And a Few More of My Favorite Things

So I found out that Nike makes amazing workout clothes. I found this great pair of yoga pants at the Nordstrom Rack(NR) about a year or so ago and want to wear them every day. The problem with finding something at the NR you love is you will never be able to locate it again. After fruitless internet searches and checking the NR constantly I gave up. Luckily though I found these other GREAT Nike perfect Dri-FIT pants .



The style is called 'Perfect Fit' and they were 40% off. Slightly flared with small side slits. Great material and a bit of a band at the top, slight compression to hold your tummy in. I also love that they come in actual sizes instead of S, M, L to cover who knows what. I am not going to tell you I bought four pair and have been living in them ever since :)

The next item on my list is the Supermarket Diet Cookbook.



I LOVE this cookbook. The recipes are very healthy, most take only about 30 minutes, there is a large variety, and they taste amazing! We use this cookbook when we aren't dieting just for balanced easy meals. We all give a quick star rating (out of 5 stars) right on the recipe page so we can remember how much we liked each recipe. If you are looking for some new recipes seriously give this book a try and just don't think about the name.

My last favorite thing for today would have to be my little dog Huxley.

I had no idea how much I would love having a little dog around to play with and cuddle. I'm not going to lie--he is a lot of work. I think he has been really good for my depression though. When we got him late last year I was going to "tolerate" him for Braeden and Ryan's sake. I really was not that excited. I was completely wrong. He won me over.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Marvis Toothpaste:

This is a fun little luxury that makes me happy every day and night. While it seems a little on the expensive side, when you think about how long a tube of toothpaste lasts, it is totally affordable. I discovered Marvis toothpaste a few years ago and haven't found anything I like better. The cool retro tube with the handcrafted screw top makes leaving it out on the counter ok. The different flavors are great for mixing it up a bit.



My favorite is the Jasmin Mint (a little bit minty and a little bit floral), followed by a tie for Aquatic Mint & Classic Strong Mint. The only one I didn't really care for was the Ginger Mint, which surprised me because I am a bit fan of ginger. It was a little strong and burned my mouth a little bit. Beauty.com has free shipping on any order right now and you also get to pick 3 free samples. They carry the Marvis toothpastes regular size so you can get a full sizes tube for as little as $9 shipped!



Wii Fit:

While this is not really hard, sweaty workout material, it works for me. The games are fun and don't take too long. You can use it just long enough for a quick body test (about 5 minutes or less) to see how you are doing with weight, BMI, balance, etc. I really like the aerobics, the yoga, and the balance games.

It's also just a good place to keep track of your progress as you set weight loss goals. It graphs your progress so you can see how far you have come. It's nice because you can password protect your profile so no one else can see your actual weight and BMI (great when you have an eight-year-old who likes to tell the world things you don't want them to know).


I love how it asks the other members of your family questions about you when they are using it like, "how does micabee's posture look recently?"

Whole Foods

This year I have really enjoyed shopping at our local Whole Foods. The variety, consistency, and just beautiful food options just make me happy. I also like purchasing locally produced items when possible and this is a great place to do this especially during the colder seasons when the farmer's market is closed. ALL of the eggs at whole foods are free range and affordable. Also, the 365 brand (Whole Foods Private Brand) is a great value and you can buy almost anything in this brand. Whole foods believes in fair trade and humane animal treatment.



If you need a creative gift idea this season, this really caught my eye. Purchase a Feed 100 bag for $30. The next part is taken from the whole foods blog.

"The Bag
Designed solely for Whole Foods Market, the FEED 100 reusable bag is made of organic cotton and natural burlap and is produced with a commitment to ensuring fair treatment of workers, livable wages, overtime pay and safe, clean working environments. It is a lightweight, fresh white tote that collapses easily into its base, which is a zippered rectangular burlap pouch emblazoned with the FEED logo and the number 100. An eco-friendly fashion statement that helps educate people about hunger and what we can do to alleviate it. It’s perfect to use for your groceries and for about 50 million other things too.

