daybook august 14, 2011

Outside my window…
Rain, rain, here to stay. Make my veggies grow today.

I am thinking…

In all labor there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to penuary. ~ Proverbs 14:23

I went to the Power Mommy Nation Back to School Bootcamp yesterday and came away energized and refreshed with a new vision for the school year. I’ll be sharing more details this week about the conference since I think Uneeka Jay is a dynamic female entrepreneur and mom with an incredible vision and passion for helping moms.

One of the things I do want to reflect on this week is the power of a plan and carrying out the plan, and knowing when something doesn’t fit in with the plan. It is good to take action, and that action needs to be in alignment with our values, our vision and our plan as moms. Otherwise, we end up running around doing stuff like chickens with their heads chopped off.

I know I do better as a mom, wife, and person when everything is clear, the steps to be taken are clear, and I’m not caught up in busywork.

I am thankful for…
finding such incredible moms through blogging. The online friendships I’m making are giving my life an additional depth that I don’t need, yet I welcome the opening up of my vision to new ideas and thoughts.

I am pondering…
my plans for the school year. I’ve decided to take advantage of my built-in babysitter this week, and spend a few hours at Panera’s working on my plans.

Living a green/frugal lifestyle…
My big budget news is that we are refinancing our mortgage and we’re going to use the savings to pay off our mortgage early and pay off our home equity loan.

Once everything goes through with our mortgage company, I am setting up additional automatic payments towards the principal for both loans. Over the life of the mortgage loan, we’ll be saving over $23K with the lower payment. However, if we roll that money back into the loan and apply it towards the principal, we’ll be able to save more thanks to the power of compound interest.

I’m so excited to have us even farther on our way to paying off our mortgage early!

From the kitchen…
With the tomato harvest slowing down, I’ve been making cookie doughs for the freezer, plus extra loaves of bread. The bean harvest is in full swing which means I’ll be steaming and freezing beans almost every day this week.

Today, my husband is getting all the picked tomatoes and green beans in the freezer while it’s raining out. Tomorrow, I’ll be picking again, however, I won’t be able to process the tomatoes or green beans until Tuesday.

I am creating…
a vision and plan for so many parts of my life. I feel so energized, so inspired, and full of questions for other people.

I am going…
Actually, I went to Gentile’s with my husband as our mini date/business meeting. We talked about how to make family meetings work for our family, something I learned about yesterday. I’m really excited about trying the concept out, and I think over time my kids will grow into the idea, too.

I am reading…
America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money. I am also going to reread Lifelines by James B. Stenson.

Living A Healthy Lifestyle…
Even though my ear infection is gone, my allergies have been wrecking my sleep this past week, making me feel uninspired to take walks. Yet, I’m still walking. I’m increasing my intake of alfalfa to reduce my allergy symptoms.

I am hoping…
to get a lot done today, and it’s okay if I don’t. As long as I get my tasks into my electronic planner, I’ll be good enough.

I am hearing…
a blue jay outside, light rain, and my husband listening to Rush Limbaugh on his latop.

Around the house…
Um, what house? I feel like I’ve had tunnel vision with the tomatoes and yard. However, I do need to admit that I have been cleaning areas of the house. Each time I pull out the vacuum, I pick a room, and clean up the cobwebs and spiders.

This week, I need to pull out uniforms, socks, and shoes for my 2nd grader. I’m also calling the school about supply lists for preschool and kindergarten since I haven’t received them yet. There may also be a meeting for kindergarten parents that I haven’t heard about yet.

Around the yard…
My oldest son has been trimming the hedge. The rain has slowed his progress though he should be finished this upcoming week.

I cleaned up certain areas of the yard last week, including trimming back bushes that were hanging over the hedge. I whacked (yes, my term!) back the cherry tomatoes in the veggie garden, and weeded out some huge weeds.

In addition to harvesting the beans daily, I’m keeping an eye on the grapes to make sure we pick them before the birds eat them. Given my busy schedule this week, I’m planning on washing the grapes, tossing them in freezer bags, and tossing the bags in the freezer. I’ll juice the grapes the following week when my husband is on vacation and can help me if needed.

One of my favorite things…
DHEA – It’s a new supplement that I’m trying to help with adrenal fatigue. Despite my poor sleeping all last week, the DHEA kept me energized until Friday when the lack of sleep finally caught up with me. I’m certain the DHEA helped yesterday when I was at bootcamp.

When I bought the DHEA at a local pharmacy, it came in 3 amounts – 10 mg, 25 mg, and 50 mg. I went with 25 mg figuring that I have been dealing with adrenal fatigue for at least a year or so.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Clementon Park on Monday thanks to Ben FM – Woohoo! then Tyler Arboretum on Wednesday. We also have a dentist appointment, and my oldest son is going to babysit twice while I work on my planning at Panera’s.