This is a multi-story post. Bear with me. {Yes, this is the correct "bear" in that phrase. I Googled it.}
A Problem
We decided to eat healthier. We, as in Chris and I, together. We bought fresh fruit, quite a bit, to make a fruit salad. Usually we buy bananas or apples and that's the extent of our fruit buying. Our fruit bowl has been mostly used to hold grain products - buns, tortillas, rolls, bagels, etc. Well, the left over fruit doesn't fit nicely with the grains. That is a problem for me. It makes us both stay away from the whole situation in fear of dumping the whole bowl.
I decided I wanted to put the grains in the cupboard. Good luck finding room with the cupboard's current condition...
A Solution
I spent time rearranging, organizing, cleaning, searching for expired food, etc. I am pleased with the solution. The fruit gets its own bowl.
The grains go into a basket in the cupboard. Perfect.
Everything is now organized and easily accessible. Let's hope I can keep it this way all summer. =]
I'd love to buy this
OXO Good Grips 10-Piece POP Container Set
. It's $98 on Amazon. Amazon always has the best prices on everything, from what I've found over the last 5 years. It's just so expensive for 10 containers. I want something to store pasta, rice, snacks, chocolate chips, etc. Any suggestions for something similar to these, but cheaper?
A Decision for Change
I have
recently decided - partially with Chris, but mostly on my own - to make a change. Well, not just
a change, but several.
#1 - I
want need to be healthy - and fit. I'm not looking to specifically lose a certain number of pounds. I
want need to feel better about myself mentally and emotionally, and feel physically better. I sit for far too long every day, especially now that it's summer and I'm not teaching. I'm still working this summer - on my blogs, on my TPT files, on my Etsy files, etc. - but I'm not active. My hypothyroid just plain sucks and I'm not going to let
that be an excuse anymore for why I am physically unfit. So with being more active, I'm also changing the way I eat. I know both of these changes will make me feel better each day and I'll have more energy. It's a good change. I'll post about what I'm going for this change next week.
#2 - I
want need to stop biting my nails. Such a gross habit, I know. It's a boredom thing, I think. I often catch myself doing it without knowing. It makes it even more gross when I do it at school while working with kids. The germs that have to be under those nails. *blah* Plus, I have a mani/pedi combo gift certificate from a student that I'd love to use to it's full potential - not on nasty gnawed down nails. I've tried the nasty tasting nail polish - that doesn't work for me. Any other ideas for me would be greatly appreciated. =]
#3 -
I We want need to create a budget, stick to it, and pay off debt. This means meal plans (once again), a realistic money map (hate the word budget), cutting costs, less going out (of course), and more saving and paying more than the minimum on student loans. I don't think we've ever been able to stick to a budget for a whole month. It's time to become adults and just do it already. We're still stuck in our adolescent mindset here.
#4 - I
want need to simplify in all areas of my life. I feel like I have too much "stuff". Too many clothes, too many purses, too many gadgets, etc. It's just overwhelming, really. I can't make a decision on what to use when I have more than one. And then when I'm using more of something else and rarely using the other, I just feel like "what's the point of keeping both/all of them"? For example - I have two Kindles. One e-ink and the Fire. Two different Kindles, same concept. I should get rid of the e-ink one, I guess, but what am I supposed to do with it? I'm not going to donate it or just give it away. I could sell it, but for what? It's almost not worth it to sell it. I even have the first generation Kindle that just sits in my closet. I'll never use that one again. I have some decisions to make regarding my clutter over the next month.
Have you recently decided to make any big changes in your life / home?
Check Best Buy Trade In for your kindles. They give you Best Buy gift cards, but I'd rather have that than nothing and we can most likely use those for something someday or even to buy Christmas gifts for someone else. I got almost $30 for my 1st generation Nook & $30 for my BB Storm2. At one point they weren't taking anything for that Nook, but now they are. Just a suggestion. I also just started up a selling account on Amazon & I've already sold 5 items. Only 1 netted me a decent amount, but it was something. I have some other items that I will sell later that should net me something, but the majority of stuff this round was teacher books & I mostly just wanted them gone.
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE those Oxo containers! I'm sure there is something cheaper out there. I have several but I asked for them as gifts because it wasn't something we needed so I couldn't justify buying for myself but I was happy to take them as a gift. Sometimes Kohls will have the set for less if you can get the good 30% off coupon to use as well.
