(Not So) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition -- Week 3

They say it takes 3 weeks to make something a habit... I think I've finally turned one of my original 3 items into a habit now, WOO HOO!!

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I hope you'll join me in my quest to make myself a better person by taking baby steps in the right direction, tackling small challenges, one day at a time, that can result in BIG changes in the long run! It's easy to participate... simply leave a comment here to let me know what you're working on (so we can encourage each other) or if you have your own blog or website, post your update there and leave a link in the comments section of this post. I'll post updates here every Wednesday, hoping to see you back here each week to share your progress or just follow mine. Either way, the more, the merrier! (You can read more about the reason I'm doing this here).

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Here are my updates on the 3 items I've been working on:

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1. Better skin care. I am happy to say that I've been doing very well with this. I've been following my "new routine" every morning and every night and my face is thanking me for it! I think I've got this one pretty much under my belt now, so this week I'm going to take on a new challenge to take it's place. (I'll keep this up in the background, of course!)

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2. Drink more water. So I've found plenty of ways around the "water is yucky" thing. Just can't find ways around the "bladder is small" thing. I've been doing great about not having 2 non-water drinks in a row without at least 1 bottle of water in between. However, I think I'm probably just drinking less overall, which is counter-productive, really. Weekends are usually my worst days, though, I typically guzzle 3 or 4 cans of Pepsi a day (in addition to 2 cups of morning coffee). This past Saturday, though, I didn't have ANY soda and on Sunday, only 1 can. An improvement for sure, but still not meeting the goal. I'll keep working on it...

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3. Grump less. Last week I said I wouldn't use the word "impossible." This week, I will. Impossible!! OK, so not really impossible... just very frustrating! I am now able to see a grump coming far enough in advance to determine if it's warranted or not. I don't think my kids would say I'm not grumpy anymore... but then again, I have a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old. You know any kids that age who think their parents aren't "too mean and cranky?" I have a long way to go...

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4. Find and read a book to better myself. Finding and reading a book doesn't seem to be a lofty goal, especially for someone who LOVES to read. Problem is, for my life I can't remember the last time I read a book "just because" that didn't start with Hi, my name is Dora or Once upon a time in a far away land. My friend Brenda is in a book club and gosh, how I wish...

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Anyway, I want to find a book (and actually read it!). Not sure what I'm looking for yet... something that will make me a better me. I even have a gift card to Barnes & Noble from my birthday last year that I could put towards this. Hhhmmm.... maybe an afternoon tucked away in the corner of Starbucks at my B&N (drinking water, of course) might help with item #3 on my list....

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What are you working on this week?

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Be sure to check out the lists from:
Julie (The Surrendered Scribe)

Ruth (Getting Real)

(Not So) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition -- Week 2

Week 2, here I come!! I hope you'll join me in my quest to make myself a better person by taking baby steps in the right direction, tackling small challenges, one day at a time, that can result in BIG changes in the long run! It's easy to participate... simply leave a comment here to let me know what you're working on (so we can encourage each other) or if you have your own blog or website, post your update there and leave a link in the comments section of this post. I'll post updates here every Wednesday, hoping to see you back here each week to share your progress or just follow mine. Either way, the more, the merrier! (You can read more about the reason I'm doing this here.)
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Here are my updates on the 3 items I've been working on.

1. Better skin care. I am so proud that I've been keeping up with this one! I've been following my new "skin care routine" every morning and every night. Morning has always been easy enough, it's the night routine I was bad about.... 'cause I'm just so stinkin' tired! I decided to start washing my face and using all the new lotions and creams after dinner, rather than waiting for bedtime and that makes a big difference. I still have my grump lines but I'm confident that over time, my skin will begin to look healthier and more "age appropriate." I think in one more week this will be enough of a routine for me that I can call it a habit and add something new into the list.

2. Drink more water. This one is hard. I'm getting better about not liking water. If only I could expand my bladder. I drive 60 miles each way to work (at least an hour in the car) and I'm on conference calls at least 4 or 5 hours a day (sometimes more). This makes for quite a challenge when your bladder is the size of a pea and you're trying to drink more water. What I can say is that I'm not having 2 caffeinated beverages in a row anymore, I'm alternating caffeine and water. I suppose that's a start but I still have a long way to go.

