Summer's Over and the Goals Are...

Well, the goals are some met, some in progress, and we have some new ones in play.
I think I did a good job on the clean out/donate end of things, and my bills/receipts organizing is overall much better than it was (not perfect, but wasn't expecting that without massive medication and paid assistance). The weight - well, lost some to start, had some setbacks, but I have a basic plan for the school year. We'll see how well I can hold onto that and keep a slow pace of losing a little each week. I think I can manage it most days, especially with the new tracking app and the walking/running (ha) app.
My biggest accomplishment was getting a plan together to get rid of the debt I've accumulated, especially the chunk from last year's funerals and all. I now have a loan the takes care of about 3/4 of the debt immediately, with 48 months to repay at a low interest and low monthly payment -- which means I'll be able to tackle the rest of the debt faster and get rid of that. There are no early payment penalties, so I do not have to take 4 years to get rid of the biggest chunk, and I think that barring some other family disaster, I could potentially be credit-card-debt-free in 2 1/2 years. I could not have managed that without my credit union working for me and helping me consolidate like this -- it just wasn't making a big enough dent paying the way the credit card companies set up. But then, that would be the point for them -- maximize the amount of time you spend paying them, right?
It's good to have the time to think through all of this and tackle goals that are doable. It makes such a difference to be able to accomplish short term goals as well as long term goals.

More help

Hubby suggested an app for tracking food intake, and though I couldn't find the one he'd heard about on the radio (he wasn't sure of the name) I found one called Tap and Track that lets you put in the foods you eat, and it tracks the calories and nutrition data, and it also tracks your exercise each day. So far it's been helpful in making me aware of not only what I'm eating but whether or not it's actually good for me.
I bailed on the C25K walk/run this morning because my leg muscles were so incredibly sore. I am giving myself one day of "leg" break, but doing an arm/shoulder weights workout instead. No matter what, I'm back doing the walk/run tomorrow morning.
Hubby also surprised me yesterday by asking me to go to lunch with him in Northport yesterday, so we took the boat and went over to Moroni's. It was an expensive lunch (we split a bottle of Merlot), but it was really, really nice and we haven't had very many dates like that in the last year. The food was incredible, too -- I'd love to take Mom and dad there sometime, maybe next summer if they come up. It was a good treat, and I didn't mind falling off the wagon for that.
Back on today, though -- back to Stage One of South Beach. I found a South Beach app as wel, which gives you nutrition info and new recipes. There's a lemon buttermilk ice cream (stage 1) that I want to try, but I need to get the ice cream maker from FIL's basement.
Bad news is that the scale said 141 this morning, so obviously I have to keep a tighter rein on things than I have been -- no more full-blown treat meals!
I decided to try (while I'm at it, what the hell) a 9-day cleanse regimen also -- all herbal and organic, but you do the herbal stuff and loads of water for 5 days (you can do no food or have some organic fruits if you want), and then get back to eating Day 6-9. You can stretch it out to 30 days and do it while you eat, but this is supposed to be the best way to really clean everything out and detox your system. I might go ahead and start that tomorow -- just cook and freeze all of the South Beach stuff for a week. I need to clean out the freezer downstairs anyway...

Fell off the wagon and got right back on...

I'm up to 138.8 this morning. Probably the vino I've had (and Freya's cherry pie). I did 20 minutes of Jenny Whatshername's Wii fitness regime, and gave up on that when she started the side crunches that I can't even begin to do. My ab muscles just refuse to do anything remotely close to it, and I feel where the stitches went trying to do them. I did that before camp dropoff, and then after I started the couch to 5K app on the iphone -- made it halfway through the Day 1 regimen, and walked the other half as fast as I could. Cheating, yes, but holy cow, I thought I was going to drop. I did get all the way down to the park, through it and back home. I need to figure out distance... I think I have to do Day 1 over again until I can do the whole thing. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to keep alternating the running and walking.
Hubby heard about a nutrition app, but he couldn't recall the name, and I couldn't find the one he described. There were a couple that looked good though -- the iFood app, which goes with a subscription website (19.99 for the year or 1.99 a month), and the Tap and Track, which has a standalone app.
I didn't eat too much today -- focused on when I was hungry, drank a lot of water and tea, and basically just had my main meal for dinner. Hubby came home with fresh eggplant from his boss's garden, so I had fried eggplant (not exactly on the diet) and heirloom tomato salad with sprinkles of goat cheese. He makes the beeeeessssssttttt fried eggplant!
Tomorrow -- more Wii and more C25K in the morning, then Hubby is taking me over to LI on the boat for lunch - wow, a midday date! :)

Update...

