Goal 1:One Month!

As of Monday I will have been quit a month. The day after my husband will celebrate his 6 month quit day. I am so proud of all we've accomplished.

What I have learned a lot this month:


Challenge Quotes | Forward this Picture

• If you don't like who you are or where you're going in life challenge yourself to try the things that would be beneficial. You know what they are... they nag at the back of your mind... they are things you don't want to do because you are afraid that the results wont be worth the cost. (ie: keep your house spotless, buy better groceries and cook dinner, quit smoking, eat right, exercise more, be nicer to people, make new friends, study something new, find a job you really like)   It will be worth it just to know you succeeded and the nagging doubts will go away for good.

• Rewards are necessary. We know when we are kids that we react and learn from gold stars but as adults we pretend it is for our own sense of achievement. Give yourself the stars. 

• Be a diva. You really can walk away from stress and lock yourself in a bathroom for ten minutes mid-sentence without any real consequences. 

• Exercise works not only to reduce stress but to improve your lung strength and circulation after you quit. It helps you stave off the pounds you gain from quitting and activities like yoga help you remember what you knew as a smoker: Deep breathing helps you deal with stress!

• A book is a great distraction in waiting rooms and school parking lots when you have to burn a few minutes and you can finish a whole book (depending on length) in a week of waiting. 

• To successfully quit smoking you have to give up hanging out with friends who smoke (especially if you were a social smoker like me). You cannot convert a smoker who isn't interested and you cannot try to prove you are a stronger person than you really are. As an added bonus there are tons of people who don't smoke that you have probably never met. Introduce yourself.

• You have to learn to live again. Quitting smoking is no joke but it's worth it! You literally have to relearn to do everything but the benefits are high and quickly tangible.What will you do with the 1-2 hours a day you spent lighting up? What will you do with the thousands a year you save? 

Goal 2: Spin Bikes

Did you know that there are about 100 ways you can hurt yourself on a spin bike?
Alright, I am exaggerating but there are reasons why spin rooms need instructors and over the last couple weeks I have learned that just hopping on and pedaling is not as easy as it seems. My advice is to attend a class and admit that you have never been on a spin bike in your life and have no idea how to adjust it. Then have the instructor fit your bike to you and remember the settings. If you are to stubborn to ask for directions be sure to check out a spin bikes settings before you go. I have been going for a few weeks now and I have just learned that the knee aches I was having were completely avoidable just by moving my seat back. Also, go ahead and by the gel seat pad. They are cheap and if you wish to return after the first couple sessions it will really help. Don't suffer to exercise! Pain really isn't your friend.

Goal 5: Disappointment

Preschool House

I love my new stay at home life but when the most perfect opportunity to advance my abandoned teaching career came along I was ready to throw it, at least partially, under the bus. This morning I found the most amazing teacher's aide position open for pre-k and set up an interview straight away. It only paid 9.00 and it was in Towson but it was part time and I was so excited! It was only when I remembered that my son didn't go to day care anymore that the disappointment hit. The hours for the best job ever are 1-4 and because the school gets out one hour later than my son's school I would have to be in two places at once. Normally I would have tried to weasel my husband into an hour of after school duty but my husband is leaving soon for a work trip. I remembered why I am not in school right now and I called and cancelled the interview. Maybe there will be another perfect job with 12-3 hours later, I have responsibilities to attend to now. Family First.

Research

As I have said before I am reading The Happiness Project. Today I got a lot of reading done as I had to sit at the doctor's office for hours waiting for a prescription. The part that most spoke to me in my present situation was a section on being more productive by getting up at 5:30 in the morning. My husband has recently had serious car trouble and may be without transportation for quite some time. This means that on top of being resident chauffeur for my 7 year old I also get to take my husband to and from work. I don't mind the job as I get to see him more and he's providing entertainment in the form of books on tape but the hours leave something to be desired. I awoke at 5:30 a.m. and instead of feeling energized I felt tired (remember I am still sworn off caffeine).  I knew I was going to drag all day if I didn't try something and around 10 I did find a way  to pick up for the rest of the day and that may mean I was more productive. I talked myself into trying to achieve my goal of running a mile and a half which had so far eluded me by half a mile. I tried something new, my first spin class! because Zumba got cancelled. I worked on projects around the house that interested me, including fixing and cleaning up a broken pantry someone had thrown out, and I took care of the nagging problems that had been bothering me for weeks. So, did I accomplish more because I got up at dawn or because I pushed myself harder than ever today? The jury is still out and I have to go pick everyone up.

Goal 1: Gum is amazing.

Since I quit smoking I have realized I often like to be doing more than one thing at a time. When I smoked I often sat outside and smoked while I read or talked to a friend on the phone. One action is active while I continue to do the passive thing on the side. The day I quit I used cinnamon sticks to calm this need which is a brilliant solution for a while and I totally suggest it but on the long term it is slightly less useful. Gum however is a great alternative. Especially Sugar Free! So, if you ever feel a little jittery and like you just need to do something-anything! then pick up a pack of gum and go ahead bubble away.