3. Grump less. I won't use the word "impossible" but I think when you have a full-time job outside the home, a ridiculously long commute and two small children, it's really, really challenging not to be grumpy sometimes. However, I'm trying hard to remember the world won't end if the to-do list remains long and my overall outlook on things is changing. Progress... but I'll keep working on it.

What are you working on this week?

(Not So) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition -- Week 1

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Here goes... Week 1 of the (Not So) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition challenge! Woo Hoo!! I hope you'll join me in my quest to make myself a better person by taking baby steps in the right direction, tackling small challenges, one day at a time, that can result in BIG changes in the long run! It's easy to participate... simply leave a comment here to let me know what you're working on (so we can encourage each other) or if you have your own blog or website, post your update there and leave a link in the comments section of this post. I'll post updates here every Wednesday, hoping to see you back here each week to share your progress or just follow mine. Either way, the more, the merrier! (You can read more about the reason I'm doing this here.)

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Here are the 3 items I've decided to tackle to begin with. I started working on these a few days ago and plan to add more over time.

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1. Better skin care. I've been using my new creams, lotions, serums and makeup for 3 days now. So far, I like them, but way too soon to tell if they're making a difference or not. The good thing is that, because it's on a list someplace, I feel more obligated to keep up with it. So, I wash my face and follow with the "proper" routine of "products" every morning and every night. In and of itself, that's a big deal, since I tend to buy the "miracle package" of skin care products, use it for a day and a half and then throw it in a drawer. Baby steps, remember?

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2. Drink more water. I have certainly not made a very significant increase in my water consumption yet. However, I have stuck to the plan of drinking equal amounts water and caffeinated beverages. After my morning coffee, I won't allow myself a soda until I've finished a full bottle of water. After the soda, I have to drink more water before I have more caffeine. That much is working. Problem is, I'm still not drinking nearly as much water as I should in a day, so my goal for this week is to make sure I get at least 2 full bottles of water in per day, 3 if I can manage it. (Did I mention that I really, really don't like water?)

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3. Grump less. This one is so HARD!! Small accomplishment, though... last night I refrained from doing anything on the "chores" list until the kids were both in bed. Just being aware that I tend to get cranky when the chore list is long has made a big difference and I was able to more fully relax and enjoy story time and our tea party. Now, if only I can remember that in the mornings after my 5-year-old has spent 30 minutes staring at (but not eating) her breakfast, while still in her pajamas, when we have 6 minutes to finish getting ready to leave for the day....

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So, there are my first 3 goals and mini updates (after only 3 days). Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

(Added on Feb 27)

Please join me in encouraging some others who are going to join me in the Makeover Challenge!

- Julie (The Surrendered Scribe)

- Jennifer (Focus Findings)

- Brenda (no blog, but she's 2 weeks in to a weight loss program and doing GREAT!)

- Chrissy (no blog, but she's working on getting healthier -- she had a great first day!)

(I'll see if I can figure out a Mr. Linky for next Wednesday's update...)

25 Random Things about Kat

Some of my Facebook friends have tagged me to do a "25 Random Things" list but unfortunately, Facebook will not let me onto their site from my computer. I can update my status and send notes from my Blackberry, but the computer and my Facebook account don't seem to be on speaking terms. So... what better place to post my 25 Random Things than on my Random Thoughts blog, right?

1. My first name is just "Kathy," that's not short for anything. My parents thought if they named me Kathleen or Katherine, everyone would just call me Kathy anyway. Except for my co-workers, everyone calls me Kat. I suppose if they had named me Kat, people would just call me K.

2. I've known my friend Brenda, well, I don't remember ever not knowing my friend Brenda. Literally. More than anyone else in my life, she has taught me the meaning of the word "unconditional."

3. I was miserable every single second of high school because apparently, it's fun for cool kids to pick on smart kids. If I ever ran into any of those "cool kids" again, I'd tell them my sincerest wish is that no one ever treats their kids the way they treated me.

