New Venture for 2015..

With all my talk about making and saving money in 2015, I knew I'd need to do something other than work my job to make this happen.. 

This Christmas, I made some 18" doll clothes for a co-worker.. Posted them on FB, and got a couple people asking me how much they cost and if they could get some.. 

This gave me an idea.. I'll sell doll clothes on Etsy!! After looking on Etsy, I noticed a lot of options but I think I could do well with this.. Of course, I plan to make a lot of inventory first, but will also plan to do custom orders (eventually)..

I realize I'm just starting out with making these, and I don't have the special machines that will make these look 'professional' but I have no doubt I will love making these AND make a little money.. Plus, it'll help me get rid of my fabric stash (which has gotten a little out of control.. Hehe).. 

So, 2015 will be the start of Sew Special by Sarah.. Wish me luck!!

My Wish To You..

... Is for the end of 2014 to be filled with fun, laughter and lots of love..

And for 2015 to be all you wish it to be.. 

I hope you have a very fabulous holiday (whichever you may celebrate) and let's make 2015 better than 2014.. 

December is Almost Gone..

Where did the month go??

Hell, where did 2014 go?!?!

This month has been pretty good to me.. I've seen a lot of friends, had a lot of fun, and ate a lot of good foods..

Saw my ex roomie, and did a fun event called #selfiewithsanta.. I never thought I'd get to the point where I could be in big crowds of talking strangers again.. My anxiety used to be that bad.. But it was a lot of fun.. Except when we had to bike 12 blocks on the Thirsty Pedaler to get to Santa.. THAT was a workout.. Lmao, how drunk people do that, I'll never know..

Saw one of my besties and went to a flea market.. Sadly, she has UC so our trip was cut short.. But we are making plans for Tuesday to go see the Lights Under Louisville.. Yay!!

Had our family Christmas get together today.. I sadly woke up late (and had to work tonight) so I only stayed a little over an hour, but it was fun and good food was eaten.. Yum yum yum..

I will be posting some of my Pinterest projects after Christmas.. I'm currently working on two Frozen pajama sets for 18" dolls.. Which is part of my possible project I'm thinking about.. :)

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!

Starting early..

So, my 2015 goals are generally focused on money.. This will be the year I get my ass in gear and pay off bills (including my car).. 

BUT, it's not just about paying off bills.. It's also about saving money for now (I'd love to have my $1,000 'emergency fund' finished by the end of 2015), AND saving for retirement.. 

Last year, on my 30th birthday, I started putting in $15/paycheck into a 403b account.. My job, thankfully, will match 1/2 of your contribution (up to 4% of your salary).. I found this last part out (the 4% part) just recently, so I decided to up my contribution to 2% of my paycheck.. And will continue to up it each year by 1% more.. In most cases, my contribution should be around $25-30/paycheck.. 

If you have the option, at your job, to contribute to some kind of retirement plan, please take advantage of it.. I'm barely making ends meet some paychecks, but I make sure to keep that going in.. Because while it may be hard now, I can work more.. If I end up 80 and broke, I can't get work too easily..

Also, this paycheck is when my auto deposit starts in my savings account.. It's at a bank that I can't physically touch, and has a decent interest rate (.75% APY).. Plus, some of the money I make on the side too..

This paycheck was interesting, as it has all my changes on it, PLUS I had 24 hours of overtime on it.. So, this made my 2% contribution to my 403(b) $59.. Lmao.. Oops, forgot about that part.. Eh, can't hurt me.. 

Got Christmas paid for, and got some ideas to bring in extra income (will talk about that once I get it rolling, since I'm the queen of false starts).. Now, onto working a bunch and starting off 2015 on the right foot (my first paycheck of the new year falls on the 1st)..

Payday Thursday..

So I don't know why I said I was going to start Payday Thursday's this week, as any bill that isn't going to get something turned off (electric, rent, car insurance, etc) isn't getting paid so I can finish Christmas.. 

I know, bad reason.. But I know I will be making enough in the month of January to cover it all and get back on track.. And my plan is that this won't happen next year..

Saving money, and even spending money, on a single salary is horribly hard.. Especially when I find myself spending money to have some fun, which is usually something like a movie.. While I don't usually buy myself clothes (I still hate shopping for myself, even after losing 106 lbs), I have no problem buying stuff for my house, or other people.. 

So this month is gonna be about keeping tabs on how much I spend (besides Christmas gifts) on a 'normal' month.. I will keep all receipts, and towards the end of the month, I will add up what I spent, and where, and use it for my budget for January..

I already have a preliminary budget done, but I'm intrigued to see if I'm accurate.. Probably not.. Lol

Short and Sweet..

Today is payday..

I'm planning on sticking with "Payday Thursday's" and posting about money on that day every week..

Only 21 days til Christmas!! Holy crap!! 