The Good
Each bag purchased provides 100 nutritious meals to hungry school age children in Rwanda through the United Nation World Food Program’s School Feeding Program. In 1994, Rwanda lost 800,000 men, women and children to genocide; as a result, the nation’s economy and social structures were decimated. School feeding is one of the most effective solutions to stopping hunger and breaking the poverty cycle. Since 2003, the World Food Program has provided free, nutritious school lunches to Rwanda’s children in 300 schools in the most food-deprived areas. Each hot, nutrient-rich meal draws boys and girls to school, helps them learn, and may be the only meal they have all day. School attendance has grown from 63 percent to 93 percent, and to help close the educational gender gap, girls with good attendance may receive extra rations to take home to their families. Girls with just a few years of education have fewer children, have them later in life, and are better prepared to care for and educate them.

The Cost
When a Whole Foods Market customer buys a FEED 100 bag, $10 is donated by the FEED Foundation to the World Food Program’s Rwanda School Feeding operation, with the remainder going to cover the costs of making the bag and oversight of the program by the FEED Foundation. The bags are produced with high-quality, 100% organic cotton and natural burlap. All FEED bags are made as eco-friendly and fairly as possible in audited and certified fair labor facilities. To further help the initiative, Whole Foods Market is not making any profit on these bags – in fact many of our stores are offering this bag for a special price of $25 for the holiday season – kicking in our own donation to help feed hungry children. If you aren’t close to one of our stores, check out online ordering through FEED."

Stay tuned for more of my favorite things this year!

Punishment Soup

Braeden forgot his homework at school again today. His teacher is very chill about all things so it's not really a big deal to him. I really don't know what we are going to do next year though if he gets a normal teacher.


I have tried to not worry about it too much this year, but Ryan had had enough today when Braeden forgot it again. I decided that he would have to do something else so he found a book and he copied one of the pages in it with his best handwriting.

This is something we should probably do more since he completes his homework in 5 minutes because it is so easy for him. His writing definitely could use some work.

I'm always amazed at how he doesn't mind at all when he has to do something because he got in trouble. He just smiles and says ok and then does it without complaining. He just lets it roll right off of him. I think he likes getting in trouble more than not getting in trouble because he has the awful guilt like I have. If he can do something that he thinks remedies or is a punishment for what he did, he is happy to do it.

This can make life frustrating sometimes when conversations go like this:

"Go to your room"
"Ok, I was feeling like reading anyway"

"No reading"
"Well I'm pretty tired and need a little nap"

"No Wii for a week"
"That's ok, in 8 days I can play the Wii again, I think I'll just go play with the dog."

"If you complain so much about that for dinner, I'm making Punishment Soup (split-pea soup)"
"Mom, this is the most delicious punishment soup ever, can I have it again tomorrow?"

To this day he still talks about how much he likes "Punishment Soup"

With the frustration also comes something more. Something I can't explain that just makes me happy for him. Happy that no matter what comes his way in life he can turn Pea soup into a delicious meal.

101 in 1001

Fitness/Health

1. Do my back exercises 3 times per week (0/429)

2. Use the Wii Fit 3 times per week (0/429)

3. Lose 10 lbs. 5 times (0/5)

4. Cardio Workout 2 times per week (0/286)

5. Eat at least one whole piece of fruit per day (0/1001)

6. Eat at least one fresh vegetable per day (0/1001)

7. Not eat any fast food for a month 6 times (0/6)


Exercising My Brain

8. Listen to at least 60 hours of Spanish language CD’s (0/60)

9. Beat my personal best score at Scramble

10. Go to the library once a week (0/143)

11. Read a book for at least 20 minutes every day (0/1001)

12. Read 30 books (0/30)

13. Read all of the Harry Potter books (0/7)

14. Read 10 books recommended by 10 of the most important people in my life (Important people, please to not rec. religious material) (0/10)