Goal 2: Learning to exercise on your own...

It is difficult to exercise when the teachers of the classes you take keep changing. For example: my Yoga teacher moved away this week which means no more yoga class. Which I thought meant I would be an un-centered mess but what I have remembered is that sometimes you have to take it into your own hands. All exercise is a solitary practice, sometimes we have help and support and sometimes we don't. For when we don't we have home yoga kits.
My schedule this week is as follows:
Monday:
Yoga, Zumba, Run 1 Mile, Walk 1 Mile, Yoga
Tuesday:
Yoga, Circuit Training?, Run 1 Mile, Walk 1 Mile, Yoga
Wednesday:
Yoga, Zumba, Run 1 Mile, Walk 1 Mile, Yoga
Thursday:
Yoga, Zumba, Run 1 Mile, Walk 1 Mile, Yoga
Friday:
Yoga, Kick Boxing?, Run 1 Mile, Walk 1 Mile, Yoga
Saturday:
Belly Dancing?
You will notice I am trying new things and many things have been shifted this is all because of the teachers shifting. Remember: We like to try new things.... right?

Goal 5: Celebrate Often and Together.

We had a huge super bowl party with only three guests yesterday. It all started when our son who has never shown an interest in football before convinced me that we HAD to watch it. Final Score? Our son was asleep by half-time and my husband and I tucked in soon after that.We are always the early risers, and it is often against our will. The commercials were great and we had a great time. As an added bonus when we woke up we found out our team won even after all their injuries. This brings me to my point: if you wish to be happy in life you should follow my seven year old's example and seek out new things to celebrate!
P.S. This was his favorite commercial. I think you'll see why.

Goal 1: The day I forgot the top three rules.

A Lack of Sleep Can Actually Lead to More Emotional Reactions.

The most important things to remember when quitting smoking are: Never get too tired, hungry, or stressed. Yesterday after my workout I realized I was probably all three but I was being stubborn and wouldn't take a nap. This led to a severe "miss pissy pants" attitude towards my husband and an argument in which I said a million things I shouldn't have. ugh. I felt so bad afterwards I apologized a hundred times and ended up salvaging the evening but, in the future I need to try to remember that it is impossible to function if I don't follow the above mentioned rules. Naps are good even long after kindergarten.

Goal 5: Note of the day.

Cookbook For Recipes

If ever you are looking for a great way to entertain a sleepover of 7 year old boys cranking Italian music and making homemade pizza is the best. The children get to practice their fractions, and you don't have to knead the dough for 5 whole minutes. Also, it is good for picky eaters who may not have to eat certain foods at their parents homes because they can choose their own toppings. It won't get them all to sleep through the night and it will dirty every dish in your kitchen but it will be worth it when their parents thank you for hosting such a fun and original party.

An early valentine...

Street Art

I've been thinking a lot about love and friendship with Valentine's day coming up and as this is my blog and I can do whatever I want with it  I am giving a personal shout out to my followers and anyone else who supports me in life. No one can do it alone we are all here and thriving because we have great people to lean on during hard times and to laugh with during great times. Thank you so much for reading my blog and posting comments and for everything else that you do. I love you all.

Goal 5: Family First

Reach for the moon and even if you fall you'll be amonst the stars...

As a mother of a seven year old who has spent 5 years of his life in daycare I recently had a rare opportunity. Stay home for a while and run the house? At first I was reluctant I thought I would lose my standing as alpha woman of the world or my freedom but something changed when I took a good look around. There was the laundry that had piled up and the dishes that were never clean and my husband who never saw me and my son who was forgetting his medicine or his homework or his reading every night. I had worked so hard towards my own goals that I had missed the ball on my responsibilities as a wife and mother. No! I am not a backwards thinker who believes women belong in the kitchen etc. but I am a realist and what we were doing really wasn't working. So, I decided to stay home and take my son out of day care. In two weeks I have found my groove and noticed some amazing things.

1. My angst ridden 7- year old son who had been acting like a thirteen year old really just needed someone to talk to who wanted to listen.
2. I should have shown my husband more respect he works really hard and I never knew it because I was too busy working really hard and he is absolutely not lazy he just does not have enough hours in the day to do everything. 
3. My son and husband can take time out to have fun if they aren't under so much pressure.
4. When we're not eating out every night my husband and I love cooking together.
5. My son is so smart and talented and he likes most of the same things I do so now that we have the time we can work together on Spanish, Art, and Yoga. We've even started reading Mark Twain.
6. The house isn't going to manage itself, or clean itself just because you are busy sometimes you have to think about more than just you.
7. I really can do anything I put my mind to as long as it has my full attention. 

Goal 4: Make healthier choices.

Healthy Choices.