Gonna go soak my tired body in a bath and then go to bed.. Good night, blogosphere..

Good bye November.. Hello December!!

It's hard to believe it's the end of November already.. November is always an interesting month to me, mainly bc it's got my birthday in it..

November is usually my month to reflect on how my life has gone in the past 365 days.. Of course I do the normal resolutions in January, but November is usually when I try to make goals to change what I didn't like about the past year..

This year has been a huge learning experience for me.. I've found out that I'm only willing to compromise if the other person in the relationship is too.. And I've found out that saving money on a $23,000 salary is harder than I anticipated.. Just to name a few things..

This year should be full of changes.. I'm starting new hours at my job, so I should be able to find another way to earn more money, whether it be by getting a new job, making things to sell, or working overtime in another department..

Also, I'm thinking I'm gonna take time off from actively dating anyone but myself.. I have so much I want to do, and am sick of waiting to find 'someone' to do them with.. So I'm gonna do them by myself.. If 'someone' comes along, great.. If not, no biggie.. Lol

December is gonna start off with a bang.. I'm doing a squat challenge to start off my 'new booty, new body' fitness regime.. Time to get toned up like I keep talking about..

My main goal for this year will be consistency.. I will at least attempt to do what I say I'm going to do..

Now, here's to the next 365 days!! Let's do this!!

Online Dating: A Review of Zoosk.com

Alrighty, so I've been trying online dating for about 8 months now.. I (stupidly) subscribed to zoosk.com at the end of May, and while I've met a couple guys off of that website, I can honestly say I will never use it again..

Reason #1: You used to be able to reply once to a message without being 'subscribed'.. Now you can't even see a message sent to you without being a subscriber.. This doesn't make sense to me..

Reason #2: The Carousel?! You 'earn' coins by saying if you are interested in meeting someone.. You get a coin for saying yes, and don't if you say no.. Do you really think people are truly honest with this stupid thing?? Dumb, dumb, dumb.. 

Reason #3: Relationship Status-Separated?! Umm, red flag, right?! I've learned the hard way that divorce isn't that hard for a guy, paperwork-wise.. To me, putting 'separated' as a relationship status just means you are too lazy to get divorced, which doesn't usually mean good things for the future relationship.. Again, bad experience might be clouding my opinion on this.. Lmao, don't even get me started on 'Tell You Later'.. 

Reason #4: People can send you gifts, but you are never told about them, and you don't know who sent them.. UNLESS you read EVERY message you get.. Which can be a pain in the ass.. Just tell me 'A Zoosk Member' has sent you a gift.. Is that so hard?! 

Reason #5: This one is more about guys in general than this website/app.. Lol.. Why do I spend all this time writing things if YOU DON'T READ IT?! I specifically put in my profile that if you were out of my area (I even put TRI-STATE area), that I wouldn't respond.. One guy called me a bitch for ignoring him.. And don't get me started on the men that were old enough to be my dad.. Or grandpa! Icky!!

I can honestly say I won't ever go back to that website/app.. I may try a different website later next year, but for now I'm sticking with the 'If it's meant to happen, it'll happen' way and just put myself out there more.. Sounds like a good plan, right?! 

A Little Early..

So as I sit here (at work, shhhh) trying to figure out why my car payment didn't process, I realize that I hate auto pay..

Supposedly the account I used, which I've been using since I got this loan, is closed.. And since I know it's not, and they don't seem to want to admit fault (gasp!), now my car payment is considered late, and I'm the extra APR fees on the extra amount.. Grr.. I hate that my APR is calculated daily (so I've been told by the Capital One people)..

Most people SWEAR by Auto Pay for your bills.. I am here to tell you that a person with ANY kind of memory issues (I have ADD, and have an out of site/out of mind issue with money) should NOT have Auto Pay set up.. It just costs you more in bounce fees, honestly.. Which I barely have enough money to pay my bills, let alone pay the bank money.. lol

This time of year usually brings up people's goals (or that dirty word RESOLUTIONS), and I am usually one to MAKE goals, but not generally stick to them.. Something always happens, usually my own fault of course, and I get derailed and never get back on track.. Yep, that's me!  I can laugh at this because I know how I am, but in all reality I know I can't keep doing this, as I really do want to get out of debt..  So, here are some of my goals for the next 13 months..

My goals for 2015 (and December 2014) are as follows (as of 11/27/14):
** Stick to 90% of my goals (bc we all know shit happens)..
** Find one new way to earn money every month..
** Put as much money as possible towards Emergency Fund..
** Pay off Ivy Tech bill with tax return..
** Enroll in ASL program at UofL..
** Get down to my goal weight of 175 lbs..
** Pay off as many collections accounts as possible..
** HAVE FUN!!

