Motivation Monday

Happy Motivation Monday, everyone!  Before I start with my goals for the week, let me just explain how this whole thing works.  Motivation can encompass anything:  motivation to work out, eat healthy, stress out less, do better at work or home, or read a good book.  The possibilities are endless!  To participate, just write a post about what is motivating you this week, use the cute little button you see to your right of the screen, and link up using the linlky tool below.  The link will stay open until this weekend, so you have plenty of time if you need to think...so...without further ado, here's mine...


Last week I kind of slipped on the whole motivation with the working out thing.  The alarm would go off at 5:15 a.m., and I'd hit snooze once, then twice, and then I'd be all "oh, I'll workout this afternoon..."  And while I would go walk on my treadmill later in the evening, but it wasn't anywhere as good as what I could do at the gym.  No weight lifting, no elliptical, nothing.  I did manage to get in one workout with the personal trainer but the lack of strength training during the week kind of kicked my butt.


And I kind of slipped on the eating well thing, too.  Having a few business lunches out and finding the office candy stash in my new office...well...not good.  But the good news is I won't be doing that this week.  Why?  Oh because it had to be thrown out.  Why?  Oh because we have a mouse.  And apparently the mouse got into the bag and ate chocolate from it.  And I didn't find this out until after I had a few tiny bags of Skittles.  That was enough to keep me from the candy or that cabinet in general. 


So this week...I'm getting up when that alarm goes off, and I'm eating healthy.  I have a mini marathon to train for, after all, and that weight isn't going to come off by itself! 


So that's what's motivating me this week...what's motivating you? 

Can I take a moment?

I am the hamster.  And the life is my wheel.  Or at least it feels that week for both T and myself.   It's crap, we been one of those work weeks where every night you lay down in bed, exhausted beyond belief, look at each other say "oh, have to do this again tomorrow?"   At least it's Friday.  I keep telling myself that as I stare down the barrel of another day.

The new job is going great.  I really like it so far, though it's been crazy busy.  I've had to jump in with both feet with this job and kind of get going since my position was vacant for a few months before I started so they definitely need a ton of help.  I've been working through my lunch, working later, but honestly, I've loved it so far.  I really like the people so far, and I like working in a smaller town and in close proximity to T.  So think this is a really positive change, and I can't wait to see where this brings me.

T has been working crazy hard, too.  I'm so proud of him.  He's been busting his ass at work, going in at 7:30 and work until 5:00, doing tests to get ready for a big presentation tomorrow.  So we've both been running around like crazy people.   But I'm hoping it has some good results! 

So we'll be relaxing this weekend (hopefully).  Big plans for the weekend?  We're going to see my favorite movie of all time on the big screen.  In case you weren't aware, but Airplane! is my favorite movie EVER.  And I was so sad when Lesley Nielson died.  So apparently one of the movie theaters in town is playing it on the big screen, and T and I have tickets.  I could not be more excited.  This is one of my dreams, and I'll be there.  How cool is that? 

So I feel like I've been neglecting you, my bloggy friends, this week with posts, and I promise to be more consistent next week.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!  TGIF!

 

I love my train wrecks

I've mentioned this here and there a few times, but I seriously am addicted to something.  Train wrecks.  My name is Nain, and I love to watch train wrecks on TV.  And not actual train wrecks, because...well, how often do you really see those anyway?  No, I'm talking shows like Strange Addictions, Hoarders, Teen Mom, Animal Hoarders, you name it.  I love them, and I can't help it. 


What draws me in?  This is probably going to sound horrible and paint me as a terribly shallow person, which I like to say I'm not, but these shows just make me feel better about any drama in my own life.  Whenever I feel like I'm the epitome of dysfunction, I watch the shows and go "eh...I'm not so bad after all..." 


And these people on these shows?  Crazy all around.  Did you know that there are people out there who are such big hoarders that they buy things like an old Greyhound bus and have it in their backyard "just because..."  I mean, how many times have I been out and about thinking "you know what's missing in our yard?  A greyhound bus!"  I mean, wouldn't that make a great addition?


And there are people out there who freak out over the idea of giving up a ballpoint pen in their possession.  I mean, the smallest items - they know them all and if they don't have them all, it's practically the end of the world.


And there are people who live in a house with 30 chihuahua dogs, climbing all over the place, pooping everywhere and constantly yapping.  And they think it's OK?


Or the people who are addicted to eating toilet paper or couch cushions?  I eat this stuff up, and no, I'm not talking about the toilet paper or cushions. 


I'll admit that at the end of a particularly rough day, I love nothing better than to get in my comfy clothes, pour a glass of wine and watch Strange Addictions.  So does this mean I'm addicted to train wrecks?  Should I be on Strange Addictions, too?  Oh my God, am I creating more dysfunction in my life by being addicted to watching dysfunction?  When will the madness end????

 

Speaking of madness and dysfunction...check out my latest post on Skirt!  And Tuesday nights on TLC...Strange Addictions...trust me.  You will not be disappointed!

