About a month ago, I decided that our family eats out too much.  We would eat out at least twice a week and sometimes more depending on how stressed out I was.  If you don’t know, I work full time and then I run a business at night, on top of “maintaining” a house, kids, and being a wife.  So yes, it gets pretty damn stressful and cooking dinner was one of the last things I wanted to do every day.  Seriously!

On August 24^th, I threw this out on my facebook:

I wanted accountability – posting it publically to my FB friends would help motivate me to stay on track.  After I posted it, I told the hubby and kids we’re doing this!  They were reluctant at first . . . and kind of annoyed about the whole thing.  Add this to another one of mom’s crazy ideas but at least they humored me and said they would try.

We planned our meals for one week.  Tuesday and Thursday were leftover night, meaning everyone feds for themselves and the rule was anything in the fridge can be eaten.  That also gave me a break from cooking.

Monday | Wednesday | Friday I would make easy recipes because typically I work 10 hour days so I didn’t want to set myself up for failure.  Meals that take 1hr or less to prep and make were on the menu.  Time yourself!  Next time you’re thinking, “Hey we’re going to go out to eat” watch the clock – how long does it take you to load the family into the car, get to the place, order, and get your grub.  Most of the time it took us 30mins from beginning to end to get to the place and then get our grub, unless it was a sit down kind of joint, then it would take us longer.  There are plenty of meals and recipes out there that would take you 30mins or less to make.

I started posting pictures of my meals on Instagram more because again accountability! On the weekends, I would make more complicated meals, because I had the time!

Driving around hurt big time!  Damn drive-thru!  So to combat that urge to drive through, I put snacks in the car like a small jar of cashews or almonds.  If I can munch on that while running errands then I didn’t get the urge to do pick something up.  And really, I shouldn’t be grocery shopping on an empty stomach anyway!  The 2^nd week, my teenage even got into it and suggested we make Mapo Tofu.

Going out for Gelato was great!  It was a reward and a milestone you know?  I think that if you don’t keep yourself motivate then you’ll fail.  Sure there are hiccups in the road but try not to beat yourself up too much and always be aware of hiccups compared to excuses.  If you’re going to fall back into the eating out routine then maybe you’re just not ready but once you’re ready – COMMITT!

That was a crazy bonus. . . we both lost weight!  I lost like 7lbs and I can’t remember what the hubby lost.  Now remember, we’re not eating out and that means at work too.  Work is stressful and stress leads to comfort eating (based on my experience and excuse).  “Oh honey, had a shitty day – lets go grab something.” Plus since we’re packing lunches, our portions are more accurate, therefore the weight loss.

Finally, week 4 is upon the family and we decided at the end we’d get sushi dinner out!  But we’re still continuing the challenge and will only eat out once a month.  We did still go get the occasionally Starbucks drinks, but we’re working on that too!  We also shop locally more . . . every weekend or other weekend, we make it a point to go to the farmers market for produce.  Overall, I think we have save $400 to $600 in the month.  That number hits you like a sock full of rocks right?!?!  Ditto.  I think overall, we’re eating healthier and saving money.

Remember when you were a kid and eating out was a rare occasion?  Well I wanted to bring that back and give my kids more than just junk food.  I hope I inspired you because if I can do it you can too.   I’m a wife and mother of 2 kids.  I work 10 hours days and depending on the week . . . I could work in the 60 -70 hr range.  I issue the challenge to you and your family.  Think about your meals for the week; take it one week at a time!  Don’t over complicate it.  Post your results in the comments!  If you’re on social media use #eatathomechallenge.  Remember at the end of the month, come together as a family and decide how to reward yourselves for all the hard work!

 

The Color Run is “the happiest 5k on the planet” and I loved doing it a couple years ago and thought I would participate again this year.  Actually, last year I signed up but was a lame ass and stayed out way too last the night before the race and couldn’t get up. I made sure I dressed up for the race – here’s my before and after :

But the best part was that I was #alsicebucketchallenge last night by my good buddy Rachel of Creative Quilt Girl.

I answered the challenge and I issue the challenge to:  John Q. Adams aka Quilt Dad, Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson, and Amber Carrillo Quesada of One Shabby Chick!  If you’re reading this and want to be challenged, I throw it out to you too!!!!

Lets spread awareness about  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”  The neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

Thanks Rachel for the Challenge!  Thanks to the folks at The Color Run for helping me coordinate with the Runicorn for dumping water on me!  And thanks to my running mates for filming it!

You know how I’m an accountant by day. . yeah year ends are my busiest time of the year which included the beginning of the year too.

I tried to take the last week of 2012 off to hang with the family and get caught up on some personal projects but that didn’t happen as much as I wanted to.

So one of my first goals of 2013 is:

• Get my priorities straight and keep working hard!