15. Make a blog post at least once a week (0/143)

16. Take either the LSAT or the GMAT


No More Excuses

17. Go to the dentist & take Braeden to the dentist annually (0/6)

18. Take Braeden to the dermatologist

19. Get glasses

20. Have a family picture taken twice(0/2)

21. Make a will

22. Purchase an additional life insurance policy

23. Invite my mother-in-law to see our place and have lunch at a restaurant she can eat at


Improving Culinary Skills

24. Make a pie from scratch

25. Make every recipe in one of my cookbooks

26. Make one recipe out of every cookbook I own, if I do not make a recipe out of it donate the cookbook to charity at the end of the challenge

27. Make one of the recipes I see on the Food Network

28. Can something

29. Master the soufflé

30. Be able to execute a signature dessert and signature dish


Bad Habits Die Hard

31. Change my sheets every Saturday or Sunday (0/143)

32. Don’t leave my clothes on the bathroom floor (0/1001)

33. Floss my teeth every night (0/1001)

34. Do laundry at least twice a week so it doesn’t pile up so much (0/286)

35. Do my nails at least once a week (0/143)

36. Pay off all of my credit cards

37. Pay off $1000 dollars toward one of my student loans

38. Get all of my film developed

39. Send Christmas cards out

40. Whiten my teeth with GoSmile

41. Spend at least $50 on groceries once a week (basically force myself to grocery shop for more than milk and eggs once a week) (0/143)


Outside My Comfort Zone

42. Go through a car wash by myself

43. Rent a car NOT from Enterprise

44. Take golf lessons

45. Go skiing

46. Hire someone to clean my house at least twice (0/2)

47. Find 50 new songs I like and put them on my ipod myself (0/50)


Acquiring things I need

48. Buy a nicer digital camera

49. Buy a knee pad and use it for work


Cutting Down on the Consumerism & the Clutter

50. Finish and not replace 50 beauty products (0/50)

51. Use up 50 candles (0/40)

52. Use up 3 perfumes (0/3)

53. Use up 5 body sprays (0/5)

54. Use up 150 sample sizes (0/150)

55. Sell 50 things I ALREADY own on eBay (0/50)

56. Get rid of 40 pieces of clothing (0/40)

57. Not purchase any candles for 6 months (0/2)

58. Not purchase shower gel or lotion for 30 consecutive days twelve times (0/12)

59. Deal with everything on my swap list, either swap it, give it away, throw it away, or use it up


Let’s Be Sociable

60. Visit my Grandma’s for no reason (0/10)

61. Hold an open invite Scrabble weekend

62. Play a game with Braeden once a week (0/143)

63. Play a game with Braeden on the Wii all the way through

64. Have a mommy day or evening with Braeden once a month (0/33)

65. Leave comments on blogs I read (0/2000)

66. Play each board game we own and donate any that weren’t played at the end of the challenge

67. Email my Grandma at least once a month (0/33)

68. Talk to, write, or email an old friend once a month (0/33)


Misc. Oddities

69. Mail a secret to Post Secret

70. Laser hair removal

71. Sell a greeting card

72. Plan and carry out a fun staycation

73. Not complain about $5 cups of coffee 10 times (0/10)

74. Not use my computer one day per month (0/33)

75. Take a day off of work and only spend it playing on my computer, reading, watching TV, and pampering myself

76. Use coupons and rebates to get 100 items we need and use for free (0/100)


I’m Local! Or Loco?

