Financial Fitness

I love Dave Ramsey and You Need A Budget. Dave Ramsey is a constant source of inspiration for me. I love when he shares stories on facebook about families getting rid of hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. I get goosebumps. I feel like, we can do this! Another friend introduced me to YNAB for budgeting. It's been really hard, I still suck SO BAD. At least I have a tool that I like.




Taking honest stock.
We owe someone (lots of someone's) about $55,000, not including our house.
I'm willing to take out the car payment and the school loans for the sake of not being totally overwhelmed, so let's say we owe $13,000 somewhat urgently. It's half credit card debt, a quarter unpaid taxes, and a quarter medical bills. Ugh.

I have a plan.
Goal #1, We are going to use some of J.'s severance to pay off those medical bills. Pesky little things, they gotta go.

Goal #2, We run a guest house and have been nonchalantly spending that money. We need to put it to better use. I think we can easily pay off those outstanding taxes by the end of the year (maybe faster?!).

Goal #3, The credit card. I have to be honest, I feel the most demoralized by this. It's always there. I have struggled for 2 years to pay it off and it always comes back. I'm strongly considering cutting them up. We need a hard reset. Any tips? Until then we'll keep chipping away; however, pointless it feels.

Having money for emergencies and to put towards retirement is worth the work!
Now let's do this!

Starting over...

Somewhere between some minor health issues that became major health issues, and the seasons transitioning from spring to summer, I lost myself. I became engrossed in just coping with the day to day. I stopped exercising. I started sleeping more. I haven't totally gone back to the early days of 2 kids where I would single-handedly demolish a pack of Oreos, but I am addicted to Boom Chica Pop, Sweet, Salty Kettle corn. Then J. lost his job, and we took stock of our financial situation and I realized, I need to find myself. Fast!

Enter my friend (facebook friend, real life acquaintance) Carla. She's a Beachbody coach. More than that she used to be a body builder, then got pregnant with twins and has shared a very real, public journey back to fitness. If she can do it, I can do it.

My goals ::
1. Headspace, time each day where I do something for me, that's not work and that's not family.
2. Fitness, I want to be able to run with my girls this fall (when it's not 100°). I need strength, core, arms and legs. I want to regain some muscle definition, I don't need to loose weight, but I'm flabby.
3. Financial Fitness, we have debt. We need to get rid of it.

Starting on re-building core strength I joined a PiYo challenge through BeachBody. Today is day 1.

This new life of parenting...

The thought of being a working mom with two little kids can significantly overwhelm me if I let it. In my love of spontaneity and winging it lifestyle, I suddenly find myself totally frozen. Overwhelmed with choices, and chores, and little needy people. Because of this, my journey of embracing parenthood has also meant embracing some lifestyle changes. As the author "From Frazzled to Focused" says, "allowing yourself to envision doing things differently is a formidable gift you can give to yourself" (Be warned, I will repeatedly quote this book, it is speaking my language!). As a mom I find I want to do it all! And as the author warns "not having a clear sense of what your top priorities are will lead you to focus on the wrong things." So in my frazzled chaotic state I'm turning from focusing on all the wrong things to setting some priorities.

"Systemizing allows you to leverage your time and minimize needless thinking and planning so you can do things you choose to do smarter and in the best way you can." When I first read that sentence it felt so liberating. It still does, every time I read it. AND I'm happy to say, having a meal plan (even a simple one that includes macaroni and cheese and spaghetti) is really helping. It takes away the agonizing moment when Jay and I look at each other (tired and hungry ourselves, with a crying child) and ask each other, "whats for dinner?"

So now that we've done a couple of weeks of dinner meal planning I'm thinking about what's the next frontier. What is that next system or plan that would continue to empower me and free up some of that crippled head space for things I really care about? Maybe it's a clean/dirty sign for the dishwasher so everyone knows when they can load their own dirty dishes. Maybe it's some wipes in a nice container on the bathroom sink so people can wipe it down daily cutting down on the grossness that is happening there currently. Maybe it's planning when I do laundry better so the dry, clean and unfolded laundry doesn't sit for a week waiting to be folded.