That's just a few of them, and they have a wide variety of categories.. While I will work a lot at money stuff, I will also make time for crafting, having fun, and furthering my education..  This should be a great year, if I can just stick with all my plans/goals..

So, go enjoy your turkey and stuffing, and all that fun stuff, and try to have a good time with whoever you get to spend your day/night with..  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Changes Are Coming.. Again..

Lol.. So, I've been MIA for a while.. I hate to say that I haven't been inspired to write, as I have, but it's been difficult to find the time to do it.. Well, things are about to change..

New Layout

New Colors

New Title

New Feel to the Content

I look forward to starting this new part of my journey with you all.. Now, to go do some research for some posts that will start back up on 12/1/14..

So keep an eye out, okay?!  :)

Payday Thursday..

This is something new I'm hoping to keep going on my blog.. Basically to keep me accountable, and to show others how they can save money while I try to do the same..  And I will make mistakes, because I know I am a shopaholic (even if it is with coupons).. But I'm willing to work my booty off to save more money and get myself out of debt..

So, to put it all out there, I made a page of all my debt I owe, and then I will post a monthly tally up with what I have saved towards what..  I plan to use the Envelope System to save towards the bigger ones, because I've gotten burned by paying payments, then the bill gets sold to another company but doesn't reflect my payments..  And the list does include my car payment, my credit card payment and my student loan bill (which will thankfully be put in deferment now that I'm enrolled in school again)..

My budget for May:

• Rent (for next month)-- $550
• Phone Payment-- $100 (PAID)
• Electric Bill-- $200
• Credit Card-- $150 (PAID)
• Internet-- $25 (PAID)
• Car Payment-- $236
• Gas-- $200
• Disney payments-- $100 (PAID)
• Holiday & Garden-- $100
• Food-- $100

Total Bills: $ 1761/month or $880.50/paycheck

This budget is for the bare minimum of my bills.. For the month of May and June, my goal is to save for my vacations that are in June and July.. Any savings will go towards them and making sure bills get paid while I'm gone..  Yes, I will plan to save my change still.. Yes, I will put any extra towards my excess bills.. But the next two months are going to be about having fun, because after that, I will be working a lot and going to school full time.. So until then, if it's not in my budget, it's not getting bought.. :)

MAY IS A NO SPEND MONTH!!

#Whole30 Weekly Recap: Week 1

Well, today is DAY 7 of my #Whole30 experience.. I don't want to call it a diet, because it's more than that..

It is a life changing experience.. Before starting #Whole30 on 5/1, I was back to my "old ways" of eating.. I would eat lots of carbs and little or no good protein.. I ate waffles for breakfast (when I actually ate breakfast, which is a no-no), I'd eat carb-loaded foods for lunch (yeah there might be fruit or cheese in there too, but it was still carb-loaded), and dinner would be Doritos or pizza (or some other not healthy food).. I would also snack all day on Cheese-It's or some other boxed food..  It was getting out of hand when I bought 3 boxes of Cheese-It's and 2 were gone in 2 days (and the other one I didn't like, or it would have been gone too I'm sure)..

While I hadn't gained any weight back (I have been hovering at the 195-197 mark for the past 8 months), I surely wasn't losing any weight, and I knew I wasn't at where I wanted to be for my "goal"..  And while I didn't go into this with the intent to lose weight, I know it will happen..  Cleansing my system of all the processed crap has already helped me lose some inches, and pounds (because I'm a rule breaker and weigh in every now and then)..

 

In the past 7 days I've learned:

* That you can eat "clean" and still feel satisfied..
* That the processed crap, while yummy, really doesn't satisfy your body..
* That I can do anything I put my mind to..
* That "giving up" sugar and carbs isn't really that hard..
* That sugar cravings are a bitch, but they do go away..
* That 90% chocolate bars are F@&!ing nasty..
* That I truly don't miss chocolate like I thought I would..
* That I do miss yogurt and sour cream like I thought I would..

While this past week has been nuts, as the image below is TOTALLY TRUE, I think this is an awesome change and while I do NOT plan to go more than 30 days (who in the world really thinks I can do this while in Disney for a week?!?! or that I would WANT TO), I will probably revisit this a couple times a year..  HOWEVER, I do plan to keep up with the healthy eating as much as I can and will introduce other foods (such as dairy products) after doing this, but more about that when the time comes..

If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you'll be able to see more of what I eat and other random things on a daily basis.. It's fun, and I'm addicted to it.. lol.. So come follow me!!  :)

Changing Things Up..

So I've noticed in the past couple months, I've gotten WAY too friendly with carbs.. I love them, but they don't love me back, as shown by my stall for the past 6 months..

I was thinking about doing an Atkins style  'diet' to get away from the carbs.. And then I saw something on Instagram about something called #whole30.. After doing my research, I have decided that this sounds like a good idea for me.. 

