The fact that I love getting to try new products and then write about them sometimes gets me into a bit of trouble. I'm not a review or a giveaway blogger, nor do I aspire to be, but I like throwing both things in from time to time. So when I got two big packages from Purex Insiders at the same time (and right after I got the Dry Idea package), I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed! But I am going to tell you about both things right here.
First, I got to try Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blend cereal. And I didn't like it. It was just a mashup of far too many flavors, overly sweet and then tangy and then coconutty, fighting for space on my tongue. It didn't work for me - but I do LOVE Honey Bunches of Oats Vanilla Clusters, so I'm not giving up on this particular cold cereal brand. I'm just not going to be buying a box of this flavor any time soon.
That said, I would be all about winning a prize from Honey Bunches of Oats and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts. The grand prize is a four-night stay at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach for two people. Ah, that's a lovely dream - a vacation with just me and my husband...alone... Maybe instead one of you will win and you'll take me as a guest, and he can stay home with our beautiful child having oodles of fun. Right? First place winners get a year's supply of Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash Detergent (I've used Purex Natural Elements detergent before - without being given a free sample, no less! - and liked how it cleaned my clothes) and Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends. (Hey, you might like it better than I did!) ENTER HERE! You totally want to!
Next, I got to try Soft Scrub All Purpose Bath and Kitchen Cleanser in the lemon scent. And this stuff I really liked. I tried it on my kitchen countertops and it got off a ton of gunk. I tried it on various sinks in my house and it was excellent at making them shine. The lemon scent wasn't overly perfumey and didn't linger (nor make me want to run out of the room). I'd buy this again.
Soft Scrub is also holding a contest - lucky you! You can win some great prizes, including $1,000 cash and a year's supply of Soft Scrub - ENTER HERE!
Now for my contest. Two people will win two coupons each - one for a free Soft Scrub product and one for a free box of Honey Bunches of Oats. (Yes, that's a random combination.) Contest open to U.S. addresses only. Contest runs until March 8, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was given free samples of both Soft Scrub Total All Purpose Bath and Kitchen Cleanser and Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blend so I could review them. My participation is voluntary and all opinions are mine - obviously.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The Day My Daughter Hung Out with the President - February 2013
One Sunday night in February, I was getting ready for my daughter to go to camp the next day (held in the same building as her pre-K program since school was out for the week). Ping! Up popped an email from her teacher, which I thought was odd because while we always get a weekly update, school was out.
The email shared the news - President Obama had chosen Decatur, Georgia - my city - and College Heights - my daughter's pre-K school - to visit on Thursday.
The President. Would Be Visiting. My Daughter's School.
Wait...what?????
!!!!!!
I screamed! A lot!
Let us get this out of the way right now: I'm an unabashed Obama fan. If that bothers you, stop reading my blog. And please do not try to get political with me because that is not what this is about. Thank you.
So the real reason he was coming to Decatur was that he was also going to give a speech about universal pre-K. He'd picked my city/my kid's public school as a great example of that program working here in Georgia.
We were given very few details as the week went on. The school would reopen during vacation and all of the kids were invited to return for a full day. No parents would be allowed in after dropoff. That's pretty much it. (And yes, I was jealous for a few minutes of my five-year-old child.) Her teacher did call me though - and she asked me to add something special to her AAC device - "It's nice to meet you, Mr. President."
The day of the President's arrival (Valentine's Day!) was basically like any other school day - except with a metal detector and Secret Service agents. I was afraid that the AAC device might cause problems, but I had asked earlier and was assured it wouldn't, and it was fine. Overall, the security process was easier than going to an airport - I even got to keep my shoes on. They ran a wand very quickly over my kid - she just thought it was funny. The walker got a cursory glance. The talker was looked over and returned to me to put in its case. Everything was kept very quick and casual.
As we walked down the hall, some of the Secret Service agents noticed my daughter running with her walker and smiled and cheered her on. "Look at her go!" But we noticed that there were two VERY SERIOUS agents who did not smile or do much other than look menacing stationed outside of her classroom door. (As they should!) And there were a few other clues that the President was going to be going INTO HER CLASSROOM. There are several pre-K classes, so this was a BIG DEAL. (I found out later that it was chosen for reasons that you might not actually expect, but basically it was pretty likely just a coincidence that it was my kid's class or even an inclusion class at all - and still, it WAS my kid's class!)