  

Wordless Wednesday: Beauty

Taken from my visit to Sedona, AZ, in 2007: 

 

I'm a spazz

I think I have cleaning ADD. In fact, I know I do. I can hardly keep my mind on one task at any given time, and if you were an outside observer watching me do housework, I'd wear you out just by watching me.


Case in point...


Thursday, I get home from the gym. I've just spent an hour lifting weights and doing cardio, so I figure...this is the perfect time to shovel 5 inches of snow off of my driveway, right? So I start shoveling. I get a text from T. "Stop shovelling. I'm on my way home." Do I stop? No. Keep shovelling until my back starts hurting so I give up after over half of it is cleared.


Heading in the house, I decide to begin a load of laundry.  My clothes are wet from shovelling, so I bring my 3 laundry baskets into the bedroom and begin to sort laundry.  However, as I'm doing that I see something on the bed that needs to be put away in the bathroom.  Going into the bathroom, I turn on the light, put the thing away but then realize that I didn't finish sorting the laundry.  Leaving the bathroom light on, I pick up a basket of dark clothes and take it with me to the front of t he house.  I fill the Downy Ball and then see that my Mary Kay boxes (a new delivery of products that need to be dispersed to customers arrived that morning) need to be opened and products sorted.  I get scissors and start to open those. 


About halfway into opening those boxes and taking items out, I realize that I didn't start the laundry.  Jumping up, I start my load of laundry and come back to my boxes.  Oh wait, I don't have my order slips to separate who ordered what.  Going into the den, I grab those and come back out.  I start sorting and then realize that I also started the dishwasher before I went to the gym.  What time is it?  Oh, wait, it's 5:00 p.m.  T will be home any minute, and I haven't even started dinner or unloaded the dishwasher. 


I go in the kitchen, open the dishwasher and start unloading some of the dishes.  About halfway in, T gets home so I stop, kiss, hug, go back to unpacking my Mary Kay, leaving the kitchen light on and the dishwasher open.  I go back to the den and grab some packaging materials to start separating packages to send out. 


I then realize that "oh yeah...I should start dinner..."  T, just standing there, watching me go from room to room, starts to unload the dishwasher, as I rush around, starting dinner, all the while packaging up Mary Kay items to send out. 


I'd like to type out everything I did after then, but suffice it to say I went back and forth from room to room, jumping between tasks.  I actually worked up a sweat doing everything, which was good because I was still in my clothes from the gym


It took T pulling me aside and saying "Breathe, honey, breathe" for me to stop and take a minute.  I was all over the place, and this, unfortunately, is normal for me.  Like I said, I have cleaning ADD.  And it's tiring. 