I get sidetracked easily.  It’s really hard for me to focus sometimes.  I want to do good things and organize fun things but in the end I get really stressed out and I don’t get the important things done.  Family has to be my main focus.  I can’t neglect my kids or husband for my hobbies.  I think I struggled a lot with this at the beginning of 2012 and it cause some major issues but now I’m back on track!  My 2nd priority is my day-job and keeping the ship in running order.

•  Get organized and kick the junk to the curb!

OMG – I keep a lot of shit. . . seriously!  On top of that I’m a sloppy person.  I want to declutter and get my life organized.  I’m not going to be a super organized freak. . . there’s just no way I can be on top of everything at every moment.  That’s just asking for a lot of unnecessary stress.  Slowly, I can declutter here and there. . . get things to organize my life. . . . get the family involved and help out.  Day by day baby!

• Keep maintaining my awesome friendships!

You know when I started the quilting hobby it was a way for me to be a hermit.  It’s turned into the best way to make really, really good friends.  I’m really grateful for the friends I have and continue to make as I get more “seasoned” in the quilting world.

• Try to blog regularly

Oh man. . . I don’t blog nearly enough. . . right?  I would like to post weekly and post more on life and crafting in general.  I do post regularly on Instagram & twitter!  I try to be funny and you can see that through some of my pictures:

 (Me being a goofball while the hubby plays on his phone and doesn’t even notice)

What are some of your 2013 Goals???

 

While the hubby and I were walking around yesterday taking Pepper trick or treating, we felt like this year we should of made a bigger effort with Halloween.

My son’s 13 and he’s just didn’t want to to trick or treating for the last couple years.  So we kind of had some light years of just bleh, hand out candy and eat good grub.

This year was a little different because Pepper’s 2 and she’s could actually go house to house and say, “Trick or Treat!” and “Thank You.”  It’s just funny that we’re doing it all over again and we’re having a blast with it.  So next year we’re going to try harder decorating our house and making it more inviting to the kiddies.

A couple weeks ago, the hubby suggested we go to this Pumpkin Regatta thing at a local park.  The local park has this big pond. . . consider this pond as many ducks’ toilet bowl.  It’s a gross pond, but hey lets crave your 1000lb+ pumpkin into a regatta and race that sucker against other folks that did the same thing!

I’m walking around the pond and thinking this is freakin’ hilarious, right! Then I came to the best one yet. . a farmer put his kids into the pumpkin and he’s head to toe in scuba gear in this pond. His plan was to drag the pumpkin to the finish line. . . poor kids they just didn’t know what they were getting into:

(see how gross the pond is. . . yuck)

Fun times right!

Now that Halloween is over bring on the holidays!!!

My blog has been hugely neglected. . sorry.

Fall is here and I feel like things are ramping up in the sewing community. I finally got my shit together and started another round of the 4×5 modern Quilt Bee.

And then I’m been kind of knee deep in organizing the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild mixer at Sewing Summit. It’s basically a get together with our guild and the attendees littered with door prizes from manufacturers and stores that I hold near and dear to my heart.

This might be the best segway to why I addressed this blog post “negativity.”

While getting ready for Sewing Summit and other crzy ass things in my life. . . I’ve witness some pretty shitty negative actions in the last month.

I didn’t have a good mom growing up. . but somehow I learned manners on the way and how to treat people.

Treat people how you would want to be treat.

That’s like the golden rule somewhere right? (Someone look it up for me please!)  

But what if I’m only dealing with them online or through social media, doesn’t that give me the right to be as rude as I can be?  Being in front of your monitor and typing on a keyboard gives you a huge cup of liquid courage, I’ll have to give you that.  I don’t think that being rude and negative to make your point is the right way.   I do think that it sure makes you loud and others “clutching my pearls“.

Would it be different, if you knew that you were seeing the people in person?  Would it be different if you’re known for a negative act then positive?

When I see ways people treat each other negatively. . I more just shut down and make a personal note to myself that life’s short and I don’t need shitty people in my life.  I need quality friends and strive to make friends that will stick.  A good motto, is cut the fat.  Basically, don’t give these people more attention.  Stop following them or ignore them.  I promise, if you cut them out and don’t know what they’re saying then you’ll care way less and be a lot happier.

Life’s too short.

Oh if you think I’m just talking about Sewing Summit – grossly mistaken my friend.  I’ve seen it in the Zakka Sewalong and Art Gallery Fat Quarterly gang recently.  I’m not going to give examples. . .but if you search enough you’ll find them.

I hope you read this with a open mind , “But you don’t have to take my word for it. . .” -LeVar Burton

Last night, I was working really late. . . I don’t think I got home til about 7:30pm. So cooking dinner was kind of out of the question, especially if you have a toddler that’s a turns into Ms Hyde when she’s hungry.

So I went to McD’s . . the golden arches. . .mickey-d’s. . . macca’s. . mackey-d’s. . .

Isn’t it a wonderful healthy choice for my family??

Well, I don’t know if you were like me when I was a kid – but we rarely ate out! Like it was a treat when we could get fast food when I was a kid.