I reluctantly left her in the capable hands of her teachers and then spent the day with a friend, watching for the motorcade. As it finally passed by me, after it left the school, I got a glimpse of Mr. Obama's head - he had cracked the window and was looking at us all, which was really wonderful. He wasn't buried in text messaging, phone calls, or paperwork - he was taking Decatur in. The only protesters/dissenters I saw were from PETA (they were dressed as elephants and their signs were about the mistreatment of elephants in the circus - the kids around us who were also waving at the motorcade were REALLY EXCITED to see elephants). It was one big fun party out there.
The President was taken to the rec center where he gave a rousing speech on the importance of early education - and he was introduced by my daughter's amazing teacher Mary, who happens to not only have won Teacher of the Year but also is the lead special education teacher for preschool and pre-K. I'm so happy for her and so proud and...yeah. Gushy gushgush.
And when we picked the kid up from school at the end of the day, she told us she played with sand, she mentioned the library, she gave us a thumbs up, but there was no mention of the great man she'd met. I checked the media and found lots of pictures where she's in the background (and you can see her walker in a lot of them and another classmate's Dynavox is front and center in some) - but I have been told that the press pool was only allowed in the room for a short time and then asked to leave, while the President stayed and worked with/met the rest of the kids and at some point took a group picture. The pictures from that portion of the day (taken by the official White House photographer) have not been made available to me yet, but I'm hopeful they will be someday.
The President hung out with the kids while they did "small group" work - four groups of four kids, each one focusing on another learning activity. He also attended a school assembly and according to a very brief clip I saw on the White House website, he sang and did the hand motions to the song about community that the kids always sing. So everyone in the school got to interact with him a little.
And as for my daughter specifically? She was able to greet the President with her AAC device (a Prentke Romich Vantage Lite2 for those new to my blog). He asked her name and she was able to answer. And she got a hug! And I realized that if this had all happened before she got her talker, she wouldn't have been able to do most of that. She is getting better with her verbal speech and among other things, she can say her name--and she can even say Obama. But she's hard to understand right now. Instead she was able to have a CONVERSATION. It still makes me choke up.
There are several children with IEPs in my daughter's inclusion class (and more than one who uses an AAC device). The President was also in a room with children of all economic backgrounds. Children who were born in the United States and children who were born in other countries. Children of all colors, shapes, and sizes. It's just how Decatur is. He definitely noticed - he mentioned many of these things in his speech. I hope that somehow the inclusion model made an impression on him and that maybe he will think of this experience when fighting for things like insurance reform, which affects my kid directly.
So that's how my daughter got to meet the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States Barack Obama. And yes, I'm still a bit jealous.
The email shared the news - President Obama had chosen Decatur, Georgia - my city - and College Heights - my daughter's pre-K school - to visit on Thursday.
The President. Would Be Visiting. My Daughter's School.
Wait...what?????
!!!!!!
I screamed! A lot!
Let us get this out of the way right now: I'm an unabashed Obama fan. If that bothers you, stop reading my blog. And please do not try to get political with me because that is not what this is about. Thank you.
So the real reason he was coming to Decatur was that he was also going to give a speech about universal pre-K. He'd picked my city/my kid's public school as a great example of that program working here in Georgia.
We were given very few details as the week went on. The school would reopen during vacation and all of the kids were invited to return for a full day. No parents would be allowed in after dropoff. That's pretty much it. (And yes, I was jealous for a few minutes of my five-year-old child.) Her teacher did call me though - and she asked me to add something special to her AAC device - "It's nice to meet you, Mr. President."
The day of the President's arrival (Valentine's Day!) was basically like any other school day - except with a metal detector and Secret Service agents. I was afraid that the AAC device might cause problems, but I had asked earlier and was assured it wouldn't, and it was fine. Overall, the security process was easier than going to an airport - I even got to keep my shoes on. They ran a wand very quickly over my kid - she just thought it was funny. The walker got a cursory glance. The talker was looked over and returned to me to put in its case. Everything was kept very quick and casual.
