Made to Crave!

         

Where to even begin. Oh, yes. I signed up for my first EVER online (or in real life) bible study. It starts TOMORROW. It's based on Lysa Terkeurst's book "Made to Crave" (which is a fantastic book!) It's all about replacing your food cravings with cravings for God- sounds simple, but it isn't! Believe me, I've tried.

I signed up because I'm tired of always saying I will do something and not following through. I'm sick of having to buy clothes in larger sizes instead of smaller sizes. I'm sick of knowing this is my struggle, and not doing anything about it. This year, this time, I AM doing something about it.

This time, I believe it will work. I'm not in this alone either- over 35,000 women have signed up for this study! Amazing! We have blog hop days, prayer and praise days, assignments, small groups, it looks like it will be an amazing experience for everyone involved.

So if you are reading this, I hope you'll consider joining me on this journey, or at least following along on my journey to finally take care of what God gave me, and to focus on Him, not on the food.

Happy Saturday!

Does that make me crazy?

Way back on March 5, 2012 I started this blog. And here is why:

http://cuppofcoffee.blogspot.com/2012/03/first-time.html

~~~~

And here we are, almost 20 months later. Nothing has changed. If I were to have actually DONE something when I started this and said I would, imagine how different things could be. 

Now, OK, maybe some things have changed. Or many. But I wanted to write to make other people not feel so alone, not feel so inadequate and unwanted. I wanted to have this blog become a community of women who are friends. No perfection or judging allowed. I wanted to make a difference.

I wanted to share weight loss struggles, and debt issues, Bible verses, and dreams
I wanted to learn to cook, clean, sew, work, have children, make food from scratch, repurpose garbage into house decor. I wanted to become the Pinterest Expert. The girl who could do everything.

Instead, I've done nothing. And I've realized-

Can't I just bake chicken, scramble eggs, and make sure there is food in the house?
If mold isn't growing, can't cleaning wait until after I spend some time with my Husband? 
I can make a mean batch of boxed brownies, do I really need to make my own bread?
Do i need to make all natural home made cleaners, when I can get windex on sale?

I don't need to do it all. I just need to do what needs to be done. I don't need a picture-perfect home, and some (ok, a lot) of dog hair on the floor is FINE if the house isn't falling apart.

I've learned I don't need to coupon to save money. Therefore saving me time.
I've learned it's ok to not bake, because Kristi can bake for me.
I've learned it's ok to not sew, because I have friends who can help me.

I'm still going to Church. I still love God. I am a youth leader, and a Sunday school coordinator. I say yes way more than I should. I have way too much on my plate.

Let's add that to the list of things to work on...
 

This is NOT a diet

Trying to come up with a full menu on the dirt-cheap side. May not be nutritious, but we're young, and in debt. Cheap food it is!

Breakfasts

• Toast &Butter
• Cereal

Lunches

• Cereal
• PB &J
• Ramen
• Soup
• Snack-y lunch (cheese, kielbasa, crackers, fruit, etc)
• Cheese Quesadilla

Dinners

• Mac &Cheese
• Eggs &Toast
• Baked Chicken
• Pork Chops
• Roasts
• Meatballs
• Pancakes/Waffles

Snacks

• Boiled Eggs
• Popcorn 

Sides

• Frozen Veggies
• Stuffing
• Potatoes
• Noodles
• Bread (roll, garlic bread, etc)

Impact

Short post.

I Miss Impact.

Any youth who has gone would probably say this without hesitation. A youth leader. on the other hand, not so much.

I'm a youth leader, and I miss Impact. I'm sad we couldn't go.

All the planning, packing, food buying, requesting, organizing, etc. All the registration forms and permission slips and trips to the bank. All the calls and texts and emails and questions and answers...

It's all SO WORTH IT. And I can't wait till Zeteo '14. I miss my SNL friends.

Jeans Day

It's been about two weeks, or maybe only one. I lose track.

Anyways, I'm still working on the whole "You're not hungry, don't eat" thing. BUT I have taken the dogs for a walk and used the treadmill twice-progress.

I've found reading Sparkpeople articles, reading my weighdown book, and anything else "inspirational" every day helps me to stay motivated for that day. Hey, whatever works, right?

I am feeling a bit left out cause 2 of my coworkers are doing the new t25 program. However, I know its something I wouldn't enjoy. At. All. So I can't let that bother me, more like cheer them on for doing what THEY want to do to lose weight. It's not the same for everyone.

My house is almost completely clean. I've been decluttering. I hate having things in my home that I don't need.

And I have 3 Scentsy parties lined up- YAY :)