Kohl's is th way to go. They will price match any local store (I use the shop savvy app to show them the price) and then use your kohl's coupon with it. Works even better if you get Kohl's cash!
DeleteI received that Oxo set for Christmas from my mother-in-law... I pretty much love it!! Only problem is, my cabinets are rather stuffed and I don't have room for some of them!!
ReplyDelete❤Teri
A Cupcake for the Teacher
Hey Tiffany- you sound like you have a lot on your shoulders and some lofty goals...and you actually sound a lot like me! I recently took a personality test (my husband took one and said I should too..and that led to all of our friends taking them) and it taught me a lot about my homemaking style and why I am the way I am. I actually LOVE organizing, but don't like the maintenance of it and am "ok" with a little mess as long as it's pretty easy to clean up. I am not rigid with schedules or with budget even though I can see why they are helpful. I would consider myself more organized than some (mostly because I have a habit of purging...which I suppose is a waste of money but it leaves me feeling clean and clear!).
ReplyDeleteAnyways, that was a ramble- but I just wanted to say hang in there and take baby steps with me :-) I want to get "back in shape" since I no longer can use the "baby" excuse - even though I've been working out the diet aspect is stinky and I have like 10-15 more lbs (if we're talking lbs rather than just being fit) but can't stop snacking!! grrr.
Ok also- the oxo pop tops...Love them, and I have decided to only buy one type to have some uniformity. My trick is to buy them at Marshalls or Home Goods where they are about 40-50% off. Buy them piece by piece and decide on the sizes you need before you buy a whole bunch. You may want more of one size than a group set offers.
Re: biting your nails...I used to do it and sometimes still do- more like chewing the edges. I'd say get a nice nail filer and file them smooth whenever you get the urge to bite. They will be pretty and grow out a nice shape :-) That's what I do whenever I'm trying to get nice ones. Oh, and when you get pregnant they will be so long and tough that you won't bite them anymore! :-)
Good luck with this new journey - I use to bite my nails, I just started with telling myself I can bite only 9 of them, then when that one was a nice length, I could only bite 8, - it was slow but it has worked.
ReplyDeleteWIth debt - I read the following and get some good ideas from them:
manvsdebt.com
andthenshesaved.com
and for a minimalist blog I read miss minimalist - her book the joy of less was great!
It has helped me with decluttering.
Maybe make a fun game of releasing (throwing, donating, selling) 100 items for a start and see how it goes???
Good luck
You could use your old kindle(s) in your classroom. Allow your students to "check out" books that you upload from the library. They would love it!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if these ideas would work for you, but they helped me....
ReplyDeleteBecoming more responsible with our finances- someone gave us Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover audio book as a gift. It totally changed our lives. We finally feel like we have a manageable plan to get all of our student loan debt paid off (I'm a teacher too). We've been following his "baby steps" plan for about three years now, and we've paid off a credit card and my husband's truck and built ourselves an emergency fund. Not that we don't mess up on our monthly budget and overspend our fun money occasionally, but at least we have a way to try to stay on track. A side benefit is that now my husband can finally talk with me about money without breaking into a cold sweat. ;) I also get emails from Learnvest.com, and that helps me stay motivated and keep my eyes on long-term goals instead of that cute purse I saw at Macy's.
As far as purging your extra stuff, I swear by craigslist. I have sold everything from worn-out jeans to chandeliers to printers to shelving materials on craigslist. It doesn't matter if your kindle is an older version, someone out there will want it (and will probably pay you $50 for it). And the rule in our house is that money gained in craigslist sales goes directly into our pot of fun money for things like dining out buying something we want that isn't necessarily in the budget. If you've got lots of little extras to sell, it can add up pretty quickly.
Hope that helps! Your goals are admirable, keep fighting the good fight!
I like the minimalist idea. We just moved from a 1 bedroom apartment to a 4 bedroom 4000 sq ft house. It's majorly empty right now. My HUGE goal is to not collect a bunch of stuff just because I have the somewhere to store it. My first task was my commitment to not collecting kitchen gadgets. A lot of them are cool to have, but do I REALLY need them? No. They just take up space. My second idea was the buy-one, purge-one goal. I've done this with clothes for a while (amazing but my husband and I have about an equal amount of clothes). I recently realized maybe I could do this with other things like decorations, and...totes (ugh, I heart my totes, but if I'm going to buy that sweet Thirty One tote, why do I really need this crusty 7 year old one?)
