Accountability Saturday Launch Aug. 25

I've been thinking about starting an "Accountability Saturday" feature for awhile. I don't know about anyone else, however I need to make myself accountable for many of  the personal choices I make. Whether physical, mental, material...all those choices make me who I am. Lately I haven't been generating the best choices along with also I'm feeling the affects. I've been giving a lot of thought to which direction I want to take with certain parts of my life. Most of those things aren't life changing when you look at the big picture. However, some are health related along with also need to take a priority. Some things I do are affecting others in a negative way along with also definitely need to be addressed along with also changed.

Here's a sample of things which need changing:

• Sleep - I never get enough along with also I admit which's 100% my own fault.
• Computer time needs to be cut way back. I have good intentions of updating the blog, listing items no Etsy, etc. then get distracted with Facebook, Pinterest along with also anything else which looks cool.
• No motivation. I literally have to force myself to cook dinner, clean the house, etc. which's not which I never do which. I cook everyday, I clean once a week (or more, depending on what which is), I do laundry most days. My house isn't filthy, our clothes are clean, my family is fed. I just hate doing those things. I want which all to become more tolerable.
• Crafts - I have a million projects in my head however #2 on the list paralyzes me.

Today is my starting point, the day I start focusing on my actions along with also paying attention to how they affect my life. This specific will include diet, exercise, sleep (a big issue for me), money along with also anything along with also everything which needs improvement. which will be a work in progress along with also which might even get a little ugly before which gets better! The goal is to keep a modest journal to highlight the good along with also not-so-good choices I make in a day. On Accountability Saturday I'll post what I wrote in my journal which week along with also my thoughts about my choices.

I'm hoping others will follow along along with also share their own stories. Maybe which'll inspire others to become more aware of how their choices affect their health along with also family. There's always room for improvement.

Accountability Saturday Launch Aug. 25

Accountability Saturday - Sept. 1

Welcome to my second installment of Accountability Saturday. The past week went about as expected. I tried to stay focused on modest goals in addition to keep track of my progress.

I got a little more sleep.
I haven't gotten enough sleep in months. the item happens every summer - the kids are home so I sleep in. There's someone home with me all the time so I stay up late to give myself some alone time after everyone goes to bed. the item's a vicious cycle in addition to I ended up throwing off my system.

School began a few days ago so that will was a good week to work on the sleep thing. My usual bedtime over the summer was around midnight in addition to then I'd try to drag my ass out of bed by 6:00 a.m. on work days. Not a good combination.that will week I worked on getting to bed no later than 11:00. I actually did pretty well, except for Wed. night when I didn't get to bed until midnight again. The next night I went to bed by 10:30 so I think the overall consensus is that will I did okay. My ultimate goal is to establish a bedtime between 10 & 10:30 because that will's how I function best.

The fact that will you're reading that will on a Saturday doesn't mean I actually typed the item on a Saturday. the item's actually after 11:00 on Friday night. I'm up waiting for my son to come home by a late movie which has a friend. I might as well get something done while I'm waiting. As soon as I'm done typing that will I'll crash on the couch.

I drank more water. 
I did pretty well with that will goal. I brought a water bottle to work in addition to keep the item on my desk so I can fill the item as needed. I also have one at home. I do better when I drink by a Dasani type bottle. When the store bought water runs out I refill the bottle by the tap because I'm cheap like that will. the item's easier for me than a drinking glass in addition to I can keep track of how much I'm getting. I'm not obsessive about how many ounces I drink. I just  make sure I get enough to keep things flowing!

I cut back on coffee. 
There were a couple of days when I only had one cup, which is pretty amazing. I can easily drink 3 or 4 cups a day. I realized I get very sleepy after an afternoon cup of coffee, which sounds strange although the item's true. When I skipped the item in addition to had water instead I didn't feel sleepy. I missed the taste in addition to ritual of having that will afternoon cup so I haven't eliminated the item completely.

I did more craft projects. 
Instead of sitting on the computer, I got busy producing stuff. I made a pair of earrings  for myself. I also made a card that will included a 3D paper flower for a friend's wedding. the item's for a Facebook contest so I can't post pics until the contest is over. The prize is pretty sweet so I wish I win!

I watched TV with the family.
Instead of sitting at the computer, I sat down in addition to watched a DVD with the family. We watched Journey 2 while I created the earrings I mentioned above.