77. Go to 30 new restaurants and write review for them (0/30)

78. See 10 Sundance movies (0/10)

79. Go to 30 local events (0/30)

80. Go to the zoo

81. Join a CSA

82. Eat only made in/grown in Utah food for 1 week

83. Take Braeden to Utah Olympic Park in Park City

84. Go Camping


Travel

85. Get a passport

86. Take Braeden to California

87. Travel outside of the United States for the first time

88. Travel somewhere I don’t have to for work (driving)


Service

89. Leave a 100% tip for excellent service

90. Volunteer at Braeden’s school 3 times (0/3)

91. Be a poll worker

92. Participate in the Food Stamp Challenge & donate the money we would have spent on food for the week to a worthy cause

93. Donate blood

94. Take a raw food class and make something from it for my Mother-in-law

95. Donate to a cause I believe in 6 times and Ryan believes in 6 times (0/12)


Professional Growth

96. Ask for a LinkedIn recommendation 3 times (0/3)

97. Update my professional resume 5 times (0/5)

98. Learn the names of 500 Kroger employees

99. Add 20 people to my professional network

100. Send in my receipts for work every month (0/33)

101. Know all store numbers associated with each of my stores

Making it Count

I have struggled with this idea of 101 in 1001. I have a hard time making goals because I really beat myself up over failing at something. I have mulled this over, thought about, written, and revised my possible list for a couple of months now. During this time I have found myself thinking about and actually completing a few things that had been on my "to do list" in my mind for years. I found that writing them down and admitting what I really needed to and wanted to do made a big difference to me.

I'm giving myself permission here and now to do my best but not beat myself up if everything doesn't get completed 100%. Yes, I was the child who wouldn't sign the "I won't do drugs" pact in Primary because I thought it would be so much worse if I used drugs and said I wouldn't than if I just used drugs. Don't even ask how crazy my teachers thought I was!

So here is the premise of 101 in 1001

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

I've been thinking about going back to school for a long time. The problem is that I really hate wasting money and time on something that I am not 100% sure about. The moment I decided I was going to go to college in the first place went something like this. (This is honestly one of the defining moments in my life).

Me a buyer at a Kid to Kid (kind of like a consignment shop except the merchandise is purchased outright from the people who bring it in so a buying mistake means the store eats the loss). Space is tight in the store and there is never enough room to put everything.

Me talking to my boss:


Me: "You know, that plastic toy chest you purchased has been sitting for 2 months"

Boss: "Well maybe it is priced a little high but it still should be moving"

Me: "I don't think we should purchase any large items that we can't price so low as to move them in less than a week"

Boss: "We do really well on large items"

Me: "It doesn't make sense when you consider we have many large items that have been sitting for over 2 months. If you calculate just the cost to store them for those 2 months by taking the rent and dividing it by the number of square feet in the building to get a cost per square foot, then multiplying that by it by the 4 square feet it is taking up (Prime location by the way so it should actually be more) and then add in its portion of utilities, plus the time to process and clean the item we have already essentially lost money."

Boss: "Well it doesn't work like that. We do really well on big items"

At this point I just gave up and decided I needed to go to college. I was wasting my life and could at least do better than this.

So knowing exactly what I wanted to do and 4 years 121 credits later (needed 120 to graduate) I was a college graduate.

The problem is that this time things haven't been so clear cut. I don't want to waste time and money and not know if the opportunity cost is worth it. I think I would like going back to school, but would I like my career options after the schooling is done or am I just avoiding the inevitable (working at something I don't want to do) for a couple more years?

Proud to be an American

Work has been extremely busy lately so I am MIA in the blogger world. I just had to find a quick moment to comment about the election.


While I realize that not everyone feels the same joy that I felt when Senator Obama became President Elect Obama I think that most people can feel the historical significance of this election. I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America tonight and am thrilled to see what the next four years are going to bring.

I have heard so much cynicism about Obama and what change is really going to happen. While I don't agree with every single issue that Obama stands for, I have been a big supporter of his from the beginning. I will stand by my vote for the next four years and realize that everything is not going to be perfect, but put my trust in what I felt was right. I hope that both parties can work together and make this an even greater United States of America.

