Mike and I have a lot of things to stress out over right now, my health being at the top of the list along with trying to find a way to get to Vegas to visit his family because he hasn't seen them in almost 2 years.
When we moved here about a year and a half ago, Mike had just lost his
job and I was working from home as a freelance journalist mostly part
time but steadily enough. It took Mike over a year to find a job. My freelance work ended last year in November but I had
started my own AVON business in June that I hoped to build up enough to
make a decent living from and I started working as a domestic aide in January.
My AVON hasn't been successful mostly because
I'm a horrible salesperson and I don't like to force people to buy from
me. I really am considering just closing up shop with it and moving on to something else when I can afford to. I quit my domestic aide job in August because the family didn't really need me and called me off work more than they had me come in.
Now, Mike has a great full time job that he loves and I've been searching for work for months. It has been a
difficult road for me. Because I have worked from home for so long, most
possible employers won't consider my application, and don't consider it
real work unless you have a successful company and are looking for
something on the side.
I'll be honest, I hate living
with my parents, especially my mother. She's a constant pain in the
butt, and even more so now because she lost her job of 30+ years in
August, so I have to see her all the time. I love her but hate living with her. I can deal with living with
my dad but my mom just doesn't know when
to leave me alone. I can be in our room working on the computer,
and she will be talking to me through the closed door because if I'm not
paying her attention, she's going to make me pay attention to her.
We really need to have two full time incomes so we can finally get back on our
feet. We both always talk about getting our own place and what we are
going to do differently than we did before. We talk about trying to buy a house again (or daydream about buying land and building a house) but there are so many things we need to do first, like de-stress our lives. We're working on it but it's one step at a time.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Update
I almost hate to put "Update" as my title to this post because even though it's been 6-7 months since I posted not much is new.
We are finally in an upswing but I also just quit my nanny/housekeeper job because I was being called off work more than I was working and the job was 38 miles round trip, so what I was earning each week didn't even pay for my gas to get there.
Mike has finally started working, actually he started working in July. I'm looking to go to school to become a radiology/ultrasound tech. We are hoping that I can afford to go to school now and possibly that we'll get pg while I'm doing it so that we won't have to worry about me taking time off of work to have a baby, or should I say having to quit a job because I'll need maternity leave and won't be in a job long enough to get it.
As far as that goes, I'm going to a chiropractor who has given me some great ideas and promised to help me get my thyroid revved up again. She took one look at my BBTs and said, "You definitely have thyroid issues." I'm glad someone is finally taking my concerns on that seriously.
I am currently looking for a job but am not holding out much hope in the current economy. I'd like to find some more online work to do but the sites that offer that type of work are so bogged down by applications, you really have to stand out to get anywhere with them.
We are finally in an upswing but I also just quit my nanny/housekeeper job because I was being called off work more than I was working and the job was 38 miles round trip, so what I was earning each week didn't even pay for my gas to get there.
Mike has finally started working, actually he started working in July. I'm looking to go to school to become a radiology/ultrasound tech. We are hoping that I can afford to go to school now and possibly that we'll get pg while I'm doing it so that we won't have to worry about me taking time off of work to have a baby, or should I say having to quit a job because I'll need maternity leave and won't be in a job long enough to get it.
As far as that goes, I'm going to a chiropractor who has given me some great ideas and promised to help me get my thyroid revved up again. She took one look at my BBTs and said, "You definitely have thyroid issues." I'm glad someone is finally taking my concerns on that seriously.
I am currently looking for a job but am not holding out much hope in the current economy. I'd like to find some more online work to do but the sites that offer that type of work are so bogged down by applications, you really have to stand out to get anywhere with them.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Ups and Downs
Well, it's been a season of ups and downs for us. Mike got a job at Belleville Shoe Company in November only to get laid off today, so we are looking for jobs for him again. What sucks is that he wasn't there long enough to get any unemployment.
We had a great Christmas with my family though it was a little disappointing because we weren't able to buy presents for each other at all. We were waiting until his first paycheck this year but it looks like it could be awhile.
We promised each other that this is the year that we are going to make things happen for ourselves. We aren't going to sit here and let opportunities and such go by again. There are things we want out of life and it's becoming more and more obvious that we aren't going to get it if we depend on an employer paying us.
