The Weekly Chase – Week #5

 

Wow – this past week was not a good one for goals – what has gotten into me????

#1 – Operation Beautiful – read the book and did a post yesterday and that is as far as it got last week.

#2 – Plank-A-Day – didn’t happen once – I am so sad…

# 3 – Read girls a bed-time story – this was an epic failure – but my kids did enjoy our last softball game of the season, they were served cake and fun time with Daddy on Thursday and a wedding reception Friday plus more over the weekend. Attention was kind to them.

#4 – Team Beach Body – did some major research and such – This next month is going to be busy of becoming being a product of the product!!

#5 – Vitamins – yeah…lets not talk about it because I didn’t think about it.

SO – on to bigger and better!!!

This isn’t really a goal – but it has been a challenge for Vlogging everyday please check out my YouTube Channel – MissMollyDR as I have some funny stuff for ya and is really making me happy!

#1 – Plank-A-Day – You are not going to escape me….I promise after doing nothing last week – I will meet you at 3 minutes this week.

#2 – Story Time – I bought two cute books to read to them that I got at the Target $1 Spot! The Little Princess and The Secret Garden – I might be more excited than them!

#3 – Marketing Me – I am really working hard on who I am and working my outlets. I have seen a traffic increase this past week and can’t wait to keep it up! I hope you all know I have to you thank for this!

#4 – Mamavation  Bootcamp – I want to get into this so bad it hurts…..can you all help me out some? Please do the following and thank you to those that already have!!

Can you please get out your Twitter profiles and tweet the following phrase to get me into Momavation Bootcamp please? I would to have it happen as much and as often as you can!! – please copy and paste to Twitter or to their Facebook page!!

Hey @bookieboo! I want @MissMollyDR to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/aorv3Y

 

#5 – Accountability Partners – I am getting more and more accountable to myself with reading of Bible Studies and the Bible and I would love to have you join me! I am looking for people who want to be involved in a daily text, email, or tweet to help them remember! If you are interested – please email me with how you want to participate!

mollyritterbeck at gmail.com

 

#6 – Team Beach Body – I am going to become a product of the product by finding which one I want to start with and ordering it, get really comfortable with the websites, and complete week #1 homework. I got this!!

 

This week will be better and I will make sure of it!

 

My First Vlog – Oh My!

Starbucks…What Can I Say?

When I had no kids I swore I would never drink Starbucks as it was too much and for snobs. I opted for Caribou Coffee because it was cheaper and it has a really friendly staff. Slowly all my girls left for other places or moved because of a husband’s job.  I finally switched to Starbucks because it was in a more convenient location for getting in and out of.  Even after kids I pinched pennies elsewhere and made my daily trip to Starbucks. The people knew who I was, what my drink was, and my total based on the sound of my truck.  What can I say – an F350 Dually with stacks makes a statement for a mom 🙂

I then left John Deere and worked closer to home and the only time I got Starbucks from then on was when we went out-of-town for anything. I always found an excuse to make Nick stop on the way home from the racetrack and everything. He loves me though so he did it!

Enter Alaska. Three separate occasions I got the same girl who was increasingly rude to the point of pissed-off’d-ness (actual word peeps) that I complained to Starbucks corporate.  I have seemed to notice her not at the drive thru window much and I am throughly enjoying my free beverage coupons.  Especially since I didn’t ask for them to be mailed to me.

In my recent appointment to FitFluential Ambassador (can you tell I am so excited??) I decided that I should really make the change I keep talking about. Using Starbucks as merely a motivation tool – or reward.  My goal is to not only run more, but to hit the programs offered at school at least 3 days a week. Why? Because I get time off work for doing so and at the end of the insurance year I get the premium back (which I don’t pay since I am on military insurance – Bonus for me).  Also if I can do this not only will I get the time off work – I will reward myself with a coffee!!!  My mom sends me Starbucks gift cards every so often and this will me make them last!

What do you do to keep motivated? What is your reward?

Fun Friday

So no fitness to report on – yes I am a slacker – so how about some fun?

Here are a couple of blogs I like recently – they are fun, enlightening, and I like them!

http://25by20five.com/ – 25X25 – she has some funny stuff and her recent post on what she thinks about when she runs – hysterical.  I might try to do this once – that is motivation to run!

http://diane-owens.com/ – In My Own Opinion – she is asking herself a question a day for a year. She hits on some great topics, and some things I would actually like to try!

http://davidkanigan.com/2012/03/22/life-goal-aid-or-blocker/ – Lead.Learn.Live – this post made me laugh as I have been on the internet all morning. Can you say slow day?

