Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Me day!

Tulips

Hello my friends, how are you doing this morning?  I can't believe it's already Wednesday.

It's one of those days for me, every once in a while I get a day where I feel like I need to decompress and just be myself, do nothing, relax, basically just take care of me.  We know that as mothers and wives and homemakers that is never an easy thing to do because there is so much that requires our attention, but it's so extremely important to take some time for ourselves to recharge, so that we can continue to do for everyone else.

Our busy schedules are finally seeming to slow down slightly.  My husband is now done with his Chemistry class which means no more in school classes, just online.  He still has 3 others to finish off for this semester but I think those will be done in a few weeks.

Homeschooling is winding down too as we get to the end of the year.

But with all these things winding down, something else is kicking off, and that is our upcoming move.

Tree blossoms

We reached a decision, and after a lot of thought and pros and cons and back and forth, right up until the last minute of starting our loan application, we decided that it's not the right time to buy a house.

So many factors went into this decision, namely we just feel that since he retired but 7 months ago, we need to make sure we are completely financially stable before taking on such a huge undertaking.....and it's not that we're in a bad place, we have excellent credit scores, only have 1 credit card and 1 car payment, but we want to get those two paid off within the next 2 years before buying a house.

Something else that factored hugely in the decision, is the fact that my husband is but 2 classes away from his Bachelors.  Currently he is majoring in Business which is what his career field in the Air Force put him in, but he does not like it.  He is passionate about anything Science and Physics, Chemistry and Astronomy etc.  So, he is going to take this next semester off to relax a bit because it's been very hard on him the past year, and then he'll finish off his Bachelors in Business and then switch his Masters to Science something or other, he is not exactly sure which.

One of his dreams is to join NASA one day and that is what he is working towards, so right now our future is very uncertain, we're not quite sure if we will end up staying in our area forever, or if we may have to move if he gets accepted into NASA etc....because all the jobs he qualifies for within it are either in Virginia or Florida.  I just don't know.  Now it could be that he gets into the University here in Boise in their Science Department too.  But yes, lots of unknowns at this time.

Tulips

So yeah, renting for the next two years, paying off all our debts and seeing where we'll be staying is our priority right now.  Our dream of owning our own house is just being put on hold for a few more years, and that's ok, we don't want to rush into anything, we would rather play it smart.

That's a bit of what has been going on around here.  I've also had my usual housework, of course, that is a daily occurrence.

Come along with me, let me show you a typical day around here.....

Morning

A few of you have asked me about my cute slippers and where I got them, so I thought I would answer that question. I found them at Walmart and they also have purple ones, but I love pink so those were the ones I picked.

Breakfast

Breakfast time, some hot coffee and my favorite Cinnamon Raisin bread, toasted and slathered in butter.  Yum Yum!

Changing bed sheets

Bed making, on Monday's I strip the beds and wash all the sheets.  It's a lot of work but it's needed, I don't like going more than a week without doing it.

Watching Turn

To make the chores go faster, I either have music playing on my laptop, or I'm watching some youtube videos while I iron, or I put on my DVR while cleaning my room and catch up on some shows.  Monday I was trying to watch the first episode of Turn, and from what I saw I really liked it, but I have to finish watching that episode plus the new one that just played on Sunday.

Watering plants

Time to water all the plants in the kitchen and dining area.  I like to give them a good soaking and leave them sitting in the sinks for a good while.

Washing dishes

Then it's time to pack away the dinner dishes from the night before, and wash the breakfast ones.  It's like laundry to me, it's just never ending.

Mail time

Usually mid morning is when my mail comes, so off to check it.  I never really get anything exciting in there, just junk mail and bills, but Wednesdays are the days that the local sale ads come out, so I like those to see what is on sale and if anything is worth looking into.

Dinner Prep

Fixing one of my husband's favorite dinners on earth, so easy and yet if I let him, he would eat the whole skillet by himself.  Smoked sausage, potatoes and green beans.

Dishes

After dinner dishes washed and drying.  I sometimes want to just leave everything in the sink and deal with it in the morning, just because usually by that time of the day I'm tuckered out, but I push through it and feel much better when the kitchen is nice and clean and tidy.

Lunar Eclipse

We wanted so badly to see the Lunar Eclipse, and I snapped this picture around 10pm our time.  But, unfortunately within 30 minutes of this shot, the clouds moved in and completely covered the eclipse.  My poor kiddos were so disappointed.


Budgeting

Yesterday was my paperwork day, and I decided that I was going to redo my budget folders.  You may think it's something fast, but it's really not, it was very time consuming but worth it.  I'm changing up our budget plan so that we can pay off as much debt as possible in the next two years.  It won't be easy but it's doable and it's imperative to our financial freedom.