It's Friday, and so far things are getting there.
The computer room is about 75% cleaned out, with some stuff moved to the basement cabinets, and a whole lot tossed out. It's looking much, much better.
South Beach update: Started out at 144.4, moving steadily in the right direction, and at 138.6 this morning. Fat free ricotta is completely nasty and nothing helps it. The summer vegetables are really, really good, and I've been cheating with the peaches and plums. Egg white omelets and turkey stacks are really good. I have GOT to figure out how to do this during the school year.
DQ and I got our nails done yesterday (she got a pedicure too), and I'm going back to Claudia today to get lowlights to hopefully fix the weird strawberry blond that the sunshine turned some of my hair this year.
Camp next week, and I'm planning to clean and paint. I wish I was gutsy enough just to go ahead and rip the kitchen apart and paint it, but I don't think I can do that without help. Maybe I need to start with new curtains first...

Summer 2010

Goals for this summer:
1. Clean out the outgrown toys in the attic and donate or pitch them.
2. Clean out the toys in the computer room, and get as much as possible moved to the basement. This is going to involve some kind of shelving option, though...
3. Clean out the dining room closet and the computer room closet, and reorganize.

• gifts and storable stuff need to move to the computer room
• coats and hangable things need to move to the dining room closet
• sewing machine and sewing stuff go to the basement
• donate unused/outgrown items, or put "save" items in boxes in the attic

4. Get back on South Beach and work on losing that 20 pounds.
5. Get into the habit of WiiFit every morning

So far, item #1 is complete, down to the four garbage bags that went out, and the truckload that went to the Vets Household Drive in Pleasantville. I felt great about getting rid of all that stuff that we weren't using, and I think it was good to talk with the kids about how other kids who don't have many toys would be able to have theirs.
#2 and #3 are on tap for when the kids go back to camp next week. Again, I am very much looking forward to getting rid of stuff and having a cleaner, less cluttered house. I think it's therapeutic...
#4 and #5 have just begun. I have stuck to almost all stage 1 foods, and the sugar cravings were pretty bad the first 2 days. It's getting better, though. WiiFit starts tomorrow, after weeding and swimming later today. I'd like to get it going so that I can make a habit of doing it every morning before work. I don't think this 20 pounds is going anywhere unless I manage that.

Making the 09 List....

Once again, it's Attic and Basement time. Other things to do include cleaning out kids' closets and redecorating the Boy's room. He wants paint and new curtains, so I'm thinking end of July when camp ends so he can participate in all that.

Dining Room closet and cabinets: Vicious throwing out is going to happen. ASAP. One-day job if you include the living room closet...

Attic: is completely shot to hell once again. ALL of the outgrown extra clothes are going, except for the "keepers" that I'm saving for posterity. Any of my old clothes that are up there are definitely going. That gets done first, unless we have a massive unexpected heat wave. Going upstairs from the basement will be the gift wrap supplies, which are going to live in the dining room closet on the top shelf, unless I find a better home for them up in the attic. This looks to be about 2-3 days, depending on the weather.

Basement: Everything there is either going to find a new home in the attic or the garbage. Left will be the pool table, old desk and chair, file cabinet and Grandma's cupboard. The falling apart bookshelf is getting chucked, along with most of the crap in its corner. Most of the crap in the other corner is going up to the attic or in the garbage. If I haven't used it or seen it in the last 2 years, it's GONE. Goal: a clean basement ready for more remodeling, nudgenudgenudge Steve.
Probably more like 4 days here, given the amount of crap that has to be gone through.

The basement and kitchen freezers also need a good cleanout, as does the top of the fridge and the kitchen cabinets. That's a solid one-day job there.

I'm debating getting a dumpster for a day. If I do, I'm calling around to see who wants to make money helping me chuck shit in the dumpster.

Kids' clothes and outgrown toys will need to be donated -- maybe the Salvation Army truck will make a stop.

Kids' closets -- have to go through and put the "save" items for the year into the big envelope folders, and then chuck the rest. Autographed and favorite books stay, others go in the donation pile -- have to contact Byram library to see what the Friends group wants. Sadie's closet needs more reorganizing than Jake's does. One day each, plus another day if I get adventurous with the hall closet.

Jake's room: need to buy a mattress and box spring set for Sadie, and move her plain mattress back to the top bunk of the bunk bed so Jake can have sleepovers. He needs new curtains. Granny's got both quilts finished for his bunk beds, and he could use one more plain comforter for the top. Have to determine what kind of paint he would like, and what will look good.

Living room/dining room: Need to buy at least 3 decent floor lamps. I hate the ones we have because the light from them is so harsh. I want lamps with shades.

almost there

Today's job is tackling the massive mess that the crap gnomes have left on the computer desk. I have no idea how long this is going to take!