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite eating healthy ideas...skip the soda and snack/chip isles at the store. Before you know it you will totally forget they exist. :)
Consider using your Kindles that you don't use anymore in your new 4th Grade classroom. Team up with your school library or public library to allow students to download book previews and read sample chapters or check out books through the eLibrary if your library has one. It can be a great motivator in a classroom and just something different. This way while you may not get $ for them, they will get used! There are lots of different ways they can be used in a classroom but here are 10! http://gettingsmart.com/news/10-tips-for-kindle-in-the-classroom/ Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLook for those containers at TJ Maxx or Homegoods! I got mine there, same brand but MUCH cheaper!
ReplyDeleteI have very similar goals for myself. Realistically I can only manage a couple of them at a time. I'm going to make health my priority for the duration of the summer because that is the area where I feel most out of control. It sucks.
ReplyDeleteCanning jars (mason jars) work great for storing dry pantry items (rice, beans, chocolate chips etc.) and are very inexpensive. Though I guess they wouldn't work for larger pantry items like spaghetti!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I just started budgeting. I've implemented the "envelope" system so that we are able to track exactly how much we are spending. This is our first month, and it is going pretty well. It will take a couple of months to get down pat, but I think it will really make a difference. One of my girl friends paid off a huge debt doing this.
ReplyDeleteThose containers are great but you should totally check out the dollar store/Home Goods. They often have similar products for MUCH less.
ReplyDeleteI have similar goals (including the nail biting!!) Good luck to both of us!!
ReplyDeleteIf you have a large book/DVD stash you could consider trading those in to Amazon and using the credits you earn to buy the OXO set. (Click on "your account" in Amazon and look for the "sell your stuff" button on the far right). I got rid of a bunch of books a few months ago and it was very liberating. Used the credits to buy Kindle books instead!!
Great goals! All measurable and do-able!
ReplyDeleteFor debt blasting and budgeting ... I agree with Colleen .. take a Dave Ramsey class or read his book. We are debt free except for our house, and almost done with that. It is possible to live debt free, and so freeing!
For getting in shape ... check out www.pinkmethod.com I just lost 20 lbs and lots of inches. It is a great workout program that builds on itself using DVDs. I'm 53 and now stronger than ever and actually running 5Ks now! Even if you don't follow the diets, the workouts are great and the whole deal is only $69 total. Much less than a gym!
Nail biting ... used to. Like any habit ... gotta replace it with something!
Good luck, it will be fun to follow your progress :)
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteWonderful to set goals, even better when we reach them. Think positive. I am lightening my load of 'stuff'. Going slowly and doing good. Pick one project at a time, ie. purses/shoes/tops/jeans/one drawer, etc, etc. Amazing, and best to you! You will succeed. P.S. Sorry if there are any misspelled words!
You and I have such similar goals! Except for the nail-biting thing - allowing myself a bit of vanity, I have great nails. Now, skin is a different story . . .
ReplyDeleteAnyway . . . three things that have helped me -
#1 - www.myfitnesspal.com = free calorie counter/exercise tracker/accountability tool. LOVE it and I am down 9lbs since February.
#3 - Rachel Meeks over at Small Notebook has the habit breaking plan for getting into a budget routine. Check out her series on No Spend Months - http://smallnotebook.org/2010/07/01/the-no-spend-month/ - she also has great simplifying technique! Just love her!
#4 - Help to declutter and reorganize your life and not just your stuff: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/2012/05/08/becoming-minimalist-start-here/
Hope these are helpful for you! They have been invaluable to me on these journeys - and they are journeys - because there is never an end to it!
First off, I love your blog. Everytime I checked my email and I see an update from you, I just can't wait to read it. I feel like we are in such similar places (teacher and just finished year 1 of marriage...congratulations by the way!) and have the same types of goals. I read your blog and get inspired which then leads to massive organizing plans and cleaning sprees!
