I Should Sundays (the return)

It has been long overdue and today is the day!  Every Sunday, you can hop on over and check out what I should be doing.  Hopefully, this will inspire you to figure out what you should be doing, too!  So here it is:

I Should...not have had that chocolate doughnut at 1:00 a.m this morning.
I Should...be paying bills instead of blog hopping.
I Should...go to the grocery store sometime today.
I Should...wash the clothes that have piled up (the jeans smell ok, lol).
I Should...exercise today (does walking back and forth from the washer count?).

So what should you be doing?




5 for Five

What a week!  I am so happy that we had 2 four day weeks at school and another one coming up the first week in February.  We spent the long weekend in Disney (post coming up), so let's see how I did on last weeks 5 for Five:


1.  Avoid the drama that is going on at work right now.  
I didn't feed into the drama, per se, but I did blog about it here:  http://faithfulinfirst.blogspot.com/2013/01/you-wont-believe-it.html.  This was my way of avoiding it at work and to help me find closure (I didn't, but I guess I can give myself half of a point...)

2.  Log what I eat 3 out of 5 days.

I used Fitness Pal for 4 days and then Disney took over.  So check this off!


3.  Hang out with my daughter one night this week.

We hung out 2 nights this week, so I am ahead of the game.  We had a great time and I am looking forward to hanging with my 18 year old many more times before she leaves this nest.

4.  Drink at least 5 glasses of water a day.

Done!

5.  Smile at everyone I see in the hallway at work.

Done!  I even smiled at DRAMA!!!!

So here is what I have in store for this week:

1.  Start some sort of workout plan.  I am checking a few out, I will pick one of them this week.

2.  Log my food intake for 5 days.

3.  Unplug an hour before I go to bed.  This is hard for me.  I check email one more time, get in a game of solitaire, facebook, twitter, instagram, blog, oh boy!

4.  Do my homework in a timely manner.  I am a procrastinator extraordinaire!  This Master's Certificate in Math is killing me!

5.  Grade at work, not at home.  (Yes, I am that teacher.  Grading at home in front of the TV or while spending time with the family.  I.  will.  not.. do it.)

So that's it for this week.  What is your 5 for Five?  Link up below and let's motivate each other!





5 For Five

Another week of the year has gone by and it is time for a new 5 for Five.  First, here is how I did last week:



1.  Post my 5 for Five (cheated, I know, but check it off, nonetheless!)  

Done!

2.  Leave work at the end of the workday 4 out of 5 days.

I was able to achieve this 3 out 5, which made me mad.  This whole school year I haven't left late at all, so I thought this would be a given.  Wouldn't you know it, crap happened 2 days in a row and I had to stay to put out the fires!


3.  Eat healthy all 5 days.

Nope.  That's all I am saying.

4.  Work out 2 out of 5 days.

Double Nope

5.  Apparently I can't count and didn't have a number 5....

This week I will:

1.  Avoid the drama that is going on at work right now.  

2.  Log what I eat 3 out of 5 days.

3.  Hang out with my daughter one night this week.

4.  Drink at least 5 glasses of water a day.

5.  Smile at everyone I see in the hallway at work.

Let's see how I do!  Click the button below and link up:

http://www.fantasticallyaverage.com





5 for Five


I am linking up with the girls for 5 for Five.  I wasn't too good at linking up last year, so in order to keep the balance (OLW), this will be my Monday post.  5 for Five is a link up with Jessica at Fantastically Average and Jenn at Party of One.  You can click on the hyperlink to find out how it works.

So here is my 5 for Five for this week:

1.  Post my 5 for Five (cheated, I know, but check it off, nonetheless!)  

Since I wasn't good at all with this last week, I included it as part of my five for this week.  I might do this for a few weeks until it becomes a habit.

2.  Leave work at the end of the workday 4 out of 5 days.

I sometimes always stay about an hour after the final bell rings to get things done.  I end up talking to friends or dilly dallying most of the time.  I want to be one of those people that pick up and go when my contract says I can, so this week I am striving for this.  Maybe if I do it more often, I will start using my time wisely.