4. As miserable as I was for all of high school, if I could rewind and do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. Every minute of my life has shaped me into the strong, confident, successful, beautiful person I am today.

5. I met my husband on Super Bowl Sunday in 1996, only 3 months after I turned 20. I knew on our first date that he was The One. Today, I still know I was right.

6. Craig and I went to the 30 year Woodstock reunion in Rome, New York in July 1999. It was amazing, but I'd never do it again.

7. Craig and I watched the ball drop in Times Square as 1999 turned into 2000. I was dressed in an evening gown and he was in a tuxedo. We were as close to the ball as the police barricades would allow. It was amazing, but I'd never do it again.

8. In 1998, the doctors told me it was "a very aggressive form of pre-cancer." In early 1999, they told me they could probably prevent the cancer with "a procedure" but I'd never carry a pregnancy to term.

9. Five years later, I gave birth to our first perfect miracle, proving that God trumps doctors. Her sister came along 3 years later in much the same way.

10. Except for pregnancy weight, I have never weighed more than 118 pounds. Today, I don't weigh enough to give blood.

11. I hate to cook. If it was up to me, I'd eat at Taco Bell every night. This is only OK because of item #10.

12. I am bi-polar about my job. I love it or I hate it, there's no in between. It's the best job ever and the worst job ever, and sometimes that varies by the minute.

13. Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher or a lawyer.

14. Today, I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.

15. I love country music, Jim Brickman (pianist), Amy Grant, Metallica and Staind. How's that for an odd assortment?

16. My favorite place to vacation is the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York.

17. I've been on at least 400 flights and slept at least 200 nights in a hotel room. Probably more, but I lost track a long time ago. I hate to travel. No really, I do!

18. My brother calls me Waffle the Hut and my sister calls me The Biggest of Bits.

19. I took Spanish for 9 years in junior high, high school and college. I can't speak a word of it now.

20. My biggest regret in life is not going to see my grandparents one more time before moving to Florida. My grandfather, my hero, passed away 7 months later.

21. I love to make quilts. I have more fabric than most fabric stores. My friends are probably going to begin smothering me with home made quilts if I don't find something new to give them for their birthdays.

22. My favorite ice cream flavors is mint chocolate chip.

23. I would love to have one more baby... if only I could make one more parent to come with it.

24. I enjoy cleaning, yet my guiltiest pleasure is paying someone else to come clean my house every other week. It makes me feel "not good enough" sometimes but on the flip side, frees up hours of my limited weekend free time to do things much more important than cleaning a toilet or mopping the floor.

25. Though textbook definitions may disagree, I think I'm borderline OCD. I have to turn the alarm on and off 3 times before I go to bed and if anyone touches my alarm clock, I can't sleep the entire night. I have to tuck Jessica in first every night, then Rachel. If I start with Rachel, I always end up getting up in the night to go tuck in Jess again, then Rachel after her. No one said I was normal...

So, what random things are you willing to share?

(Not So) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

In my last post, I talked about a conversation with my older daughter (she's 5) where she told me I never play with her and I'm grumpy all the time. I don't believe that's true and I have no intention of becoming a playmate instead of a parent to my kids. However, it did cause me to stop and think about some things I can do differently, improve upon, to be a better me.

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I'm not so good at keeping promises I make to myself about myself, but I'm pretty good when I know other people are watching and I'm responsible to more than just myself. So, I am officially starting a new project called (drum roll, please).... (Not so) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition. If you've got something you'd like to work on, I encourage you to join me. You can do so by posting on your own blog or website, or by leaving a comment here so we can take the challenge together and encourage each other along the way. Here's how it works...

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Start by making a list of things you want to work on. I know I have a LOT to work on, so I'm going to start with 3 things and add more over time. Every Wednesday, I'll post an update here to talk about my progress (or lack thereof). Once I achieve one goal (or feel pretty solid that I'm making good, consistent progress), I'll add something new to the list. Easy enough, right?

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So here's my starting list, in no particular order....