ReplyDeleteLike the person above, I would definitely recommend Myfitnesspal.com. You can use it using a smartphone or just on your computer. My husband and I started using it last year in preparation for our wedding. I wanted to lose 5 pounds or at the very least maintain my weight but my husband wanted to lose 70 pounds, which he did! It is very customizeable to match what your personal goals are and easy to use. Nowadays I tend to use it to make sure I'm staying on track by plugging in the meals I have planned for the day and then figuring out what my caloric intake needs to be for the remaining snacks/meals. It helps if you go out because you can decide you want 2 or 3 glasses of wine, plug it in and figure out how many calories you need available.
Budgeting is definitely something my husband and I need to get better at. We just bought a condo and am in the midst of moving in and furnishing it. We need to keep our spending in other areas reasonable. We've tried Mint.com and just making a spreadsheet and being aware, it hasn't seemed to work very well. I'll be eagerly reading your posts and comments for any other ideas!
Thank you!
I saw those cool oxo ones too bc i need storage for flour.sugar etc..but i see your sugar one there with spoon- who makes that? looks cool!
ReplyDeleteI also would suggest using your kindles in the classroom- or if you don't need them in your room, could someone else use them in their room?
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I have some similar goal.
ReplyDelete#1. Lose some weight and get in shape. I have Family pictures and a reunion in the next three months and I want to look and feel better.
#2. Get our finances in order. I can't work and am on disability so we are living on that and my husbands pay check. It makes things tight so I'm trying to get a budget, hate that word too, in order. I just started a blog about all of these things.
http://afreshstartonabudget.blogspot.com/
You might try Gazelle.com for your Kindle. They buy used electronics...
ReplyDeleteThis post said everything I'be been thinking recently! I look forward to seeing how it goes for you.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has been working with "Mint.com" to keep track of spending and it seems to be helping him, so I will probably join him in that. It has a smartphone app (iPhone, at least) and website that can make nice charts and everything.
For the nail biting, I found that getting the manicure kept me from biting - not wanting to waste the money by ruining the manicure after the fact. I actually have splurged a bit and get the gel manicure - it "cooks" the color in (so there's no waiting to dry). I get my nails done once a month - my payday treat to myself - but depending on how fast your nails grow will determine how long between fill-ins you can go. Doesn't necessarily help with the budget, per se, but I no longer bite my nails OR the cuticle around it.
I agree with Consuelo! I picked at my nails for almost 40 years, polished or not, then I discovered gel polish! They give your nails strength plus it's easier to keep them smooth so no picking.
DeleteNutitrition: I do best if I limit eating anything with flour or sugar.
Finances: whatever you do, pay your "future self" first. As soon as my husband and I got out of college, we started saving for retirement.
Love your blog. Financially, I'd definitely recommend Dave Ramsey's book, THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER. It's awesome and really makes you in charge of your money.
ReplyDeleteWhat worked for me with nail biting was one nail at a time. I put one nail off limits and let it grow out, Seeing how much better it looked was very motivating, and then I let more grow out, and I'd start painting them and eventually they were all grown out and I never went back.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your blog and have nominated your for two awards. Do not feel obligated to participate but if you choose to check out the post here :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.motivatedmommyoftwo.com/2012/06/awards-sunshine-and-kreativ-blogger.html
You MUST check out YNAB (You Need A Budget). Sorry, they use the word budget... its awesome!!! My husband and I havne't been able to make or stick to a budget EVER in our 9 years of marriage. we have debt from the beginning and school loans and not a penny saved. We realized that we NEEDED to do something about it. YNAB sounds like a LOT of work a first but their method and concepts make so much sense!! And you can use it on your smart phone and tablets. We have only been at it a month but we have been able to save the 100 that we needed to for a tuition fee for the kids. I hope it might be a help to you. Get the free trial!
ReplyDeleteI have never had trouble biting my nails but I know that when i use antibacerial sanitizer, if I eat something or tough my lips it sure is a nasty taste. I'm sure you don't want to over use it... I believe that the over killing of germs only causes the ones that are left to thrive... but it's a thought. Also, my 5 year old sometimes picks at her nails so I told her that if she lets them grow long enough that they could need a trip she could pick her own pack of gum. It worked the first time. Your makicure sounds like a good incentive to me. Good luck!
I stopped biting my nails after I started using those fake glue on nails you can buy at the store ($5 a box). I used them for maybe a month or two and eventually when I took them off I loved how long my real nails had grown. Not exactly the best solution because the nail glue is pretty damaging to your nails but it worked for me!