As we walked down the hall, some of the Secret Service agents noticed my daughter running with her walker and smiled and cheered her on. "Look at her go!" But we noticed that there were two VERY SERIOUS agents who did not smile or do much other than look menacing stationed outside of her classroom door. (As they should!) And there were a few other clues that the President was going to be going INTO HER CLASSROOM. There are several pre-K classes, so this was a BIG DEAL. (I found out later that it was chosen for reasons that you might not actually expect, but basically it was pretty likely just a coincidence that it was my kid's class or even an inclusion class at all - and still, it WAS my kid's class!)
I reluctantly left her in the capable hands of her teachers and then spent the day with a friend, watching for the motorcade. As it finally passed by me, after it left the school, I got a glimpse of Mr. Obama's head - he had cracked the window and was looking at us all, which was really wonderful. He wasn't buried in text messaging, phone calls, or paperwork - he was taking Decatur in. The only protesters/dissenters I saw were from PETA (they were dressed as elephants and their signs were about the mistreatment of elephants in the circus - the kids around us who were also waving at the motorcade were REALLY EXCITED to see elephants). It was one big fun party out there.
The President was taken to the rec center where he gave a rousing speech on the importance of early education - and he was introduced by my daughter's amazing teacher Mary, who happens to not only have won Teacher of the Year but also is the lead special education teacher for preschool and pre-K. I'm so happy for her and so proud and...yeah. Gushy gushgush.
And when we picked the kid up from school at the end of the day, she told us she played with sand, she mentioned the library, she gave us a thumbs up, but there was no mention of the great man she'd met. I checked the media and found lots of pictures where she's in the background (and you can see her walker in a lot of them and another classmate's Dynavox is front and center in some) - but I have been told that the press pool was only allowed in the room for a short time and then asked to leave, while the President stayed and worked with/met the rest of the kids and at some point took a group picture. The pictures from that portion of the day (taken by the official White House photographer) have not been made available to me yet, but I'm hopeful they will be someday.
The President hung out with the kids while they did "small group" work - four groups of four kids, each one focusing on another learning activity. He also attended a school assembly and according to a very brief clip I saw on the White House website, he sang and did the hand motions to the song about community that the kids always sing. So everyone in the school got to interact with him a little.
And as for my daughter specifically? She was able to greet the President with her AAC device (a Prentke Romich Vantage Lite2 for those new to my blog). He asked her name and she was able to answer. And she got a hug! And I realized that if this had all happened before she got her talker, she wouldn't have been able to do most of that. She is getting better with her verbal speech and among other things, she can say her name--and she can even say Obama. But she's hard to understand right now. Instead she was able to have a CONVERSATION. It still makes me choke up.
There are several children with IEPs in my daughter's inclusion class (and more than one who uses an AAC device). The President was also in a room with children of all economic backgrounds. Children who were born in the United States and children who were born in other countries. Children of all colors, shapes, and sizes. It's just how Decatur is. He definitely noticed - he mentioned many of these things in his speech. I hope that somehow the inclusion model made an impression on him and that maybe he will think of this experience when fighting for things like insurance reform, which affects my kid directly.
So that's how my daughter got to meet the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States Barack Obama. And yes, I'm still a bit jealous.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Contest: Win two coupons for a free Dry Idea product!
Sometimes I get to try new products and talk about them, and I always think that's fun. This time I was invited to try out Dry Idea AdvancedDry Fresh brand deodorant and antiperspirant. All opinions are mine and I didn't get any payment for this post other than a free bottle of the deodorant and the coupons to give away. They can't make me say anything neener neener.
My review: I like that it lasts for 72 hours and I think it's really interesting that it has this "pulse activated" system to keep you from being all sweaty and disgusting. Plus it smells good - a clean, green-ish scent. I have used it and it works as promised. On the downside, I really don't like roll-on/liquid deodorants because you have to wait for them to dry on your skin (annoying and time consuming) although they probably work better than solids/sticks.
