My Life. Medication Optional.

The Jeub family has 16 kids (soon to be 17) (and they don't annoy me like those Duggars do. :) ) They are promoting a new cookbook on their website. I read their book Love in the House and it had really good parenting advice in it. I was skeptical when I picked it up, as I have one kid and they have many, but the ideas were the same and thoughtful. I like being encouraged to love my child and to give her the freedom to learn. I expect to find smart, practical recipes in their cookbook. Try this link to their website: Jeub Family

(I still only want the one kid, though!)

Sorry for the brevity, but typing with a broken index finger does encourage it!

Since my job cut my hours by about 33%, I've decided to explore some other options. ONe of the options I've already been using is producing content for Demand Studios.  I know, I know, it's considered a content mill. Big-time freelancers don't take a second look at sites like that. However, I'm still finding my voice and my niche when it comes to putting words to paper, so I'm willing to write what someone else wants. For a while. I like Demand Studios because A) they pay consistently (2x a week through Paypal) B) I can always find something to write about and C) I like the experience of writing and being edited. The best way to become a better writer is to write. So I am.

The other idea I'm exploring is going back to school. I have a BA in Psychology Counseling. To do the work I want to do (Substance abuse counseling), I'd really need a Master's.I live 4 hours from the nearest college/university that offers a Master's program, so I'm researching online programs. I'm so much less hesitant about going forward with Psychology as a career than I was just three years ago. I feel like I have more confidence and more control of myself emotionally and temperamentally.

All that said, I'm eager for school suggestions or freelance writing tips!

So you know how everyone says 'Oh, I'd NEVER sell my kids childhood for money! Oh, I couldn't put a price our privacy!' Well, I could.

If some TV channel wanted to hang out and watch us and pay us for it, damn skippy I'd be in. Especially since the first thing that happened to me this morning was my boss (whom I like) calling to tell me they were dropping mr from 25 hours a week to 17 and could I keep the store in the great condition it was in now and never mind that I started this job two years ago with the promise of 30+ hours. That's $480 a month that I've lost in income.

Fortunately, we live under our means and are really good at making things work. But still. They want me to do the same job for less pay. I hate this economy.

I'm going to pick up some more freelancing, with the goal of paying the utilities with it. I think I might need to leave the house to make it work, because something about sitting in the house on the computer screams 'playtime'.

So, as reported previously, I lost 40 lbs last year. This Aug is the anniversary of the loss. However, it seems I've gained about 5lbs in the past month or two. I'm not real stoked about that. In fact, I'm pretty pissed. While I don't want to be obsessed with my diet and my weight, now I know when things ar ehappening becauseof poor choices I am making.

I've been eating crap food. Last week I ate two doughnuts. That may not seem like a big deal, but if you consider that the last doughnut I had before that was over six months ago, it proves the point.

So I'm not going to get all obsessive and calorie-counting, but i figured if I wrote down what I ate on here once in a while, it might keep me on track.  So here goes!

Breakfast: 1 slice toast w/ natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup of yogurt with 1.5 cups Special K with Red Berries.

Snack- one chocolate chip cookie. 1 piece chocolate. 1 cup Oregon Chai.

Lunch- 1 cup yogurt w/ 1/5 cups Special K w Red Berries

Snack 2- 1 cup Chai, 1 whole wheat english muffin with butter, 1 cup greek yogurt, 5 raspberries.

Dinner- 1 tomato basil wrap filled with feta cheese, hummus, cucumber, bib lettuce, chickpeas. (Freaking DELICIOUS.)

Snack 3- 1 Budweiser Select 55 (55 cals, baby!), 5 cups air-popped corn (super filling, low cal).

I went on a power shop today and bought produce and as many whole foods as I could. I am not 100% eating clean, but I try to get as close as I can.

Any awesome whole foods recipes to share?

Rocked the workout tonight. Always get the best workout when I'm aggro. Playlist qualifications were that it had to not annoy me or had to contribute to my irritated spirit. That's not really the contradiction it sounds like.