With the #whole30, you go WITHOUT the following things in your diet: 

* no sugars, real or artificial (except a small amount of fruit juice as a sweetener)

* no alcohol

* no grains

* no beans (except green beans, sugar snap peas or snow peas)

* no soy (which is in A LOT of things, surprisingly)

* no dairy (except clarified butter or ghee)

* no white potatoes

* no MSG, sulfites, or carrageenan

* no 'Paleo-ifying' baked goods, desserts or junk foods

AND no weighing in or doing measurements during the whole 30 days.. Which I've already screwed up.. Lol.. But won't do it again..

What you CAN have: 

* fresh meats 

* fish (canned or fresh)

* fruits

* veggies

* coconut oil and aminos

* eggs

* some nuts and seeds

This 'diet' is something I started on the 1st and will finish the week before I leave for Disney.. This month will be an interesting one, as I'm only 3 days in and I'd kill for a candy bar right now.. But I've been told it goes away.. I plan to do weekly recaps on here, and daily ones on Instagram, so check back..

Talk to ya soon!! :)

Hello May!!!

Wow, where has the last 4 months gone?!?! I can't believe that it's already May.. This month holds a lot for me:

* been 18 months since my VSG surgery..

* started #whole30 on the 1st..

* getting my blog streamlined..

* I'm 6 months away from being 'in my 30s', instead of being 30..

* working on my spending/saving issues..

Just to name a few.. Lol

My goal is to update a couple days a week on non-weight loss stuff (aka money stuff, crafty stuff, ADD stuff, gardening stuff) and then blog randomly about my weight loss and surgery..

So here's to a fresh start.. And hopefully a good one.. I'm getting pretty good at Instagram, so come follow me at @fabchallenge.. :)

Changes Are Coming..

I've been mulling over some changes for a while.. And while I haven't absolutely decided on all of them, I do know that I will be getting more focused on my entries.. There will be entries about random life happenings, but for the most part, the blog will be focusing on some of the following: 

* Crafting/Pinterest projects

* Learning how to save money

* How to make it on a single girl's salary in a small city

The last one is important to me.. Mainly because all the 'single girl' blogs I've seen are of girls in LA or NYC, etc.. I live in Southern Indiana.. The closest I live to a big city is 30 minutes, and that's just Louisville, Kentucky.. Lol

Everything I read is about how to budget on a single income with a family.. I don't need to know how to buy groceries for under $50/week, I need to know how to buy groceries for under $50/month (you get my drift, right?!)!

It is my hope to help others, as I'm helping myself.. But to do that, I plan to do my research before I even start blogging about this.. Because right now, I'm sure no one would take my advice on saving money, as I'm stupid when it comes to saving money.. So, as of right now, I am planning to start this new 'road' on the 1st of May.. 

I'm going to figure out how to put together a budget.. I'm going to figure out how to get my grocery budget down as much as possible (while still keeping it healthy).. And try to keep it interesting at the same time.. 

So, see ya on May 1st.. 

Whoops.. Let's Recap.. Part Two..

We'll start the second part of this entry with lots of pictures.. From my trip to VA..

I can't remember if I posted the pics from my last trip to VA, but I looked HORRIBLE.. It was August 2012, so it was 3 months before my surgery, and I was just so uncomfortable..  My goal this trip was to retake those pics.. And boy was I pleased with them..

Plus, my nephew was added to the pics!! He's so cute!! I didn't realize how much I missed them until I got there.. And then when I left, I cried when I got to the stop sign.. I loved being there and helping my SIL run around after them.. 

 

 

I did a lot of couponing while I was there.. Lol.. What can I say, they have better coupons in VA, and I had to go to some of the stores we don't have in IN.. :)  I got some good deals.. lol

When I came back from my vacation, it was kinda back to the grindstone with work.. This winter has KILLED my pocketbook.. My electric bill went up by $200 a month.. That's $200 I honestly barely have.. So I've been trying to pick up extra shifts, do extra work, sell stuff, to pick up the slack..  But I've noticed that when I get stressed, I like to go couponing.. Not shopping, persay, because I don't buy stuff unless it's a good deal (like almost free).. And that's not helping my money situation.. 

So I've decided that I will stop couponing for a while.. Now, let me make this clear, I will still use coupons, but I am no longer buying for my stockpile.. My stockpile is crazy anymore.. I honestly will not need razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, cleaning solutions, for at least a year if not longer..  I just need this winter to end, so I can get back to a normal budget.. This money crap is stressing me out..

Well, I think that's it in a nut shell.. I'm trying to work on a giveaway for my Facebook page.. It just hit 100 likes!!  YAY!!  So be on the look out for it.. :)

Whoops.. Let's Recap.. Part One..

It's been over 6 weeks since my last post.. And it's basically because it's been a busy six weeks..