I tried not to nag my kids. 
My son says I nag him all the time. I guess the item's true although isn't that will what moms do? His room is messy, he stays up too late (hmmm...I guess the apple doesn't fall far by the tree!). He's 17 in addition to does things purposely to annoy his mom. I'm attempting to focus less on controlling his actions in addition to more on being positive. Nagging is a hard habit to break.

I made a date with my husband. 
Now that will one is a biggie. We haven't had a date since - I have no idea. the item's been way too long. Tonight we're going out to a local Irish Pub for dinner in addition to afterwards we're going to see wish Springs. I let you know how the item goes (maybe!).

I found a great blog post through Stumble Upon a few days ago. I'm sharing the item because I'm sure there's something everyone can relate to. Today #16 speaks to me.

100 Tips About Life, People, in addition to Happiness

After you've read the item, don't forget to come back here in addition to post which one hits home for you. 

I wish everyone includes a nice, relaxing Labor Day weekend. Have fun in addition to stay safe!

Accountability Saturday - Sept. 1

Accountability Saturday - Sept. 8

Free sunflower photo obtained coming from wallpaper.wallpedia.org

I just read a blog post on Tiny Buddha about choosing to be happy. The guy who wrote the idea is only 23 years old yet he makes some excellent points. His blog post inspired me to create the graphic above (the photo isn't mine yet I added the text). 

Accountability kind of went out the window during week two. the idea commenced with Labor Day weekend when I spent a lot of time just be plain old lazy. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being lazy - in moderation - yet I spent the entire weekend being lazy. I could have been doing a million things - crafting, cleaning (ick), organizing - yet I didn't. Oh well, such is life. Nothing good is going to come coming from rambling on about what I could have done. The rest of the week went about the same. I was busy at work yet I'd come home in addition to do nothing more than the bare basics of cooking, laundry in addition to a little bit of cleaning. 

We had our date night last Saturday. the idea was so good for the two of us to get out without kids. the idea's been way too long. The kids, especially my son, have such busy schedules. the idea means Mom in addition to Dad's life always gets put on the back burner while we make sure the teenagers get to in addition to coming from wherever they need to be. Anyway, we ate at a modest restaurant at the mall. the idea was a little pricey for our budget yet the idea was a well deserved splurge. I had a burger in addition to fries in addition to a cocktail (I rarely drink to ensure's a pretty big thing!). My husband had a rack of ribs in addition to a couple of beers. He dribbled BBQ sauce down the front of his shirt (doh!) so we stopped in Sears to buy him a fresh shirt. We found a nice polo shirt on the clearance rack for only $6.99! the idea looked better on him than the shirt he stained!

After a quick costume change inside the men's room for him, we went to see trust Springs with Meryl Streep in addition to Tommy Lee Jones.  I giggled when I saw of which 0% of the audience consisted of older couples. I think I saw only one or two groups of which were not an old married couple. I loved the movie. Absolutely loved the idea. I rarely love a movie enough to want to see the idea again right away. If I could see This kind of again tomorrow I might. I'm sure there's something in This kind of movie of which any long-term married couple can relate to. I laughed in addition to I cried. the idea was so good. 

Anyway, back to the rest of my week. I spent too much time online - mostly reading various other blogs in addition to checking out Pinterest. the idea wasn't a total wash out. the idea made me want to reorganize my kitchen again. Between acquiring a Keurig in addition to a Kitchen-aid mixer over the past year, plus all the crap paperwork of which seems to breed, my modest kitchen is overflowing with too much stuff. Some of my cabinet organization isn't working for me convenience-wise, so the wheels are turning on how to fix of which issue as well. I think a trip to Goodwill is in order. I'm looking for inexpensive jars to use as canisters. I'd like my sugar in addition to flour on the counter where I can get to them easily (they're currently in a hard-to-reach spot of which makes me curse every time I need to use them). I also need to find a place to put the Kitchen-aid mixer. the idea doesn't get used often enough to develop the idea taking up space on my counter, yet I don't want to put the idea where I can't get the idea easily because the idea's heavy to move. Decisions, decisions. the idea's a project I need to give some serious thought to. 

My daughter in addition to I are going to a crop at the local scrapbook store This kind of afternoon. One of my goals This kind of week is to photograph some of my recent layouts to show off here.  I'll also be brainstorming how to revamp my kitchen on a very tiny non-existent budget to make the idea flow better. 

