Friday, April 20, 2012

Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation.

It's my word of the year.

A word to define how this year will play out. My goals. My dreams.

At the beginning of this year, I was asked by many bloggy friends, both personally and in blog posts, which word would best describe how I envisioned this year going; my "word of the year", if you will. But I couldn't think of a word. Not a single word. I kept telling myself, "Just come up with ONE word, Danny! You don't have to be sophisticated about it. Sophisticated?? Could that be your word... yeah. Probably not." My mind was completely blank.

Fast forward three months and the word came to me: Rejuvenation.

I've talked with Brent a lot about this. Not that we're especially philosophical people, but we agreed: this is OUR word. This is OUR goal. This year, 2012, is going to be a year of health; of wealth; of energy; of rejuvenation.

As you know, I am a SAHM now-a-days, and as I'm sure you can understand, that means I don't get a paycheck anymore. While I was working, things were great. We bought what we wanted, when we wanted. We ate at the best restaurants and I bought expensive clothes. I got my hair done regularly and Brent bought every new video game he could get his hands on. Life was good, but we weren't saving and we used credit cards. Stupid, I know. Now, here we are, 10 months after I quit my job, and we want to clean up our finances. I guess I should make it clear that we aren't extravagant consumers, and because of that, we aren't in an extravagant amount of debt. I used cash for my purchases because my income was "extra" and we, like many other credit card users, fell for the old "put everything on your card and pay your card off at the end of the month to earn our piddly rewards points" adage. The bank conned us. So we're going to get them back.

We are going to pay off our debt. The credit cards. The HELOC. The car. All of it. Then... we're getting a new house.

None of this would be possible if it weren't for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, a video series we have been watching for a couple months now. His principles are easy and just. make. sense. Using his techniques, we have paved the way to becoming better stewards of our money. Financial Peace. That's going to be us.

No more worrying about making payments or affording a new house where we can raise more children. Where I can have a sewing space that's actually large enough to house my stash AND me at the same time. Where we can have room for bikes and soccer balls and sidewalk chalk. Where our future children will one day have their own rooms. Where we can throw a ball in the yard and not have to worry about it landing in the next door neighbor's yard... or the yard past theirs.

Rejuvenation.

I'm also learning to say "no" and to let go of things I cannot handle. I thought coming into Blog World I would be able to do so much more with my time. I was being unrealistic. I didn't know the time it would take to care for a baby. I factored in poop, food, and bath, but I forgot the most important moments would be those in between. The moments you can't plan for. The moments that sneak up on you and pull you away from that sewing project with the month-end deadline or the dishes... I hate doing the dishes, so it's not too hard to pull me away from that one, but you get the idea. Sadly, I've had to leave Beejeebers, one of the bees I joined this year. I felt terrible about it. I'm not one to give up on a commitment, but it had to happen, along with other schedule changes. And despite the fact that I will miss the skills learned with each new block and the relationships I've built with each member, I feel this was the right move for me. I'm clearing my planner; making time for me. My baby. My husband. My house.

I had gotten to the point where I passed off Clara the second Brent walked in the door from his 12 hour day so I could rush to sew. It wasn't fair to him. It wasn't fair to the people I was creating for, both in Blog Land and here in the real world. And I think most of all, it wasn't fair to me. I haven't sat down even ONCE and created something specifically for MY daughter. She doesn't have cute headbands or dresses or stuffies or any of the things I've made for other people and their kids. And it's not fair. I wanted to be a SAHM to be with and create things for Clara Mae, so I'm learning to say "no".

Another way this year is rejuvenating?? Physically. I'm just going to come right out and say it:

I. AM. A. LARD.

I do nothing. I walk a lot, but I'm not getting the regular exercise of my pre-baby days. I've heard all this junk about "Oh, just wait a little longer and Clara will be crawling/walking/running/flying and you will lose all the weight chasing her". Well, I'm calling bull crap. I'm not going to lose weight chasing my child around this tiny living room. I want HER to chase ME. I want to go to the park and teach her to play soccer and play tag and how to cross the monkey bars two at a time. I want to have the energy to do more than sit on the couch for the first hour or two of the day. I'm a young mom. I want more kids. And I want to be in shape when they come along too.

So I made a plan.

And I convinced the hubs, my mom, my dad, and my brother to join me.

We've started the P90 exercise routine, which I've done in the past. I've always loved it. I feel so alive and refreshed after each workout. I wake up in the morning feeling like a new woman. I'm not nearly as sore as I thought I would be (chalk it up to lugging a 20 pound baby around most of the day) and for that, I am grateful. It gives me the strength to keep going. And, I can't lie to you. I have some other motivation too:

Brent will buy me an Anthropologie dress and take me out on a nice date if I complete the 90 days without missing once.

The boy knows how to speak to me!

I'll still be walking and doing yoga, they will just be interspersed with my other workout routines, the first of which is this P90.

My goal is to be back in my pre-baby clothes by Sewing Summit. I want you all thinking I look fit! And hot! :)

So this part of the rejuvenation process will be the most embarrassing for me.

I have been inspired by Shelley of House of Smiths to take you along on my journey.

Here's where I started:

I am 5' 6". Size 14. 195 lbs.


My goal is to fit in my size 10 clothes by October. Two sizes. I can SO do that!


So as you can see, I have big plans for this year. Plans to be refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated.

How about you? Anyone out there figure out their word a few months late?

Danny

22 comments:

  1. I Loved reading this post Danny. Its written beautifully and from the heart. I didnt know you were going to SS! I'm going too. Good luck with the P90 plan :-) Guess I will see (slightly less of you) there!