So, let's recap a little.. And to make this not too horrible, I plan to make it two parts.. And have lots of pictures.. Lol

I'm starting to wonder why I'd make "Tax Return Month" a NO SPEND month.. lol.. Especially with my vacation to VA, I needed to spend money on stocking up on stuff.. So, I was HOPING to make March a no spend month.. Well, that didn't work out..

I did get my tax return.. It was about as much as it was last year.. But since I'm behind on a couple of important bills (thanks somewhat to my ex, but mostly because of myself), I paid most of it to them.. I did get to spend a little of it, but not all of it.. Because that is not the grown up thing to do.. Being a grown up sucks sometimes, as I'm sure most of you know..

I am happy that I at least paid off my credit card bill!!  YAY!!  On the other hand, I also used it on my trip.. But I will work on paying it off again in the future..

** I got a Kindle!!  I used my change that I saved up and bought a Refurbished one.. It works just fine, comes with the 1 year Amazon warranty, and cost me $10 less than a "new" one.. I'm okay with used stuff, especially when it saves me money.. I've used it a lot already, and I've read 6 books already!! :)

** My 'goodbye to bad foods' didn't work out bc, honestly, I'm just tired of being so busy.. Yes, I know I could find time to make nice meals.. I know I could make something in the crock pot.. But when it's just me, and I can barely afford frozen food, let alone fresh stuff, it's just easier right now..

** I am still losing weight, just slowly.. I'm at 192.8 right now.. And I hope to get my ass in gear tomorrow and make a workout happen.. I truly wish I had a friend close to me was trying to lose weight also.. My girl, Kristy, tries to stay in touch with me, but she's 8 hours away..

TO BE CONTINUED...

Admitting Defeat

Not sure how to start this entry, so I'll just start with the facts..

Living with ADD is hard!!

You've got the skeptics..
You've got the true disbelievers..
You've got the confused people..
And most of us with ADD/ADHD have to deal with them everyday..

I was looking for ADD/ADHD memes to make this entry a little more "colorful" (aka less words, more funny pics), and found this piece above.. This kind of thinking makes me see red..  If this was true, I'd be totally "normal" because I was blessed to have a stay at home mom for most of my younger childhood (who spanked me and loved me) and we had good food to eat, not lots of processed crap.. 

I realize that in the society we are in now, parents want the easy answers to why their kids are the way they are.. And doctors seem to want to give it to them.. I get that.. But ADD/ADHD is a honest to God problem..  One that I personally have tried to take on without medication several different times..

This last time was right before my surgery.. I'd stopped taking my Vyvanse right before my VSG surgery (11/07/13), in hopes that my weight loss would help with my energy and concentration issues..  And it did.. For about a year.. Then I got to a place my body was comfortable with, weight wise, and then I started noticing how "lazy" I was getting.. This was about 6 months ago..

** To anyone reading this, please know that I am a HYPOactive ADDer.. I am in no way a ADHDer because of my HYPOactivity.. Just wanted to throw that out there **

I am a very creative person.. I have a craft room that has all sorts of goodies in it.. And I hadn't touched it in a while.. Don't get me wrong, like most ADDers, I'd get bursts of creativity randomly, but they'd never last very long and I'd start something and not finish it.. You should see my bucket of "unfinished projects" (I had to get a bigger bucket because the other one was overflowing).. It's ridiculous..

I can sit somewhere and let 2 hours pass before I realize I have accomplished nothing.. I will have a list of things to do (lists are SUPER important to ADD/ADHDers) and they won't matter because my brain has gone into "zone out" mode.. Totally unintentional, but it happens..

I have a very active job.. I work in an Emergency Room for heavens sake.. I love it, because while you do the same things almost all the time, it's in a variety of ways (and with a serious variety of people) that don't make it boring.. This job is perfect for me, for now..  I also only work 3-12 hour shifts (instead of the 5-8 hour shifts that I'd grown to hate in my previous jobs), so I have time to recoup..

I started noticing that I was letting things "slip" at work.. I was falling into old habits, such as sitting around when there was stuff I could have been doing.. Reasoning with myself that I would do it later, then forgetting about it..  I could tell some of my coworkers were starting to see it too, which I hated the most.. We all want to be liked, right?!

SO....... I finally admitted defeat with my "battle" and went to see the doctor about getting back on my Vyvanse.. I used to be on 50mg, but with my stomach being 25% the size of a normal stomach now, I wanted to start off at the bottom and see if that worked..  I'm also seeing a new doctor, so I was worried that he'd think I was a "drug seeker" or something.. He was perfectly nice and agreed that a low dose was a good idea and we'd work up to more if I needed it..

I have, of course, already seen improvements.. I'm just hoping they stick around so I don't have to up my mg's, but if I do I will..

