Thrifty Tuesday: Yard Sale Tally!

Last weekend I went to a yard sale (or garage sale or tag sale depending on your locale....here, they are called yard sales) and much to my excitement scored some pretty sweet deals!  I don't yard sale often because, quite honestly, getting up super early on a Saturday morning is never a strong suit of mine if it isn't completely and totally necessary and those yard salers are early morning folks!!!

Fortunately I got to take a "pre-sale" preview of this yard sale on Friday night and I think I did pretty good:

2 Price Pfister faucets sets that will work perfectly when we redo the boys bathroom $20.00 for both

1 glass juicer $.25

6 vintage ice cream dishes $1.00

1 barely used (if at all) wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse (DH picked that out!) $2.00

1 adorable madras patchwork sundress $1.00

1 Oneida Silver Plate tea pot $2.00

1 pair NEW Sperry's $1.00 (YES, $1.00)

Grand Total:  $27.25!!!!  Ding! Ding! Ding!!!!

I am particularly excited about these vintage ice cream dishes.  The glass "bowl" actually comes out of the silver stand for cleaning. I am seeing these being just adorable on my holiday table this year...maybe not holding ice cream but a big Christmas ornament as a place marker!  Don't you just love finding unique things for a steal?

Christmas 2012!

Yes, I just titled a post in June, "Christmas 2012!"  Don't let anyone tell you that I am slow on the draw, no siree! 

When I picked up my mail this afternoon I was so excited to see that brown cardboard box from Southern Living!   Y'all this a high light of my summer (YES, SUMMER) every year!

Whoot! 
Guess what I am reading by the pool this afternoon??? 

WARNING: On My Soapbox about Complainers!

Yes, I am writing a post to complain about complainers...logical, right?  Seriously, though, I don't understand why some people feel the need to pick out the negative about every single experience in life.  You know the ones I am talking about...they gripe about their job (when there are tons of people that don't have one), they complain about their free time (when there are people who wish they could afford to have "free" time), they complain about their families (when there are people who just wish they had a family), they complain about their co-workers/bosses (when, again, there are people who just wish they had a job!), they complain about how tired they are (when there are people who have responsibilities 24/7 that keep going without complaint!)...the list could go on and on. 

Not to say that everyone doesn't complain sometimes, but there are some souls that seem stuck in the mire of negativity so much that they miss out on life.  They seem to be determined to get caught in the victim mentality which they allow to rob them of so much.  It is a shame that they can find the tiny nugget to complain about but they miss the huge boulder of joy sitting right in front of them.

.....climbing off my soapbox now.....complaint ended.

Getting Healthy Update!

It has been a couple of weeks since I kicked off my "Getting Healthy" attitude and I am proud to say that I am now starting week 3 with NO Diet Coke...seriously (and no one has died!)  I have had a couple of times when I almost caved (I just wanted a Route 44 from Sonic tiny sip...) but I didn't! As silly as it sounds, this is pretty huge for me!!!   Now, I have no stories about how much better I feel and all that jazz, but I do feel positive that I am breaking that addiction, uh, habit!  This week, I am trying to fine tune my diet and really get into the groove with the Low Carb eating and increasing my activity.

Wish me luck! 
I need all the encouragement I can get!!!!

Happy Father's Day!

On Father's Day (and everyday) I am so thanks filled that my children have such a great Father.  I think he is the kind of Dad every child should have...one that loves fiercely and cares deeply, one that can teach, play and lead, one that shows them what a man should be.  He is gentle but they know that he is strong.  He is their solid. 

With all the changes we have been through in the last few months, I just don't know how we would have made it without him.  We are blessed.

I wish every child had a Godly man in their life, whether it be a Dad, Grandfather, Uncle, or just a trusted friend.  To all those men who are serving that role in the life of a child, you are a blessing beyond measure.  Happy Father's Day.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

Psalm 103:13 

Getting Healthy!

I know a lot of bloggers who have had great luck (and I am sure found great motivation) by blogging about their attempts at losing weight and/or getting healthy, but I have always been a bit hesitant to put it out there a whole lot.  It just wasn’t something I wanted to blog about because quite frankly I was (AM) more afraid of failing in this very public forum than anything else!  But in recent months an old friend has taken control of his health in a very inspiring way and with the great success I have seen in his life and the life of my youngest son with the diet he is on for his seizure disorder it has started to tug at me and the way I am taking care of myself. 

Actually, I am in reasonably good health and I am not feeling motivated by a desire to lose weight (…though, that would be a big, old plus if I lost a few pounds!) but I am motivated by wanting to get healthier and stronger.  The only issue health wise that I struggle with is PCOS/insulin resistance and it can only be helped by taking control of my diet and exercise.

I am finding motivation in the upward creep of that number I get assigned on each birthday and by watching family members who are not taking care of themselves and how it has affected their quality of life at what I consider too early an age.   I want to be strong and full of energy to enjoy this great place in life that I find myself!

So….I am doing away with this….

Source: dietcoke.com via Mary on Pinterest

It probably sounds silly but it will be my biggest challenge.  Fortunately, I am not addicted to caffeine as I gave that up a few months ago but I am pretty addicted to my beloved Diet Coke…

I am also jumping on the low carb bandwagon with my youngest son (who is on the Modified Atkins version of the Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy.)  I have had good luck losing weight in the past with the Atkins Diet and after seeing so much evidence of how carbohydrates (SUGAR) damage our mind and bodies I feel it is right for me.  Not to mention, low carb diets are the best diets for combating the issues related to PCOS and insulin resistance!

So there you have it…I am putting my health out there…publically (gulp) and hope to find the motivation and commitment I need to carry it though!