Oh, and WeighDown is all about finding jewels in your day. My jewel for today is my jeans fit for Jeans Day at work. :)

S'Mores

It seemed pressure came from every direction. It was unrelenting. Financial pressures brought worry. Children issues brought frustration. And an overloaded schedule kept me up at night. It got so bad I wanted to have a bonfire with all my to-do lists and make s'mores.

This was from Encouragement for Today. Her bonfire of to-do lists is rather similar to my analogy -

Picture a ceiling fan, with each blade LOADED with things to do, people to call/see/pray for, things to think about, things needing to be dealt with, obligations, etc. Now, picture that fan on high speed. That was my brain 2 weeks ago. So much running through my mind, it was all a blur and I got nothing done.

This is why I blog. At least in my head :)

See, my problem is, even with all those things to do, I think of more I want to do. How can I do what I want to do, when I'm already doing so many things I want to do.

Here's what's going on.
1. I joined my friend's wellness FB group. This post is my introduction to them :) 
2. Lucky(my german shepherd) graduated basic training last night. Judging by his behavior today, you'd never know.
3. I just purchased a car I have no money for. Thus making our super tight budget EVEN tighter. 
4. Number 3 happens when a car pulls out in to you on your way home from work.
5. I have no time for my priorities. (God, Husband, Health)
6. Number 5 is my main problem.

Is it weird that I feel that if I can get my 3rd priority (my health) in order, it will make finding time for the first two priorities easier? 

I'm tired. I have no energy. I am uncomfortable with myself. All I want to do is lay in bed. I do think if I were making time to exercise and eat a bit better, maybe I'd have more energy the rest of the time to better manage my time.

Better yet. I've lost over 40 lbs through weigh down (20 lbs each time I've done it) 

I KNOW IT WORKS. Food is just to yummy to resist. So honestly, getting in shape through exercises that I like, such as pilates, dvd work outs, just dance, and walks with the dogs, and eating better through following weigh down principles, I should be well on my way to being happier with myself, and feeling better in general.

I'm at my highest weight currently.I need to lose 30lbs to be in a healthy weight range (BMI under 25) 

Once I'm there, I will see how I feel and go from there. Thinking probably another 20lb after that, because there's a 40 lb ideal weight range.

But as with Weigh Down, God is in control. God designed my body. If I am eating according to my bodies needs, and not just because it tastes good, I should reach my ideal weight with no problem, no matter what weight that may be.

I have a shelf full of size 8 clothes that it would be nice to try on some time. :)

I have no idea how often I will post on here, but I'm hoping to use this to chronicle my getting out of debt, getting in to shape, managing my time better journey :)

Thanks for stopping by!

(BTW! My name is Lyndsay :) I work at a bank. I still plan to finish college one day. I'm a youth leader. I've been married for almost 3 years. No kids. Two puppies who act like kids, Lucky and Sonny. Two cats, XJ and Kitty. Four animals-we don't need kids yet! We rent. We plan to buy within a year or so. We also plan to have kids one day, but more on that another time. I like to ramble.)

What a weekend

So many things running through my mind.

Old friends
Preteen girl problems
30 hour famine
Salt n light
Inappropriate Rihanna songs
What makes you a Christian
Misleading and judgemental people
Is being classy old fashioned?
Is being nice and kind uncool?
Just say no.
Marriage
Husband, what
Why is my cat laying with me?
Denver
Ministry
Mission
Life.

That has to intrigue you.

Early to Rise Challenge

So, I've been thinking all this time, wow, I completely FAILED at this early to rise challenge.

Why should I even write about the time I've been waking up (mostly 7AM) when I was saying "I'm going to wake up at 6AM and get so much done!"

Cause I'm not waking up at 6AM, I must have failed the challenge, right?!

Yeah, I was reading Money Saving Mom's post for today (Day 9), and she said moving forward, even at a microscopic rate, is still moving forward.

OH YEAH! That makes sense!

I was waking up at 7:20. I have given myself an extra 20 minutes! That's quite a bit of time in the AM.

Also, I must share this excuse with you. Who does an early to rise challenge during the Daylight Savings Time change?! Honestly.

Day Whatever-Early to Rise

I hate waking up early.

I love waking up early.

I should make up my mind. The bed is just so gosh darn comfy in the AM. When I do get up early, 
I have more time to do stuff, like type up this post. Cause even though no one admits they are here (no comments) I still see page views. So, I will keep sharing.