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My hope in writing these ADD posts is that someone SOMEWHERE will read it and realize that they are not alone.. Or that it's completely normal, what they are going through.. If I help one person realize that living with ADD/ADHD isn't completely horrible, I'm grateful..  If anyone out there has any questions about ADD/ADHD, please feel free to leave a comment, or email me at fabchallenge@gmail.com

January Recap..

It's already the end of January, in case you hadn't noticed.. lol.. And while I haven't accomplished much this month, I've learned a lot of what not to do in the future..

MONEY

Here is my "savings jar".. It's an Equal jar that I cleaned out.. :)

I put ALL of my change in here, I don't spend any change at all.. So at the end of the day, it all goes in here.. I started saving prolly right before Christmas, and so far I've saved $34.94.. :)  The bad part is that I've saved and used almost all my $1's and $5's.. I've only got $3 saved that way.. I've had to use a lot of my money, including all my eBay sales, for groceries and gas..

I'm learning that I need to bring in more money than my job is currently allowing me to.. While I'm trying to work some overtime, I either get called off or I have so many deductions that it makes the overtime disappear.. SO, I've decided that February 1st to the 22nd is a NO SPEND PERIOD..  If it's not on my budget, it's not happening..

Another goal for February is to bring in at least $200 outside income.. I'm going to try making stethoscope covers and maybe nightlights and sell them on Etsy.. And then I will still sell things on eBay.. Just filed my tax return.. Should be getting a pretty decent return.. Plan on putting at least $500 in my savings account, then using most of it to get caught up on bills.. I also plan to buy a deep freezer for making things in bulk in the future..

GOALS

** I wasn't able to finish Wicked as quickly as I'd planned originally.. I find it is a very long book (a little over 400 pages, with small words).. So I plan to finish it and still read another book in February..

** Got an appointment with the advisor at IUS to get classes scheduled for Summer 2014 in a couple of weeks.. I'm excited to get that ball rolling.. Gonna look into enrolling in an ASL class at UofL too, but I have to figure out if I have to pay another application fee..

** Getting excited about my trip to see my brother, SIL, niece and nephew.. Like, countdown excited.. lol.. I can't wait to take pics again at our grandpa's graves, I can't wait to see them (of course), and I can't wait to see their new house..

** I'm hoping to make a trip to Chicago in April.. To see Jeff Dunham.. But that all depends on if there are tickets when I get my tax return.. There are still good tickets left for Friday night..

Well, I hope you guys had a great January.. And here's to a great February.. :)

Thinking..

It always gets me in trouble.. Well, usually..

I'm thinking about this last month an how little I've accomplished.. While I plan to do a 'Monthly Recap', this is more of a 'get out of my head' entry.. 

I am behind on my reading.. I'm behind on one of my bills, bc I spent too much money on (unnecessary) food and craft stuff..

So, I'm thinking from Feb.1 to Feb. 22, I'm not going to spend any money on anything but what is on my budget.. And I will do my damnedest to track every bit of money I spend and bring in.. On my days off, I'm going to start making things to sell on Etsy.. Hopefully I'll make a little money with that.. :)

Well, I'm off to finish work now.. And get more ideas for things to make/sell. :)

No More..

No more potatoes..

No more bread..

No more pasta meals..

No more crackers/chips..

Basically, no more "bad" carbs.. I am going to try to cut back my portion sizes so that I can start to actively lose weight.. 

I need to stop grazing.. 

I need to stop choosing bad foods over good food..

I WILL buy healthier food from now on..

I WILL start tracking my protein and calories again.. 

I WILL workout at least 10 minutes every day.. At least 30 minutes three times a day..

I WILL do more portion control..

Will be cleaning out my cupboards tonight and hopefully find that all my food isn't gone after I'm done..

Just Dance Away..

I truly love this game.. It lets me dance my booty off, and doesn't make me bored to tears.. Unlike Insanity.. No insults meant to anyone that loves this workout, but if you've read my blog you know I can't do much repetition.. So I'm gonna stick with what I know, running and dancing.. And hopefully learning more about weight lifting..

I've also found a wonderful app that probably has already been loved by many for a while.. Picstitch.. As I've recently gotten into Instagram (check me out @fabchallenge), I've found it's so fun!!  Here's one from today..

On a totally unrelated subject... After noticing that I put the wrong storage amount on the Gazelle sale of my iPod Classic, I wanted to see how much difference there would be.. It went down to $42.. I put it on eBay and it sold for $80 within 5 minutes.. Yep, I love eBay so much.. lol

Weekly Recap..

This week has been interesting.. I've gotten a lot of stuff accomplished..  I've even gotten my savings back up a bit..