Do they make some kind of medication for this condition?

~~~~~~~







And because my abilities to multitask in a mad way get the house clean and things done, I'm going to link this up with Chantel's Small Treasure Tuesdays, because let's be honest, getting stuff done...that is a treasure, isn't it?  (No matter how tired I may or may not make myself in the process...)

 

Motivation Monday!

Happy Motivation Monday everyone!  Ok, so before I get into my motivating post, here's how it works...just write a post (you can do it today or tomorrow or anytime this week, since the linky will be up until next Monday), but link your post about what motivates you this week.  It can be anything - working out, doing more at work, something at home, or just something that you need motivation for inside of you.  Last week I was so happy to have such a great turnout in participation, and this week I'd love to see even more!


This week I'm motivated to work...more specifically, in my new job.  Last Friday was my last day at my old job, and this week brings a new adventure.  And I'm nervous.  But it's really just those first day nerves....the whole "will they like me?" thing or "will I know how to use my computer there?"  or "will I get lost going to find the bathroom?"  And the big one..."Will I like this job?"  I know I will, but in the back of my mind it is a question that is hanging over me.  I have had so many jobs where I just haven't been happy, and this last one took a toll on me emotionally and physically (which, really, when you're an attorney in child protective services, you grow to expect that), so I'm hoping this new job will bring good changes, better changes, and a much happier and more fulfilled Nain. 


So today off I go, just like the first day of school.   And I'm motivated to kick some major ass at this job.  Sure, there will be an adjustment period, but I am motivated to be the best I can be and do the best I can.  So that's my motivation this week.  A new chapter opening and new adventures ahead for Nain.


What's motivating YOU this week?

Saturday Steals!

 

It's that time again!  Saturday Steals with Camille!  Now, I love me some steals, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to actually share a steal today, but...luckily I can!

 

 

So T and I started our mini-marathon training this morning.  Bright and early, and the weather was 4 degrees.  Yes, four.  Yes, we're crazy.  But we signed up for this program through the running store and down, and dammit, we were going to do it. 

 

 

So we bundled up and headed out.  The first session was thirty minutes, which was good because that's all I could handle.  But at the end of the session we got a free microfiber shirt. 

 

 

Now this is my first one of these shirts.  I did buy microfiber pants the other day to layer with my sweat pants because I knew I would be walking in the arctic, but I'm pretty stoked about this shirt.  It'll apparently (or I'm told this) soak up sweat and stuff.  And that is a good thing, right?

 

 

So that's my steal.  And I did make it 30 minutes out in frigid temperatures.  Parts of our route were not plowed or shovelled either so that made for an interesting hike.  But I did it. 

 

 

So stop by Camille's blog and see what other cool Saturday Steals people have to share!

  

Random Thoughts, by Nain

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday.  It was one of those busy days (ironically a day off, but I spent most of it running around town, in the snow no less...).  It worked out, because I was having some blog writer's block, and honestly, as I compose this blog, I'm still having blogger's writer's block.  Damn.  So here are some random thoughts going through my mind today....enjoy!

Today is my last day at my current job.  I'm really excited to start my new position on Monday and begin this new chapter in my life, but it is bittersweet to be closing this current chapter.  I've learned a lot, made some good friends (who I intend to keep!), and I've grown as an attorney.  But now it's time for me to move on, so today brings a whole a myriad of emotions.  I'll be celebrating my last day at work with coworkers and colleagues for drinks.  Let's hope I don't have too much that I get all teary.  Or mouthy.  Or both.

Yesterday we got a ton of snow, and by ton, I mean five inches.  But it's a lot for me.  I'm a transplant here in the Midwest from Alabama, and I have yet to get used to the snow.  I absolutely hate driving in it.  My little Saturn is all over the road.  No matter how much I try to control my car, I slide all over the place.  I had quite a few appointments I needed to go to yesterday, and driving in that snow and dealing with all of the jerks on the road was way too much for me. 

Tomorrow we will be starting our mini-marathon training.  We meet at a local park and walk or run for 30-45 minutes.  Guess what the low will be Saturday?  Oh, around 12 degrees, and I can't even begin to think about how low the windchill will be.  So I went out and bought some of those tights that you wear under your sweatpants.  I hope I layer enough.  I mean, how long does it take for hypothermia to set in?  If I keep moving, I'll be OK, right?  (Pray for me...)

I finally put out some wedding pictures.  It only took me four months, but I did it.  The next step is to order the wedding album.  Oh, and also to finish the engagement scrapbook.  But I should probably give myself props for accomplishing the wedding picture thing. 

I cannot tell you how happy I am that Must See TV Thursday shows are back on.  I absolutely heart Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock.  It's the little things in life that make me happy.

Speaking of the little things in life that make me happy...have any of you seen Strange Addictions on TLC?  There are people out there who are addicted to things such as eating couch cushions, eating laundry detergent, sleeping with the hair dryer next to them (while on, mind you), and dressing up in a fox costume?  The show is awesome.  I love it.  And at the end of a rough day, it cheers me up.  Is that weird? 

So those are some random thoughts I have going on today...I promise I'll be back next week with some coherent thoughts.  Oh, and some updates on the new gig.  TGIF everyone!

 

Wordless Wednesday

I want to go back...here are a few shots from our honeymoon in Ireland...beautiful country, isn't it? 

 

And of course.....

 Now that is a beautiful picture, isn't it? :-)  

If you want to...stop on by Skirt! and check out my newest blog, Growing up, growing apart.

  



Small Treasure Tuesday!