I'll definitely continue to use the freebie they sent me, and if it's on sale in the future I might consider it, but I'll probably stick to sticks. Not much else to say here, honestly (and really, do you want to hear all about my sweat? no, you do not).
So on to the good stuff - do you want to win two coupons for one free Dry Idea roll-on, gel, or aerosol product? SURE YOU DO!
Contest runs from February 11, 2013, through February 22, 2013. US addresses only please. Winner will receive two coupons for one free Dry Idea product. Enjoy!
Rafflecopter, take it away!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My review: I like that it lasts for 72 hours and I think it's really interesting that it has this "pulse activated" system to keep you from being all sweaty and disgusting. Plus it smells good - a clean, green-ish scent. I have used it and it works as promised. On the downside, I really don't like roll-on/liquid deodorants because you have to wait for them to dry on your skin (annoying and time consuming) although they probably work better than solids/sticks.
I'll definitely continue to use the freebie they sent me, and if it's on sale in the future I might consider it, but I'll probably stick to sticks. Not much else to say here, honestly (and really, do you want to hear all about my sweat? no, you do not).
So on to the good stuff - do you want to win two coupons for one free Dry Idea roll-on, gel, or aerosol product? SURE YOU DO!
Contest runs from February 11, 2013, through February 22, 2013. US addresses only please. Winner will receive two coupons for one free Dry Idea product. Enjoy!
Rafflecopter, take it away!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Great Deals on Valentine's Day cards, photo books, and gifts from Shutterfly! - February 5, 2013
I'm now a Shutterfly affiliate - and I signed up to be one because I really love the products and services that Shutterfly provides! This means I can now offer promo codes for Shutterfly as well as information about all sorts of great deals - just please note that they are affiliate links -- I do get some money if you click them and sign up for things, but I don't endorse products in which I do not believe.
Here are the current promo codes that are available so you can get your photo books, photo gifts, Valentine's Day cards, and more, all for a really reasonable price! (I particularly love the $10 off $10 deal - but hurry, these deals end tomorrow!) Thanks for looking!
$10 off $10 from Shuttefly.com with promo code LOVESTRUCK. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
Free Valentine's Day card from Shutterfly.com with promo code CARD4U. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
Up to 40% off all photo books from Shutterfly.com. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
20% off most photo gifts from Shutterfly.com. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
Here are the current promo codes that are available so you can get your photo books, photo gifts, Valentine's Day cards, and more, all for a really reasonable price! (I particularly love the $10 off $10 deal - but hurry, these deals end tomorrow!) Thanks for looking!
$10 off $10 from Shuttefly.com with promo code LOVESTRUCK. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
Free Valentine's Day card from Shutterfly.com with promo code CARD4U. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
Up to 40% off all photo books from Shutterfly.com. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
20% off most photo gifts from Shutterfly.com. Offer valid 2/1-2/6
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Thrifting post with terrible pictures - February 2, 2013
I currently am under contract for a really nice freelance gig, but it requires me to work somewhat regular hours, so I don't have the free time I usually do when I make my own hours/work evenings and weekends. Yesterday I left immediately after I finished up my day to hang out with my thrifty friend. We went into three stores total - my favorite tiny indie store, my second-favorite large-ish indie store, and one Goodwill (at which I bought....NOTHING....).
When we got back to her house, my daughter pulled everything out of the bags and then my friend folded each piece beautifully and lovingly. I got home and realized I couldn't remember which piece of clothing came from where (not that anyone really cares, but I like to keep track because I'm ridiculous that way!) so I'm going to just guess. Also as you will see I unfolded everything and made a giant mess. Plus I Photoshopped some of these pictures and left some alone. Forgive me. Just enjoy the general idea of Thrifting Is Fun, OK?
First, the kid clothes. Everything below was either 50 cents or 70 cents.
And now for what Mama got.
Love!
When we got back to her house, my daughter pulled everything out of the bags and then my friend folded each piece beautifully and lovingly. I got home and realized I couldn't remember which piece of clothing came from where (not that anyone really cares, but I like to keep track because I'm ridiculous that way!) so I'm going to just guess. Also as you will see I unfolded everything and made a giant mess. Plus I Photoshopped some of these pictures and left some alone. Forgive me. Just enjoy the general idea of Thrifting Is Fun, OK?