Tried to upload some pics on here, but Instagram won't let me.. But you can check them out on my Instagram.. Follow me at fabchallenge.. :)

My favorite part of this week:

I got this baby on Craigslist for $20!!  Seriously, $20!!  It's barely been used.. Has a couple stains on the foot part, but those I'm sure will come out.. My plan is to paint the wood white, and the chair red.. I looked into reupholstering it, but it's just cheaper to paint it.. I can't wait.. But until I can get my hands on some fabric medium, it's gonna stay this color..

Well, with all of the weather craziness going on, my overtime I worked got sucked up by not being able to get out of traffic and being sick.. I've been sick for the past 4 days-ish.. Which has put a damper on working out.. But while I was sick, I realized why I ended Insanity last time around.. I HATE INSANITY!!  I truly hate the repetitiveness of it.. I will be giving away my copies of Insanity on my Facebook page, when I reach 100 likes..

My plan right now??  To get back to the gym and run.. and to do some of the other videos I own.. AND JUST DANCE!!  I love that game.. I miss that game.. And it's a good way to burn calories..

I'm off to go read some more Wicked and get ready for bed..

How was your week??

Cleaning House.. And Getting Cash..

I am not one to sell things easily.. Oh, don't get me wrong, once I see how much money I'm getting, I usually go all out (sometimes regretting selling something).. But at this point, I'm cleaning out stuff that doesn't fit, isn't used, and isn't going to be used anytime soon.. Which leads me to my current dilemma..

I have my iPhone.. It has enough storage on it for what I need, plus some.. And isn't near being full..

I ALSO have an iPod Classic.. Never heard of it?? That's because it's ancient, but still works like new (with a little wear and tear, since I've had it for 7 years).. It's full of every song I own (which is like 15,000+ songs).. BUT I never listen to it.. It sits in my purse, just waiting to be used.. And it never gets used.. Because my iPhone is already by my side..

I was looking up how much I'd get if I sold it on certain sites like Gazelle, versus selling it on eBay.. And I'm seriously thinking of selling it on Gazelle.. I paid like $200 for it back in 2007, and they're offering $61 for it now.. I think that is fair.. Especially as old as it is..

And I could really use the money for bills (or savings)..

On another money note, I was so excited at the beginning of this week.. If I worked like I was supposed to, this paycheck would have like 30+ hours of OVERTIME!!  YAY!!  And then the snow happened.. Somehow in Southern Indiana, people don't know when to take their time versus driving like idiots (which I've heard is an epidemic and not just a Southern Indiana problem.. lol).. So I ended up getting budgeted on Thursday bc I was stuck in dead traffic for 90 minutes.. No book, no food or water, for 90 minutes!!  That took away 11.5 hours of overtime from my coming paycheck..

THEN, I wake up from napping on Thursday to find that my head hurt, I could barely hear, and could barely swallow.. FABULOUS!!  Took three showers to help break up the crud over the next 18 hours.. to no avail.. So, at 10am this morning, I made the unfortunate decision to call into work (the chic could barely hear me, my voice was almost gone).. I work in an Emergency Room.. Who wants to be taken care of by a person who could be getting sick? Not me..

So there goes the rest of my overtime I worked earlier this week.. Hoping I can figure out how to recoup some of that money.. Gonna hopefully start working on stuff to sell on Etsy.. I'm crafty enough to do well.. Just gotta keep the motivation going.. :)

Weekly Update..

Well, I figured to stay accountable I'd need to keep weekly updates.. Or as often as possible.. Lol. So I will try to keep updates on Sundays, and keep them brief..

** I'm about 30% done with Wicked.. It's a really good book, and I'm looking into seeing Wicked the Musical in March..

** I had to take $50 out of my savings (I basically have all my change in the jar now) thanks to rent taking all my money at the beginning of the month.. I'm hoping to put some if it back this coming week (payday).. I've also been spending more, which is a bad habit.. I've sold a lot of stuff on eBay recently and I'm trying to come up with ideas of things to sell in my etsy store (thinking of doing stethoscope covers and cards).. But all the money earned has been going into household stuff, like cat food and food in general..

** I'm set to enroll in classes in a couple months for Summer 2014.. This is to finish my Bachelor's Degree in General Studies.. I also plan to look into taking ASL classes at a different college in the summer too..

** I'm going to start working on all the pins I've got on Pinterest.. Each week, I'm going to have a weekly Pinterest project.. It will be a separate post on Sundays, as I want to show everyone.. Lol

** I'm starting Insanity tomorrow morning.. One of my 'followers' on my FB page is gonna help me with my accountability with that.. :)

** Depression really sucks.. Still noticing some signs that have overcame my life.. But it's getting better.. Slowly it is getting better..

Well, that's about it for this week.. Not much happened except for working and stupid pipe issues.. Hope you all had a good week, and have a great week.. :)

ADD and Me..