Last night at the Church Council meeting, Pastor talked about God moments, and how we should be sharing them regularly with those around us. I couldn't agree more. Weigh down tells you to look for jewels and ways of escape when it comes to your eating habits. These are God moments that you will miss unless you intentionally look for them. I need to make a point to find God moments, because I know they are there, and I know by seeking them, my relationship with God will grow closer. And what Christian doesn't want that?

So my God moment/Early to Rise update is...
I am no where near getting up at the 6:30 time I would like. or even 6 which would be really awesome.
But since I was waking up at about 7:20 and am now out of the shower by then, I do feel I'm making progress. My alarm is set for 6:40. I like to hit snooze. God has used the body he's given me to wake me up at 6:45 the past 3 days. Do I hate it? Absolutely. But I also love it. Cause I know its something that is helping me in the long run. I'm accomplishing more. I'm ready and not rushing out the door. That's progress.


AND! since I know many of you are reading this... and are also probably friends with me on Facebook...
Please please please, if you are at all interested in a Scentsy book, party, or ordering, please let me know. I would LOVE to share Scentsy with everyone I know, and until everyone knows, I will not be quiet, because it's an amazing product, and a great gift for someone too! :)

Weekly Goals/Plans

How's this for accountability...

My plans for the week, and my goals for the week.

Plans
Monday-
Tuesday- Scentsy visit, PLL
Wednesday- Lenten service at LIUMC (Food Pantry discussion)
Thursday- Dallas Elementary Expo
Friday- 
Saturday- Visit with friends, out to see Hidden Drive
Sunday- Teach Sunday School and LIYF

I'm about 90% positive I missed some things.

Goals
-Wake up by 6:45, following MSM's Early to Rise Challenge
-Finish "Leading on Empty"
-Write Parent newsletter for LIYF
-Walk on treadmill 10 minutes per day
-Follow daily cleaning schedule
-Watch Weigh Down video one, start workbook
-Figure out a Bible reading schedule that works (since following the CCV plan isn't)

Check back in to see how it goes

Early to Rise Challenge

I'm taking part in MoneySavingMom's Early to Rise Challenge. Basically, wake up earlier, start your day off better, achieve more.

Sounds perfect.

I've actually woken up by 7 each day so far.
Ideally, I'd wake up around 6:15.
I've been waking up at 7:30, so at least I'm making progress.

The challenge is also following along with a book, which I will share that information at a later date.

I'm officially a Scentsy Independent Sales Consultant, which rocks, cause I looooove the stuff.
I had my launch party over the weekend, and it was a huge success :)

I hope to share more over the next week or so...

-Zeteo
-Sunday School
-LIYF
-Scentsy
-Waking up early
-Goals update...

Check back tomorrow :)

Goals and life

I still would love to follow my goal plan for this year. But it isn't working. I have too many things requiring attention in my life, that I don't have time to focus on my priorities.

It's driving me nuts.

Things are slowly falling in to place, so that's at least helpful. They are goals for the year, not all things need to happen immediately ( even though it'd be nice )

I'm also enjoying work a little more now. Always a plus.

I'll have to write about zeteo soon.

2013 Goals

This is a pretty comprehensive list of my priorities and goals for 2013. I have the lists I based mine off of referenced at the bottom. I may break some of these down over the next couple weeks to explain more in detail how I plan on achieving them.

My main word for the year will be faith. All of my other goals and priorities will be based off of faith. My marriage and health will be my 2nd and 3rd priorities.

Feel free to share your goals and priorities for 2013 in the comments below :)

2013 Goals -Google Docs Link

http://thefrugalhomemaker.com/2013/01/02/2013-goals/
http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/11/time-management-101-determine-what-your-priorities-are.html

2013

Goals.

Personal.

Financial.

Spiritual.

Marriage/Family.

Homemaking.

I'm not making resolutions, I'm making plans.

Come back for more over the weekend. I've been working on them, and I keep working on them, and I will keep working on them.

Cupp Of Coffee is back. (Guess what one of my goals is?!)

<3

Lucky Tails

One early Sunday morning in June, and by early I mean about 1:30 AM, the wonderful husband of mine calls and says he has a German Shepherd puppy in the back of my jeep.

Wide awake now...

We posted found ads, told everyone we knew, called the SPCA. By Wednesday, he was ours. We named him Lucky. He peed a LOT. I pretty much carried a mop around with me those first few weeks. He had so much energy and loved to lick. I am not going to say I was enjoying this.

(Cannot believe he was this small not that long ago)