First, the kid clothes. Everything below was either 50 cents or 70 cents.
 |
| Matching thermal shirts. |
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| Gymboree top. I forget the leggings brand. They don't necessarily go together but it made for an easier picture. |
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| These capris sparkle. They're really cute. I hope they fit her! |
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| Technically a Gymboree pajama top but I might see if the kid will wear it during the day. Either way, adorable. |
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| Long sleeved, short sleeved. |
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| I adore both of these shirts. |
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| This one's a bit big but she's also growing really fast... |
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| Another running skirt for about a dollar. It's by Avia and it looks brand new. |
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| Plain, boring brown shirt for days when all I want is a plain, boring brown shirt. I think this was $2? |
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| Super cute, super soft T-shirt. $1.50. |
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| Back of shirt. |
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| I bought this shirt (for $1.50) because it had a cute design (and a squirrel that you can't really see). I looked it up because it seemed kind of fancy. It's by a brand named Lucy and is worth about $35. So it cost more new than every single thing I bought yesterday. I love thrifting so hard. |
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| Basic brown capris. |
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| Jamba Juice shirt. I don't even remember if I've ever been to a Jamba Juice, and I don't know if this shirt is for employees or for buying or what. But it's cute and it fit. $1.50, maybe? |
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| Express top. $2-ish. Update: After I washed it, I was folding it to put it away and saw what I missed when I bought it - a hole on the back. A hole large enough that it would be rather obvious if I wore it out and about. I threw it away. Dear everyone who donates to a thrift store: If there is a hole or a stain, please don't donate it. Freecycle it if you must, but don't get someone to pay for something that is unwearable. That's just rude. Thanks. |
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| Terrible awful non-flattering picture of a really lovely Ann Taylor Loft dress (from before Loft was just Loft). I think this was $4-ish. I folded it up in the picture, but it's actually a really long skirt. |
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| Ridiculous ringer shirt for...an event or something? I have no idea, but I liked how it fit. $1.50. |
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Weight Watchers Update - One Year at Goal - January 13, 2013
I was poking around my blog when I realized that one year ago today I wrote about how I'd hit my Weight Watchers goal and had begun Maintenance. As this also means I'm coming up on one year of being a Lifetime member, I thought I'd write a little update (my first since my sort of manifesto-post from last July).
Yes. I'm still at my goal weight, one year later. (As I wrote in the manifesto-post, and in the interest of total honesty, I'm a bit under the initial goal set by Weight Watchers, which is what I hit last January, but I'm still within what they consider a healthy weight range. My official goal has since been adjusted in the WW-borg computer system to account for this.)
I have found as the year has gone on that I've finally begun to internalize the lessons that Weight Watchers taught me. While I still trackmost of the time pretty often sometimes, I'm far more laid back about it now. (Sometimes I will guesstimate a meal. Sometimes I will use the Quick Add to note a whole meal rather than adding its parts. Sometimes I will, uh, forget.) But what I know for a fact is that I eat less than I did before I started WW because I learned what a real portion is and I learned that almost always (not always!), I feel satisfied after eating a proper serving. It just all feels different.
Plus, I think something that has kept me on track is that there is no category of food that is off limits. I will never go off the rails and eat a forbidden food - because nothing is forbidden. I still eat real full-fat ice cream and cheese, real bread, pasta (whole wheat, please!), tortilla chips with queso dip, and so on...and if I eat "too much" of something, I adjust the way I eat for the rest of the week. I like this a lot.
And I refuse to use the word "guilt" in relation to eating.
Yes, I have weeks where I gain weight. When that happens, I find that I make little adjustments after weigh in so that the following week I'm back to where I want to be. It's a constant process of tweaking - but it's not always a conscious process. I've seem to have settled into a range that is good for me, and when I see things creeping to that upper limit of the range, I know that I have the tools to make changes before things get out of control - and it's up to me to use those tools.
I am still not thrilled with my body. That bothers me, but it's true. I haven't been exercising the way I want to - and the way I should. I ran two 5Ks in early 2012 and then stopped running altogether. I hope to change that in 2013 because that is a huge missing piece in my life - even if I can sustain my weight loss purely by diet, I really need to be in shape for my overall health.
