Got help?

Don't you just hate it when you have to ask for help?! I do!

But, it is amazing how 4 little words can take away so much stress, like the words... "I need your help."

As nice as it may be to have the powers of Wonder Woman, or to have a magical wand...it's not going to happen. But, can you imagine if it did?! That would be...AWESOME!...but it would also be very dangerous, I think.

I tend to be very stubborn, I like to figure things out on my own. But, sometimes, I just hit a wall and I need help. For example, I was just recently trying to figure out how to reorganize something and I had all these ideas in my head and I wasn't sure if they would work. Well, ordinarily, I would just try them out myself, and hope for the best. Mainly, because I don't like to bother Mike with "decorating/organizing" ideas. He doesn't have much interest in it, plus he has a lot of other things on his mind. But, this time, I decided to throw my ideas out there, and to my surprise, he was more than willing to offer suggestions. As a result, we came up with a really good plan. And I ended up saving myself a lot of headaches and extra work because I said those 4 little words..."I need your help."

And, when it comes to house work, I really don't like asking for help. Partly because, only I know how to do it the right way! ;) But, seriously...I feel, that since I am a stay-at-home mom, I should be able to get everything done. Mike has his work with Microsoft that keeps him busy and the kids have school and sports that keep them busy. So, I don't like to take away their "free" time with chores that I feel are my responsibility. And, just to let you know...these thoughts are entirely in my own head...and in no way have Mike or the kids caused a stink when I ask them to do something. I just like for them to be able to enjoy some "playtime" without having to help mom with "her" work. But, whenever I say this to Mike, he gets upset and says, "We are a family and we work together." So...now, when I get behind or overwhelmed with household chores, I say those 4 little words, "I need your help."

My most recent adventure, as we all know, is with my weight loss. And, I am using those "4 little words" a lot more than I would care to. But, you know what...I am ok with that. Because, I have been getting a lot of great advice, great conversation and great workouts as a result. So, not only are those "4 little words" helping me physically, they are helping me mentally and emotionally as well.

I am SO blessed to have so many people in my life, that when I do say, "I need your help." I get it from every direction. And, all I can say is...I am one lucky girl!!

So, for all of us that don't like to ask for help...just remember, "Many hands make light work". And, sometimes we have to swallow our pride and realize that we can't do it all!

Sucks don't it!! :P

On a different note...as for my "no soda" challenge last week, I'm sad to say...I didn't do so well.  :(  I started off good...then I cheated a little...then, it just went downhill from there. So...I am going to keep on trying. I'll just have to watch how much I'm drinking, and put myself in "time out" when I've had too much. LOL!  I did weigh myself though, and I lost 1.4 lbs. And, considering Halloween was this past weekend, I think that's pretty good. :)

So long, so-da

This week I am giving myself a HUGE pat on the back!! So...take a moment...imagine me patting myself on the back. Good. Thank you! Actually, you know what...imagine me patting myself on my shoulder because I can't really reach my back...lol...gotta be realistic! ;)

Anyway, in my last post I made a commitment to myself to exercise every weekday morning. And...are you ready?...I DID!! Woot Woot!!

I can't thank my friends enough for joining me and making it SO much more enjoyable! I walked 1-2 miles each day, I went to the gym twice, and I had a blast doing Kinect Sports at home. I am SO proud of myself!! And, normally I would say I should have done more. But, I am shutting myself up, and congratulating myself for getting my BIG butt off the couch/computer chair and  moving my body. I tend to forget that I am not a teenager anymore and I am carrying around ALOT of extra weight...it's that whole distorted mental image of myself, I think.

So now,since I accomplished one challenge, I have a new challenge that I am posing to myself. And, honestly, this one scares me more than exercising. So, here it is...I have decided... to eliminate... caffeine and soda! **GASP!!** Yes, I know, you're saying to yourself, "But, Jill, how will you stay awake?!" And, my answer to that question is...chocolate, candy bars, sugar...oh, wait, sorry, I'm missing the point here. That's right, healthy...gotta get healthy.

This is how I see it, caffeine or soda, in general, is NO good. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it magnifies a lot of other bad things. And, I am not blind to that, I just chose not to do anything about it. It makes me hungrier, more aggitated and irritable, turns my teeth yellow, and lately it has gradually been replacing water way too much.

Ever since I was pregnant with Sydney, I retain water like a camel. But, unfortunately, my water isn't stored in my humps...haha. My water likes to hang out right above my ankles mostly, but it goes all the way up to my hips. Which is miserable because my legs feel like dead weight. I am actually on medication for my water retention...which I would love to get rid of. Oddly enough, the less water I drink, the more I retain. So, it's time to replace that soda with water. And I know, I will see lots of changes in the way I feel and how I can move.

