Nana

For me the new year didn't start off so great.  On new year's day I lost my last grandparent, my Nana.  February 27th she would have been 90 years old!  We were planning a big party for her, now we are still throwing a party at her church to celebrate her life.

She had a really difficult life but still managed to keep a smile on her face.  She was always on the go from one club to another, baking cookies, visiting with her friends, going to church and her weekly visit to my parents house for Sunday dinner.  To hear everyone talk about her was such a gift I wish I could have received without having to lose her.  I heard so many new stories about her.

She was a giving lady!  She was on a fixed income and could barely get by on the money she received yet she was always sending donations to the veterans, orphanages and pet shelters.  She baked cookies that everyone loved and she used to sell them by the bucket loads!  My sister now has all her baking things and is going to try and replicate her cookies.

2012 was her most challenging year.  Her health had her in and out of assisted living and that was a life my Nana never wanted.  Like I said before she was always moving and off to another activity.  For her to miss out on those things and be stuck in the hospital drained her character.  When I visited her she was so down, I'd try and cheer her up and let her know that soon enough she would be out and about.  When she finally got word she was being released is when her spirit returned.  A sedentary life was just not for my Nana!  I love her and miss her but now that now she can continue to do those things with out the worry of her body declining.  She is reunited with my grandfather and I know that after 24 years they are happy to be back in each others arms!!!

The one regret I have is not taking better care of her.  I hadn't been to her apartment in I don't know how long.  We would always take her out or have her over to our place.  When I visited her apartment is when I realized I should have been there to help her with the things that she was having trouble doing, such as cleaning.  However, rather than beat myself up about it I now know better.  I will be sure I take care of my parents.  I will be sure the young people in my family know to take care of their parents and grandparents.  And I am telling you!  Check in on the older folks.  They are from a different time and are too proud to ask for help.  Don't ask them what you can do because they will tell you nothing.  Just go and let your eyes show you what you can do.

Love you Nana!

New Years Resolution

I know it is a bit late in the new year to talk about new year resolutions but I'm gonna do it any way.  I've been thinking about this for some time now just haven't had the time to get it posted.

 

I personally hate new years resolutions.  Once a year people make a goal with out putting any thought or planning into it so the goal remains unattainable and therefore most people fail.  I also hate the idea of waiting until a new year starts to put some changes into their life.  Why not make monthly, weekly or even daily goals?  Here are a few tips I have for achieving the goals you set for yourself.

 

1. Make a list of the things you would like to get accomplished.

2. Then prioritize your list.  You can make it from simplest goals to most difficult goals or just what you feel the lists order should be.

3. Start with the first goal you would like to accomplish and jot down some steps you need to make it happen.

4. Put those steps into action!  Once you do that you will be knocking out the list like no bodies business!

 

Get creative on you keep yourself on track.  Here are some examples of what I have done to keep me on track.  Post its.  I don't want to live in a world of post it notes all over so I keep the post its simple.  Such as my goal to drink only water limiting myself to 1 small cup of coffee only if I really needed it and 1 juice with my weekend breakfast.  This seems like an easy goal that wouldn't take much thought or prep, right?  That is what I thought until a few different occasions I caught myself drinking pop!  So I have a post it on the refrigerator at home and by my desk at work just as a friendly reminder.  Its helpful to me, it reminds that I have a goal that I'm trying to reach.

 

Here is a more in depth example.  I have taken on a second job to eliminate some of the debt that I'm carrying.  The first few weeks I let happen exactly what I didn't want to happen.  I was spending job 2 money on going out, eating and clothes when I should have been paying down debt.  So I listed all the items I'd like to clear up with this 2nd job.  Then I listed them from the smallest amount to the largest (you can also do from highest interest to the lowest if you really want to save some money).  So now I pay the minimums on all accounts except for the one at the top of my list.  The debt at the top I pay as much as I can until it hurts me a bit.  When it is paid off I don't have to pay to it anymore and now I can go to the next item and pay until it hurts and so on and so forth.  This is also known in the financial world as the snow ball effect.

 

Ok so back to the topic of resolutions.  Don't wait for a new year to start to make positive changes in your life.  Every day is another chance and you waiting for the new year is selling yourself short.  They say habits take 21 days to make or break.  Try setting monthly goals.

 

My goals for January are as follows: Only drink water, Make it a point to acknowledge each person I pass (treating others the way I'd like to be treated) and to continue my financial goals.  These are small attainable goals, especially with a plan!

New Year

So I didn't have much planned for ringing in the new year as so many things are expensive or involve drunk people which I don't really care to deal with. I just played it by ear. Rick and I decided to go to breakfast to Batter & Berries.  Which was a great choice. He had chicken and waffles,  I had the flight of French toast which was 4 different flavors: caramel, lemon, blueberry & strawberry. Here are some pictures.  We also decided to go to dinner and we choose 90 miles Cuban cafe.

Wonder

Do you ever wonder what it all really means?  What is the purpose to work like we so for money. Then we spend this money sushi easily so quickly. It just makes me wonder sometimes if we have it all wrong.

With the technology...FINALLY

So I've finally got a new phone! I intend to be more active on my blog now that I can do it I n the go! I'm so excited :-)

Vacation Dreaming

Since early 2012 one of my close friends kept talking about she couldn't wait to go back to Hawaii and I kept telling her let me know I want to go.  Well she started planning things for March 2013 and I was excited! 

However I also moved out on my own in early 2012 so there were a lot of changes to my budget.  Now getting into December she nicely let me know that she needed me to confirm since the condo needed to be paid by the end of the year.  Rather than being childish and thinking about what I wanted to do, which was of course go to Hawaii.  I put some real thought into the cost. 

Well I would need to come up with $300 by the end of the year for the condo.  Then I would soon need to work on getting a plane ticket which would run about $1000.  Then of course comes the expenses of the actual trip and maintaining a budget for 7 days of vacation plus the preplanning which always involves buying a few special vacation clothes.  I was having a panic attack thinking about all of the expenses, which is when in my adult responsible mind I thought to myself, this trip isn't possible. 

If I were still at home and didn't max out my credit card I would probably be ok, but I'm not at home and owe a lot of money out.  I decided to skip this trip and refocus my attention on my ever climbing debt and get it under control.  I owe a few people some money along with a student loan that is almost done and my credit cards.  The next few months are going to be hard but going to be worth it when it's all paid off.

Being a responsible adult really sucks sometimes!

Small Walgreens Beauty Haul

So I went in for concealer (which I didn't get) but found these other deals impossible to pass up. Wet n wild were buy 1 get one half off! The Revlon palettes were half off and buy one get another an additional half off. I was in need some serious nail and cuticle cream because cashiering is jacking my hands and nails up! So got this hard as hoof nail strengthening cream for half off. Its really thick and smells great! Then I got a black polish with a skinny brush because I'm going to the Bulls game tomorrow!!! :) So I'm going to do my nails black and red. So for all of that it was like $23...not bad!