McCain Praises eBay for Creating Jobs

I had to laugh out loud when McCain praised eBay for creating so many jobs, during the debate today. I think that was a huge oversight with eBay being all over the news by announcing that they will cut jobs by 10 percent even though third quarter profits still exceeded expectations.

Also McCain mentioned former eBay exec Meg Whitman as possible Treasury Secretary pick.

Quoting a New York Times article written August 3, 2008 by Mark Leibovich,

“I do understand the importance of the computer,” Mr. McCain reassured in The San Francisco Chronicle last week. “I understand the importance of the blogs.” He said, “I am forcing myself — let me put it this way, I am using the computer more and more every day.” But keeping up with technology “doesn’t mean that I have to e-mail people,” he said. “Now, I read e-mails.” The staff is “constantly showing them to me as the news breaks during the day.”

Hmm, I don't want the President of the United States to be less informed on companies he continues to praise than I am because of not being able to check CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo, and Google.

Out of Touch.

Peace Please

I just decided it's official.
No, I didn't go to the doctor.
It's official because I've been through it before.
Many times.

The whole can't sleep.
Exhaustion everyday.
No patience.
Acting crazy.
Things constantly on my mind.
Every worry.
The did I pay this bill, did I put my ipod on the floor, what if I forgot something important.
The subjecting my family to it all.
And nothing ever being good enough.

Depression is here again. Hopefully it knows it has already overstayed its welcome for the majority of the last 10 years and not stay.

Please don't stay, I'm begging.
Peace please.

Sea of Negativity

A part of me is gone
Lost in a Sea of Negativity
On a journey through the harsh reality that is life
Traveling companions with posers who snuck in so quietly then just became
Part of the Sea of Negativity
That journeys with a part stolen from me

Christmas in September

I was going to write a whole post about this, but it has already been done so I may as well not duplicate the efforts (shock I know!) so if you want to read about how Santa turned out not to be real go here.

Christmas just is not going to be the same this year. Although one thing I do have to add that my sister and I laughed about was how he had been doing his own research in the limited way he could. One night of reading the Polar Express, the next night watching the movie, and then the inevitable.

More Month Than Money

We all know that payday is a great day. The problem that we have in our family is that we (quoting my boss here) always seem to have "more month than money." It isn't really about the money, it's just that we don't manage the disposable part too well. We usually spend most of it in the first 3 days-week after we get paid (on a good week). It is really fun for those couple of days, but then the rest of the time is miserable which puts us in the cycle of can't wait for payday and then spend, spend, spend all over again. I don't know if we are the only ones like this, but here I am airing our dirty laundry.

Anyway, Friday was payday so naturally we have had a great few days, soon to be followed by misery I guess :)

There was the Salt Lake Downtown Farmers Market again where this week we picked up heirloom tomatoes , peaches, pears, blackberries, raspberry freezer jam, fresh salsa, corn-on-the-cob, peppers, sage, apples, Tony Caputo's Market Viola (imported from Italy) olive oil and aged parmigiano reggiano, Crumb Brother's Bakery Whole Wheat & Sourdough breads. All of this paired with some fresh fruit grown by my dad. It has been a sensory feast around here the last couple of days. I wish every day could be like this.

Today we hit up target for the Kashi 4/$11 + for every 4 you get a $5 gift card. Kashi is healthy, delicious, and made in Utah. It is one of the best packaged foods (for the protein and nutrients) you can buy. Run, don't walk to Target to take advantage of this pricing. I have never seen Kashi this low before. We seriously stocked up. (I am known to do this when there is a really good price hence my son calling lines in books aisles and letting me know we were out of stock of cheerios at two-years-old).

We also went to an interesting BBQ place called Q4U which deserves a post all by itself so stay tuned.

Oh yeah, we can't forget the other large purchase after payday called filling up our gas tank. Crazy that!

So if you have any great FREE ideas for the next week where we have plenty of month left leave me a comment.