Yeah, we had a Golden Retriever (our golden child) but this was a puppy. A puppy with no bladder (figuratively speaking). Our wonderful friends that raise German Shepherds gave us some toys, food, and a crate. Boy, were we thankful for that. 

Next stop, the vet.
The Vet guessed he was anywhere from 3-4 months, had a heart murmur and a hernia. Along with being at least 20 lbs under weight. He had probably been on his own outside for over 2 months. Heart murmurs and hernias are apparently common in GSD (German shepherd dogs). The vet said it was very possible the hernia would heal and he would grow out of the heart murmur (Let's pray).

We scheduled neutering and hernia repair for early August. His bladder was improving drastically. Still loved licking. The day arrived, and Bill dropped him off at the vet. Within two hours, the vet called.

"Lucky still has his heart murmur, if we go through with this, he has a 20% chance of surviving the surgery"
Bill went and picked him up. He may be a pain, but he's like a child to us.

The vet said to wait 2 more months to see if he grows out of it, because as of October he should definitely be 6 months old. If at that time he still has the heart murmur, we were referred to a dog cardiologist (I kid you not, they do exist!...for $600 an appointment).

We can barely afford all the dog food we are running through, let alone a $600 dog cardio appt.

So last Monday, October 8, was the big day. Would the heart murmur be gone? Can we go ahead with the neuter and hernia repair?

YES! He is gaining weight as needed, growing as needed, has the right amount of energy, he's doing great! He has his surgery scheduled for the first week of December.

Here he is just this past week, as big, if not bigger than our full size Golden.

Dogs may be expensive, may be a pain and a big responsibility, but our children have four paws. 
(As i'm yelling at them to share their toys with each other)

I'm BACK!

So apparently I decided to take the summer off.

I actually didn't, I just had other things to do. 

I love blogging, I really do, but I also love sitting on the porch and spending time with family and friends. Haven't seen me lately? COME VISIT! :)

I promised pictures in this post (according to my post 3 months ago). Check out my Pinterest-TONS of pictures ;)

Back to why I originally started this blog. The church has too many taboo topics, that the Bible actually talks about. Submission, Sex, Love, Marriage, the way you live your life, obedience, the list goes on.

Yeah, I'm going there. Check out To Love, Honor, and Vacuum. Seriously. 29 days to great sex challenge. This is for you, Christian married women! Ugh, are brains are so full of how BAD sex is before marriage that  half (probably more) of us don't even enjoy it when we are married.

Better yet, read her article on submission isn't abuse. The comments as well. Wow. What Submission Isn't

My list goes on and on about what I want to talk about. and my BIGGEST concern is that I might not be right. That what I say might not be in line with God's vision for us. 

But I am trusting that God is leading me to these thought-provoking articles for a reason. That he gives me such strong ideas because he wants me to share them with you.

I want to go there, because not many people do, and we are just hiding behind our "Christian" label, when we should be shouting it to the world. I feel there are too many people out there showing off their "Christian" label and making us all look BAD. Why don't we start showing off how AWESOME and WONDERFUL it is. How God loves us and wants us to love, obey, and follow Him.

We can do it. We should do it. We are called to do it.

Let's start talking.

Hiatus

Who am I trying to impress anyways?


It's been a wonderful month (aside from not blogging)
My coupons are well on their way to being organized with dividers I got at Dollar Tree (only $1!)
I'm making progress in spending my time the way I want to, instead of trying to please others.
AND my house has been relatively clean, without me going crazy each day trying to keep up with it...YAY!


I've just been thinking about a lot over the past couple weeks. Why I do what I do, and what I would rather be doing. A girl I went to school with took a hiatus from Facebook to get away from it all and focus on herself. I don't think I could do that. I think I'd be very bored with myself. So I started thinking. Why am I so focused on a "show-room" clean house, when I don't have anyone coming over? Billy doesn't mind a "lived-in" look. Heck, I don't think I mind it much either. So if Bill and I are happy, then why am I choosing to clean the house over going out? or sitting down and watching a movie? or taking a walk? or doing something I enjoy? 


...Yeah, I'm not too sure. So I've been working on it. 


I had a fantastic weekend. 
Started off Thursday at the Sweet Valley fair, got some photo frames for my wall collage I'm working on. 
Friday Bill and I spent the day shopping for the pampered chef party, and we had lunch at cosmo's cheesesteaks in Kingston-YUM. The party went very well, enjoyed every minute of it.