ReplyDeleteFor #3, try www.daveramsey.com and sign up for a Financial Peace University class in your area. Will rock your life. Good luck. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have some great goals! I've had similar ones recently or in the past, here's what has worked for me:
Fitness: I Crossfit. I was terrified to start and very intimidated since I hadn't done any type of "fitness" program since high school. (Yikes!) BUT it has been the best decision I ever made for myself. It's completely scale-able for every fitness level and at my gym we have everything from 12 year old boys to 65 year old grandmas. Everyone is at a different level, and everyone works at being their best self. I know it's probably not for everyone, but I love it!
Nail biting: I did the same thing. Always biting my nails, and I taught pre-k... eww. I found that what works best for me is keeping them pretty. Either painted (even in a nude or very light pink shade) or at least filed with a clear coat made me want to bite them less because I didn't want them to look ugly. I'm no longer a nail biter! Yay!
The "too much": I'm working on this now too... we're getting ready to move in about a month and I'm determined to scale down all the STUFF we've got. So, I'm not a pro :) and haven't quite found what will work for us, but as far as the kindle goes I agree with some of the comments above - gift it to your classroom! It would be an awesome opportunity to introduce technology in the classroom, as well as serve as an individual space/activity for your students.
Good luck!
Hi Tiffany!
ReplyDeleteI'm Erin from Sunny Side Up and I just found your blog through Pinterest (you pinned my time management binder). :) Your blog looks so fun! And I love SLC - my sister lives there. Anyway - I just wanted to let you know that I have the OXO good grip containers in my pantry and I LOVE them! You won't regret it if you buy them! You can see how I use mine here:
http://www.thesunnysideupblog.com/2011/12/pantry-organization-next-level.html
So nice to "meet" you! :)
Hi Tiffany!
ReplyDeleteI happened upon your blog from pinterest and I really want to commend you on being "real". From first glance I am inspired by what you do (I am a craft lover) but I'm a young (23) newlywed college student and find myself judging women with blogs such as these. I yearn to be like them because they appear perfect from the outside. You know, the women who cut the crust off sandwiches, who are perfectly organized, fit, beautiful women that can sew and hold a respectable career all while blogging away. Anyway, thank you for reminding me that we all have goals that we have to set and reset over and over and nothing is always as it appears. You definitely have a new fan. :)
For number 3, David Ramsey's courses are awesome. I took a college version of his class and so did my fiance and we're going to start with that once we're married. I'm not perfect and I'm still working on a budget, but it's a goal!
ReplyDeleteOn the last one, try craigslist for items, half.com for books and such, and if it isn't sold after X time, donate it to Goodwill or join Freecycle and have someone pick it up.
I also want either the OXO storage set or the Tupperware pantry set, i can't afford either right now so i have been looking for cheap tupperware pantry storage items at yard sales and i also have some that people have given me. I am on a tight budget so my husband and i have learned to be frugal and creative.
ReplyDeleteI am also a nail biter and plan on trying to keep them painted in a clear nail polish to help me with this nasty habit.
I was a nail biter for 20 years and broke the habit by picking one nail that I did not allow myself to bite. Once I saw how nice that nail looked I weaned myself off biting to where I could only bite my thumbs and then stopped altogether. Getting a manicure will help keep you from going back to biting along with not letting nails get too long. Good luck!
ReplyDeletei found a site, www.gazzelle.com to sell my used electronic items! sold my iphone 3G for 85 bucks! quick, painless and got the money through my paypal! Just a thought, I have neumerous phones that i for some reason can't get rid of, but for 85 bucks, heck, getting rid of it was EASY!
ReplyDeletei found a site, www.gazzelle.com to sell my used electronic items! sold my iphone 3G for 85 bucks! quick, painless and got the money through my paypal! Just a thought, I have neumerous phones that i for some reason can't get rid of, but for 85 bucks, heck, getting rid of it was EASY!
ReplyDeleteIf you have access to Costco they sometimes sell the OXO container sets.
ReplyDeleteHello to everyone! I am "new" to this blog! I have to agree, it is fabulous!! About the OXO pop top containers... Marshall's, TJ Max, etc. They have them in stock and they are always $5+ cheaper than paying full price in stores! I have been re-organizing my pantry and have found them all! I think I've bought 8 containers for $50, and they are the big sizes too! Hope this helps everyone out!
ReplyDelete