I'm totally thrown off this week, since I had yesterday off and I'm taking a personal day on Thursday before my last day at my current job on Friday...so, to me, it feels like Monday, but it's Tuesday.  And that's something to celebrate, especially by noting the treasures in your life through Small Tuesday Treasures with Chantel!

 

So my treasure this week?  Meeting goals, because, let's face it...when you can check something off your "to do" list, it makes you feel pretty good, right?

I'm happy to say that many of those goals are ones I set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year.   The first of those being to work a few of the many projects I have sitting there just waiting for me to complete them.  I sat down this last weekend and did a couple of pages in my engagement scrapbook, and I believe I have about four left before it's completely done!  And then, it's onto the wedding albums...(sigh...)


I also had an awesome Mary Kay party this last weekend.  It was only my third one ever and I managed to earn my biggest sales ever and I booked an additional party in February.  So yay for that!  I'm still not in the black just yet, but I feel pretty good about the accomplishments I made.  I look forward to keeping it up and seeing where this takes me.


 

I am proud to say that I was able to send out a total of seven letters to seven different people in honor of National Letter Writing Week.  I wasn't sure I could do it, but I managed to get all seven out.  I was humbled by the reaction I received, too.  Several people who received the cards emailed or wrote me back saying how much that handwritten note had made their day, and I've even made a new pen pal!  Chloe at My New Life as a Housewife!  I got a handwritten letter from her all the way from Seville, Spain, and by now, I hope she has gotten mine.  It was so much fun, and I can't wait to keep it up.


Lastly (and certainly not least) I am about to embark on a new adventure with my job...this Friday I will be saying good bye to a job that has given me many experiences (good and bad) and introduced me to some great coworkers and taught me a lot for the last two years....but it is time to move on.  I begin the new job next Monday, so this last week will be one full of excitement but a bittersweet one nonetheless.


Stop by Chantel's blog and see what other Small Treasures people have to share this week!  And, don't forget, the Motivation Monday meme is still up and the linky will be open until Saturday!

 

Motivation Monday!

Welcome to another week, folks, which means...what's that?  Another Motivation Monday! 


This week's Motivation?  Preparing for the butt kicking that will be happening to me on May 8th.  See, before the end of last year, T and I signed up to run (T) or walk (me) the mini-marathon in Indianapolis.  That's 13.1 miles, folks.  That's like the distance some people drive to work.  I'm walking that.  I'll be walking for like 4 hours that morning.  The rest of that day will be spent either in my bath or my bed. 


So we need to prepare for it, which means training.  T found an awesome program through a local running store where they meet weekly on Saturday mornings and train.  They have programs for walkers, runners (beginners, intermediate and advanced).  It'll be kind of nice because it'll force me to get up and do it, and I'll be walking with other people so I won't be lonely for those long miles.    For T, it'll be a good way to pace himself with other runners.  (Me, I tend to walk like speed demon.  I could probably use the pacing too).  The program starts this Saturday.   And the high tetemperature that day?  Oh, somewhere around 13 degrees.  (Brrr!)


Working out with the trainer is still going well.  She kind of kicked my ass last week.  I had a session on Thursday where we did some serious leg work, and all day on Friday and Saturday I could barely walk or sit down without wincing in pain.  But that's good, right?  Getting my money's worth, and I'm getting stronger!


So what about you?  What's motivating you this week?  All you need to join in with the Motivation Monday fun is to write a post about what is motivating you this week and link up using the linky tool below.  Hope you can all join in!  Thanks for participating!


And, just a poll, but how many of you would like a Motivation Monday guest post by T? 

Friday rundown

I have to admit that I'm having a bit of bloggers writer's block this Friday morning.  Maybe it's because all of my posts this week have just been so freaking awesome that my awesomeness is somewhat depleted.  (ha, rrrright...)  Or it could just be me being tired.  Either way, this post is not going to be groundbreaking by any means.  Sorry folks. 

I have not spotted a mouse since last Friday and that fateful evening (knocking on wood here), but our kitchen is now covered in mouse traps.  (Lovely.)

I went to an awesome and motivating conference last weekend and received some much needed motivation for my Mary Kay business.  I even got so much motivation that I went to my area meeting on Monday night and met some fellow consultants, got some great ideas, and I think I may just go again!

It snowed.  And then snowed some more.  I shoveled the driveway.  And then it snowed.  And all my hard work went to shit.  I hate snow.

I took a few days to myself and had the chance to catch up on some projects.  Some, not all.  I finished one critique.  Only 2 more to go.  Did I get a chance to write?  No, but baby steps, people.  And, I did manage to order wedding pictures for our frames we received as presents.  It only took me about four months, but I did it.  So pat myself on the back, Nain. 

I wrote a post for Skirt!  I still have one more to write, but check this one out when you get a chance.

Thursday, after getting my butt kicked by my personal trainer, I headed down to my future job location and met the entire staff and a few of the board members who threw me a welcome luncheon.  It was so great to meet everyone, and while I'm horrible with names, I hope I can remember them all.  It was overwhelming, as starting any new job naturally is, but I really look forward to it.  I even got to check out my office and get an idea of the space into which I'm moving.  Exciting, right?

All in all, it was a productive but somewhat relaxing week.  It's been nice to take a step back and have a few days to myself before I start my new adventure on January 24th.  This weekend, T and I will be venturing up to the north side of Indy to spend some time with my brother and fam, and I will be hosting another Mary Kay party on Sunday.  Keep your fingers crossed that it goes well!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this last week's Motivation Monday!  I truly appreciate it, and I can't wait to read motivating posts next week!  Have a great weekend!

 