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  2. What a fantastic post. I am with you on every last one of the things you wrote about. (Except the age thing. Damn - I am an old mum!!) I gained on average two pounds a year after I had my babies. Not during the pregnancies - after. Then one day my short arse body was 20lbs heavier and it was not pretty. So I dumped most of it last summer the only sensible way. I ate healthier. I did more exercise. It dropped off way faster than I could have imagined. Just goes to show how much crap I must have been eating! So I believe you will succeed beautifully in all goals here because you have the right attitude.

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  3. Great post - I'm with you all the way on keeping fit, both financially and physically. But your little girl (and ones to come) will thank you for it when their mum is a fit and healthy 80 year old!

    Work on it now whilst you are young - trust me as you get older it gets a whole lot harder to keep the weight down!

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  4. Good luck! I am trying to lose my "baby weight" too. This is my third baby, she is about 16 months old now, and I weigh the most I ever had (almost as much as I did when I gave birth). I'm not sure if you still breastfeed, but once I wean my kids I lose weight very quickly, at least that is what happened with the first two. I bf them both until they were about 2, so I am almost done once again. Looking forward to seeing your progress!!!

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  5. I'm proud of you Danny! I wish I had the motivation to work out. I have lost 20 pounds since the new year and am on the Pink Method program. No sugar or white flour items! I'll be looking forward to reading your progress and seeing you in person at SS.
    Good for you and your husband on cash only. You can do it!

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  6. Great post danny! Great word! Nothing you talked about is unattainable and thats the most important thing, you've got a great support system - I'll look forward to seeing your progress and "meeting you" at SS!!

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  7. Great post Danny! I've got my pom poms out cheering for ya! I love Shelley too! The last photo of you is hilarious! I'm glad you are going to take more time for you and your family. Blogging can suck the time and life right out of you at times.

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  8. Go Danny! And yes, you can do it!!! You'll feel so much better too and have more energy. Looking forward to seeing how things progress!

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  9. Awesome post! You might motivate me to lose my baby weight too, you know! I've lost some (13kg - not sure what that is in pounds?) but my 'baby' is 21 months so I'd really like to lose the other 10kg in the not too distant future!
    I think my word would be 'balance'. Trying to juggle my three lovely kids (often by myself since my man works away a. lot.), plus get the house under control, plus my sewing addiction, plus everything else life throws at me - I think balance is probably what I need as my mantra!

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  10. This was a great post and very motivational. I know you will succeed. I'll need to check out that P90 program. You will look hot in that Anthropology dress at Sewing Summit. Can't wait!

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  11. Great post Danny. It speaks to me so clearly. my hubby just asked to spend more time with me, since I try to sew every chance I get, and I NEED to loose weight. Maybe I should do it publicly too so I can force myself to stick with it. Good luck. You can do it!

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  12. Love it. I'm trying to get rid of the (2 year) post baby fat so I've been getting to the gym. We also did the Dave Ramsey thing and found it to be very practical. We don't have credit cards and though my Husband's in school again we're still paying off his other school debt and working on getting the car paid off too. I'm with you on these two challenges!! Here's wishing you all the luck and motivation you need! And I'm excited to see what dress from Anthropologie you get!!! I too have size 10's I want to fit into...and 8's...

    You can do it!

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  13. This is excellent Danny - I`m doing the same for the FQ Retreat in June and have already lost about 11 lbs, but need to do more!! Good luck - great post and you are so brave to do before and after shots!

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  14. I can only echo what all the ladies above have said - well done you for putting it out there (don't you go deleting this post in the future and claiming we had a group hallucination!).
    I love your determination, good luck, my friend x

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  15. Good luck! My husband and I are cash only peeps. We have a debit card but not a credit card. We recently went to a resort and because we were paying with debit we could not charge room service to the room. When we checked in the lady said we needed a credit card rather than debit then she looked at us like we had three heads when we said we dont have credit cards! Our church has had the Dave Ramsey classes before, I think its great that you sre doing that!

    As far as the weight... I still have my baby weight on and my baby is almost 6 years!! Ugh! I need to get busy too! :-)

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  16. Yay for the rejuvenation! I've just finished paying off all my student debts and my car, so my last tackle is the credit cards, and I'm going to work something out with the bank manager on how best to do that so I pay them the least amount of interest! (The bank manager won't care, the cards aren't with his bank ;o) )

    Looking forward to seeing the smaller you at SS!

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  17. That is so great! you are starting a journey. I am doing the same thing! I should have a post up tomorrow for another instalment of blogger NOT on a diet. You should totally come by and visit.

    Thanks so much for linking up to the Sunday Blog Hop. I am of course following you.

    Danielle @ Blissful and Domestic
    www.blissfulanddomestic.com

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  18. Good luck on your weight loss journey. I found your blog on the Sunday blog hop and am a new follower. I like your blog. BTW, that was a cute Beatles quilt you made...so creative.

    Shasta @ In The Old Road
    http://intheoldroad.blogspot.com/

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  19. Such an inspirational post! I am your newest follower from the Networking Blog Hop! I would love if you would check out my blog and if you like what you see follow back :)
    Modern Modest Beauty

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  20. 5'6? i thought you were shorter than me... Hm. I'm aiming to be able to fit into my jeans without having a muffin top by october. :(

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  21. Danny, you know I think that you are adorable! You've got this and I am proud of you for sharing such a personal goal with the world. We will support you no matter what you need.

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