Daily Stress Buster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk

Enjoy!

Lucky Number 13

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary. Where does the time go? We'll celebrate this weekend (found a babysitter for the kids), but for tonight, a quiet celebration at home with the family. I went to Whole Foods to pick up dinner. The closest Whole Foods is 16 miles from our home, so I don't go there often. But I do have a friend who frequently purchases prepared meals. I enjoy people watching at Whole Foods - there are all types of folks; Caucasians with dread locks, hard rockers, business suits, quiet librarian/professor types and super moms.

Meal Tracking

Today I picked up a cute journal at Michael's arts & crafts store for $1. It has a pretty design on the cover with the words, "Enjoy the little things in life!". I will be using this journal to track my meals each day. Meal tracking has always worked for me to not only maintain and control calorie intake, but to keep me on the healthy eating track (for me and the family)!

No Mas

OK, the new washing machine will be delivered early next week. :-\

Mrs. Fix It Follow-up

Well, it's the coin hose again. A small hole punctured the hose from lose change(a nickel and a dime). Well we were up late, until about 1:30am trying to get the water to stop overflowing from one of the hoses, it seems we couldn't get the clamp tight enough. I was so ready to just get another washer, it was so frustrating. Last year it worked like a charm, but now it's just being stubborn.

Today, with a set of fresh eyes and energy, I ventured to Home Depot to see what I could get to give it a try again. Will keep you posted!

Daughter Dilemma

A few posts back I mentioned a situation with my daughter where she was getting static from team mates and was having a tough time coping. Well there was so much competition going on within the team with positions being changed as well as batting order. I tried to counsel her as best as I could and told her to do her best and to try to block out the negative. "Don't let anyone throw you off your game. Besides, the coach is the one who makes the decisions on who plays where and when." Then I thought about it, the coach is the one who makes that decision.

Upon further investigation I began to notice that slowy but surely, the coach was diminishing my daughter until she was eventually in the outfield, then on the bench. Why is it that my daughter's name was in the papers on numerous occasions for hits and RBI's, when people with a lower (practically non-existent) batting average was placed above her. Why was she on the bench?

Then I took a closer look. Hmmm, all the girls on the field had blonde ponytails. There were three girls on the bench; my daughter (with her dark brown twists pulled back), another girl had her long brunette locks cut over the summer into a cute bob, too short for a ponytail; and the third girl had blond hair, but she too had her summer cut a couple of months ago and her hair was also too short for a pony. Was it just my imagination????

Well upon further investigation, I found that I was not the only one to discover this strange behavior. A couple of parents also mentioned that this particular coach favored girls who closely resembled his daughter (blond ponytail). Ain't that some S***?!

Well needless to say, she will not be playing on that team next season. Hubby and I are actively seeking another home where she will be utilized and not stomped upon!

As for her fareweather friend, she now knows that not everyone who says they are your friend really means it. I'll continue to pray to God to send her a life long friend who will appreciate her for who she is and not feel threatened by what makes them different. Someone with whom she can refer back to the "good ole days" and not recall pain and anguish.

Mrs. Fix It

It so much pressure being superwoman. It's down right exhausting! A year ago our washing machine started leaking. Our laundry room is located on the second floor so we freaked out when water damage appeared on the ceiling below. Busy Hubby wanted to replace the machine. Being "Mrs. Fix It", I took it upon myself to investigate and see if it could be repaired. I discovered a rip in the coin trap hose. You could see the obvious tear and it seemed like a simple do-it-yourself repair. I called Sears, ordered the part and vioila! Just like new for a grand total of $30.00!

Well a few months later the dryer started smoking and gave off a burnt smell. Busy Hubby wanted to replace the machine. I took as much apart as I could and cleaned out an obscene amount of lint! People, it was scary the amount of lint stored inside the dryer! Well, the dryer ran wonderfully until the burnt smell returned a few months later. I didn't want to chance hanging on to a fire hazard so, we replaced the machine. We purchased an LG dryer and I LOVE it! The drum is twice the size as the previous dryer which is wonderful for blankets and comforters! And instead of a loud buzz at the end of the cycle, it plays a little tune. Busy Boy says it sounds like the ice cream truck. Doing laundry has never been this fun! I actually smile when the load is done!

The installer said that usually people will buy a set (oh, no - was he trying to break on a sista'?), but (he caught himself and attempted to clean it up) - a lot of people will buy them separately. (but he added the kiss of death) Then, the other will die within a couple of months. I think he put the whammy on my washer!

Today while unloading towels, I notice water in the washing machine tray. Not again! So before night fall, I must pull out my tool box and check things out again. Haven't mentioned it to hubby yet, but we all know what that response will be, "guess we'll have to replace the machine".

Woman's Stress Diet

Here is an oldie but goodie - a diet specifically designed to reduce the stress level of women.

This is a specially formulated diet designed to help women cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey’s kiss

Afternoon Tea
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white) and 2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Remember: Stressed spelled backward is desserts.

Where has the summer gone?

I cannot believe how quickly the summer months are flying by. This will be the last week of camp for the kids. It ends in July and I have nothing planned for the month of August. While walking the pooch, my neighbor asked me if I was enjoying summer vacation - I replied that my "vacation" will officially begin once the kids start back to school.

Yay...

Is commission the new layoff?

Last November I applied for the position of marketing director for a company that manufactures reusable and disposable thermometers (don't judge - times are hard). It's a small local company that has huge potential. Long story short, they hired someone else for the job, but felt my computer skills were invaluable and hired me to work from home doing research to support their sales staff (SWEET). Fast forward 5 months - turns out they don't have a sales staff and somewhere along the way, I wound up using my own research to make sales calls and send literature to prospective clients. Well, last month, they called me in for our "monthly meeting" and I was informed that I would be moving towards a commission based compensation. What the heck!? I didn't even ask to do sales, why am I being punished for something I didn't sign up for? Needless to say, this is not going to work for me. I cannot possibly be expected to work for free. Oh well...