Empty Nest Syndrome

I know that empty nest is supposed to be for couples when their kids go off to college or move out but I think I'm feeling it.

My niece moved back with her mom and dad, who are doing so great!  I love that she's back with them but I feel an emptiness.  I was her mom for a year.  It was only a year but we got so used to having her around that it's sad.  We had a routine down and Marcus liked having her around.

Marcus goes to his Dad's on the weekends, my best friend is gone working or at her boyfriend's most of the time so my house on the weekend is empty.

Friday nights I usually go to my boyfriend's and we go to dinner and sometimes a movie.  Friday we went to dinner, got froyo and then watched Dateline....talk about feeling old!

Having an empty house is nice to a point because I can clean it and declutter and do all those projects I've been putting off.  It should be nice but really it's kind of depressing.  I love being a mom.  Kids may drive me crazy but not having them around is boring.

The rest of this weekend I got some Christmas stuff done, my haircut, spent WAY too much money, went to Ikea and bought too much stuff, ate lots of pizza, drank lots of wine and did a ton of laundry.



It was productive but I need a hobby!  I may start working out all weekend long haha just kidding but seriously someone give me some hobbies to do??

Choose Your Own Adventure-November

This month's adventure is organizing!  I am usually a somewhat organized perosn but my house is a complete disaster!  Here are my goals:

1.  Organize my Christmas stuff.  Make actual boxes for things instead of throwing them all in the same tub.  Lazy geez.  

2. Declutter!  This may take more than a month but that's ok.  I already got one room done......5 more to go

3. Clean out my kitchen cabinets.  This will probably mean only buying produce for a couple weeks.

4. Find a good way to organize all my bills, anyone else hate paper like me?!  It's such a pain in the ass.

That's it.  Anyone else organizing this month?

Days Like This

Yesterday (Monday) I woke up in a mood.  You ever just wake up and know it's going to be a shitty day and you have no idea why?  I hadn't even got out of bed yet and thought f this day. 

I got to work and the crazies were more crazy than normal.  Maybe not crazy but whiny.  These grown people whine more than children some times.  The phone rang non stop...I just wasn't in the mood.

Then I get a phone call from my mom.  She had heard a rattling in her furnace for awhile now, possibly 6 months.  The plumber came to check it out and found a crack in her furnace.  That means carbon monoxide.  When he checked the levels they were deadly.  He saved her life.  She hasn't been feeling great lately but blamed it on other things.  I mean who thinks carbon monoxide poisoning when they don't feel good? Nobody that's who.  People are more likely to suspect ebola these days. My poor mom.  She also had to buy a new furnace...ouch.

Then I get a phone call from the principal at Marcus' school.  I won't get into details but he was put in in school suspension.  Anybody know what to do with an 11 year old that can't stop getting in trouble?  I'm contemplating beating him but people might frown upon that.

So I came home and lost myself in a lot of wine with my best friend.  I'm really thankful she lives here.  It brightens my days.

This morning I didn't have to work, kind of a rare weekday off.  I dropped the kids off and went and voted!  So glad I made time to do that.

Then Marcus had a presentation at school and what luck that I was off to go watch it!  All the kids made a power point presentation on their own individual computers and the parents got to walk around and watch them all.  School has sure come a long way.

From there I went to the gym.  Yes I am giving you a play by play of my day but I promise there is a point.  I have gone to the gym 4 of the last 5 days and LOVE it.  I forget how much energy I have when I workout.

I then went to Target.  We all love us some Target right?  Everything I needed to buy was on sale, so great!  I had signed up for the debit red card.  You get the 5% without having to sign up for a credit card, check check check it out!

Then I went to lunch with my best friend, to the post office, library and picked up Marcus from school.  When we came home Marcus raked leaves and I started sanding a cabinet I want to put it my living room.  I also food prepped, cleaned and decluttered my niece's room. (she moved out)  I was a busy girl and so sore.

My boyfriend stopped by as a surprise just to give me a hug and a kiss.

I took a bath with a book and a glass of wine and the Ray Lamontagne Pandora station.  It was the best.  Then this song came on...

All I could do was smile.  Most people associate this song with a bad day, today (Tuesday) I associated it with a great day.  It was just the reminder I needed that no matter how may bad days I have, there will always be more good.  Thank goodness for the little reminders sometimes.  I know I some times ignore them but today I had to smile and remember what this life is all about.

What do you have to be thankful for today?

October Wallet Watch-Follow Up

I'm not sure why the button won't work for me but it won't.....

1. Stick to my budget.  I always know I have wiggle room and I take advantage of that way too much.  I have recently been hit with a ton of medical bills and if I don't stick to my budget I will never get them paid.  I have a ton of birthdays, Halloween, I'm throwing a wedding reception, etc... but I am sticking to it.  I was good with this, there were a couple times I had to pay for things I hadn't planned but that's life sometimes. Savings-Not quite sure

 

2. NO MORE STARBUCKS.  My name is Analisa and I'm a Starbucks addict.  I spend ridiculous amounts on chai tea.  I need to start making my own (it just doesn't taste the same) I did it!!!!  It's November 5th and I still haven't bought any! Savings-$60

 

3. No more gas station stops.  We stop at gas stations when we clean sometimes and grab energy drinks, candy and snacks.  The problem is you don't realize how much that adds up. Not one time! Savings-$25

4. Make meal plans and stick to them.  I have been working my ass off lately and have hardly had time to grocery shop, let alone cut coupons or look at ads.  Last night I was at the grocery store at 8pm without a list, hungry and tired and spent 25 more than I normally do.  I know that doesn't seem like a lot but to my budget it is. I did this probably 80 percent of the time. Savings-$75

Pretty good I have to say!  