My AVON sales aren't going the greatest, but it's gas money every 2 weeks at least.
We had a great Christmas with my family though it was a little disappointing because we weren't able to buy presents for each other at all. We were waiting until his first paycheck this year but it looks like it could be awhile.
We promised each other that this is the year that we are going to make things happen for ourselves. We aren't going to sit here and let opportunities and such go by again. There are things we want out of life and it's becoming more and more obvious that we aren't going to get it if we depend on an employer paying us.
My AVON sales aren't going the greatest, but it's gas money every 2 weeks at least.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
1 Week Without Refined Sugar
So it's been exactly a week since I've knowingly had anything with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. I don't really miss it and I don't have any cravings for it either.
I've decided that I really want to clean up what I'm eating as far as additives and chemicals. I want to go to eating very clean, which in my definition means that I cut out HFCS and any foods that have things on the ingredients label other than what can naturally be grown.
For example, I opened a jar of cinnamon applesauce the other day and after I'd already eaten part of a serving, I notice the label said it contained apples, cinnamon, and HFCS. I was looking at it thinking why is the HFCS necessary? Apples are sweet enough as they are.
There are a lot of foods out there that you would would just look at and think there aren't any additives to them, but if you read the label they're there. I'm also determined to cut out meats and dairy products that are given excess hormones. So, I'm going to start reading labels and making sure everything is as natural and with no additives/chemicals as possible.
I don't think I've actually lost any weight, but I don't really mind because I know that I'm already healthier than I was a week ago. We also started doing my bellydancing DVD, The Goddess Workout (beginner) with Dolphina. It's 45 minutes and is really a great workout. I remember now why I used to love doing it.
I've decided that I really want to clean up what I'm eating as far as additives and chemicals. I want to go to eating very clean, which in my definition means that I cut out HFCS and any foods that have things on the ingredients label other than what can naturally be grown.
For example, I opened a jar of cinnamon applesauce the other day and after I'd already eaten part of a serving, I notice the label said it contained apples, cinnamon, and HFCS. I was looking at it thinking why is the HFCS necessary? Apples are sweet enough as they are.
There are a lot of foods out there that you would would just look at and think there aren't any additives to them, but if you read the label they're there. I'm also determined to cut out meats and dairy products that are given excess hormones. So, I'm going to start reading labels and making sure everything is as natural and with no additives/chemicals as possible.
I don't think I've actually lost any weight, but I don't really mind because I know that I'm already healthier than I was a week ago. We also started doing my bellydancing DVD, The Goddess Workout (beginner) with Dolphina. It's 45 minutes and is really a great workout. I remember now why I used to love doing it.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Getting Healthy
My mom and I have come up with a plan for us to get healthy gradually instead of making a lot of changes at once and increasing our odds of cheating. We are going to make gradual changes over the next year and implement a new change every 3 months.
The first three month's change is multi-part because we have to get used to doing all of these things. We are cutting out all junk food and refined sugars from our diet. We are also going to start weighing and measuring our food so we can eat proper portions. Not really me, but my parents and Mike are big on buying junk food, and the only way we are all going to get healthy is if we eliminate the junk food. I implemented this change on Sunday, July 17th. I believe if I cut out all of the junk food and refined sugar I may be able to get my estrogen dominance/insulin resistance under control.
The second three month's change is eliminating white/refined bread products from our diet and sticking with whole grains. I don't really eat a lot of bread and what I do is usually whole wheat/whole grain. Often we don't think about the fact that most pasta is made from white flour and when we go out to eat we eat the white bread/buns and don't even think about it.
The third three month's change is to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. By this time, we should be eating plenty of fruits and veggies anyway but we should have made the first 2 changes habits but may not always get 5 servings of fruits and veggies in per day.
The final three month's change is to focus on getting in at least an hour of exercise 5 days a week. Hopefully by this point we would have integrated exercise into our lifestyle change but if not, we are really focusing on it in this phase.
By doing these phases to focus on getting healthy instead of losing weight then it won't be a constant thought in our head. It would be nice if we do lose weight while doing this but right now I just want to eliminate the foods that are causing my hormonal issues, which are mainly the high sugar foods.