A sense of humor...

In the few months I have been married (and I would so not call myself an expert by any means...) there is something I've learned.  A sense of humor is vital to a relationship.  Sure, all of that lovey dovey stuff is great, but if you can't make each other laugh, then you're missing out on something wonderful.

 

I lucked out when I met T, really I did.  Everyone in my family has a weird sense of humor.  I think it has to do with the fact that my dad raised us watching classic movies like Airplane!, Blazing Saddles, pretty much anything Mel Brooks...and now I've grown up as someone who can rarely find the humor in something. Sometimes it's inappropriate, but...it's me.  And I have to admit, I was worried that I wouldn't find a guy who fit that.  Someone who understood me.


And then walked in T.  T, the guy who laughs every time he hears the name Dick, or the word cock, or makes Beavis noises when vacuuming the house.  Someone who finds it funny when I make weird noises that make me sound like I'm some sort of animal from Jurassic Park.  T, the guy who I can reference Family Guy scenes with.  T, the guy who regularly makes me laugh by posing and making stupid faces with my feet by his face.  (We're weird, you'd have to get us...) 


He's rubbed off on me.  I find myself laughing when I hear the name Dick, going "huh, huh...he said dick..." ala Butthead.  We're weird, but it's us. 

 

It's just so amazing to find that one person who gets you, gets everything about you and probably knows you more than you know yourself sometimes.  The kind of guy who, when you're out doing wedding photos, thinks it would be hilarious to take a picture next to the porta-john that he always has to use when we're out for walks (and I always get impatient).  The kind of guy who looks at you and says "let's walk into the reception hall playing Black Sabbath "Iron Man!"  The kind of guy who loves the fact that I watch TLC trainwrecks to make myself feel happier at the end of a rough day and makes fun of these shows with me.

A sense of humor is vital to a relationship, or at least it is to ours.  It's one of the reasons why I feel like such the luckiest person in the world.

 



Small Treasure Tuesdays...on Wednesday?

I know it's Wednesday, which means I should have done a Small Treasure Tuesday post on, well, Tuesday, but I was still so traumatized by Mousegate 2011 to think of anything good and happy in this world.  OK, maybe that's just a tad on the dramatic side, but still, I was distracted by my current rodent problem. 


Anyway, getting to the point...my small blessing this week is....a little time to myself.  Since I'm starting my new job on January 24th, I have quite a few personal days left that if I don't use, they just go away.  So, I'm using them to catch up on doctor's appointments, but also to just relax.  Because, let's be honest, we all need a little bit of that.  I also hope to use this time to catch up on some of my New Years goals.   One of those is to order some wedding pictures to put in these frames we have just sitting around in boxes.  Another is to catch up on my critiques and write that article I've been putting off for the state bar.  It's quite a lot, but I'm up for the challenge!


It doesn't hurt that it's snowy out today, and I would rather have my teeth drilled than get on the Interstate in that crap! 


So stop by Chantel's blog (click on her awesome logo up there) and check out other small treasures people are sharing.


And if you should feel so inclined...check out my latest posting at Skirt!  I hear it's pretty awesome, too!




  

Mousegate 2011....seriously?

I thought we were done with this.  I thought it was enough with Mousegate 2010 parts 1 and 2, but no.  I got too comfortable.  I let my guard down.

I won't make that mistake again.

So it started off on Friday.  I was cleaning the bathrooms, as is our normal routine on Fridays so we can avoid cleaning on Saturday and Sunday.  I was being productive.  T was on his way home, so I wanted to surprise him with a clean bathroom, except ours smelled like bleach after I was done.  So I went into my kitchen to get a lighter to light a candle.  The kitchen light was on.  I had been in and out of the kitchen all afternoon.  Little did I know it was there.

Then I saw it.  Right by my kitchen sink, behind our canisters.  A flash of gray.  I froze in my spot.  Shit.  Not again.  As quietly as possible, I reached to my left for my phone.  I hit speed dial and called T.  I knew he was on his way home, as we had just gotten off the phone about 10 minutes earlier.  Not sure why I called him.  He couldn't kill the mouse from his car, but...as soon as I hit "send" and he answered, Darrell (The name I chose for him.  He was the cousin of Damian, the little shit that was in our kitchen in 2010.) ran out from behind the canisters.  T goes "hello?"  And then I start screaming.  "It's in here!  It's in here!  Oh my God, it's in the house!    T thought a burglar was in the house or something, and by the time I finished hyperventilating, the little thing had crawled under our burner under the stove. 

About 20 minutes later, T pulled in the driveway as I stood frozen in the spot.  I was going to get him if he dared come out.  We popped open the stove top and we could hear him scurrying about underneath.  He was toying with us.  Occasionally, we saw a whisker or two peak through the holes in the stove top, as I screamed, standing poised with my trusty frying pan, ready to play whack-a-mole with the thing if it popped up enough.  T got out some of the traps we had leftover before, and set those ready to get him if he came out while we left for Home Depot to get more traps. 

While we were gone, Darrell had the balls to come out and eat the peanut butter from the nearest trap without setting it off and hide again.  He was messing with us.  I didn't like that.  So we set up seven (yes, seven) traps.  Two on the stove.  Surely we were going to catch him.  This one was gutsy to show himself in broad daylight like that.  (And scare the living crap out of me in the process.)

I'm happy to say we did catch him that night.  But sadly, I don't think he is the only one.  We now have mousetraps in our pantry and on our counter.  This is unfortunately our reality until we move in May.  It can't come soon enough. 

So to quote the words of Samuel L. Jackson..."I'm tired of these mother f#@%ing mice in this mother f#%#ing house!

 