Sinus Surgery and other happenings

Since January I have had 6 sinus infections and 3 double ear infections.  The last sinus infection in July decided not to go away so I sucked it up and went to a real doctor.  Every time I got sick I went to a Little Clinic because it was fast and easy.  I didn't have to make an appointment and they would give me my antibiotics and that was that.  What I really needed was an ENT specialist.  I finally went to one and he said my sinuses were a disaster basically and I needed surgery pretty badly.  So I did it.  

It was miserable.  It put me out for 5 days.  When he told me it was an outpatient surgery I figured it would be easy and I would recover pretty quickly...as if.  There were stents up my nose for the first 6 days....if you don't know what those are then you don't want to.  Basically there were plates up my nose and when he removed them I almost wish he had put me to sleep again.  I was kind of looking forward to recovering because I could get some TV watched, books read, blogs written and projects done.  I got TV watched but that's about it.  

While sitting on my couch everyday I came across a post on FB from Mama Laughlin talking about a 21 day detox put on by her trainer.  I do not care what anyone says I'm still and always will be a ML fan.  I decided to join...why the helll not? The first three days were perfect because I couldn't smell or taste food so it didn't matter what I ate and it got me over the initial hard days.  Fast forward to today Day 12 and it's a big fat MF'in fail.  Oh well.  My boyfriend told me if you aren't all in then you aren't going to do the whole thing...I really hate when he's right.  One of my friend's decided to do it with me though and she is doing great!  She lost 7 pounds the first week.

So back to that whole balance thing I was talking about.  I thought a detox would send me in the right direction but it didn't.  I did decide to join a gym though.  Complete motivation!  If I'm paying for it I will go, I don't like to waste money!

In other news...My niece turned 3!

 

 

 

I went to a Blacklight Run....we didn't run but we had a blast!

 

And I threw my Aunt a surprise wedding reception...

 

 

 

Hopefully now that I feel better there will be some more blogging....How is everyone?  What's going on for Halloween?



I'd like to thank.....

This friday I would like to thank....

* The Full Moon for making everyone around me crazy...you have no idea. If you work in healthcare you do

* The October Wallet Watch.  I have not had Starbuck's in 9 days and it's kind of rough but I've saved a shit ton of money

*My boyfriend for deciding we are going to the beach in February.  That means I have to get my ass in shape so I can roam around in a bikini for a week....EEK. I'm so excited! I haven't been to a beach since I was 15

*My best friend for moving in with me and making life so much more fun!

* The fact that I'm going to a beach in february for me turning down, pizza, bagel bites, grilled cheese sandwich and creamsicles all yesterday.  SO hard but I did it!

*My Aunt and her new husband for giving me a reason to throw a surprise party this weekend:)  They have been together 16 years and FINALLY got married. Pictures to come.

*These kids for helping me with dinner last night

*Trader Joe's for having EVERYTHING pumpkin...I mean they even had croutons

These both are delicious!

* Shakeology for getting me over my hangover last weekend.  I wish I could afford it all the time!

What's everyone doing this weekend?

Things I love MORE than food

Yeah I said it.  It's hard to believe anyone can love anything more than food but when I started thinking about it there are MANY things.  I thought of this post while browsing Pinterest can you believe it?!  All I think sometimes is that my life revolves around food.  I'm either eating it, cooking it, looking for new recipes or dreaming about it.  Sad but true.  Anyone relate?  So today I'm naming some things or people I love more than food and maybe should be thinking about more....but considering my post yesterday I thought this was appropriate.

*Marcus-Of course I will always love him more than anything in this world

*My niece-She lights up everyone's lives and has this personality that keeps us all laughing

*My boyfriend-There isn't enough time to talk about how wonderful he is to me

*My family and friends of course.

Those are all the boring, everyone knows those answers

*The crisp fall air

*Putting on my pajamas and slippers-nothing like being comfortable

*Saving money grocery shopping-it's like an adrenaline rush sometimes when you realize you just saved 50% on your grocery trip (I know this kinda has to do with food but it doesn't all at the same time)

*Music!  This is probably my number 2.  I couldn't live in a world without music.

*TV- (Don't judge).  Who else is excited for all the new premieres?

*Pumpkin or Apple candles-anything fall really

*The beach....

*My number 1 will always be Sunsets

*Lists-writing them, crossing things off and throwing them away when they are complete. Anybody else?

*The smell of firewood, gas or any kind of lumber (yeah I'm weird)

*Books-of course...always.  Anybody reading anything I need to read right now?

What things do you love more than food?