The first three month's change is multi-part because we have to get used to doing all of these things. We are cutting out all junk food and refined sugars from our diet. We are also going to start weighing and measuring our food so we can eat proper portions. Not really me, but my parents and Mike are big on buying junk food, and the only way we are all going to get healthy is if we eliminate the junk food. I implemented this change on Sunday, July 17th. I believe if I cut out all of the junk food and refined sugar I may be able to get my estrogen dominance/insulin resistance under control.
The second three month's change is eliminating white/refined bread products from our diet and sticking with whole grains. I don't really eat a lot of bread and what I do is usually whole wheat/whole grain. Often we don't think about the fact that most pasta is made from white flour and when we go out to eat we eat the white bread/buns and don't even think about it.
The third three month's change is to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. By this time, we should be eating plenty of fruits and veggies anyway but we should have made the first 2 changes habits but may not always get 5 servings of fruits and veggies in per day.
The final three month's change is to focus on getting in at least an hour of exercise 5 days a week. Hopefully by this point we would have integrated exercise into our lifestyle change but if not, we are really focusing on it in this phase.
By doing these phases to focus on getting healthy instead of losing weight then it won't be a constant thought in our head. It would be nice if we do lose weight while doing this but right now I just want to eliminate the foods that are causing my hormonal issues, which are mainly the high sugar foods.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Disappointed
Ok, I have to admit I'm more than a little disappointed in my friends and family when it comes to my AVON sales. I hate depending on friends and family to order from me and I know times are tough (and I don't really expect people to order from me every time a new catalog comes out) but this is just pathetic.
Yes, there are some friends that I know simply can't afford to order from me and I'm not disappointed in them, but it's the rest of them that I know can afford to order (and order things online similar to what I'm selling). Heck, my mom and SIL order from me and they have little to no money to spare but they are doing it more to support me than to keep my business going.
I think the reason I'm really disappointed is because I am donating $1 for every online sale I get from my facebook AVON Naturals Feeding America event and I've only had 1 sale. This charity is very important not only to food banks in this area but to food banks all over the country. There are people out there just like me and Mike who have lost everything and depend on those food banks for every meal. The only reason we aren't in that position is because of family. The reason this is a big deal is because $1 equals 7 meals. I guess it's easier to ignore the problem when it doesn't affect you personally.
Yes, I will admit I want the sales, but I want to make the donations too. I don't wish bad upon anyone but I do wish that every one of those people that can afford to buy from me but have decided not to buy anything because they don't want to feel obligated to make future purchases from me could experience for a day or two what it's like to wonder where their next meal is coming from. Mike and I have been there more than I'd like to admit. We had months when we first got our own place where we weren't sure how we were going to pay our rent, buy groceries, or even get gas and we couldn't imagine how we could pay for all three at once.
Those are the times that I am most thankful to God because I know He was watching over us. We went to church 20 miles across town every week (in Vegas) and even though we didn't really have the money we'd donate a few dollars or whatever change we had. Every time that happened and we didn't know what we were going to do, somehow God provided the money we needed. There are people who aren't as fortunate as we are and I think it's time to give back even though we don't know if we can afford the few bills we still have to pay. Mike and I can't afford to donate much but I am still donating this money and I make very little with AVON even with these sales. I think that's the reason I am disappointed the most because we are willing to give back even though we can't afford it, and there are people out there that can afford to spend $10 to donate $1 but won't do it.
Yes, there are some friends that I know simply can't afford to order from me and I'm not disappointed in them, but it's the rest of them that I know can afford to order (and order things online similar to what I'm selling). Heck, my mom and SIL order from me and they have little to no money to spare but they are doing it more to support me than to keep my business going.
I think the reason I'm really disappointed is because I am donating $1 for every online sale I get from my facebook AVON Naturals Feeding America event and I've only had 1 sale. This charity is very important not only to food banks in this area but to food banks all over the country. There are people out there just like me and Mike who have lost everything and depend on those food banks for every meal. The only reason we aren't in that position is because of family. The reason this is a big deal is because $1 equals 7 meals. I guess it's easier to ignore the problem when it doesn't affect you personally.