Motivation Monday

Welcome back to Motivation Monday!  I was so happy with the participation I got last week with the meme, so I hope we can keep this momentum going...and...without further ado...


So this Saturday, I went to this big Mary Kay event in our area called "January Jumpstart."  It was an all day deal, and I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into but I was following through with one of my goals this year to really get my Mary Kay business going this year.  I'm going balls to the wall with this venture.  We need the extra money, I love the product, and I'm geared to sell. 


The only hang up? It was located at the same building where I took the dreaded bar exam in July 2006.  I recognized the name of the reception hall, and part of me was like "yeah...no...not sure if I want to go there..." But I did it.  So I got up Saturday morning, headed out, pulled into the lot and made my way cautiously into the hall. 


I got there with only five minutes to spare, and the place was packed.  Pink Cadillacs covered the parking lot.  It was loud in there.  All I could see when I got in the door was just full tables of women all chatting as if they were best friends and knew each other from birth.  I, however, knew no one.  Not a sole.  I momentarily thought "shit, did I make a mistake?"  I wouldn't be lying if I didn't feel like it was the first day of school after moving here from Alabama.  (Seriously, I had flashbacks.)  But I swallowed my fear and chose an open table with some relatively friendly-looking ladies. 


I wasn't sure what I had in store for me, but with the first speaker it was hard not to get motivated.  It's tough to describe, but all of these women were just so inspiring, so empowered.  The beauty of Mary Kay is that it's your business, and you get to run it the way you want.  And you get to positively influence women's lives.  Before, I thought it was just about makeup, but after today...I'm convinced it's much more than that.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.


You would think that hearing speakers from 9-4 I would find moments of boredom and the need for doodling to pass the time, but that didn't happen.  In fact, I took like 8 pages of notes on what I learned, and I can't wait to apply it to my own business. 


My goal these next few months is to double my sales from December and to book at least 10 parties until the end of February.  I have two already booked for January so I'm slowly getting there. 


Later this week, I want to feature one of my favorite products in a fun giveaway, but for now, I would love to direct you guys to  my personal Mary Kay Web site.  Check out some of the products, and email me if you have any questions about them or would like to learn more about how you, too, can become a consultant.  And...if you should feel so inclined, feel free to make a purchase so that I can each my goals.  (but only if you feel so inclined.  No pressure here, OK?) 


So that's my motivation for the week!  What's yours?  It's easy to join in - just write up a post about what's motivating you this week and link it up, using the linky tool, which will be open until Saturday.  Hope you all have a motivating week!

Priorities

I'm struggling with something, my loyal readers.  (So, if you couldn't tell already, this might be a serious post.)  Over the past week I've realized something.  I can't do it all.  I just can't.  I like to think that I'm Wonder Woman and that I can do everything I want to do and succeed at everything I try, but....there just isn't enough Nain to spread around.  (Ha, that kind of sounds wrong, doesn't it?)  Plus, I don't have the invisible plane and all....


I'm speaking more specifically with respect to my personal life.  One of the great things about 2010 was that I went back to my passions, the things I love to do.  This included writing, as well as music.  For those of you who aren't aware, I played the viola for about seven years in junior high and high school.  I kept my instrument but didn't play it for about ten years until just last year.  T persuaded me to take lessons through a local music store, and I started those around June of last year.  I do thoroughly enjoy them, but now, I'm wondering if I have enough time to dedicate to both my writing and my playing the viola. 


I haven't had lessons due to the holidays for about two weeks, and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't picked up the instrument once to practice during that time.  I've ran into this problem more than a few times during the end of last year, and I would go to lessons having not practiced at all for that particuar week.  And for those of you who play instruments, you know that if you want to improve and actually get somewhere with your music - you have to practice, practice, practice.  Quite frankly, I'm not doing that, so I have to wonder, what do I want to get out of taking lessons? 


The same goes with respect to writing.  If you want to succeed at writing you have to read, write, read, write, and write some more.  The wedding distracted me from that, and then just plain laziness distracted me for the rest of last year.  And one of my resolutions is to finish my  book and really get back into my writing.  If I want to really pursue this, I need to put my whole heart and mind into it, and I really want to do just that. 


This past week, I realized how far behind I had fallen in my critiques for my critique group, so I was sitting there at 8:30 at night feverishly trying to get through one of them, when it hit me:  what about my writing?  When was I supposed to do this? Here I am, trying to do all of these things in my spare time, and suddenly there isn't enough spare time to finish everything or at least dedicate myself to all of them.  I was totally half-assing everything or in a less crude way, spreading myself too thin.


So this brings me to my current dilemma.  Something has to go.  It just has to, and I don't want to have to make that decision...but I don't think I have a choice about it.  In listing the activities I have and the things I truly want to accomplish, I'm afraid the viola has to be put on hold for now.  If I had to compare my writing and music, the difference between the two is I don't want to make a living as a musician.  I do want to really go somewhere with writing.    So what do I do? 


I just don't want to completely give it up.  I hope that even if I do put my lessons on hold for now, I can still play the music I do have when I have the time.  My only concern is that it will fall by the wayside along with the other hobbies I have had...I haven't made a decision yet, but I am seriously leaning in this direction.