Salt Lake City Downtown Farmer's Market

We finally got to go back to the Downtown Farmer's Market today. The assortment is great during this time of year. We picked up some delicious heirloom tomatoes ($3/lb), basil ($1/bag), thyme ($1/bag), a cucumber (2/$1), an eggplant ($1), and another bag of our favorite Wild Flour pancake mix ($12/5lb. bag). You can find this local favorite pancake mix at some Utah grocery stores including Harmons. It is made without any white flour, white sugar, or trans fats.

Today was a very nice day at the farmer's market. The place was packed, but there was still plenty of parking. In case you go, we have found the best place to park is a parking garage (free!) about a block north of pioneer park on 4th west.

We came home and made delicious BLT's with a light rye bread (browned in a pan with a little butter), the heirloom tomatoes, light mayo mixed with just a little lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and chopped fresh basil, and crunchy bacon. It was a great end of summer meal.

We also picked up a delicious individual fresh fruit pie with Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Peaches. The ladies were sitting behind the table cutting the fresh fruit as we watched on. It was in a nice homemade basic pie shell (that reminded me of the kind my parents made growing up). A little cream topped it off ($5). Our son picked up a double scoop of ice-cream (I think it was called Scoop Dog) in chocolate and baklava ($3.75) that was really good put on the pricey side.

If you get the chance before year end the Downtown Farmer's Market makes for a fun Saturday morning or a lazy Saturday afternoon (they also have lots of food vendors serving lunch).

I believe in Humanity

So, what to say....this has been a crazy month. Thank you to all of my friends and family who have helped me get through it. I feel like as things are difficult in my life it makes me more able to open my eyes to others and believe that humanity is alive. Some things that have happened in the last few weeks have really made me think.

Braeden and I went to Dairy Queen and somehow missed the tiny homemade sign that was half- way attached to the door saying that the credit/debit card machines were down. I never carry cash. We ordered and then they told me their machines might not work. They tried my card a few times and it wouldn't work. Braeden was having a really bad week. I told the long haired, sixteen-year-old that I didn't have any cash and would have to come back some other time. Braeden was in tears. Long haired sixteen-year-old turned to me and said hold on and pulled out cash from HIS wallet. He said don't worry about it, I'll cover it. I refused and he asked if he could at least pay for Braeden's. I said no way but we would come back. Honestly I was so shocked that instead of just going home and coming another day like I was planning on, I drove home, scrounged up some cash and went back to get Braeden his treats. Braeden gave the guy a post card that said "thanks for being so nice." This coming from an age group that I honestly have NO expectations from whatsoever. Most people working fast food don't even pay the food they eat while working. At best, I might be able to see an employee (who isn't a sixteen-year-old skater boy) just offering to comp it (on the company of course) but never pay for it with their own money. Wow. Just wow.

Sometimes my job is really lonely. The people I interact with on a regular basis aren't usually that interested in seeing me because I am just another annoying part of their job that gets in the way of getting real stuff done. I pretend like it doesn't hurt my feelings and that it doesn't matter that I have been in their store to speak to them 28 times in the last year and the first thing out of my mouth still is "Mica with i-wireless". Usually they know me (not my name...just phone girl), but sometimes they still look confused about who I am. One woman at a particular store who I have had to work with about some issues with employee theft came up to me and gave me a big hug and said she is always so happy to see me when I come in. Ok, I'm not going to lie that it was a little weird. I'm also not going to lie that it made me feel good that someone cares just a little bit at work. That if I someday just quit going it might matter a little bit.

So thank you for reminding me that I believe in humanity.

Memory

Some of my friends who blog have been doing this memory thing. Anyway as per requests if you have a memory about me, I'd love it if you would share it in the comments. I will leave one about you too if you make a post about it on your blog.

This seems especially helpful to me right now as I go through all the questions of "who am I and what am I doing with my life". Thanks everyone!

Mid-year Resolutions

I always think of things that I should maybe write a blog post about, but then it just doesn't seem important enough to warrant a whole post. I don't know why I feel this way, but I am going to try and get past that to post anyway.

