"It's Spring?" or "Snow Out My Window"

Snow Out My Window

Well here it is spring, but it hasn't sprung. Here in southwest Michigan it looks like winter has struck again. So instead of working outside on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I'm stuck inside. The weather was so icky that I didn't even want to do my grocery shopping. So instead of pouting I pulled the shade down and tackled my office project. With all the heavy lifting done (Thanks to my dear hubby and son) I can now move on to more detail oriented items. I have a before pictures somewhere and will dig them up on a later post. It is a pretty intimidating space, the previous owner was a chiropractor and I imagine it was his office. Someone dabbled in woodworking and there's a whole wall that is a glass display case with cupboards. This as well needs to be updated, I'm just drawing a blank on how to do it at the moment. The space doubles as a guest room, well, not a room really just a twin bed. It works out beautifully for me since I work at home more than I have company. (I've had a teleconferencing position with a work at home company for nine years now.) I work about 15-20 hours a week, and what can I say? It's a steady paycheck at the very least. It may even fund the new clik clak couch I want for the space. So, with a little backstory revealed I'll add that I had placed my furniture in a traditional layout that just wasn't doing much for my inspirational juices. 

I had the twin bed sitting in front of the window and my humongous executive desk stuck in the only available corner. With my back to the door and the window I felt like I was a child again, admonished to the corner for 5 hours a day. So I struck out on pinterest looking for suitable home office layouts to no avail, apparently most people place a small desk at the window. This would expose my back to the door and I have never been fond of being in a symbolically vulnerable position, not in public, and not in my house. I desired a position of authority and control over my environment, so I reached the conclusion that I would use the more traditional office executives layout with the desk smack dab in the middle of the room. Being there I could let my creative juices flow freely and no be unawares when the cat decided to execute a sneak attack. 

With inspiration hitting me from all directions now, it's time to put away all the odds and ends, complete my filing that's piled up, and get to work with the hodge podge of the decorating process.  I have pictures to reframe, a family history display to compose of us and our relatives that served proudly. A dream board to construct, some greenery (fake thanks to my plant eating felines) to put together. I'm putting a deadline on the basics of this plan of 16 days. I'll highlight in my next post my timeline flowchart, ideas, references and pictures of before and after.  

On a side note, and trying not to sound like a nutjob, I'm initiating this new office layout to help facilitate my power of intention. It is my intention to run my/our finances with the thought process akin to running a successful business. After all that's what we all desire in life, financial success. So why do so many of us let our paychecks control us? Instead I believe we should control our paychecks just like Fortune 500 companies control their businesses. Do you pay attention to your finances, daily? Weekly? Do you have goals for your income other than paying bills? Wouldn't that be considered a business plan of sorts? If you have goals in place are you picturing yourself achieving these goals? (This is where the dreamboard comes in to play). So from time to time on our little journey of organizing the home office I may take a jaunt to a more spiritual frame of mind and draw upon great writings for inspiration. These writings will include greats like, The Bible, The Secret, The Power of Intention, and others. Feel free to comment or question I just ask that you keep it friendly and clean. 

Until next time. 

(apologies in advance for not proofreading this article, I'm a little rushed). 

I'm Ready!

Doesn't illness bring you down? Here we go again. Take two (more like two hundred and fifty seven.)
Tomorrow I return to work and I am taking back my life. I have 20-somethings trying to live a dorm life in a real house and as a result, I've allowed them to basically suck the energy right out. My aunt persuaded me into letting the maids go, I'm rehiring them tomorrow. I'm not rich by any means, but the time I save cleaning allows me to concentrate on other equally important things. Plus I really do not enjoy cleaning up after ungrateful people. My thought is that instead of dwelling on the pig pen-ish look of my house, I'll have someone who doesn't care focus on the cleaning and I will focus on the organizing. We moved into this house 2 years ago and it's high time that the moving in is completed. My first task, taking my office and turning it into a cute office/guestroom. I need to replace some furniture and make due with some pieces that are past their prime. I think instead of tackling cinder block walls behind the 80's paneling, I'll take some kilz and seal it then find a nice neutral color to compliment our Naval family history display. My biggest decision will probably be; popcorn ceiling stay or go. Leaning towards "stay" for now.
  It is my intention to return in a day with some before pictures and cost/time analysis. Like I said before, not rich so get ready for a multitude of hacks. Until then, have a blessed day! My author friends will be happy to know I'm back. Wink wink to my fave creative mind!