So I post this question to all of you readers out there - how do you prioritize?  Is it something with which you struggle?  Have you had to let something go in order to focus on something else more? 



AND....for some lighter reading...check out my new post at Skirt!  http://skirt.com/viewfromnain/blog/confession-i-didnt-enjoy-wedding-planning

Send it in a letter...

Did you know that there is a National Letter Writing Week?  I sure didn't!  I was working out on the elliptical at our gym, reading my Real Simple magazine, and I came across a blurb for it.  After doing a little research, what do you know, it's true!  According to the National Mailing Systems Web site, this week is dedicated to writing the simple, old-fashioned letter.  Due to the prevalence of technology and less personal ways to stay in touch - email, twitter, text - the art of writing a simple handwritten letter has fallen by the wayside.  And that's sad.  Because, really, as much as I enjoy getting an email or a tweet, there is just something about going to your mailbox and seeing an envelope from a loved one written just to you!  That person has taken the time and effort out of their busy life to write you a thoughtful note!  And let's face it, with the normal crap we get in the mail, such as bills, notices, etc., getting a nice letter really can just brighten your day. 

I used to be good at this.  Back when I was a kid, I used to have pen pals all over the place.  I would also write my grandparents and my Aunt Linda religiously.  Sure, as a child, I had all the time in the world to do this, but I even kept it up throughout college, writing letters to my boyfriend at the time and long distance friends.  I even kept it up through law school and after the bar exam.  However, as soon as I hit the real world...that all kind of changed...

I hate to admit it but I have become very neglectful in keeping up my correspondence with my friends and family.  Writing an email is even a task now, and it shouldn't be that way.  There is so much going on with me now, and I know there are close and dear friends who should know everything that is going on with me but have absolutely no clue.  And why?  Because I haven't taken the time to really tell them what is new in my world.  Sure, my blog is a means to do this, but is it enough?  It's hardly personal.  And it takes an element of intimacy out of my friendships that I have treasured so much in the past. 

So, after seeing this blurb in my magazine, I made a decision.  Starting Sunday, January 9th through Sunday, January 16th, I am writing one letter a day, each day to a different person.  And I want to encourage all of my readers to do the same.  Snail mail should not be a dying art.  We should be able to communicate with new technology but also utilize the more personal methods of communicating at the same time. 


 

My one hope is that this week will spark a trend that I can keep going throughout the year.  So off I go...to write some letters!

 



I'm on Skirt!

Recently, upon interest from a fellow blogger, LEleana at A Writer's Den and her blogging at Skirt!, I decided to apply to be a featured blogger on their site, and I recently posted my very first blog on there.  I hope that you will go check it out today.  Skirt! is an awesome site that allows fellow female bloggers to network, to share our stories and to explore our creativity.  I'm super excited to be a part of it, and I'm even more pumped about today's blog post:  Oh, Wise Magic 8 Ball

Two posts in one day!  You guys are going to be sooo spoiled!

 



One of the "cool girls"

 I was never one of those popular types in junior high and high school.  I was a late bloomer, extremely quiet, and more than a bit on the nerdy side.  It's not that I got picked on per se, but I just didn't fit in with the "in" crowd.  (Hence, one of the reasons why I don't particularly have positive memories of those years and enjoyed college so much more...) 


I remember back in 8th grade, Bath & Body Works first came out, and it instantly became this fad at my junior high.  If you were cool, you wore this stuff.  You smelled awesome, and you got to carry around those cool bottles with lotion in your purse.  My family never could afford any of the big fads when I was in school - the Peace Frog t-shirts were big, Banana Republic t-shirts, Guess jeans, Jansport backpacks with patches all over them, converse sneakers.  I always wore the rip-off version of those because in my family, if you wanted something extra like that then you had to pay for it.  This is why I started working as soon as I could when I was 14, so I could have the extra spending money.   But even when I did have some spending money, I still couldn't afford some of these fads.  we lived in a pretty wealthy school district, you see....


Anyway, I digress...this story does, in fact, have a point.  I'm getting there....anyway, T and I went shopping the other day because my mother-in-law got me a $10 Bath & Body Works gift card.  Knowing that there are some awesome sales after Christmas, I wanted to spend it in celebration of the new job.  So we went there, and I scoured the store looking for the best sale, and I came across a sign for $3 per bottle.  They were mostly old scents, but I saw an old favorite of mine:

 

Image courtsey of Google Images 

I specifically remember that this was the scent (Country Apple) to wear back when the store first opened.  I loved the smell of it, but I never could buy it for myself.  Spending $8.50 on a bottle of lotion?  Out of the question in my parent's minds. (This went somewhere along the lines of spending $3.85 on a Bonne Bell Lipsmacker, too.)  I immediately grabbed the bottle and smelled it, taking in the scent.  "Oh this brings me back," I told T.  He looked at me like I had lost my mind, so I went into my whole "cool girls" story.

Then it dawned on me...hey, I can afford it now!  "Hey, I can be one of the cool girls!" I exclaimed to T in the middle of the store, several onlookers overhearing us, I'm sure.  I quickly scooped up my bottles and headed to the checkout. 

It's amazing what a little nostalgia can do to you, isn't it?  Now all I need to do is to get my Banana Republic t-shirt, wrap a flannel shirt around my waist and wear a matching scrunchie on my wrist (only on the wrist, NEVER in the hair), and I'll be back in 1995. 

What kinds of things bring you back?

 

New Year, New Changes!

Happy Tuesday! It's time for the first Small Treasure Tuesdays of 2011 with Chantel.  Hard to believe we're already at 2011, but well...there you are...