Here's a funny story about my water retention. When I was pregnant with Sydney, if I would cut my leg, instead of it bleeding, it would ooze water. Not just a little, it would actually require me to tape gauze or sometimes even a washcloth over the cut, to get it to stop. So, I told Mike to poke a bunch of little holes in my legs and I could be somebody's sprinkler system...plus it would get rid of some of that water. He didn't do it though...can you believe that?!...the nerve! My legs, were so tight, that I couldn't even bend my leg to sit on it!
So, getting back to my challenge. This challenge, is another one of those small steps to the bigger goal. I keep telling myself, one thing at a time. So, I am trying to pick things to focus on that will improve other bad habits at the same time. And, the method to my madness with eliminating soda, besides what I listed above, is...I think I will eat less fast food because of it. I don't buy soda at the store very often because I know I will drink it nonstop. So, to get my fix, I go get fast food. And, to me, fast food doesn't taste the same without soda, so...with that being said, I think, I will eat less fast food. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone, right?

So, there it is folks...no caffeine for Jilly...yep, no caffeine for me...no soda is going to touch these lips. I'm hoping, if I keep saying it, it might make it easier to do. Think it'll work?

Well, this is it. "Goodbye soda...you will be missed." **sniff sniff** Na Na Na Na...Na Na Na Na...Hey Hey Hey...Goodbye! Man...this is going to be tough...ugh!

Applause please...

Do you ever feel like, no matter how long you spend on trying to get something done, it never gets finished?
Being a stay-at-home mom is a priceless gift but a never ending job. Before kids, when I was a Manager working in retail, I would have projects...get them done and go home. As a stay-at-home mom, I have projects...thought I had them done and then the kids would come home. There is something very different about these two lives!
When I ran my own store, I would get a new floorset...along with a huge shipment of new merchandise and I would get SO excited! Yes, it was a lot of work, but I got to completely change my store, and use my brain to figure out how to make it look awesome. I would thrive on the praise I would get from the creative displays that I did. My Managers would send me to other stores within the company because I did such a good job with my own, and I always felt like I did a good job. Plus, I would get the satisfaction of having a job completed.
Running a household has a much different reward system. And, it usually doesn't involve verbal praise. It's hard to do the same things day in and day out and then have that feeling like it's never done. It really wears on you after awhile! Plus, I never get that praise saying, "Wow Mom! You really folded that towel awesome! That linen closet is the BOMB!!" It's just not going to happen, and, frankly...I would be kinda worried if it did. ;)
I don't know what I'm looking for really...I wouldn't give up being a stay-at-home mom for anything. Maybe I should buy one of those fake applause machines that I can turn on whenever I have finished laundry or cleaned the bathroom or something like that. Ooooh...while I'm at it, I should buy a Laugh Tract too. That would really make me feel good! :) I would get laughs no matter how stupid my joke is! Hmmm...I might have to look into that. Christmas, maybe?
Anyway...I also feel like my brain has slowly turned to mush over the past 10 years. I have lived on Dora the Explorer, Blue's Clues and Sesame Street for years...although I have recently graduated to Spongebob Squarepants and iCarly, so I am excited about that. But, I think if I were to go to school at this point, my brain would shut down...you'd probably see smoke coming out of my ears!
As nervous as I am for my kids to grow up...I am stoked to start using my brain for adult things again. The question now is...what do I want to do when I grow up? My lastest desire is to work with animals. Possibly as a Vet Tech. Working in retail was rewarding creatively, however working with customers was not so rewarding. When you work with the public, you gain an appreciation for what service people put up with. So...with that being said...I would much rather deal with animals than people! :)
My biggest hurdle to overcome with taking on any challenge or new adventure is my lack of patience for learning something new. I am a girl that is all about Instant Gratification! Even as a kid, I wanted to be the best at whatever it was without having to practice or study. And...I hate to say it...but I am still that way. If I am not an ace at something right away, I would get discouraged and move onto something that comes naturally.
At least I have recognized this about myself, so now I can do something about it. I think that is one of the reasons eating healthy and exercising is so hard for me. It's something that I'm not "perfect" at, so I want to move onto something that I am. Which...we all know what that is! :P
I have rejoined the Athletic Club and I have made a commitment to myself, that I am going to dedicate every weekday morning to exercising. I also have some friends that are involved in that, which I love them dearly for!
Since the kids have went back to school, I have been trying to get my house "perfect", myself "perfect", my projects all finished, and also finish everything else that my mind creates to distract me from getting all those other things done. And, It's...just...not...working!! I have to reorganize my priorities and concentrate on the one thing that will help all things...and that is ME.
Loving Instant Gratification is a pain in the butt because it just won't happen with all the weight I need to lose. And...it will happen even slower, if I keep doing things half-ass. I am going to work on exercising first because in the past that has helped me with eating correctly also. So...wish me luck!!
Once, I am not afraid to step on the scale...I will post it. :)