So far with work

I don’t know why, but this month has kinda just all come together. It does seem a little weird that the month of work has been easier then the month of love (last month) or organization (January). The big part of this challenge is to keep up with the months past resolutions while improving on a new part of my life. For some reason the balance just worked out this last week!

Work: Work started out a bit rocky with a few difficult clients and upside down schedules. But I just kept with it. I have a lot on my plate, but excited. We brought in a new makeup line that I really like. I have increased my business in areas that I am normally a little intimidated by. I have made a more money and managed to keep stress down. Can’t complain. I still have a ways to go to feel like I really accomplished my goals for the work month (if paperwork doesn’t kill me first), but it’s working out. I have stayed busy and improved business so can’t complain too much.

Lent: Giving up eating out for lent is not been simple because I really crave Starbucks sometimes, especially since there is one on every corner these days. You know what though; it’s really not that bad. I have an extra $100 a week. Can’t believe I was spending that much, but I was. Since it is for lent I think I should give some of it to our church or a charity or something: This week’s goal.

Love: The time change has equaled the kids going to bed at an incredibly late hour. I also have had something going on like every night and sometimes don’t get home until real late. We have not been on a date just the two of us in I don’t even know how long. Somehow though, despite the apparent challenges of life, love has been really been there. We both have been running a lot more. I think that makes us happier so that’s good. But I really feel like even if it means staying up ‘til two in the morning and we are like zombies the next day we both are really trying to spend time with each other. Netflix dates in the Hohsfield living room. It was Carl’s B-day on the 20^th so I spoiled him and got him a cool bike rack and new cologne. His mom made chicken and dumplings Friday night and my mom made enchiladas on Sunday. Good birthday weekend.

Organization and Cooking: I did get a bit less organized and improvised a few meals which all turned out good, but I do better with a good recipe. We have eaten almost all the beef recipes in my cook book which surprised me. Turns out we are real beef eaters. There is no pasta in this book and sometimes a little pasta is just needed and that is where I think the improvising came from. In any case, I made a lot of good stuff and still am enjoying it so much. I make pea soup all the time now. It is one of my favorite lunches. I also tried leek and potato soup and provencal vegetable soup and the kids loved both! I made tuna-packed bell peppers. I really liked it, Carl ate it, Kenna ate the bell peppers and Mason thought we were crazy. I made corned beef for St Patrick’s day and turned it into a really great Spanish quiche the next morning with some red chili. Very good. M. Jacques’ Armagnac chicken was great. It is funny to see what my kids eat left to their own decision. McKenna eats all the chicken and nothing else. Mason eats all the carrots and potatoes and won’t touch the chicken. They are funny. They both loved Mediterranean style halibut that I made which really shocked me. Eggplant parmesan too. Garlicky crumb coated broccoli was great, but broccoli is one of my favorite veggies anyway. I think the best meal was probably the short ribs in red wine and port with cheesy mashed potatoes. I took it to mom and dad’s and it was great. Abbey and Corey came over for one of my improvised chicken pasta and chickpea concoctions. I do think I have definitely become a more educated cook. I also think all these recipes will taste very different with fresh herbs this summer as opposed to the dried ones. I have not been planning the menu as well. This week: plan ahead and try something very different and new.

Giving up eating out- holy cow

Work is not just about the place I work at. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to work on other things in my life. I have decided to give up eating out for lent. No- I am not catholic, but when you are really needing to work at something it doesn’t hurt to have a good purpose. The way I see it this will improve my wallet, waistline, and give me time during my cravings to think about what is really important. Yes, this does include Starbucks, so it will be a real sacrifice.

March in the Happines Project

I have really been stalling about my March Happiness project focus. It is supposed to be ‘work’ and to be honest sometimes I really just don’t feel like putting any more into work. I have been dragging my feet. I even debated do something else and going back to this later in true procrastinator fashion. Then at church last Sunday the sermon was on money and getting a handle on it so it doesn’t get a handle on you. In my personal life I have good control right now, but in my job… not so much. I have just kinda let the business keep on running lately and not staying on top of it. So with a little gilt and some renewed enthusiasm I am going to work on work.

The project this month is going to be simple:

1) Revamp the now ancient budget for my business

- need to make a plan to pay off any debt

- would like to find a to give back more to

2) Research and order a computer program to do the scheduling book in order to         bring us into this century   

3) Make sure to answer my phone so I can increase business despite my kids literally hanging on me (May have to lock myself in the bathroom or something to muffle their ‘mommy’s while trying to talk and seem professional)

4) Watch at least one video a week to keep up with my trade

5) Stay positive
here we go...

My kitchen last week

I have really been trying to impose better health with my kiddos. For breakfast every morning this last month we pull up their little seats to the coffee table and pig out on apples, toast, blackberries and all sorts of good-for-you things. I realized the informality of the coffee table has added a bit of fun to breakfast and the kids are actually way more into it. Super fun! They have actually have gotten way more adventurous in what they will eat. When it comes to my cooking adventure I am pretty sure my kids think their mom is crazy for putting this ‘weird’ food in front of them, but they are starting to come around.

Tuesday I made a gorgonzola-apple quiche. It was very good and unexpected. It was also easy to make so a big plus in this crazy world.

On Wednesday I watched my sister’s baby for the first time while she is going back to work. It was a little crazy with my two kids dancing around and keeping a baby safe from their craziness. I did manage to put together a great asparagus soup. It was very tasty although I may have added a bit too much pepper. I really liked it though and it was super healthy. Abbey just hung out with me that afternoon  and helped me make dinner. It made way more then I had planned so we invited my parents over too. We made hachis parmentier, or the French version of sheppard’s pie. It is beef and sausage cooked into a good scrumptiousness. Then you add mashed potatoes on top along with cheese and bake it up until it’s perfect. Very good. Of course, since it is essentially beef and potatoes, the guys loved it. We all did. We finished the quiche off from the night before as well. So funny though: we all just ate in the living room with the kids at the coffee table. Mason stands up and hits the corner of the plate and his food slingshots all over his face. It really was funny despite the mess it made.

The end of the Love month

This month has been a good one. Well, focusing on my relationship has been good and important. It wasn’t as though my marriage was in shambles before, but I have realized that with a little focus things can be better. We had a couple of more argumentative days and a little distance. What I learned in this month was just how important communication is. Just talking about things makes everything better even though it is sometimes the last thing either of us want to do. Now sure I knew this already, but I was just comfortable with the way it was. Shaking things up and forcing more communication in areas that we don’t normally focus on has been challenging, but very rewarding. It all started this month with a lack of understanding of our money as you read. Since then we designated a finance night to talk about all that. We also talked about all sorts of things in our relationship all the way from being better at talking on the phone to sitting next to each other on the couch. A lot came out and it was a time that was needed for us. We ended the week going to church together and having a date night at home on the couch with a good movie. We really did just make something that was pretty good even better. It wasn’t easy to focus on love and realizing it needed work, but it was well worth it.

The other half of this month was to love myself by working out and treating my health better. I didn’t do so bad at this. Kinda funny- while writing this now I am watching the documentary Super Size Me. Holy cow! I am way healthier then a give myself credit for considering I could be a lot worse off. So, anyway even though I didn’t get a workout in everyday I did up my running and stretching. Generally, I have felt good!

All in all, not perfect but a good start for bringing more love into my life.