operation recovery.

Well i dont know about you, but i had a pretty enjoyable christmas. it was my first christmas not with my family. luckily the people i was with made me feel right at home. but now that i've eaten about 15 pounds of tasty foods and completely wrecked my house, its time to put some order back into things. here's the dilemma: i work. A LOT. and i'm tired. A LOT. this means absolutely no motivation to clean. and with new years right around the corner, i've gotta get my shit together. i thought a lot of us might be having the same issue, so i might as well throw out a few suggestions of how i motivate myself.

1) i always clean when i'm home alone. (why you may ask? so i can crank up the music my room mate hates, dance like an idiot, and clean in my underwear)

2) make a goal. but a reasonable small one. i.e. today im going to clean the bathroom. instead of, today i have to clean my whole house. this is usually helpful because then the task isn't so daunting, and once i start cleaning i get into the cleaning mode and usually end up doing the whole house anyways.

3) make daily to do lists. don't put more than seven things on them. that way the list still looks long, but you can find time to do most of the stuff between jobs and sleep. plus there is a nice satisfaction to crossing something off a list. and it helps to you to organize and prioritize.

4) holidays dont mean dieting to me. or overstuffing my face. (even though i would love nothing better) This year i did a pretty good job. I ate just about everything. but instead of my normal mammoth sized portions i just to a small sample of everything. No belly ache, and room for dessert. plus i didnt have to wear my thanksgiving pants. So for the holidays remember: indulge , but dont OVERindulge.

see you in the new year!

tis the season to spend all your money

i love christmas. i love getting people presents. finding the perfect gift for someone is a gift in and of itself. But i'm sure everyone has a tight budget this christmas season with the economy being so low and jobs being so sparse.

here are some helpful hints:

• compare prices before you buy. even if you are planning on going to an actual store, go online and check out prices. gather some knowledge about the product before you buy. then if you find a lower price online, but dont want to pay shipping. Tell someone you found it cheaper, see if they will match the price. worst case scenario they say no. best case: you save some money and feel like a champion bargainer.
• Make gifts. this sometimes comes out to about the same price, but it usually means a lot more to the recipient. besides, what says love like home made? You can get a box of cheap ornaments and some paint and make personalized ornaments. or cookies. everyone loves cookies. check out some helpful dyi sites.
• re-use old christmas bags. no need to keep buying new ones. recycle that! plus its more eco-friendly.
• coupons! home made coupons. good for family. Like ie: good for one home made dinner. or good for one clean house. something simple that makes it easier on your family is always appreciated.
• Secret santa with your friends. if all of you are on a tight budget, dont worry about getting everyone something. trade names and set a price limit. its just as much fun. plus it gives you guys and extra excuse to get together for a party.
• Dollar general and thrift store it up for your decorating needs. Sometimes they surprise you with what they have.
• donate any thing you dont use anymore to salvation army or goodwill, spread the good cheer.

Those are just a few ideas. Hope your holidays are filled with warm houses, warm wishes, and warm people.

holidays

Today is thanksgiving.

it is my first thanksgiving alone. no i didnt burn a turkey, or break a pie, or end up at the closest chinese take out. i worked most of the day. i came home and ate lots of starches and thought about how people create traditions.

Every family has their own traditions. i dont feel that mine has any special one for thanksgiving. we mostly just sit around watching tv, sometimes together, while my mom makes tasty things for us. But my favorite tradition is a christmas one. We moved away from most of our extended family a long time ago. So holidays for us are a little different. they are much quieter. not quite as full of drunk people. but the main ingredients are the same: food, family, drink, merriment, and arguing. what good is a holiday if someone doesnt get offended?

anyways, i got off topic. my favorite tradition isn't anything special. we dont go out as a family and cut down a tree, or even pick one out together. we dont sit around a fire place drinking cocoa and talking politics. we dont go caroling or to midnight mass. But, every year my mom puts up the village. I love this. It is a small collection of miniature houses and a few churches and christmas trees that my grandmother made. They are made of different colored cardboard, every house has different curtains. The churches have stained glass windows, and the christmas trees are decorated. Every year my mom puts this up on a long sheet of glittery fake snow, and every year we all pick out a house that we live in. I always pick the blue one. its my favorite. All the houses and churches have small holes cut in the back so that you can put christmas lights in them and light up the village for the holiday. i love this village. and this silly simple tradition. my whole family still does it, albeit grudgingly by most. but i look forward to it every year. its the simple things like this that make the holidays special to me.

happy thanksgiving. i hope your traditions make you feel closer to your family.

Hello.

Hello and welcome to the real world.

First a few tips: in the real world, no one cares if you are sick. Or having a bad day. Suck it up and do your job.
Also, life is not fair. Get used to it.

And now for a brief introduction. I am a recent college graduate. I spent all my non-existent money going to school for ponies. I spent about 35 grand a year. I was spat out last summer on my butt into this harsh lighting of existence. Luckily I am pretty good at surviving. I currently have two jobs that hardly pay, a nice but EXPENSIVE apartment, a great boyfriend, and not much free time.

This blog is a ranting place, a place for tips on being thrifty, a place for my mind to unwind, and hopefully overall a successful survival story. Please join me weekly as i take you on my journey.

This week's topic: stress. This week one of my bosses at one of my jobs has to fly home. Family medical emergency. That means, I get all her hours, students, and worries. (Its a barn manager job fyi). Plus i still have my other job, my students, and my worries. add on top of that, a bruised rib and a respiratory infection.

BUT: here are my helpful hints for destressing.
1) call a friend and just vent. thats what friends are for. trust me, you will feel better.
2) take a bath. i love baths. something about the feeling of being surrounded in water is just relaxing to me.
3) watch a funny show or a comedian, nothing like a good dose of laughter to make you feel better.
4) clean. i know this is a weird one, but something about a tidy environment helps my brain to focus and make plans to organize the rest of my day/week, which leads to less stress.
5) treat yourself. either with a small present or some candy or making a batch of cookies. You are awesome, you deserve it.