Cha Cha Cha Changes

October is going to be the month for changes for me. I woke up this weekend and decided I wasn’t happy with the way my life was going. There isn’t really anything wrong with my life. There are just certain things that I don’t like. And why should I continue living with that. I’m an adult capable of making changes for the better and sticking to them.

I read a while ago that it takes 21-30 days to break a bad habit or to form a new one. That might very well be an old wives tale but I like the idea of giving myself a month to start and make changes. At the end of the month I can evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how to proceed. Having a smaller goal also helps me see that I am accomplishing something. So instead of wanting to lose 60 lbs overall I can say 3-5 lbs in one month. That goal is much more doable. So here is my top list of things I want to change this month:

1. Stop eating out so much. I signed up for Mint.com several months and have the app on my phone. It is constantly yelling (not literally cuz that would be weird) that I am spending way past my limit on eating out. If I was to look at how many times I eat out in one week … I think I would faint so I will just say it’s way too much. Unfortunately eating out is so convenient. With working full time and running around after work for gymnastics, swimming, and soccer (yes I became that mom) and countless other appointments the last thing I want to think about is coming home and cooking a full dinner. So I’m going to pull out my crock pot. For those days I have something happening I will put something on and have it ready to go when we get home. Piece of cake. My second biggest offense is breakfast. There are several fast food places within a block from work. In the morning I’m usually running late so stopping at one of these place is so easy. But I found something on Pinterest the other day which should really help me. Did you know you can freeze breakfast burritos? This weekend I cooked up 3 different types of burritos. They are ready to go each morning and I can pop them in the microwave when I get to work.

2. Lose weight. I'm fat. First step is admitting you have a problem. Hopefully #1 will help with this. Eating out doesn’t help maintain good weight. I am so unhappy with the way I look I never take pictures. I don’t have any with the baby except a few candid shots people have taken and I only have a few head shots with Princess. I want to get married in March (I know I was suppose to get married earlier this year but there is a long story as to why I haven’t) and I have my dream dress already. Unfortunately it’s too small for me. So I want to lose 3-5 lbs this month. I know I can do it. I’ve done it before. I just need to stick to it.

3. Organize my home. I think purging all of the unnecessary things in my life will help me feel “free”. In order to help my accomplish this I am doing a couple things. First, I am NOT going to buy anything new for the month except the essentials. Shopping freeze! Second, I need to purge eBay items. So for this month I’m going to run a lot of auctions starting at a low start price. If I’ve had something for a while I want it sold or gone. I will relist each item  twice. If it doesn’t sell it will be donated. I buy most things for a dollar or two so I will still be making a good profit on the items. What I have left over will be organized in the garage. If I showed you a picture of my garage now you would scream and call Hoarders. I want to look like Kari from She Thrifts.  Her storage is so organized.

4. Save money. I think #1 will help with this also. Eating out costs a lot. And I still have a dream of being a slum lord (but a nice one). I can’t buy property if I don’t have any money. But also Christmas is right around the corner and I have a wedding to pay for soon. My goal is to put $250 into savings. 

The main change this month is out of my control. We have court this month for baby on October  23^rd. They are suppose to move to terminate services on both parents. I am praying it happens finally. This month the baby will be 14 months and she will be with us 13 months. I just want something finalized. Living in limbo is so hard. I don’t think court will go easy. I know Dad will contest. And even if he doesn’t he has 2 months to appeal. But very rarely are the decisions made the department over turned. So at least it will be a step in the right direction. The mom has said that she has come to terms with losing the baby and is happy that she will be in a good home. She can see how much we love her and care for her.

I have learned from past experiences that sharing your goals with people helps you be accountable so I am sharing with you. And this is something that I have never done, but I am posting a full length picture of myself. I hope by March (wedding) my weight loss will be noticeable. Now don’t laugh.