This life of "libearation through systemization" is a great life. Six months from now with TWO kids, I'll be planning my menus, organizing my wardrobe, AND having a consistent date night with your spouse set in stone, along with a pre-booked babysitter.

Bulgur Risotto with Corn and Shrimp

Bulgur Risotto with Corn and Shrimp

Yield: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c. bulgur wheat

1/2 tsp. salt

12 oz fresh or frozen shrimp (shelled and devined)

      *we use salad shrimp or shrimp meat

2 c. corn

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 lime juiced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

PREPARATION

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring for 30 seconds; add bulgur and salt; stir 1 minute more. Gradually stir in 2 cups hot water, 1/2 cup at a time (waiting until bulgur absorbs it to add more), until bulgur is slightly soupy, 8-10 min. You may or may not use all the water. Add shrimp. Add corn, bell pepper, juice from lime and red pepper flakes; stir, adding water to keep mixture creamy. Cook, stirring, until corn and peppers and shrimp are warmed through, 1-2 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Per serving 347 cal., 9.6g fat (1.3g saturated), 45g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 24g protein

Today I learned...

...about Stefan Lux. I get a daily email update with the media buzz from the previous day. Each day also poses a Question of the Day, and the answer to the previous day's question. 

Yesterday's question was "In 1936, a Jewish journalist and poet entered the assembly hall of The League of Nations in Geneva and shot himself, committing suicide before the entire group. Who was it, and why did he do it?"

The answer is Stefan Lux, "who shot himself in an effort to alert world leaders of Germany's increasing antisemitism, expansionism, and militarism." His last words were "C'est le dernier coup" ("This is the final blow,"). Most tragically Lux and his work has been mostly forgotten.

Taking the challenge

With this new season of life, going out for dinner 3-4 nights a week is no longer a viable option. One, now that Emerson is eating its getting expensive, it's also hard to find foods that are healthy and good for her growing body. Two, by the time we get home, settle in a bit, pee the dog, and get back out the door it's nearly bedtime. This makes for a rushed, awkward dinner. So its been a growing goal of mine to plan and cool meals throughout the week.

I'm excited to take the Real Food Challenge. I've even talked my family into doing it across the country. We've even picked out a hashtag, #caylessgirlscook. So I apologize that for the next month this blog will be filled with more family food related topics than...saving the world topics.

Onward!

Having a baby was easy being a parent is hard...

When Emerson was first born I felt like I had a total grasp on having a baby. The transition was relatively simple. It was for all intents and purposes exactly as I had expected. Less sleep, painful nipples for a while, but over all my life stayed the same. I could take Emerson everywhere, stick her in a wrap and off we went. Grocery shopping, momma baby yoga, visiting friends, days out with dad. She was a trooper, totally relaxed, could nap anywhere, breastfeeding left us unencumbered; as long as we were together life was good. Then she turned 6 months old, she started being too curious to nap out and about, she started to put everything in her mouth, and she needed time at home to practice crawling and being mobile.

Suddenly, I felt tied down. I couldn't do whatever I wanted. Life HAD to change. Oh! And we found out we're expected a second child and I really felt tied down. I vented my frustrations on facebook and the outpouring of encouragement and "this is totally normal" was amazing. I've been pondering what this means for me. It can at times feel like I am loosing myself, like I have to give up all these things. And the truth is I do. I'm a mom now. But I can also take advantage of the nicer moments; like playing in the livingroom with Emerson and Thor. Or going for a run on Friday morning while she naps in the buggy.

I have to say, embracing this new stage by enjoying time at home with my kiddo, by taking the time to prepare meals ahead of time (before the work week starts) and by embracing the alone time that I've been craving while she naps has been liberating. It's better than trying to ignore that life is different. I actually like this new phase. Bring on that second kid.