it's ok

The past two months, my closet has looked like this...

And our bathroom is beginning to look like this...

And I've tried to say, "It's okay, it will be done soon, it doesn't matter that I can't find any of my clothes because it's all good."  But there comes a time when I just can't say it anymore. 

Let me back up just a bit.  A little over two months ago we noticed water damage in the walls of our master bedroom closet.  After several visits from various plumbers, contracts, inspectors (we basically were an open house) the conclusion was that the tub was leaking underneath itself and into the walls.  Fast forward a week later, and everything that was in our closet and bathroom had to be out.  We tried doing this in an organized fashion, but then we gave up and resorted to throwing everything onto our guest bedroom bed.  Our bedroom was turned into a scene from ET with plastic drapes sealing off the bathroom, men walked around in white jump suits, and huge fans blew for a week to soak up the walls.  Then the construction started, and then it didn't start, and then it started slowly...and after 5 agonizingly painful weeks, it is finally done!

Our guest bedroom looks like a bomb went off in it, I can't find my red jeans for the life of me, and there is dust everywhere.  This has been my life for the past two months.  Amidst comp exams, writing report cards, finishing my thesis, there has been chaos at home.  And somewhere along the road I became someone who couldn't function until the house was clean.  Well, I had to learn to function and learn how to keep parts of our condo clean that I could in order to feel some sort of balance.  

Whenever friends would come over I would preface their visit with, "we are still under construction and the place is a mess, but we love you so come on over."  My mom, oh my lovely mom, told me the other day, "They are coming over to see YOU, not your HOUSE".  And I feel like this needs to be something I memorize and say over and over again.  Because when people do come over I feel like our place has to be perfect, spotless, and I suddenly turn into Betty Homemaker.  Well, I feel like it's worth saying that this is an expectation I need to let go of.  There will be other trials that we go through that will cause our house to be total chaos again.  When we have kids I know that I will have to learn to live with the house in the state it is in, 

I can't control everything and the people that love me, really love me, will accept my messy house, my unwashed dishes, my stacks of clean folded laundry, and they will continue to love me because I'm not perfect. 

sweet & sour

I try to be the person that finds the joys in life each and every day...

someone who counts my blessings instead of wishing for something else...

the person who always finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...

Well last week just felt "sour".  And at the end of all the madness we finally hit a "sweet" spot.  

Like packing a picnic and enjoying it by the breathtaking koi pond at Balboa Park...

There were a couple "sour" moments in my week...

I found out that a friend of mine's mother lost her battle with pancreatic cancer.

My family has been very fortunate to have stayed healthy, and death is something that rarely affects me.  The thought of a friend my age losing her mother, her closest friend, tore my hearts to pieces.

And all I could do was pray.  I felt helpless. 

I had been looking for a specific bookcase for my classroom and finally found it on Craigslist.  What seemed to be such a small task turned into a week long struggle.  We were fortunate enough to borrow my father-in-laws truck to pick it up.  As I went to take it to my classroom the next day the truck was dead.  It ended up being the battery but it took us three days to eventually get everything squared away.  

It just felt like one thing after another was ruining my week.  

It seems so silly to get utterly upset over car problems, or wanting something done on a certain day and having to wait instead. 

I was in a sour mood.  Everything just kept going wrong.  And as much as I knew I needed to change my attitude-I just couldn't.  That was the most frustrating part.  

Then we hit a sweet spot.  

We got the bookcase squared away, had a picnic lunch, grabbed dessert from Extraordinary Desserts, and headed to the sea.  

As we sat looking out onto the perfect, blue ocean all of the sour moments of the week seemed to fade away.  I was embraced in a gently hug from my husband and all of the worries, frustrations, disappointments, and sadness all seemed to melt away.  I love my husband so much because he gets me through those sour moments and helps me see how sweet life really is once we take a step back.  

I could've kept my bad attitude to myself and not blog about it, but I want to be as authentic as possible and be open.  Choosing joy is something I strive for, but we are sinners, we are human, we will have moments where we don't want to do the right thing.  And I think that through these times, I learn how to give myself grace.  

if you really knew me

I wish I could take credit for this post but it all goes to the lovely Ashley and Kasey...

If you really knew me:

+ You'd know that I love God with all my heart, but sharing my faith is something that still intimidates me.

+You'd know that cheese, bread, and wine are the bee's knees for me.

+You'd know that my dream us to live in a small, quaint town just like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls.

+Speaking of Gilmore Girl...my mom and I are a good match for Lorelei and Rory.

+You'd know that I desire to give my friends so much of me, but pains from most relationships make me guarded at first.

+You'd know that I wanted to be a mom like yesterday.

+I LOVE coffee!  And sitting in a coffee shop drinking it is my joy.  The smell is amazing to me.