Anyway, so I always feel like when I write about small treasures when they are really, in fact, big treasures, but this one is too great to not talk about.  Last week I interviewed for a new position (I won't go into what exactly the position is because I do like to keep my work somewhat anonymous here on this blog), but it's not in child protective services and it allows me a lot more freedom and control over what I'm doing.  I was so excited about the job description when I saw the job posting, and I was even more excited when I got called in for an interview last week.  And just yesterday I found out that I got the job! 

The funny thing is that I have been driving myself crazy the past weekend convincing myself that I didn't get the job.  That's how I roll.  If I prepare myself for the worst, then I won't be surprised when what I want to happen doesn't happen.  I think the term is called pessimism.  You know, those people who say that the glass is half empty or half full?  Well, in my little world, there is no glass because it was half empty with beer, someone knocked it over in a drunken stupor, and now there are just glass shards.  Everywhere.  (See what I mean with the negative thinking?) 

But the negative thinking wasn't necessary this time around...because I got it!  I'm so excited because it is something I'm passionate about, and I really think this job will give me the opportunity to grow in my career.  Official start date is January 24th.  Thank you everyone on twitter and facebook (and here, too) for positive thoughts and prayers.  I truly appreciate them!

   



New Year, New Motivation Monday!

Welcome to Motivation Monday, the 2011 edition!  It's the new year, so you know what that means...new years resolutions!  Of course, I don't really like to call them resolutions. I don't know why, but I always feel like that term sets you up for failure.  I don't want to set these huge changes that I'm going to make for myself and then slip up on them a week into the new year and then just give up.   No, I want to set some goals for myself, things I'd like to really work towards in 2011 and hopefully be able to report back to all of you in December 2011 that I made a lot of progress on them.


So what goals do I have this year?  Well, the first of them is to continue with getting into better shape.  I've got a good start so far with working out with a personal trainer, and in May of this year, I will be walking in the Indianapolis Mini-marathon.  13.1 miles, baby!  I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about it, but I think I can do it.  T and I are joining a training program at a local running store here in our hometown, so hopefully having other people around to motivate me will help a great deal.  I am not going to set a certain goal of how much weight I'd like to lose in general, but really, I think I just want to feel healthier and look better.  That's one of my ultimate goals. 


The second goal - my book.  I made some great headway, thanks to my critique girls, but ever since the wedding, my writing has taken a backseat to other distractions in life.  I really want to keep up the progress I was making and hopefully see myself that much closer towards finishing my manuscript by the end of the year.  (First draft of it, of course...)  How do I plan on accomplishing this?  I think the important thing is to block out time every week dedicated solely to writing.  That, and I need to aim more towards outlining my story so that I can keep a good direction and work towards that. 


My third goal?  Projects.  And more projects.  If there is something I am notorious for, it is starting a project and not finishing it.  Seriously, it's sad.  Or I'll say "Man, I really need to get that done..." but then I never do.  Case in point:  my engagement scrapbook.  We were engaged in July 2009, and let's see...it's now 2011, and we've been married for over three months.  Hummm....I only have a few more pages left before I can start on our wedding book, and it is my goal to get that done.  And then get the wedding pictures ordered and finish that book/album so that I can get rid of the many boxes that are piled up in my den making me look like I have a huge hoarding problem.  Ideally, I'd like to not have to move those suckers into the new house in May.  Maybe set a goal a week or every two weeks to accomplish?  Baby steps might be the key to conquering these projects. 


Those are my big three ones.  Of course, I have some other big ones that I'd like to keep to myself, and in the event that a big change is made in those areas, I will definitely let you know...until then, I'll just keep you, my loyal readers, on the edge of your seats.


So what are your goals this year?  What's motivating you in 2011? 


So how do you participate in Motivation Monday?  For those of you who haven't done this yet (and I sure hope you do!), just write up a post this week stating what is motivating you this week or what you may need motivation with...it doesn't matter!  Link up that post to my blog, using the linky tool below, and if you should so desire, copy and paste the handy-dandy button located to the right of your computer screen.  I would love to see some new participants this year in Motivation Monday and really get this going!  After all, we can all use a little motivation in our lives! 

    



Saturday Steals for the New Year!

  

It's the first Saturday Steals of the new year, hosted by the lovely Camille at Archives of Our Lives!  Now, since it was Christmas, of course, I have plenty of holiday steals, but I thought about it and, with T's input, the one I would have to say was our best steal was the company bonus we got from T's work.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it (Sorry, Camille!) but that's because we ate it.  See, every year, T's work gives them the option of getting a free fruit basket, a 12 lb turkey or 8 lb boneless ham for the holidays.  Since we have plenty of fruit around here, and well, you can buy fruit anytime, we chose the ham.  T's family was in town last week so we thought it would make a good meal with them to celebrate Christmas.  And man, was it delicious!  Of course, we have a ton of leftovers, but that just makes lunch all week, right?  Of course, I may just get a wee bit tired of ham, but...it's free, so who can pass that up?

Sorry for the lack of picture, but if you want to check out other steals, just by Camille's blog and say hi!  And happy 2011 everyone!


Oh and also, don't forget...first Motivation Monday of the year starts tomorrow!  Be ready with your Motivational posts!!!