Yes, I will admit I want the sales, but I want to make the donations too. I don't wish bad upon anyone but I do wish that every one of those people that can afford to buy from me but have decided not to buy anything because they don't want to feel obligated to make future purchases from me could experience for a day or two what it's like to wonder where their next meal is coming from. Mike and I have been there more than I'd like to admit. We had months when we first got our own place where we weren't sure how we were going to pay our rent, buy groceries, or even get gas and we couldn't imagine how we could pay for all three at once.
Those are the times that I am most thankful to God because I know He was watching over us. We went to church 20 miles across town every week (in Vegas) and even though we didn't really have the money we'd donate a few dollars or whatever change we had. Every time that happened and we didn't know what we were going to do, somehow God provided the money we needed. There are people who aren't as fortunate as we are and I think it's time to give back even though we don't know if we can afford the few bills we still have to pay. Mike and I can't afford to donate much but I am still donating this money and I make very little with AVON even with these sales. I think that's the reason I am disappointed the most because we are willing to give back even though we can't afford it, and there are people out there that can afford to spend $10 to donate $1 but won't do it.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
4th of July
We had a great time on the 4th. It was very different for Mike because in Vegas there aren't many places that do actual firework shows. We would usually go to his parent's house and do our own fireworks after BBQ if they didn't have to work that day because they usually cook all day the day of the holiday (no matter the holiday). There weren't many kids around other than our 2 year old niece Kristin.
We went to my brother, Josh, and SIL, Yvonne's house for BBQ along with my mom (dad had to work), grandma, uncle Lloyd, Yvonne's sister Bobbie, her husband, Yvonne's dad, Yvonne's cousin, Malissa, and her husband Rob, Malissa's dad, Malissa's brother, Dallas, his wife Jen, and their baby Ranson plus my nephews Ash & Jax, Bobbie's kids Ginny and Aiden, and Malissa's kids Tyler and Logen. It was a crazy day.
Mike and I bought Ash and Jax a little inflatable seal that has a built in sprinkler, so all of the kids were running through that, screaming, and in general having a blast. That's when it hit me just how left out Mike and I were with our angelbabies. It was sitting there watching them and trying to imagine what it would be like if our 4 year old and almost 3 year old were out there with those kids, that did it. We were the only people there at this age who don't have kids and it makes you feel almost invisible at times, or like you're trying too hard to be part of that.
I love being here and getting to do the things that Mike and I never got to do together before or that are done differently here, but it is also a big reminder of just how left out we both feel because we don't have living children yet. I also feel like everyone is watching us and waiting until it happens, I mean it was kinda that way in Vegas, but we weren't around Mike's family as much, so the pressure about it wasn't there like here.
Overall it was a great holiday, but now I'm beginning to feel like Mike and I are living in a fish bowl with this.
We went to my brother, Josh, and SIL, Yvonne's house for BBQ along with my mom (dad had to work), grandma, uncle Lloyd, Yvonne's sister Bobbie, her husband, Yvonne's dad, Yvonne's cousin, Malissa, and her husband Rob, Malissa's dad, Malissa's brother, Dallas, his wife Jen, and their baby Ranson plus my nephews Ash & Jax, Bobbie's kids Ginny and Aiden, and Malissa's kids Tyler and Logen. It was a crazy day.
Mike and I bought Ash and Jax a little inflatable seal that has a built in sprinkler, so all of the kids were running through that, screaming, and in general having a blast. That's when it hit me just how left out Mike and I were with our angelbabies. It was sitting there watching them and trying to imagine what it would be like if our 4 year old and almost 3 year old were out there with those kids, that did it. We were the only people there at this age who don't have kids and it makes you feel almost invisible at times, or like you're trying too hard to be part of that.
I love being here and getting to do the things that Mike and I never got to do together before or that are done differently here, but it is also a big reminder of just how left out we both feel because we don't have living children yet. I also feel like everyone is watching us and waiting until it happens, I mean it was kinda that way in Vegas, but we weren't around Mike's family as much, so the pressure about it wasn't there like here.
Overall it was a great holiday, but now I'm beginning to feel like Mike and I are living in a fish bowl with this.
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