+You'd know that I love food.  Like a lot.  I love making food.  Eating food.  Finding new restaurants.  And I basically work out so that I can still keep eating good good.

+You'd know that cooking never came naturally for me, and when I got married I decided to be the best wife ever and learn to cook-let's just say I have a very good friend on speed dial to answer my cooking questions.

+You'd know that I always wanted to be a dancer.  Jazz dance in tons of sequence costumes doesn't really count when you were little.  My dream was to be an amazing hip hop dancer of some sorts, and just be break it down.  I also love to dance, all by myself, in my car, in our living room.

+You'd know that decorating my house intimidates me.  It's very hard for me to commit to something because I second guess my style.

+You'd know that my downfall is thinking less of myself too often.

+You'd know that I'm a sheet hogger.

+You'd know that my hope is for people to think of the words grace and class when they think of me.

+You'd know that reality TV is not my thing with two exceptions: SYTYCD and the Real Housewives.  But since we don't have cable I just do without.

+You'd know that I abhor cleaning greatly.  I'll do laundry and dishes all day long, but as soon as it's time to get that broom out I try to make every excuse in the book.

+You'd know that I fell in love with my husband while we were at a high school Christian camp.  Oh Forest Home :)

+You'd know that I'm a morning person, and can wake up at 4am to write a paper versus staying up late.  Hence, waking up last week at 6am to sew a table cloth for my classroom.

+You'd see all my flaws (and my control-freak tendencies) and love me anyways :)

disappointment

It seems that the word of this month has been "disappointment".  Let downs.  Could've beens.  And it seems to be a theme for not just the Mr. and I but also those close to us.  Family members losing their jobs, grieving over the loss of a loved one.

There are big disappointments in life and then there are small ones.

Like the cleaning lady canceling on me, the only cleaning lady I've ever hired in my life, and she bailed.  Like not receiving the scholarships I applied to last Fall.  Like an appointment you scheduled a while ago not being on the books.  Like the dishwasher not starting when you could've swore you pushed the start button.

At the beginning of the summer I was dealing with some heavy anxiety issues, and these disappointments only seemed to add to it.  It was like one little let-down would send me into a dizzy.  It seemed like the end of the world.  And although I feel crazy for actually saying it, I know that I'm not the only one.

Fortunately, God intervened in a might way with me.  I've been doing the SheReadsTruth devotionals and the Surrendered Life immediately spoke to me in a way I desperately needed to be spoke to.  On day two I read, "Disappointments should be a stepping stone on our path with Jesus-not the anchor that drowns us".  I also read that when rejection happens, it means it's not God best for you.

Wow.  These simple words mean so much to me.  Our attitude has so much to do with how we view our disappointments.  I can either begin crying and think it's the end of the world or recognize that God has a better path for me.  When these let downs happen I have to remind myself that God ALWAYS keeps his promises, I have to trust in His timing, His plans, and in Him.

The cleaning lady cancelled, so that just means I actually have to clean my house and God just saved us money.  My appointment wasn't on the books, that just means now I get an extra hour to myself to rest and find peace in my life.  It's easier to see God's better plans in these little situations.

Losing a job.  I thank God everyday that neither one of us has been in the this boat, but knowing that God has a better plan for you is something you have to believe with your whole heart to get you through.

God has something better for you!

P.S: No matter how many times I try to spell disappointment I always get it wrong!  Is it two S's or two P's?

the adventure run

Thursday night I participated in my first ever Adventure Run and had the time of my life!  If you live in San Diego and enjoy running, you have to put this on your calendar.  So Road Runner Sports, the most amazing running store ever, puts on an Adventure Run the 2nd Thursday of every month.  My friend Coleen has done it a couple of times, and this time I was able to tag along.  It is a free run that lasts one hour, and right before it starts they post a map of locations you can run to.  The point of this run is to go to as many locations as possible, collect raffle tickets at each one, and then run back to the store for a big raffle and a beer garden.  Oh, and it's free!!  (My mother would say, "Oh that's my favorite 4-letter F word" right about now.)   Locations that are farther away give you double raffle tickets, and some spots had you do an exercise move for an additional ticket as well.  They also email you the map right at 6pm so you can look at it while you run.  

 

Before the run they had some booths set up for you to play games and get additional tickets.  Asics had a booth there that let you wear a pair of their new shoes!  I decided I needed to add some color to my outfit and try out a new shoe, so I jumped on the opportunity.  Overall the shoes were very comfortable and had good stability.  