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1. Better skin care. I know, sounds odd. How did I get that out of my kid telling me I'm too grumpy? The night she told me that, I was looking in the mirror and realized I have some unattractive "grump lines" on my forehead. (Some may call them wrinkles, but I'm too young to use the "w" word.) But, the fact of the matter is that my skin does not look my age and I want to change that. My good friend Mel has been telling me about some new skin care products and makeup she's started using recently - with good results - so yesterday, I went out and bought some creams, lotions and makeup that might get me moving in the right direction.

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2. Drink more water. I am a caffeine-a-holic. I start my day with 2 cups of coffee, drink I bottle of Propel (flavored vitamin water) in the morning and Pepsi the rest of the day. I'm not ready to reduce my caffeine intake (yet), but I will commit to equal amounts of water and caffeinated beverages. So, I need to add in 2 bottles of water per day to my repertoire. I know that's still not enough to get me even close to the "recommended daily consumption" of water, but hey, it's more than I'm drinking now! I don't like plain water at all, so I will probably drink more Propel instead of the plain stuff but hey, it's still water!

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3. Grump less. This will be a tough one for me. It's in my nature to be task-oriented and too often, I let the to-do list dictate my mood. But, I am going to be more conscious of when I'm snapping or grumping and try to check myself when I feel an unwarranted grump coming on. Better yet, when I realize I've grumped when I shouldn't have (and I usually realize right away already when this has happened), I'm going to make myself drink a glass of plain water as "punishment." I wouldn't use negative reinforcement on my kids and I know I probably shouldn't use it on myself, but I really, really don't like to drink water, so the thought of it may be enough to make me think twice. And if nothing else, it'll get me moving in the right direction on goal #2!

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Looking forward to seeing what might be on your list and would love for you to share updates with me. If you're ready now, you can post a comment here. Or, come back on Wednesday to let me know your plan.

The Truth (?) Hurts

My 5-year-old, Rachel, has recently starting making her bed every morning as soon as she wakes up. She does a pretty good job of straightening the sheets and the comforter and arranging her princess pillows. A few nights ago as I was tucking her into bed, I told her how proud I was of her doing this and how it gave Mommy more time to play and have fun with her and her sister when she helped out with the chores around the house.

"So you have too many chores to do, Mommy?" she asked.

"Well, there's a lot we have to do to keep our house running smoothly, so every time you and Sissy help me out, it saves me some time and I've got more time to have fun with you."

She thought for a moment. "So too many chores is the reason you never play with us and you're grumpy all the time?"

Ouch.

Ouch.

And did I mention, "Ouch?"

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, cry. I know I play with them. And I know I'm not grumpy all the time. My husband is definitely the "playful, happy" one on a more regular basis, but that I never play with them and I'm grumpy all the time? Yeesh!

I've thought about it a lot. Lost sleep over it, actually. And what it comes down to is that it doesn't matter if I think I play with them and if I think I'm not grumpy too much. It matters what they think. Their perception, not mine, is the reality, at least in this case.

Don't get me wrong, I've heard more than my share of "you never give me treats" or "you always make me go to bed before I'm ready." And I can live with those. What I can't live with is that my kid believes I never play with her and I'm grumpy all the time.

So the problem, of course, is what to do about it. 'Cause she's right. I focus on the chores, my husband focuses on the fun. I get grumpy when things go wrong or the to-do list is too long, my husband makes it a game or says, "oh well, the world won't end." Certainly no way I can go from my Type A personality to his Type B (trust me, I've spent a long time trying... ain't gonna happen!) but I know I can make changes to play more and grump less. Much as it hurt, I think it just took the smack in the face from my daughter to make me realize I needed to do these things.

I have some ideas... more to come on this blog (and yes, in less time than it's been since my last post here!). I'm planning a "Kat Mini Makeover" (for this and some other things, too) and would love you to join me on perhaps, a mini makeover of your own. If you don't need a makeover (and hooray!! for you if you don't!), I'd love you to follow behind me and kick me when I need it. Stay tuned....

SOOC Saturday -- Derek again

Derek again... only this time, my nephew and not my favorite baseball player. I took this picture this August at my daughter's 5th birthday party.

Thanks to Melody over at Slurping Life for the SOOC Saturday fun!