If you've written or read a helpful blog post on modest kitchen organization, please post a link inside the comments section. I need all the help I can get!

Remember... Make the idea a great day or not, the choice is yours.

Accountability Saturday - Sept. 8

Accountability Saturday Sept. 15

Some days you're forced to just do the idea.

My week started out off with no mojo in addition to ended with me coming down with the crud. I'm sitting here typing This kind of on Saturday morning when I wanted to develop the idea finished Friday night. Instead I spent about two hours on Friday night uninstalling crap nasty programs off our old desktop computer. My daughter unintentionally installed them while I was at work, not realizing they came bundled with something else. I'm finishing up This kind of post which has a headache, scratchy throat in addition to the desire to crawl back into bed. How's which for dedication? Hopefully the Motrin washed down which has a hot cup of coffee will kick in soon.

These are the things I worked on This kind of week.

Sleep
I'm definitely moving inside right direction on This kind of one. I've managed to get into a routine of hitting the sack between 10 in addition to 11:00 pm on most nights. I feel so much better now.

Organization
I slacked off on housework while the kids were home This kind of summer. My house didn't turn into a pig sty however I didn't do as much as I do when they're in school. Last Sunday as I had creative thoughts in my head which weren't actually materializing into anything, my husband decided to head up into the attic to fix the bathroom vent. To get into the attic one must empty the hall closet. Emptying the hall closet is a project in itself. So when I saw the step ladder inside hallway after I got out of my shower, I let out a big sigh in addition to said to him "definitely?" We proceeded to clear three shelves of stuff so he could start his project. Oliver the cat loved This kind of because he got to explore the piles of stuff which we put on my bed. After my husband finished his project, I took on the chore of putting everything back (don't mess with my perfectionism - I want the idea done my way!). however you know what? the idea wasn't a bad thing. I ended up sorting things to toss in addition to donate, then did some reorganizing. which project led to creating a donation bag, which led to me digging out some other random items I had stashed away to donate. which led to starting another bag of stuff to bring to Plato's Closet (a used clothing store for juniors) inside hopes which I can get a little cash to feed my daughter's clothing addiction.

Do you see where This kind of is going? Once I got started out on one organization project, the idea snowballed into others. My bedroom still has bags in addition to boxes which need a home. I decided which my organization projects will be tackled room by room. My bedroom is not a priority right now because I don't spend a lot of time in there. The day after organizing the hall closet, I tackled the living room - not to organize however to clean. We'll just say which although I Swiffer in addition to vacuum on a regular basis, dusting is not my favorite thing to do. After I dropped the kids off at school on Monday, I moved knick knacks, dusted in addition to polished the furniture, then put everything back. the idea was time consuming in addition to didn't look much different when the idea was done (some other than being less dusty) however the idea was clean. which project made me want to continue on to the rest of the house, in addition to which's the part which's important. As much as I hate using my days off to tackle cleaning/organization projects, the idea needs to be done. The last time I did This kind of was in 2010.

A few days later I tackled kitchen counter clutter. I bought two packs of brightly colored file folders at Walmart several months ago. They sat for months, unused in addition to still in their plastic packaging. I intended to use them to store medical receipts, tax stuff, etc. Up until a few days ago, my filing system consisted of a couple of 9x12 envelopes which took up too much space. I also had a random stack of papers which included everything coming from school papers in addition to photos, receipts, store flyers in addition to coupons, etc. This kind of kitchen counter organization project took all of an hour, maybe less. I procrastinated for months on a project which took less than an hour! All my papers, including the dreaded school papers, are now neatly organized in cute folders in a tiny file rack on my kitchen counter. I even included a folder for store flyers in addition to coupons (like Joann's, Bath & Body Works, etc.). Now before I head out for some retail therapy, all I have to do is grab the folder in addition to see if there's a coupon I can use.

Even though my accountability project is more for personal modifications, I think creating an organized living area counts towards which. When I look at my tiny kitchen counter when the idea's a disorganized mess of papers, the idea stresses me out. When I organized the space, I removed the stress. Go me.

I'll end This kind of now so you can enjoy the rest of your Saturday. Here's a great printable I found This kind of week at  Funky Polkadot Giraffe. Print the idea out, frame the idea in addition to hang the idea in your home! Don't forget to stop by Funky Polkadot Giraffe's blog in addition to say hi.

