It's a lace dress, very similar in style to my daughter's dress, except it's in teal, which means it isn't the same. That's what I told her, anyway. She ain't buying it.
We went to several other stores, and I quickly spotted a trend. Lace dresses are all the rave. They are everywhere, and most of them are navy blue or orange. Orange is a lovely color, just not on me. I can wear peach, but bright orange washes me out and makes my skin look yellow. Jaundice is not an attractive look, let me tell you. I left the mall with just the pants. I'm wondering if I'll find anything I like. I have a dress that's been in my closet for, oh, I'd say at maybe 8 years? It's tight up on top but I can manage to get it on. If I can't find anything else, that's what I'll have to wear. I'll just eat very light, and breathe minimally.
As a Valentine's Day gift, my daughter bought Domino's pizza. I know many people like Domino's pizza. Not me. I'm a native New Yorker. I know what pizza is supposed to taste like, and it's not supposed to taste like Domino's pizza. I've told my children plenty of times that Domino's sauce is the worst I've ever tasted. They know I can't stand it, but my daughter had a coupon, and it was a sweet gesture, so I said okay, and I ate the faux pizza for my daughter's sake. I know I make it hard for her. She was saying how I won't eat Pizza Hut pizza because it's too greasy (it gives me a stomachache it's so bad), and I won't eat Papa John's either (seriously, the box it comes in probably tastes better). The only pizza I can stomach is Little Caesars, because it's only $5 so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. There's not much I miss from my days in New York, but New York style pizza is definitely at the top of that short list.
So that's it for my day. Maybe not the most "romantic" Valentine's Day, but still filled with love, and that's what matters, right? Hope everyone's day was filled with love. God bless ya'll.
Our language is limited when it comes to the word "love". We expect it to explain the feeling we have towards our family, our friends, our spouse, our children, and our favorite food. In the Greek language, there are several words that are used in reference to love. Phileo love is affection towards friends, people that aren't related but who feel a sort of unity in brotherhood. It's where we get Philadelphia from, the city of brotherly love. It also denotes those things that we prefer or cherish, like foods, movies, clothes, styles of music, etc. There is Agape love, which is unconditional. It's the kind of love parents have for their children, the kind of love God has for us. And then there's Eros, which is where we get the word erotic. It's romantic love, love between a husband and wife. It's the one we immediately associate with Valentine's Day. But it doesn't have to be that way. Valentine's Day can be a day about any type of love. There's no reason to limit ourselves. I kept that in mind for today.
First thing this morning I prepared a menu plan for the next couple of weeks. It was important that I pick meals that are quick to make, or that can be made in the crock pot. That way I wouldn't be stuck in the kitchen cooking, then rushing to get out the door. I think I came up with a good variety that we all love and I can whip up in less than 45 minutes. I then got dressed in a long sleeved shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a white denim jacket. Not the typical South Florida type outfit, but it's been mighty cold here! We got some rain a few days ago, and since then the temps have taken a dip: it was 46 degrees this morning, but it felt like 41 thanks to the wind chill. For a Floridian, that's downright freezing! The temperatures got up to the mid 60's in the afternoon, but it still felt pretty chilly, even with the sun out. I bundled up accordingly. I also used my Complexion Rescue as foundation, and I am loving it! At first I wasn't sure I was impressed with it; it worked nicely under my liquid foundation but I couldn't see myself using it alone. With some experimenting I found the secret to making it look like a flawless face - mineral veil. Mineral veil is Bare Mineral's loose translucent powder. I set the Complexion Rescue with mineral veil, then add a little bronzer, blush, quick eye shadow and liner, mascara and lip gloss, and in less than 10 minutes I'm heading out the door looking amazing!
I'm still trying to shop for groceries every two weeks instead of weekly, and keeping to a budget of $300 or under for the whole two weeks. I know, not an easy feat with prices being what they are. I'd already gone to Winn Dixie yesterday and gotten my meats, along with a bunch of produce and canned goods. I'd spent $104.58, so I had about $200 left to spend. I went to Walmart first. I had to buy a few food items, including Molly's dog food which includes both wet and dry, and I needed some toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc). Despite getting a few items not typically on the grocery list, I spent $104.92, which I thought was eerily close to what I'd spent the day before. From there I went to Costco for the bigger items: toilet paper, olive oil, dog biscuits, bacon (yes, we eat a lot of bacon. Don't judge me). The total spent there was $58.99. So all in all I spent $268.49, $31.51 under budget. Yay me!
Of course I was quickly going to spend my savings :P. I wanted to take advantage of the pants sale at NY and Company to get some work appropriate pants. I once owned a large amount of dress pants which I used for work; being a purchasing manager meant I had to meet with vendors on a weekly basis, and while jeans were allowed, they weren't a professional look for me, so I dressed in skirts and pants most days. About a year after I stopped working, I got rid of all but two pairs of dress pants. It made no sense to keep a bunch of clothes that I wasn't wearing, and I was not wearing dress pants at all. The two pairs I kept in case it got cold out (like this winter) so I wouldn't have to go to church in a dress or jeans. Now, however, I'll be in an office where pretty much everyone is in dress pants or Docker style pants - no jeans allowed. Yes, I can wear a skirt, and I may occasionally, but the school gives us button down shirts with the school logo, and I don't know that those will look very nice with skirts. I got a couple pairs, one in navy blue that almost looks like dressy jeans but they aren't denim, and the other pair in brown. Nice neutral colors that'll go with anything. Then I looked for a dress. My daughter's college roommate's brother (did you get all that?) is getting married at the end of the month, and I need a dress that is dressy but not formal (that's what her mom said). So I'm looking for something that is pretty and wearable, classic and wedding appropriate. There's a catch, though: it can't look like the dress my daughter will be wearing, a navy blue lace dress. Okay, not a problem. I figured I'd find something I liked, since NY & Company is my favorite store. And I did find a dress I liked. It's a lace dress, very similar in style to my daughter's dress, except it's in teal, which means it isn't the same. That's what I told her, anyway. She ain't buying it.
We went to several other stores, and I quickly spotted a trend. Lace dresses are all the rave. They are everywhere, and most of them are navy blue or orange. Orange is a lovely color, just not on me. I can wear peach, but bright orange washes me out and makes my skin look yellow. Jaundice is not an attractive look, let me tell you. I left the mall with just the pants. I'm wondering if I'll find anything I like. I have a dress that's been in my closet for, oh, I'd say at maybe 8 years? It's tight up on top but I can manage to get it on. If I can't find anything else, that's what I'll have to wear. I'll just eat very light, and breathe minimally.
As a Valentine's Day gift, my daughter bought Domino's pizza. I know many people like Domino's pizza. Not me. I'm a native New Yorker. I know what pizza is supposed to taste like, and it's not supposed to taste like Domino's pizza. I've told my children plenty of times that Domino's sauce is the worst I've ever tasted. They know I can't stand it, but my daughter had a coupon, and it was a sweet gesture, so I said okay, and I ate the faux pizza for my daughter's sake. I know I make it hard for her. She was saying how I won't eat Pizza Hut pizza because it's too greasy (it gives me a stomachache it's so bad), and I won't eat Papa John's either (seriously, the box it comes in probably tastes better). The only pizza I can stomach is Little Caesars, because it's only $5 so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. There's not much I miss from my days in New York, but New York style pizza is definitely at the top of that short list.
So that's it for my day. Maybe not the most "romantic" Valentine's Day, but still filled with love, and that's what matters, right? Hope everyone's day was filled with love. God bless ya'll.
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