3.  Eat healthy all 5 days.

I already messed this up today, for sure.  For the sake of not cheating twice in the same post, I will keep the 5 day goal...  I figure I can't let myself down the rest of the week.  I really have to do this, chocolate has become a regular member of all of the food groups for a few months.  I love my chocolate, but I think it is time that I limit myself and get on the better eating track.

4.  Work out 2 out of 5 days.

This is going to be the hardest for me.  I know 3 days is the average, but I won't do it, I never do.  If I start with 2 days, I might go to the 3 (I won't, but it looks good in writing).  How do you motivate yourself to keep this promise?

So that's my 5 for Five this week.  I hope you comment and leave me some inspiration and that you link up.  Let's do this together, who knows, by the end of the year...52 posts later we might truly accomplish something together!


Click the button and shoot for your 5 for Five!

http://www.fantasticallyaverage.com






Influenster Holiday VoxBox

I am excited to talk about my first Influenster VoxBox shipment!  I was more than happy to use and review the items that were sent to me.  While Blog Hopping a few months ago, I came across a blog where the blogger reviewed items from Influenster (I can't remember the name of the blog, sorry...).  I went to www.influenster.com and applied and a few months later, BOOM, I got the acceptance email!  

Here is what I received in my Holiday VoxBox:




Goody Quick Style Brush:

This brush has microfiber inserts (the blue portion) to "dry" your hair as you brush.  The brush is quite large for me and I have very little hair, so drying isn't a problem.  I did like the way it spread the conditioner in my hair (I chose to use it in the shower, rather than on my wet after shower hair).  I don't think I would have purchased this on my own, but if you have long, hard to dry hair, you might want to check it out for yourself and see what it can do for you.

Kiss Nail Dress:

I  have been wanting to try these for quite some time, so I was excited to see this in the box.  I am not a leopard girl, but it was the holiday season, so I went all out!  Here is a pic of what my nails looked like after application:


Application was very easy, since you just file away the excess.  The only down side is that they do not last.  Two days later, they were already coming off after washing my hands a few times.  If you want something for a special night, I would suggest purchasing these.

Quaker Real Medleys:

I am already a big fan of these, so this was a perfect product for me.  I make this before work and eat it in the car on the way to work.  All of the flavors are tasty and very filling.  This is a great way to add to your diet without wasting calories or flavor!

NYC Lip Shine:

The color "Nude York City" is a staple and matches any skin color, so since I am PALE, it was a good match.  It does wear off quickly, but at such a low price, reapplying it isn't a problem.  Many lip glosses are sticky, but this one felt great and I received compliments on having the "natural" look.

Sole Society:

There was a $25 coupon off my first order of shoes from Sole Society and I get to share it with you!  Just enter INFLUENSTER25 at checkout and the discount will be given.  I haven't used mine yet, but there are a myriad of shoes that I love on this site!

EBOOST:

I was looking for a way to increase energy without getting jittery and this was just the ticket.  I loved the pink lemonade flavor and I was feeling good for about 4 hours after I drank it.  I am definitely going to make this purchase on a regular basis.

Disclaimer:
These items were received complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.











One Little Word

I can't believe it is 2013!  I remember when I first started working at a bank many years ago and one of my older (wiser) clients told me that as we get older, the years go  by faster and faster.  At 20, I laughed because it didn't hold true for me at that time.  Now at 44, I think about him and I no longer laugh, because now I am older and wiser and know that he was right on the money.  We blink...and the years have passed.

Last year, my OLW was, release.  I released, a lot.  I still have a lot that I am holding on to and I still need to release, but I didn't want to be a poor sport and keep the same word (I need to release the word, as well).

So, with that in mind, my OLW is:


BALANCE

I figured it goes with release, so I can still release in order to find balance.  I need to balance my work life, my mommy life, my wife life, and my "me" life so all 4 of them have enough time to evolve and grow.  I haven't come up with a plan, so part of the balance will be planning to balance!

I also am in desperate need of balancing our finances.  We are not in a good place right now and I cringe to think of what would happen if we had a true financial emergency...

My diet is in need of a good healthy balancing act, so that is on the books for this Monday, the 7th, along with the dreaded...exercise.  

So, I will balance all of this and more.  I will definitely be balancing my blogging, since it falls into the "me" life.  Here's to a balanced life!

Here is the graphic that will keep me balanced:



What is your OLW this year?