Obviously things have been hard lately. Sometimes it just seems easier to ignore and block out what you don't want to see, hear, and think about. I don't really think I am ready to face everything, but in the spirit of trying to better myself I want to do SOMETHING. The thing is that I have a whole list of "somethings" that I want to work on but I have decided to curb my manic only allow myself to choose one right now. Along with the item I choose I am giving myself permission to only worry about/work on 3 other things. The 3 other things are: trying to be happy and help Braeden be happy. Have FUN with Braeden (He is growing up way too fast!). Doing at least good enough at my job. Here are some of my general ideas:

• Eat more healthy
• Exercise
• Begin learning a language (Italian or Spanish)
• Prepare for the GMAT
• Cooking Skills
• Friendships
  
• Keeping my home more clean/organized
• Better money management/pay off debts
• Save up, plan, and take Braeden on a vacation
• Work on my communication skills with those close to me and in my job
  
• Learn about history & science so when Braeden asks general questions I can be somewhat knowledgeable
  

Once I make a decision I will lay out some type of plan so I can feel like I at least accomplished something in that area.

If you have any additional ideas of what I should do or would like to let me know which one you think would be best for me please leave me a comment!

What Depression Feels Like to Me

Depression is in my genes. I think each of has struggled with it to one degree or another. Lately (as in the past couple of years) things have been ok for me. There have been many times I felt depressed, but it wasn't as constant as it has been in the past.

Recently I have felt myself slipping back into it. I picture myself in a swimming pool trying to stay afloat as the water constantly laps at my mouth, then my nose and eyes. I push my head up and feel ok for a moment until it all starts over again. The last couple of years I have been where I can still touch so it is not difficult to keep my head above water. Sometimes I slip, lose my balance and go under, but I am able to find my footing and stay where my feet touch the ground.

I've been drifting to the deeper side of the pool though where I can now barely touch. This time I think its different though because I recognize the stretch in my toes and the discomfort of my body, unlike before where I drifted out so far it was nearly impossible to get back. I try to get back to where it is still safe. I'll probably always be in the water, I don't know if I'll ever make it onto dry land, but at this point I know that I have to be content with that.

Slatkin at TJ Maxx

As many of you know, I love getting a bargain! One of my favorite places to shop is TJ Maxx. Lately I've been picking up some wonderful Slatkin items on clearance at various TJ Maxx stores throughout the state, oh and other states too I guess (thanks to my job).

I pretty much stocked up on the Slatkin shampoo and conditioners for $5.99. I was able to find them in the 3 scents Black Fig & Absinthe, Orange Flower Citron, and Persian Lime & Mimosa. Slatkin is a master perfumer and the scents are amazing and complex. I waited on the other products like the bubble soak and the body wash because I thought the shampoo and conditioner would sell out at the $5.99 price point, but the others would go on clearance before selling out. Luckily I was right, I haven't seen the shampoo and conditioner for at least a month and the other items went down to $4.00. I've been stocking up on them at that price!

If you happen to hit a TJ Maxx that still has some Slatkin items left, they are a great bargain! I highly recommend picking some up. Retail is ~$28 item.

Ready, Set, Go!

I have a website but hardly ever post on it so naturally the next step is to create a blog that I hardly ever post on. Makes sense right???

I really wanted to have my website not turn into a "posts about my life" and instead stay with its specific purpose (which hopefully I will be able to develop a little bit more in the near future). I've been busy as I know we all are. I do love reading my friends and families blogs though so I can see what they have all been up to. I especially love reading my siblings blogs where I feel like I have been able to get to know them more than ever before. For some reason it is sometimes easier to type things that you would never just bring up in conversation.

So here I am starting a blog, a blog about nothing really. Just my random thoughts. I can't promise any great writing, amazing thought provoking ideas, or even regular posting, but here it is.