My husband started school – this is always interesting. He needs complete silence and no interruptions or his mood becomes unpleasant.  I, on the other hand, learned to multi-task. Just sayin’

I think I can see this being one day during the week where I find something for the girls and I to do outside the house.  This may also lead into something on the weekend as well. I want him to do well and I think he will do great if I can just give him what he needs to succeed. A room with padded walls and silence 🙂

I find I have tendencies like my mother – most would say this is normal and I should get over it. um, have you met mine?  I love my mom, I do. I just don’t want to be like her. She shows favoritism to my brother, my nephew, and my husband. Might I remind you she has two grand daughters, two daughter, and a daughter-in-law.  Yeah – she will deny it but she thinks the boys walk on water and me and my female counterparts are pond scum. It is the truth, I swear it.  My husband has been given permission to tell me I am acting like her so I can change immediately. 

I once bought two super cute shirts from JC Penny and immediately took them back when he stated I looked like her. Nice.

Have you ever read a book that is awful but you won’t give up reading it? That was me until yesterday when I finally finished it. I love Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum books – they are funny. I decided to venture to another series of hers called Metro Girl and Motor Mouth is next. It took me forever to get through this book. It took like 300 pages to build up to a 3 page play out. Not good.  The first part of the book could have taken 200 pages and the ending could have been another 100. Oh well, that is why I am not a writer.  I also think the only reason she made money on this book is because people loved her other books and assumed this would be good to.

Packing my lunch – This is what I do now. I am trying to really reign in on spending that is so unnecessary. I pack my lunch as much as I am not a huge fan of it. I can eat leftovers once – not much more than that though.  It also helps that I meal plan and prep now as much as I can so the fact that I don’t have anything extra to do for my lunch makes me happy. Last night I did have to put together the meatloaf and throw it in a pan – but that is the most I have done all week. Totally worth the payoff in my mind. I think I may still buy every once in a while to reward myself, but it won’t be once or twice a week like some do.

The library – my new-found love. Especially since I can reserve everything online – CD’s, DVD’s and my books. Then when I go to pick them up I can gander at all the new arrivals and book shelves to get things I didn’t know about! I enjoy this as I don’t have to buy anything and I can still enjoy it like I did! It kind of kills the shopping addiction without actually killing it! 

Shopping addiction – I think I have one. Nothing major that costs me thousands, but it is where my $5 here goes to and my $10 there. I found the other day when I got mad I went straight to a shopping website and starting putting things in a shopping cart. I never ended up buying, but it made me feel like I had. This also in turn had me turn to the library so I could things and then bring them back when the buyer’s remorse” wore off.  Kinda silly – but I think I have made a break through with this one!

My kids – I read a book about a drunk driver tearing apart a family. A daughter and a husband were killed leaving a mother and her other daughter. It made me cry the entire 3 beginning chapters. I love my girls like no other and I hope they grow to understand that.  It makes me want to cuddle them at night, let them sleep in bed with us, sleep in later, eat cereal at all time, and just enjoy them. Now I realize I need to parent them and make them understand that no means no, but I also want them to know they are always loved.  Now to find balance in doing all of that 🙂

 

Is that enough for now? 🙂

 

 

 

Proverbs 31 Woman – Virtue #6

6. Finances – A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26)

Ugh – I hate the word finance and anything that goes with the personal type.  Ever since I left John Deere in 2009 mine have not been where I want them. It seems that when the paycheck went down everything else stayed the same and it makes it awful hard to make ends meet.  I have been humbled to needing Nick’s help with a lot of things and money was one of them.  I had to ask to make purchases and I didn’t like it , but it made me really think about things I needed and wanted.

I learning now that things have to be quality, not just about quantity. I might be able to buy 5 shirts for $20 but they will need to be replaced in a couple of months because the quality is bad. OR I could buy 3 for $20 that will last me all summer as the fabric is thicker. 

My kids might like the name brand cereal, but will they ever know the taste difference if I just buy generic and call it the same? No.

Do I really need to buy soda for $5 a 12 pack? No.

When I am not buying all that crap – I can save to make sure the money is here when I really need it.  I am forever learning on this one. Nick has really helped me too – not sure if he really knows it though. 

What have you done to help with finances?

All About A Challenge Huh?