I believe that with the tools and the support that I gained through the Weight Watchers program, I will be able to sustain this weight loss for years and years. (Fact: Women's bodies change as we age. Things will be different for me every year. Life throws curve balls. You never know. I will take things as they come.)
I love that after I hit my goal and became a Lifetime member, I wasn't dropped off a cliff. Everything continued. I may be bad about tracking, but I do track and I do use the other online tools and the apps all the time because they are free for Lifetime members (good move, WW). But more importantly for me, I still go to a meeting almost every week. (I'm only required to go to one a month - and I don't even have to stay for that one, I just have to weigh in. But I always stay.) There's still accountability and there are still people to lean on. I still clap and cheer as the people around me reach new milestones. And I like getting my Bravo stickers. And I just got my second Lifetime key when I hit 10 months as a Lifetime member. Truth: More trinkets = more happy Marla.
OK, I get it - it may not work for everyone because that's just not reality - there is no plan that works for every single person. But it did work for me for many reasons. It just fit. And I do think it's one of the best programs out there for someone looking to lose weight (US News & World Report thinks so too) and will not hesitate to recommend it over and over.
I stand by what I said last July. My body is not your body and this is about me, not you. I post these types of updates because I'm happy with what I've done and want to share in the way anyone who has worked hard for any sort of goal is happy and wants to share it. While I will happily discuss how much weight I lost (30+ pounds), I would rather not discuss what I weigh now or what I weighed before I started or what size I am (because I am about four different sizes, if not more, anyway, thanks to vanity sizing and inconsistency within clothing and being a savvy thrift shopper, so what's the point?), and I don't expect you to share those things with me either unless you choose to. Those are personal things and they are just numbers that don't take a myriad of factors into account.
Do your thing. Be happy with who you are. That's what's important. I wasn't happy with who I was or where I was so I took steps to change my situation. That's all. (Next up: Changing my hair...)
And here I am. It's been a year, and I'm really proud of what I've accomplished.
Yes. I'm still at my goal weight, one year later. (As I wrote in the manifesto-post, and in the interest of total honesty, I'm a bit under the initial goal set by Weight Watchers, which is what I hit last January, but I'm still within what they consider a healthy weight range. My official goal has since been adjusted in the WW-borg computer system to account for this.)
I have found as the year has gone on that I've finally begun to internalize the lessons that Weight Watchers taught me. While I still track
Plus, I think something that has kept me on track is that there is no category of food that is off limits. I will never go off the rails and eat a forbidden food - because nothing is forbidden. I still eat real full-fat ice cream and cheese, real bread, pasta (whole wheat, please!), tortilla chips with queso dip, and so on...and if I eat "too much" of something, I adjust the way I eat for the rest of the week. I like this a lot.
And I refuse to use the word "guilt" in relation to eating.
 |
| Mini cupcakes are wonderful things. |
I am still not thrilled with my body. That bothers me, but it's true. I haven't been exercising the way I want to - and the way I should. I ran two 5Ks in early 2012 and then stopped running altogether. I hope to change that in 2013 because that is a huge missing piece in my life - even if I can sustain my weight loss purely by diet, I really need to be in shape for my overall health.
I believe that with the tools and the support that I gained through the Weight Watchers program, I will be able to sustain this weight loss for years and years. (Fact: Women's bodies change as we age. Things will be different for me every year. Life throws curve balls. You never know. I will take things as they come.)