Accountability Saturday Sept. 15

Accountability Saturday Sept. 22

Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband! 
Today is my 22nd wedding anniversary. (he's shy so I can't mention his name or post his photo) We met through a mutual friend in August of 1987. He moved in with me a few months later as well as we became engaged on Christmas of 1988. We were married on a rainy Saturday morning in 1990 after living together for almost three years. We've purchased a home, suffered through injuries, miscarriage as well as loss of loved ones, we've adopted a few four-legged creatures as well as celebrated the birth of our son as well as daughter, who are now teenagers. We've certainly had our share of ups as well as downs. Happy Anniversary to my husband...I love you!


On to my accountability post...

Last weekend I joined www.sparkpeople.com. Spark People is a free weight loss website similar to Weight Watchers except for of which single, magical word - the idea's free. A couple of months ago I announced to my Facebook friends of which I need to lose 10 lbs. I figured if I put the idea out there I'd have to do the idea, although even of which didn't motivate me. The thing of which's finally motivating me is of which my jeans don't fit anymore! I'm down to two pairs of jeans - one is pretty snug although wearable, the some other is a pair of fat jeans of which I found while digging out a 'fat' outfit for a friend's upcoming wedding. Good thing I saved those jeans. They're practically brand-new, look pretty decent as well as I can breathe in them. I just don't want to be in them forever. Anyway, I've known about Spark People for a long time. I just didn't realize the idea has as many great free features as the idea does until I registered. The thing I'm most excited about is the Recipe Calculator. I used of which feature all the time when I did the Weight Watchers online program many moons ago. I'm praying This particular website will give me the motivation I need to drop This particular weight. 10 lbs. is not a lot to lose so the idea would likely be nice to see the idea gone by the holidays - just in time to regain the idea! Ha! Kidding!

Unfortunately, I felt like crap for the first few days of This particular week as well as Spark People was put on the back burner. Between having a head cold as well as dealing which has a lot of personal stress, tracking my food was the last thing I wanted to deal with. the idea's not a cop out. I know all about excuses as well as what not. I just wasn't inside the right frame of mind. The stress (which is not something I'll discuss with the entire world) is taking its toll on my body inside the form of headaches, muscle spasms as well as a possible toothache. Ugh, I'm hoping the toothache is by clenching my jaw as well as not an actual toothache. of which would likely be a nightmare of which would likely only add to my stress! although I digress...

I mentioned in yesterday's post of which I'm working on a brand-new project of which I'm pretty excited about. I'm getting all my ducks in a row before I reveal anything - I don't want to do anything premature of which might sabotage things. One thing I will say is of which I'll have to teach myself to manage my time a little better!

My goals for next week:

• Log back on to SparkPeople
• Continue working on my brand-new project
• Exercise
• Relax

Accountability Saturday Sept. 22

Accountability Saturday - Sept. 29

Happy birthday to my Mom! She's 91 years young today!

Is the item Saturday already? This kind of week flew by for me! This kind of weekend's going to fly by too. I'll be at Mom's This kind of morning helping her with her housework in addition to celebrating her birthday. On Sunday, I'm attending a coworker's wedding. I'm going with three various other ladies through work - we're all leaving our husbands home. the item should be fun!

Now on to my accountability post... my week went something like This kind of:

Sunday: I tracked all calories in addition to took a 25 min. walk! My migraine headache through last Saturday disappeared overnight. I sold three items on Etsy - woo hoo! I bought some supplies for my fresh project.

The rest of the week I continued tracking calories faithfully on SparkPeople nevertheless I ended up having to raise my daily amount. I got too hungry in addition to which is not how I want to do This kind of. I learned on Weight Watchers which you should never starve or deprive yourself to lose weight. I dealt with two days of hunger, then read This kind of blog post by Go Kaleo in addition to gave myself permission to raise. I also got more exercise in! I walked in addition to I did a little Just Dance 2 with my daughter. Geez, I haven't done Just Dance in months. the item's like riding a bike - the item all came right back. :)

I feel better since tracking my foods on SparkPeople in addition to getting a little bit of exercise. I don't feel as sluggish as I did. in addition to...for the past two nights I haven't felt so famished within the evening which I want binge on junk food. My official weekly weigh-in is tomorrow in addition to I'm crossing my fingers which I see some progress being made.