As I sit at work, I notice that I don't have my ADD as in control as I think I do.. I was diagnosed with ADD in kindergarten, and am one of the 'lucky ones' that didn't grow out of it.. **I write that with as much sarcasm as physically possible**

I was on meds until 6th grade, when my mom took me off them.. That same year, I was so bored one day I was trying to fix a computer disk and sliced my wrist open.. AT SCHOOL.. It was a rough road from there on..

I barely graduated high school.. One reason is because no one sat me down and helped me like they help kids now.. There were no IEP's or plans put into place for my education.. You either made it or you didn't.. I almost didn't.. Another reason is because no one pushed me to realize, while I was smart enough, I wasn't driven enough to make it through Honor's classes..

Honestly, I should have never gone to college right after high school.. But, I was stubborn and wanted to be a normal college kid.. Yeah, that wasn't in the cards.. I flunked a BUNCH of classes.. I joined a sorority, one of the best things ever, and almost screwed that up bc my enthusiasm for things never last long.. I was elected to office and had to leave halfway through bc I felt like they deserved better (and I wasn't making the grades)..

In 'adulthood', I didn't care how my bills got paid.. Hence my $40,000 in school loans.. I almost ruined a friendship bc of my irresponsibility.. Thankfully, I moved out before I could do more damage and we are great friends now.. But I would call into work bc I wanted to have fun.. Not to mention how many jobs I had between 16 and 25.. Holy cow!!

I have found out over the years what works for me:

** Job wise, I have to do something different all the time.. While I can have the same kind of things to do, I do not do them at the same time, the same way, every day..  So working in home health (my previus job) and an Emergency Room (my current job) are PERFECT!! Workin in a nursing home, not so much..

** School wise, I need help.. Whether it's from school officials, private test taking allowances, or taping classes.. This is where my 'sticking it out' issues come into play the worst.. I get so excited in the beginning, so happy to start school and learn more, and then a couple weeks in, I'm over going to classes and soon homework.. I've learned that online classes, no matter how 'simple' they may be, are not a good idea bc of my time management issues.. News flash: I PROCRASTINATE!! Lol..

Life wise: I'm still learning to cope in life with ADD.. Thankfully, with all the technology, it's becoming easier, but still not easy.. I am horrible about keeping plans.. And yet, I cannot do things on the fly.. I have to know about something at least 24 hours before hand (most of the time) or I will automatically say no.. Unless I'm traveling, then for some odd reason, I'm okay.. Lol.. I also am horrible at interrupting.. I truly hope all my friends realize that its not something i can 100% control.. But if I have something to say, and don't say it within a certain time frame, it's gone.. POOF, buh-bye.. 

My ADD is also why I have had such a hard time sticking to my 'promises' over the years.. My attempts to lose weight, my attempts to go to the gym, my attempts to do things on my blog.. They all get forgotten or pushed aside partly because of my ADD.. I have good intentions, but my follow through is horrible..

This whole blog may sound like a bunch of excuses to you.. It's okay if you think that way, I get that a lot.. But this is something that I will have to deal with forever, at this rate, and I just want people to understand.. If you know someone with ADD or ADHD (I'm DEFINITELY not hyper), please try to think of how their life is effected by this.. Because it always is, in some way..

By the way, this blog took 2 days to write.. Lol

Amazon versus Couponing..

I am facing a money saving dilemma right now..

I don't buy much (name brand items) without coupons.. It's against everything in me to pay "full price" for anything at a grocery store.. If I don't save money somehow, whether it's by buying store brand, on sale, or with a coupon, I will NOT buy it..  This helps me save money or buy something that I want, like movies.. Which I still would try to find ways to save money..

My dilemma right now is to buy cat food on Amazon or to wait and buy it with a coupon at the grocery store.. 

Through Expotv, I get Amazon gift cards for doing video reviews on things I already own or buy, so they are basically free to me.. I can do 3 or 4 videos and get a $10 to $15 Amazon card out of it.. So I have free money basically to use on cat food, and the kind I want is on sale online for the same price that Walmart has.. BUT, if I pay cash for it, I can use a $3 off coupon!  So I'll save $3, if I pay cash, but I'm on a strict budget now that it's just me..

I say this is a dilemma, bc I'm trying to save my Amazon cards for a Kindle, but I gotta do what I gotta do, I guess.. lol

Happy New Year

So, I may be a day late, but I wanted to wish you all a happy new year and a wonderful start to whatever goals you've set for yourself this year.. I can't wait to get to traveling and back to school.. I'm sure that last one won't last too long after I've started but whatever.. Lol

I hate the word resolutions. Bc it always seems to set you up for failure.. I like GOALS.. I'm printing mine off of my blog today and putting them in my bathroom, so I'll see them every day..  I'd say my fridge but I try not to look at my fridge that often.. :)

What is one of your goals for 2014??