I'm also setting up 3 more folders, and redoing my Home Management Binder, so yeah, lots of work to do on those.  I'll show you once it's all done.

Editing

Which leads me to today.  Oh my friends, today is my ME day, I need it so badly.  One of the main reasons I am taking today off is that I haven't been feeling too well lately.  Not sick, but just unwell and I think it's due to the fact that I haven't been drinking water and I haven't been eating my veggies and fruit as I should.  I also haven't taken my vitamins in quite a long time.

So I've decided it's time to get back on track with everything.  I started my vitamins again this morning, but every time I take Calcium, I get headaches and bit nauseous.  I've talked to my doctor about and I've tried all the tips she suggested, but unfortunately it's just something I guess I have to deal with.

Vitamins

I have such a headache right now, hence one of the reasons today is my relax day.

I've been drinking water for the past two days, and let's just say that the bathroom and I have gotten quite reacquainted Hahahah  It's so hard when I've fallen off the water wagon to get back onto it, but I'm determined to do it.....I just flavor my water with lemon or orange and grapes and it makes it easier.

Also, I'm going back to my green smoothies every day, either for breakfast or lunch.  My children LOVE them too and we're all getting in our intake of veggies and fruits for the day, plus it's much healthier than the junk around us.  You can check out the recipe for one of my favorites, the Mango Banana Green Smoothie, over on my food blog.

Mango Banana Green Smoothie

I just got done helping Nicholas with his schooling, Jasmine is working on her History paper and I'm going to work on a little crochet.  Dinner tonight is Tacos and then we have Tae Kwon Do to take the kids to, I'm hoping I'll be feeling better by then.

Corner to Corner Blanket

I am sorry this post is so long, I feel like I had so much to tell you about and once I get going, it's quite hard to stop.

Anyway, I better get on out of here. Have a great rest of Wednesday :)

12 comments:

Carol said...

I think you guys are making the right decision and holding out on a home purchase until you are sure about your husband's job. Homeownership is great, but SO much work and in this economy... well, who wants to buy/sell constantly? It will all fall into place! And what a lovely new crochet project -- such a pretty stitch! I'm going to try your smoothie recipe. Just got a Magic Bullet and want to get back into green smoothies, myself.

Sew Very Me said...

Hi Sandra, hope you feel better very soon. You blog is the one blog I cannot miss out on ready everyday. Take care of yourself. Love from a very wet and windy New Zealand

Lulu said...

love your daily posts Sandra..always look forward to your pics also..

Jen said...

OHHHH Virginia!! That is only a days drive from me. I will be praying for direction...as long as it's in the direction of the east coast. Haha

We have been doing smoothies for a while and love them. It's a great way to get all the nutrients into a person who dislikes good for you food. AKA my hubby.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Felicia said...

Buying a home is such a big choice it sounds like y'all are doing the smart thing and really focusing on what you want financially. I also can speak from experience, it sucks to buy a home then have to move a mere year later.

Hope your headache got better.

Mary said...

The headache and nausea are becoming common side affects from calcium supplements, my friend Carol had the same problem. I'd stop taking them and talk to your doctor. If you want to up your calcium levels, eat more yogurt, oatmeal, almonds, dark leafy greens like kale, broccoli, spinach and chard. I hope you're feeling better soon, Sandra. You've had a lot going on this year. Take care of yourself!

Deb J. in Utah said...

I get headaches when I don't drink enough water too. Hope you feel better soon. I totally understand about wanting to get out of debt before buying a house. That is a totally smart move. Have a great rest-of-the-week!

Sweet Tea said...

You're a smart gal to weigh all the pros and cons of buying a home now. Our pastor always says the fun things we do in life happen in the budgeting "margins". no fun to be strapped financially. Always enjoy your posts.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Dear Sandra ~ It is better to get out of debt, plus it's good to wait to see how things work out for your hubby. That will make you feel better. I pray that you will find a very nice rental.

Hope you feel better soon. Both almond and coconut milks have more calcium than regular milk, Greek yogurt is great for calcium and probiotics too. Drinking water is important for your overall health.

That is a lovely stitch you are crocheting. I can't quite figure it out by looking at it. What are you making?

Thank you for sharing your life.

Happy Easter ~ FlowerLady

Renee said...

Thanks for sharing your day! Always enjoy catching up and reading your posts. Happy Easter to you and all your family!

Liz said...

I love your posts like this. They are my favorite, the ones where you just take pictures of your day as you go. You take gorgeous pictures and have such a beautiful home. I wish you could come decorate my house.

Liz said...

Also, I'm dying to do a home management binder of my own. I started one a couple of years ago, but gave up out of frustration. I'd love to see what you come up with as well as any advice you may have.