I love that after I hit my goal and became a Lifetime member, I wasn't dropped off a cliff. Everything continued. I may be bad about tracking, but I do track and I do use the other online tools and the apps all the time because they are free for Lifetime members (good move, WW). But more importantly for me, I still go to a meeting almost every week. (I'm only required to go to one a month - and I don't even have to stay for that one, I just have to weigh in. But I always stay.) There's still accountability and there are still people to lean on. I still clap and cheer as the people around me reach new milestones. And I like getting my Bravo stickers. And I just got my second Lifetime key when I hit 10 months as a Lifetime member. Truth: More trinkets = more happy Marla.
 |
| Two Lifetime Member Weight Watchers Keys - plus my star for reaching my goal... |
I stand by what I said last July. My body is not your body and this is about me, not you. I post these types of updates because I'm happy with what I've done and want to share in the way anyone who has worked hard for any sort of goal is happy and wants to share it. While I will happily discuss how much weight I lost (30+ pounds), I would rather not discuss what I weigh now or what I weighed before I started or what size I am (because I am about four different sizes, if not more, anyway, thanks to vanity sizing and inconsistency within clothing and being a savvy thrift shopper, so what's the point?), and I don't expect you to share those things with me either unless you choose to. Those are personal things and they are just numbers that don't take a myriad of factors into account.
Do your thing. Be happy with who you are. That's what's important. I wasn't happy with who I was or where I was so I took steps to change my situation. That's all. (Next up: Changing my hair...)
And here I am. It's been a year, and I'm really proud of what I've accomplished.
 |
| Ridiculous self-portrait in mirror at department store - December 2012 |
Friday, January 11, 2013
When to fight, when to give in? - January 11, 2013
It is just so tiring to figure that out. My mother always told me to pick my battles, and I know she's right.
Sometimes I feel like I'm not fighting hard enough to win some of the battles when it comes to the kid. I want the therapist to do this, I want the school to do that, I want more, I want less, I want something specific - all for my girl. I push back, they push back, and eventually I have to figure out how much pushing I want to do. Sometimes I feel like I'm pushing too hard, even if I "win" the situation. Sometimes I stop pushing and back off and apologize and feel gross. Sometimes nobody pushes and my requests are approved and we all sing a happy song and skip away. (This actually happens pretty often - I'm lucky. I love my kid's team.)
But right now I'm in a situation where I'm throwing my hands up and saying "OK, fine, I'm not fighting. You win. I give up."
In October of last year, I received a form letter to complete the first of two steps toward a renewal application for something for the kid. I did that step. Then I waited for the letter for step two. It never came. The year before, I'd gotten the letters within days of one another so I was confused. I made about 100 phone calls - dead ends, answering machines, live people - and the final answer I got from someone was that it was early but to go ahead and submit the giant Pile of Paperwork as soon as I wanted - that someone even said that the letter now wouldn't be sent out because I'd called.
But there also was a strong implication that this someone was leaving the position shortly...and possibly didn't really care all that much. The questions I asked got very frustrating answers. I felt a bit confused. No, I felt a lot confused.
But better to be early than late, I thought, so I got everything together and submitted the Pile of Paperwork in November. I even got a signed receipt for the Pile when I dropped it off. When time went by and I didn't hear back, I figured it had been accepted. Hooray. Done for another year. Fantastic.
And then about a week ago I got the very form letter I'd been waiting for back in November, asking for...the Pile. Not "something's missing" or "submit it again" but just the basic "Time for your Pile!" letter. Oh.
Now here is the point where I could've fought. I could've shown the receipt to...uh...well...and here is where I stopped wanting to fight. Right there. So I find a person to show that receipt to - I don't even know who that would be, honestly - and he or she says "Yes, that's nice, and I'm sorry, but we don't have that Pile and we need it again." Or I anger someone (you don't want to make any of these people angry). Or I waste precious time arguing that I already submitted the Pile and the deadline creeps up anyway without changing. Or the original Pile is discovered after all, I get some apologies, and the process continues. Who knows.
Instead I cried for about half a second and then I set about printing out everything again (I had a good chunk of it scanned into the computer in case of this very scenario), requesting updates from those who provide such things (unfortunately a lot of what I'd scanned in was already outdated and I needed fresh copies of things), getting signatures compiled again.
I learned from this process that I can turn around that Pile pretty quickly, so maybe I didn't need to worry back in November. Maybe I should've waited. And yet I've heard stories of these form letters arriving late. Or arriving two days before the due date. Or arriving in the middle of a holiday break. It's hard when you rely on a team of others to provide all of the pieces of this project. Everyone has to be available and able to send what is necessary within a timeframe.
