Back to School

Michael had his first day back at school yesterday. It seemed to go pretty swell :) I didn't get much info out of him. Typical. I'm hoping to be a bit more energetic tonight at bed time and see if I can get him talking.

Great news... I'm losing weight! 1 lb. a week... nothing too crazy. But, after awhile it will add up to a great amount!

I've been involved in a Christian program called First Place 4 Health. It focuses on the four sides of a person. Your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. I've been in it almost 2 years. I think the most weight I lost was 5 lbs. And that was about a year ago.

So, what am I doing different now that I wasn't before?* Praying. Early in the morning. Yup, I'm getting up before the rest of the family and I'm doing my Bible Study lesson for the day, reading my Bible, writing in a prayer journal, and praying.

Having a 'quiet time' in the morning just never seemed to work for me before. I never liked getting up earlier than I needed to. Our children always served as my alarm clock. I think with Michael starting school it has changed my season of life a bit. And I am loving it! I'm not even tired when I'm doing it. I feel awake and refreshed and excited to spend time with my Lord.

If you don't do a 'quiet time' in the morning, I would greatly encourage you to do it. Make that the first thing you do and I know God will bless your efforts!

*I have made some other significant changes to my lifestyle as well. I don't drink any pop and I exercise about 5 times a week for about 30 each time. It's been a long process for me. I think I finally get it!

Pop Free

I thought I'd give you a little update... I was pop free on Monday and Tuesday!

I feel pretty good. The other good news about that is I didn't replace that 'treat' with something else. Actually, maybe I did. I've been drinking hot tea. I have my little 'tea time' twice a day. I like it :) And my water intake is so much that I have totally lost count.

I feel lighter all ready! A little bloated, but definitely healthier!

Downsizing

Ok, here's my pop strategy that I've been mulling over the past couple of days. Brace yourself, I'm going to honest with you all. Be nice to me :)

I like the bubbles of pop. I think I like the caffeine. I don't grab one because I'm feeling low on caffeine. It's really for the sugary taste (fake sugar in my case) and bubbly feel. It's usually the first thing I grab if I'm thirsty, hungry, or hot. I'm picky about my pop. Not really the brand, but the flavor. Vanilla is my favorite. I have to drink it from a can. I don't like pop that is even slightly stale. Most of the time I don't finish the can because it's gotten too warm or has lost it's bubbles.

Each week I buy a 12 pack of diet pop. This costs between 3-4 dollars. I consume all of this and sometimes more a week. So, about 3-4 cans a day. Which brings the rough total to $24 per month. We recycle the cans regularly. I tried recycling the box but there is not a place around here that takes box board that is specially treated to go in the fridge. (Actually, I'm going to call around at our other centers nearby and see if it's different.)

Since I don't think it would be a sure thing to just quit cold turkey I'll start small. I'll buy a 2 liter. They cost about $1. It's very cost effective for the amount, and it's only one thing and it it recyclable. Only buy this on Friday's and when it runs out, it runs out. I probably won't drink it all because I hate flat pop. Cost per month about $5.

Next, I'm going to have tea time each day. Making sure I don't become an addict to caffeine. I'll aim for drinking probably 2 cups a day, morning and late afternoon. Maybe even be so frugal to using the same tea bag. I'll have to test that one out. Tea is great in compost, so I'll hook up with my mother-in-law and get that going. The box it comes in is recyclable. The plastic outside, I'll have to check on that.

I just bought two boxes of tea today at $1.59 each. They each have 20 bags in them. I'd love to switch to loose tea eventually. It's very cost effective and very low in waste. Plus? They have those awesome tea pots that I've always wanted. So, even if I had 3 per day (not re-using them) it would cost $7.20 a month.

That's a big cost difference! Oh, and of course, a better health choice :)

#10 Recycling

Well, my board box recycling isn't going quite as well as I had hoped. I started saving all of our boxes. I went to the recycling center this week and read the sign on the dumpster very carefully. I didn't want to make a mistake :) It specifically said that they can not recycle boxes that can be refrigerated. Apparently they are sealed with a special coating = chemical that can not be recycled. Boxes like pop can boxes, yogurt boxes, or healthy choice frozen meals. Poop! That was half of my load.

So, now before I buy something I'm actually paying attention to how it's packaged to see how much of it is recyclable. Duh... it all comes down to convenience foods. Fresh food has the least amount of wasted materials. Fruits and veggies.

That'll be a huge challenge for next year, not this time around.

But, I am starting to rethink my pop addiction. Yes, I know I have a problem. Well, I don't call it a problem. I like it and that's that. But, I think I may come up with a better plan that is safer for my body and the environment. More on that later.

Stuck

Two of my fingers are glued together... with super glue. I've been trying to get unstuck for 2 hours. I'm tired. I'll tape them together and pray that they'll be separated in the morning.

The funny thing is, I was using glue to seal up cracks in my fingers due to extremely dry skin. Now both of my hands are pealing because of all the chemicals Jamie gave me to help. Soap, lotion, nail polish remover, mineral spirits, even WD-40.

What a mess! I amazed myself though. I'm actually able to type!