Playlist:

Kid Rock - Cowboy
Miranda Lambert - Gunpowder and Lead
Nelly - Air Force Ones
Pink - So What
Rob Zombie - Superbeast
Miss Balitmore Crabs - Hairspray Soundtrack
Taylor Swift - Should've Said No
I Drink Alone - George Thoroughgood
Green Day - Minority
Bowling for Soup - Almost
Fergie - Fergalicious
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
ACDC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Kenny Chesney/George Strait - Shiftwork
Rufun Rainwright - Hallelujah

I made a training mistake that I shouldn't have. And it's all TV's fault.

So, I watch Make It Or Break It, which is teenage drama and gymnastics. When I was 8 I wanted to be a gymnasts, so this show is like candy to me. Anyway, my favorite character Payson has to retrain as a more artistic gymnast and is starting over. She started out with cartwheels, which made me think, 'Hey, I bet I can do a cartwheel now! That looks like fun! I should try learning some basic gymnastics stuff!' And that's where I went wrong.

I hit the gym and decide I'm going to screw around in the big aerobics room and try some cartwheels. (I stretched first, natch.) It's fun! So I do a few more, do two in a row, etc. Then I think, 'Well I used to be able to do a handstand. Let's try that.' So I do. I have some trouble getting up, but I manage a few. So 15 minutes goes by and I'm sweaty and warmed up so I decide today is the day to run my 2 miles for my race training.  I hit the treadmill and do two miles in 21:13, my best time ever. So I'm feeling great. Awesome, right?

Then I wake up the next morning.

It seems there is a huge difference in a teenage gymnast doing cartwheels and me doing them, because I am god-awful sore. I hurt EVERYWHERE. Back, shoulders, forearms, butt, thighs. I soak in Epsom salts. Nothing. Take Ibuprofen. Nada. So I decide to take the day off, because OW.

That's the mistake. When you wake up sore like that, the best thing to do is work out at a medium pace, nothing challenging, but long enough to work the muscles and get the blood flow going. I skipped out and I'm paying the price. It's two days later and I still hurt. I'm scrounging up some icyhot today.

Also, Make it or Break it rules.

Seriously, blogging was awesome when I started, because I had much more free time then. Now I have 3 jobs and much less free time. Of course, I spend half of my free time reading the opinions of strangers on the internet, so I guess I could be writing more of my own opinions.

It's funny, because I have several moments during the day where I thing of something funny/clever/interesting that would make an awesome blog post, but then it gets forgotten in the whirlwind of my day.  I've though of posts about celebrity, movies I watched, why Sweet Valley High is awesome, Facebook, and other things.

So I guess I'll try to update more. In the mean time, here's a snippet of my life:

8:30 - Out of bed with kiddo. Cartoons and pancakes.

9:15 - Realize I missed work conference call.

9:45 -Internet

10:30 - Shower.

11:00 - Kiddo wants milk. Have no milk. Voyage to store. Buy milk, OJ, chocolate and cereal.

12:00 -Ramen for lunch.

1:00 - Internets. Am called a horrible person for having a differing opinion on a blog. Remove blog from my favorites.

1:05 - Google said blog to see what else they said about me.

1:30 - Create grandiose list of things to do around the house.

2:00 - Try to figure out a way to make it look like I worked on the house all day without working at all.

3:00 - Give up on plan. Load dishwasher.

3:30 - Receive 4th call from friend complaining about her landlord. Read internet instead of listening.

3:45 - Blog guiltily.

So most of the reason I have no time to blog is because I now have three jobs. I picked up two extra merchandising jobs in the same store I'm already in to bring in some more cash. We were fine on money, but I've decided my 12 year old Tracer needs to go pretty soon. Don't get me wrong, it's been a great car. I couldn't recommend it more highly. Very little in the way of repair work needed, it's been really reliable, great gas mileage. It's getting older, though, and as my daughter gets bigger, the need for a slightly larger car is becoming apparent.

I'm pretty much in love with the Honda CR-V. It gets good mileage, it's large enough for car seats and groceries without being too big, it's super cute and it should last forever.  The Mr. and I are very conscious of our money and what we spend, so we want to have a large down payment before we buy. Hence, the second job. He has a new(er) truck, so it's my turn.

Why do you guys drive and what do you think of the CR-V? Do you recommend another small crossover SUV instead? Comment, please!

I know I'm about the worst blogger ever, but in my defense, I have a pretty busy life. However, to appease my few readers, I have brought you this cool site: www.wordle.com. Here's what I made there.