(You'll notice that I'm avoiding specifics. That's to protect my privacy and also to avoid bots. But if you think you've guessed, you probably have or at least you're in the right area of the universe.)
I would rather redo an entire project than argue that I already did it, delivered it, and received proof of delivery. That's where my fight is.
And I am obviously still second-guessing that choice. But it's the choice I made. Luckily the kid's team is amazing and the second Tree-Killing Pile of Papery Doom is ready to go next week. Now I know for next year. And the year after that. And the year after that...
But I learned a lot of lessons - including that I can get ahead of myself and that sometimes it's best to let things sit and breathe. I'm trying, anyway.
Sometimes I feel like I'm not fighting hard enough to win some of the battles when it comes to the kid. I want the therapist to do this, I want the school to do that, I want more, I want less, I want something specific - all for my girl. I push back, they push back, and eventually I have to figure out how much pushing I want to do. Sometimes I feel like I'm pushing too hard, even if I "win" the situation. Sometimes I stop pushing and back off and apologize and feel gross. Sometimes nobody pushes and my requests are approved and we all sing a happy song and skip away. (This actually happens pretty often - I'm lucky. I love my kid's team.)
But right now I'm in a situation where I'm throwing my hands up and saying "OK, fine, I'm not fighting. You win. I give up."
In October of last year, I received a form letter to complete the first of two steps toward a renewal application for something for the kid. I did that step. Then I waited for the letter for step two. It never came. The year before, I'd gotten the letters within days of one another so I was confused. I made about 100 phone calls - dead ends, answering machines, live people - and the final answer I got from someone was that it was early but to go ahead and submit the giant Pile of Paperwork as soon as I wanted - that someone even said that the letter now wouldn't be sent out because I'd called.
But there also was a strong implication that this someone was leaving the position shortly...and possibly didn't really care all that much. The questions I asked got very frustrating answers. I felt a bit confused. No, I felt a lot confused.
But better to be early than late, I thought, so I got everything together and submitted the Pile of Paperwork in November. I even got a signed receipt for the Pile when I dropped it off. When time went by and I didn't hear back, I figured it had been accepted. Hooray. Done for another year. Fantastic.
And then about a week ago I got the very form letter I'd been waiting for back in November, asking for...the Pile. Not "something's missing" or "submit it again" but just the basic "Time for your Pile!" letter. Oh.
Now here is the point where I could've fought. I could've shown the receipt to...uh...well...and here is where I stopped wanting to fight. Right there. So I find a person to show that receipt to - I don't even know who that would be, honestly - and he or she says "Yes, that's nice, and I'm sorry, but we don't have that Pile and we need it again." Or I anger someone (you don't want to make any of these people angry). Or I waste precious time arguing that I already submitted the Pile and the deadline creeps up anyway without changing. Or the original Pile is discovered after all, I get some apologies, and the process continues. Who knows.
Instead I cried for about half a second and then I set about printing out everything again (I had a good chunk of it scanned into the computer in case of this very scenario), requesting updates from those who provide such things (unfortunately a lot of what I'd scanned in was already outdated and I needed fresh copies of things), getting signatures compiled again.
I learned from this process that I can turn around that Pile pretty quickly, so maybe I didn't need to worry back in November. Maybe I should've waited. And yet I've heard stories of these form letters arriving late. Or arriving two days before the due date. Or arriving in the middle of a holiday break. It's hard when you rely on a team of others to provide all of the pieces of this project. Everyone has to be available and able to send what is necessary within a timeframe.
(You'll notice that I'm avoiding specifics. That's to protect my privacy and also to avoid bots. But if you think you've guessed, you probably have or at least you're in the right area of the universe.)
I would rather redo an entire project than argue that I already did it, delivered it, and received proof of delivery. That's where my fight is.
And I am obviously still second-guessing that choice. But it's the choice I made. Luckily the kid's team is amazing and the second Tree-Killing Pile of Papery Doom is ready to go next week. Now I know for next year. And the year after that. And the year after that...
But I learned a lot of lessons - including that I can get ahead of myself and that sometimes it's best to let things sit and breathe. I'm trying, anyway.
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| It's my understanding that our Pile is relatively small, actually... |
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