Saturday Stef and I went shopping, and then I watched some netflix for the afternoon
Sunday I went to church, then watched more netflix (yes. I was lazy. I enjoy it)
And Monday Bill and I did some errands and visited his family in Mtn Top. Then a cookout at moms :)


Cleaning? Yeah, I took about 1/2 an hour each day to straighten up...not enough to keep me from doing what I wanted. And the house is pretty decent. :)
No coupons this weekend because of Memorial Day, so I got a break there.


So maybe I will be posting more regularly again, and maybe I won't. But either way, the next post will have pictures. Pictures are so much more fun, aren't they?


Hope you all had a wonderful May :)

Slacking and Succeeding

Hello slacker. (speaking to myself). Organizing? Couponing? Time Managment? How are these things going?!

This is my living room MESS. I hate it. Piles of to-do and to-file and to-toss. It really is hard to keep up with it all. Fortunately, I had time tonight to tackle most of it. I think a Home Office is in my near future....

My coupon binder. It needs more sheets and more dividers. I will tackle this next week. Stay tuned for some more couponing tips, I know a few of you who are just waiting for me to help you out, and believe me, I want to :)

See? lots of coupons NOT in sleeves. So not helpful.

So maybe a few more posts on my problems, then I will start sharing my progress. And in the time-management area, there has been DEFINITE progress-Woot! Now to get on an even better schedule, including daily blogging, couponing, and loving. That will be a success...

To be continued...

So here's the problems

In my last post, I mentioned I had my own plan for this month. A focus on where things are in my life and how I want to change them. I chose 3 main points for the month of May. And here is the problems I have with them. I apologize in advance for any ranting that might go on.


Streamline Couponing:


Problem? 
-Couponing takes time and effort to get the maximum savings. I check at least 2, if not 3 blogs as often as possible-multiple times per day to stay current and catch the best deals. That takes a TON of time.
-Then they need to be organized. A lot. I do have a binder. I have sleeves full of coupons. They need to be organized better IN the binder though, cause I can't find a thing.
-There are a lot of stores. and a lot of deals. I need to begin to track prices to be able to determine a "good deal" quicker.


Fortunately, this all won't be hard because I have time at work to work on it, and I have my ideas and some tips in place already, I just need to implement them :)


Stick to a Budget:


Problem?
-We eat out. A lot. Turns out, last month we spent over $140 on fast food (as my friend Kasie shakes her head in disgust) We need to cut way back on that if we want to ever get ahead.
-We have a good amount of debt. I want the personal loans and credit card debt paid off before children. and I want children soon.
-We don't have much savings, and we always wish we did when our cars break. which they do. a lot.


So, we have plans. We need to watch our spending. It's as simple on paper as weigh down, and yet just as hard to actually do.




Spend Time More Wisely:


Problem?
-I think I have a slight OCD problem. I can't just "straighten up" the house, it needs to be CLEAN for me to feel like it's presentable. it cuts into time to go and do things and have fun. I need to let go of my inner expectations I'm trying to live up to.
-I want to visit more people, and have more of a social life. I don't make time for it, and I want to.
-I want to read more of the Bible. To have my "Jesus Time" more often. More regular...
-I also want more quality time with Billy. Who doesn't want more quality time with their Husband? I want memories, new experiences, and laughter <3


So, I need to work on the whole housework taking over my life, and start focusing on some other priorities.


Keep checking in to see how my month goes :)






Side note. I attempted homemade seasoned baked french fries. Won't do that again. Ore-Ida is the way to go :)

May Challenge

Money Saving Mom's May challenge is freezer cooking. And while I find the idea fantastic, I'm not quite ready to jump in to all that just yet.


I do have some goals for May though.
1. Streamline my couponing.
2. Stick to a budget.
3. Spend my time more wisely.


With that said, I will be talking about various topics that are on my mind, while focusing on one of the three goals for May.


By the end of the month, I want to have a couponing "schedule" that works for me, a clear idea of where our money is going and where we need to cut back, and a regular schedule that reflects my priorities accurately, because my time now does not.


I'll update a few times a week hopefully, so please keep checking back :) Oh, and I'll share my couponing tips too, because I know so many of you are intrigued ;)