Well, today I have been off cigarettes for a week and I realized that for me stress was a gateway drug to bad choices. When I was stressed out I smoked and when I smoked I said I couldn't run because I was a smoker and therefore didn't exercise like I should. When I was stressed I ate more than I should just because I wasn't paying attention, and I drank loads of caffeine. The good news about realizations is once your realize something is out of whack you can take steps to fix it. This week I have kept track of what I have eaten, I have planned healthier meals for our family dinners, I have worked out everyday, and I have quit coffee. I thought when I made all these changes that by Friday I would be crazy in want of a cigarette, tired from all the running and lack of coffee and really hungry but I feel great!

Another thing I realized is that the habits I formed though bad were needed to fill a void. I smoked because I didn't know how to deal with stress, I ate out of boredom, I drank caffeine because I never went to bed on time, etc. So, really the art of it all has been substitution. Trade a bad habit for a good one. When I am stressed I exercise instead of smoking. When I can't exercise I chew gum with xylitol which is good for your teeth. When I'm bored I start a new cleaning project. The exercise has in turn helped with the insomnia and my new attitude about what has to be done now versus what can be put off till tomorrow has gotten me in bed by 9:00 every night this week.

Goal 3: A Thorn in Your Side

Kensington Gardens

What do you do when there is a huge problem that needs to be fixed and no money to fix it? Budget's are nice but even if you are budgeting for an emergency fund you may not have enough in the beginning to fix these whoppers. The answer is either to borrow money, reallocate money or to find a way to live your life a little simpler. Borrowing money is complicated and messy, reallocating money leaves you in a lurch for those funds later so, the simple answer is the easy life. Some people I have known have given up large investments in lieu of paying for today, others decided that cable t.v. was unnecessary in a world of Blue Rays and Hulu and still others opt for suffering irritation for a while in order to get that big payoff in the end. No matter which way you decide to deal with it you've taken the first step by acknowledging the problem and not pushing it under the rug. Believe it or not I've been told that grown-up decisions turn out great in the end. I mean it is true that "All children, except one, grow up" and we are not Peter Pan.

Goal 2: Food for thought:

So I was doing a Billy Blanks jr. workout on the television and he claimed that by singing along with the music as you work out you burn twice as many calories, my zumba teacher also claims that you burn twice as many by shouting, and my bootcamp teacher claims that you burn twice as many by counting your steps outloud. One website that I found says you burn twice as many calories strolling if your caroling... Just another way that your playlist can help you shirk the pounds.
Sing On!

Goal 1: Day 5 (The day I forgot how long it had been)

I feel great today! I asked my husband this morning why it has been so much easier for me to quit this time and he said that it is a proven fact that the more times you quit it gets easier and because you already know what you're doing. I think what he is talking about is a kind of "muscle memory" like what you get in exercise. The first day you go for a run you tire quickly and are very sore the next day but the 200th time is a whole different story. My husband quit officially 5 months ago on his second try. Could this really be my long run?  Note to everyone trying to quit: It really does get easier with time and failing isn't the end of the world because when you quit again it will be easier! So try!

Goal 5: Being a stay at home wife/mom

 I rescheduled my doctor's appointment for the fifth time this morning and remembered that I need to schedule the repair men for the leak in my kitchen, pick up my husbands dry cleaning, run my son to school, rework the budget, reorganize the kitchen cabinets and clean up the kitchen explosion that was very yummy enchiladas last night all before 11 if I want any chance to go to Zumba today. This reminded me of  something my husband said last night: "I get that it is good to not be in the same spot all day it's not something I've ever had to deal with but I get it" and something my ex-neighbor made the mistake of saying to his wife: "How can it be so hard to stay home all day".
The answer to both statements is really simple. My life is not hard but complicated and sometimes taxing. I am not home all day relaxing on the sofa which I would agree would be awesome. I am instead doing all I can to make sure that everyone's lives run smoothly each day.
Here's what I've learned about this job so far:

•  Be Happy: According to Snopes.com this has never been proven but it has been proven that people respond to our facial features and therefore a smile is truly contagious. So Smile.

• Let your husband be king, it makes you queen: If he has the final say he is happiest and you shape the choices so just eliminate the ones you don't like before he sees them and everyone is happy.

• There is no quitting time or days off but the rewards are better than money: It doesn't end and if you try to turn it off at 5 you will just be over run the next day. The good news? When your son or daughter says they are so happy they have your help on their homework it'll feel like you got that day off anyway.

• Everything is able to be rescheduled when you have an endless number of days to do it all in: Not having school has helped me realize we all live at much to fast a pace. Rescheduling a doctor's appointment, or a lunch with a friend should never be as stressful as it is... who cares if it is today or tomorrow really?

• Staying busy is never a challenge as long as you have hobbies to fill up the occasional down hour: When I am done with my work I take a time out at the gym before coming home to make dinner. When I am waiting for the dryer I clean something else, knit or sew and when I'm really stuck for something to do I blog or watch desperate housewives.