New update on it's way.

OH. MY. GOSH!

Is it really the second week of February tomorrow? Well if you're anything like me in the procrastinating department you are in the same state of shock I am. I haven't got anything done this year yet! I could blame it on menopause, or depression, or fibromyalgia, all of which fall into the classification that is me. I'm trying hard not to let these things weigh me down and define me as a person. It's a daily struggle. As a Gulf War vet, I have seen the syndrome study and it's pretty scary. All of my symptoms fully line up with the symptoms of this illness. My father in-law thinks it's all a bunch of hooey. Just another excuse for people to get free money. I suppose that's why I've delayed in going down to put my name on the registry. I wonder how much of the symptoms are really related to things like getting older, fatter, and less active? So here it goes:

We're going to annihilate that preponderance. Time to step up to the plate and remove my physicality from the equation. I used to be an ACE certified personal trainer, so I have the knowledge. It's all there in my head. I now have the gym equipment in the basement, a few workout videos, and tons of online freebie resources that I love.  I'm hoping I have the drive to see this through. Half way through typing this and the voice in my head is saying, "Yep, surrre you do. You just ate half a pan of carmel brownies in 3 days." Time to shut that voice up, because today is a brand new day! I'm going to add all the motivational hoopla up and put it in one place. That way I can help others achieve what I am achieving and promote my favorite fellow do-gooders in the process. Stop listening to your inner voices, the naysayers in your life. Believe that you can. I won a free t shirt from Coach K's website which states, "That voice in your head that says you can't, is a liar!" It's a mouthful, but totally true. Shut down that voice with me.

Join me on my challenge won't you? I already am stacking up the people in the support group. My two college girls are on board. They're taking on their own challenge at school. The son is in as he's needing to refocus his energies on losing more weight and being more physically fit for Naval boot-camp in June. I warn you to be cautious of your enablers. Identify them and learn to deal with whatever it is they sabotage you with. My worst one is my husband. He loves saying things like, "I love you the way you are." and "I didn't marry you because you were skinny." ...wait, does that mean he thought I was fat? Because, I was not fat when I married him! ...whoa, see how that could have spun me in the wrong direction. He just has never had to struggle with his metabolism, he works in a very physical job, and is outside a lot. So he brings in the chips and the doughnuts, and whatever else he wants to eat.

I'm putting his shenanigans to bed and moving on, setting my goal compass to it's true north. My goal is not to change my husband, it's to change me. I know for a fact that exercise helps depression more than any med they could prescribe you. That eating healthier shows positive results in overall well-being and appearance. I will keep using the supplements that I feel I lack in my diet for now, and I definitely won't be changing any of my meds without my doctors say so. Personally I have found that there are plans out there already in place that I agree with and they have free resources that I will occasionally link here. My intention for my readers is not for them to deem that what I do is what they should do, they especially should not make any major changes in their diet without their doctors supervision.

If you have a question you want to pose, I will certainly put my best foot forward, and if I can't answer it I will direct you to the person I think is best qualified to.

For now, I'm going to put into place a nutrition plan. I have found that making sure you have a well balanced diet is the first step. So instead of learning to cut foods out of your life, familiarize yourself with the AHA diet guidelines. Then make yourself a food log. First simply record everything that passes between those luscious lips of yours then start planning out in advance what you want to eat to meet your goals. I found in my own personal experiences that when I planned out my days food prior to that day I achieved my goals a lot easier. It also saves a lot of time. You can find AHA guidelines  here. You can also see one example of a meal plan that uses logging as one of it's principles at Body for Life,  here.  Also located under the "tools" section of that site is a log you can print out if you want to put pen to paper. If tech is more you, then visit this next site. Spark People has free mobile app you can use, go here for free membership and tons of info! Last but certainly not least is my favorite web coach!  Coach Koz at Hasfit. He has youtube videos, a following on facebook, and tons of motivation gear and free meme's!

Times up for today, do your research and come back tomorrow to see where I'm at on my journey! Thanks for stopping by.