My Dear friend Martha read my post from yesterday (especially the part about reading 10 books in March) and then decided to create her own set of challenges on her blog HERE. She asked if anyone wanted to join her – well who loves a challenge? That is ME!

So here it goes Martha along with some answer to your challenges (duh)!

#1 – I will up my ante to 20 books by Easter.  I have a crap load of books that I wanted to read but never read. So not proud of that, so I have pulled out my list of books I keep with me. I will whittle it down .I will be watching your Goodreads.com progress Martha!

#2 – I will join you in both A and B. I cannot do push ups and I was a competitive gymnast for 8 years and was a very strong person.  What happened??? I think Nick will even get a kick out of this one. He knows how much I suck at them – and even Petra knows how bad I am. I want pictures – and I will take them too!

#3 – I will make a schedule and stick to it. This one has helped me with my post I wrote for tomorrow. I needed something to help me.  You my friend, just helped me. So thanks for making me re-write tomorrow’s post. Thank you for this…really.

Monday: Stationary Bike  ( I like the idea of the bike, just because it is different)

Tuesday: Pilates & Yoga

Wednesday: Run & Yoga

Thursday: Pilates & Yoga

Friday: Run

Saturday & Sunday I will try to take my girls for walks as weather allows. Maybe some Yoga too 🙂

Martha – can’t wait to see how we both end up by Easter!

Deprived

Blah….I am feeling the effects of sun deprivation. I honestly think it is finally affecting me. I am exercising at lunch, I have cut back on coffee and soda and candy (my main source of calories) and I still feel tired and crappy.

I work indoors with no hope of sunlight except my quick walks to whatever exercise class I am taking. It is clearly not enough sun.

I need Vitamin D. I hate taking pills and I have no clue when I could fit tanning. I guess I will have to start taking pills.

Dang.

Sharing Saturday #4

So I am going to share something with you today that I have not really outwardly shared much. I know people who are in similar situations understand – we just know.  I feel that I have to write about this one so that I can get it out and not have it rolling around in my head all the time right now.

Nick is deploying. Again.

It never used to be a huge ordeal. I mean it was just me. No kids. I obviously worried and missed him and waited for the phone call or email every single day.

Then we had Abby on his mid-tour leave in 07. I had a baby to keep me busy and occupy my time. I could have something new and exciting to tell Nick about with every phone call. I was okay as there was just me and someone who needed me.

Now I have a 4-year-old Daddy’s girl, and a 2-year-old who is very emotional. Both will have birthdays while he is gone. One will have her first day of school. I will have a 4-year-old to answer to when there is no phone call every night or daddy’s kiss every morning. Last night she cried when she realized she hadn’t talked to daddy and he was just at work 15 minutes away for a 24 hour shift. My 2-year-old cries for daddy randomly. Meaning it is out of the blue you won’t realize she was sad.

I am scared. I am scared that mainly I will not be able to keep my children healthy (mentally), happy, and “normal”. Will I be able to deal with the questions that come? How can I sooth a daughter who just wants her daddy? Can I be both to them? Will they really understand the situation? Will they start to run over me when I am tired and ready to cry? Am I strong enough for this one?  Maybe if I could have still been in NC? I know I cannot do anything about the what if’s so I need to keep those thoughts out of my head.

I do believe that God doesn’t hand us anything we can’t handle, and he is always trying to make us stronger. I also believe that we were supposed to come to AK and Nick was supposed to deploy. I just don’t understand it all right now. Or I may never.

I just hope that I can find the strength at the toughest times to get through whatever is going on without any fear in my mind that Nick is coming home. I know that is an awful thought, but it is the nature of the business I guess you could say.

I knew what I was signing up for and I knew he would leave us. I get it. I have always tried to be very positive about the military. I mean I can’t change anything that happens, and just when you think you have it figured out it changes. I know this. I understand this. I am not one of those obnoxious military wives who is a complete and total bitch because her husband is – “OMG Deploying? You have got to be kidding me!” Yeah….so not me.  I will also never wear his rank (I don’t know what they all look like anyways) so I just show them all respect. I don’t bitch at any and everything because I have been slighted once. I am not that girl that you all think us military wives are. BUT I can say I do know who those are. I will not be one of those. I cannot be one of those.

I just hope that through the upcoming months I can find the strength to remain positive and not be scared. Like I said, I have done this a couple of times before – but this it totally different. Kids make all the difference in the world and I hope that I can make a difference to them at this point in their life. Especially now.

I share with you my weakness today in the hopes that it will make me stronger.