I tried to work on my fresh project a bit nevertheless didn't get as much done as I wanted. My husband was home on vacation all week in addition to we all know how which goes. He complained which I was creating too much noise so I had to try to work when he wasn't around (which was almost never!). I had a few technical difficulties which got within the way - equipment malfunctions in addition to a computer virus! Eek! The virus infected our desktop computer on Friday. Thankfully the item was a fairly easy clean-up. I ran a full Norton virus scan, which didn't find the virus (through what I've read, the virus builders have learned how to outsmart anti-virus software). When which didn't work I ran MalwareBytes, which found the item in addition to removed the item. Yay.

My favorite shows finally began up in order which's keeping me happy at night - Survivor in addition to Grey's Anatomy. The Amazing Race starts tomorrow. Life is good!

Accountability Saturday - Sept. 29

Accountability - Monday? I forgot...

I'm such a dork.

I'm sitting here working on a recipe blog post (the item's inside the oven - you'll have to wait a day or two to see how the item turned out) when I realized I never wrote my Accountability Saturday post for last week.

All week I kept thinking "I haven't done much with the blog This particular week." Duh.

So here the item is, two days late.

I posted the image above mainly because I thought the item was funny. I rarely say "I don't have time" because I usually have plenty of time. I'm just a major procrastinator.

I have several projects which I could easily get done inside the time I have yet instead I get sucked into Facebook, blogs, Words With Friends, Pinterest along with anything else which catches my eye online. which's something I truly need to work on.

Last Sunday I went to a coworker's wedding. I went with three women coworkers (we left our husbands at home) along with I had a great time. The food was fabulous (prime rib w/garlic mashed potatoes) along with I danced my toes off. I don't do which often enough. Who am I kidding, I don't do which ever!

yet...all which good food caused me to fall off the SparkPeople wagon. I stopped tracking despite the fact which last Sunday when I stepped on the scale the item was down 3 pounds! (can I get a little "oh yeah!"). which was short-lived because once I fell off the wagon the weight jumped back up a little. The upside is which my jeans are less tight so I don't have to live in yoga pants. The plan was to get back on track today, which I have. I just haven't tracked any of my food yet (the item's Sunday as I type This particular). I've watched my portions for the most part along with even kept my hands out of the Lay's potato chips bag. I have to keep reminding myself This particular is not a race. The only one I need to be accountable to is myself.

My R.A.D. defense class was awesome last week. We learned kicks along with strikes. We practiced for about two hours. We were even given the chance to kick along with strike a pad which the officer held in front of us. Unfortunately, I'm so out of shape which the entire right side of my body ached For just two days after the class. the item hurt just to roll over in bed! I need to do some cardio along with stretches before we go to class This particular coming Wednesday because I can't be which sore every week.

Which brings me on to my latest injury which happened in bed. Get your minds out of the gutter. the item's not what you think. I rolled over, felt a shooting pain down my leg, said "ow, ow, ow!" along with struggled to get comfortable again, then realized I was going to hurt for awhile via This particular. I think - yet I'm not 100% certain - I twisted wrong along with my sciatic nerve flared up at which precise second. Either which or I pulled a muscle somehow. Either way, I'm hurting big time today. My left leg was pretty much useless for the first half of the day. I iced my butt cheek along with took some Motrin, took a nap along with now the item's slightly better. Climbing stairs is the hardest to manage right now. I'm praying This particular is better by Wednesday or I won't be doing much physical stuff at my R.A.D. class.

I've been a slacker all week with my brand-new project which I've been talking about. Well, not a total slacker. I did get some things accomplished during the week yet which darn Facebook/Words With Friends/internet thing got inside the way again. I have to get moving on This particular project before the item's too late.

We were supposed to go on our annual Columbus Day weekend trip to the White Mountains with my sister along with her family This particular weekend. My brother-in-law had emergency surgery on Tuesday (he's okay along with home now) so the trip was cancelled. We were all pretty bummed. I heard which the item rained up there yesterday so maybe the item was a blessing in disguise.

Three things I want to concentrate on This particular week:
1. Track calories
2. Try to get some exercise in, depending on how my leg feels
3. Work on my project

Accountability - Monday? I forgot...