So I got my lil’ toddler a chicken nugget happy meal last night. She ate all her fries and then didn’t eat any of her nuggets. So I’m sitting there getting more and more frustrated. You can’t just eat fries for dinner (sure that’s a great meal if you’re a teenager/young adult but you need some kind of nutrition even if it’s in the form of a deep fried nugget).

Like the one thing that sends me over the edge fast is picky kids + eating. With our older one, I just took it off the table. You know. . . “well if you don’t eat it I can get you this instead. . . “ I hate giving kids options because that means more work for me. I could of cooked a gourmet meal and they’ll not appreciate it at all. argh.  (don’t get me started on that either)

So there I am sitting there. . issuing threats at my toddler to eat this nugget and I thought, “What the fuck! If she doesn’t appreciate this meal that I bought for her. . . .THEN NO MORE MICKEY’S Ds!!!”

Don’t worry, my next threat was that very same sentence minus the WTF.

So my decision on food was no more McDonalds (well. . . maybe to couple times a year). I think if we eliminate most of the fast food out of our lives then when we do have it, it will be awesome like a treat.  I think it’s just hard when we’re full time workers.  We work hard all day and the last thing I want to do when I get home is cook.  But if it means that my toddler will eat better then it’s kind of worth it right?  Plus it saves me from being the biggest bitch at the dinner table.

Why yes. . I think I may have dropped off the face of the earth well at least that’s what my blog looks like.

Here’s a quick update (in case you need to be caught up), the hubby and I got in a big car accident.  I went to empty out the car at the tow yard and it looking at the car it was just a lot worse than I remembered it being:

But I do thank my lucky stars that we walked away from it with just cuts and bruises ya know?  And also the kids weren’t in the car with us.

I will say (2) things and one of them will sound totally stupid to you.

That was my all time favorite vehicle to drive and it was my dream car.  Sure, it’s 2012 and that was a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder.  But when I was younger that’s the one vehicle I said this sentence to:

“One day I will owe you and I will love you and I will drive you into the ground” 

So after the vehicle was totaled. . I had to go shopping for another one. . .meaning. . a car payment. . more debt. . .So while it’s nice to have better vehicle, the downside is it’s not a manual. . . and it’s more debt. . and it’s NOT my NISSAN PATHFINDER!!!!!

The family loves the new car. . the kids especially.

I’m kind of glad that’s drama said n’ done with.  I’m still “tender” about driving about. . meaning I’m driving like an old lady and hoping I won’t get hit.  But with time that should be better too.

So if you’ve been following me on twitter/instagram (sukie80) the day after the accident I was scheduled for lasik surgery.  My vision was 20/1600.  Do you know what that number means?  Well the perfect vision number is 20/20 right?  Well being 20/1600 means that a perfect vision person can see what I see at 20ft away when they have to be 1600ft away.  Yeah legally blind or damn well near it.

(This picture represents a lady on a good pill of valium and needs some munchies)

After surgery. . .I was so dang attractive. . I mean you’d want some of this action right?

When they checked my vision 4 days later I was at 20/30. . . it could take up to 6mos to get to 20/20.  And my night vision is shitty right now.  Yeah. . that’s why my blog is so dang neglected, when does a full time worker/mommy have time to sew. . well at night. . and when my vision is shitty at night what can I do but let my sewing machine collect dust.

So I picked up another hobby because idle hands are devil’s tools.  Cross stitching.

(Cute Pattern from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery)

Hey everyone,

Remember how I posted about my shitty week? Yeah. . I must of been asking the universe if it could do better.

So Wednesday, the hubby came to pick me up from work to take me to my eye appt – they were going to dilate my eyes before my lasik surgery on Friday morning.  He didn’t want me to drive home in the afternoon sun.  So we’d left his car at my work and headed to the eye doctor.  He said, “We can drive back in the morning and I can just go to work from there.”

The next morning we were heading towards a major intersection and the light had turned yellow.  We well past the point of no return and the lady on the other side of the intersection was turning left in front of us.  There was no way of stopping and not missing her.  So we hit her going about 40-45mph.

Air bags went off.

Smoke.

Chemicals.

I looked over to the hubby and asked him if he was okay and he responded.  Since the car was full of smoke and I didn’t really know what was going on. . I yelled that we needed to get out of the car and fast.

If you’re following on Instagram or Twitter then this is old news. You figure if I’m tweet’in it then I’m not that bad off right? Also I think twitter/instagram/facebook/social media is the fastest way to spread news. Family members were looking at fb and looking for updates from us. Kind of funny how the world’s changed, ya know?

The other driver got ticket’d for improper left turn – and we headed off to the instacare to treat our cuts and bruises. I think the hubby got hit worse than I did:

I just got air bag burns in my chest, neck, and face:

Lucky for us, we didn’t have the kids with us. There’s actually a lot of other lucky things we can count on. . . we both walked away. . .

I call Uncle on ya Universe!