The run was so fun!  Colleen runs a lot faster than me but I did my best to keep up.  We hit up almost all of the locations and it was the most fun I have ever had running.  One checkpoint I had a little mishap.  I had to climb a fence because we took a shortcut and ended up cutting my hand at the top.  First, I climbed a fence!  Say what?!?  I'm a truly girly girl, and I felt pretty proud of myself afterwards. Then cutting my hand and having to keep on running, that was another biggy for me.  I'm not a fan of blood.  

Once you get back from the run you separate your raffle tickets into two piles, kiss them for good luck as you drop them in the basket, and head over to get a nice cold beer. 

I seriously can't wait for the next one.  Sadly, I'll be out of town for the run in August but September's is already on my calendar.  If you want to join us let me know!!!

happy organized home

I'm pretty good at some things.  Making the bed.  Cooking scrumptious meals.  Crying at the right moments in sappy movies.  

And then there are things that I'm not so good at.  One of these is organizing my home.  For some reason I just don't have a knack for it, so one of my goals this summer was to better organize our house.    We also have a large armor in our room that was left by our previous tenant that we finally decided we need to get rid of, but it houses all of our towels, linens, candles, and socks.  (Random, I know!)  Knowing that we hopefully will have it off our hands soon made me realize I need to figure out where to put all of those things!!! 

I thought we could put them above our washer and dryer, but there just isn't enough room so I made a trip to the Container Store.  (Side note: The Container Store and I are just now becoming friends.  Whenever I would try to go I would just get so overwhelmed, then I'd buy something that I thought would be amazing and never knew where to put it.)  Luckily, I found three large bins that were on sale!  I went home and got busy.  

I'm a terrible blogger and forgot to take a before picture.  But through the process of cleaning our and organizing the armor and all of its items we filled three full bags of clothes and linens to take to Goodwill.  All of our beach towels, candles, and linens are in those bad buys in the top of our closet.  I put the sheets and pillow cases in clear plastic boxes that will keep them from getting dusty.  It was the best purchase ever made! Our closet is still an area I'm trying to organize, but for now it does the job well. 

One of my finds was a three-compartment organizer for my bathroom drawer.  Again, there's no before picture, but I wish there was!  I was just on a roll and it complete skipped my drain.  This drawer of mine was out of control!  I cleaned it out and organized all of my hair ties, headbands, and makeup that I use on a daily basis.  All of my brushes are in a cup under the sink.  

All of my make-up that I have but don't wear regularly is inside a bin under our sink.  I've now fallen head over heels with the Container Store and feel much better about my organization skills.  

friday letters

Dear summer, thank you for your gorgeous weather, but where were you on the 4th???  I mean, the beach is still pretty on a gloomy day but did the sun really have to hide the entire time?  Also, I promise that one of these days I will finally get to enjoy you, relax, and soak up all of your beautiful rays of sunshine.
Dear Andrea, you are extremely beautiful inside and out-don't ever let anyone make you feel otherwise.  Always remember that God created you, He knows every hair on your head, and you are "fearfully and wonderfully made".  Also, you're a mean card player.  A little competitive???
Dear barre studio, thank you for my first ever barre class that kicked my booty.  I definitely woke up the next day feeling sore and loved every second of it.
Dear anxiety, we are not friends.  I've worked so hard to deal with you, work through it, find peace, and you have reared your ugly head once again.  I know that my prayers are being heard and hold fast to Matthew 6:25-27.
Dear Dana at Girl on the Go, three words: Best. Facial. Ever.
Dear husband of mine, you are so gosh darn handsome.  I love you more than words can say, and I especially love that you are always there for me, getting me through disappointments and happy times.  I also love how you think I'm funny, that you laugh at me but make me think you're really laughing with me, and that you can always put a smile on my face.
Dear Kylee, one more day!!!!  I can barely stand the fact that you, my bf, will be here tomorrow.  Currently I'm doing a happy dance in the living room, and the thought of spending so much time with you makes my heart overflow with joy.  Pool, wine and cheese, coffee, hikes, Cucina Urbana, the list goes on and on...
Dear Heavenly Father, I love the fact that blogging has brought me closer to you in the past couple of weeks.  Each devotion in the morning speaks directly to my soul, and you leave me speechless every time.  Thank you for your grace.  Thank you for being bigger than me, for having the power to overcome everything that hurts, thank you for loving me for all my sins and showing me how to be Christ-like.

life according to my iPhone

Whew!  After this week I can finally take a nice big breath and embrace summer.  I honestly don't even know how this past week got so jam-packed and I'm definitely realizing that I need to embrace and accept saying "no" sometimes.  

I love looking back on all of these pictures to see how many memories were made this week.

Enjoy:

{1} Celebrating the last day of school with my fab five {2} My new teaching buddy for second grade {3} We survived!  This year we all were cleaning our credentials and survived the crazy amount of work thanks to our amazing mentor, Beth :) 

{4} Date night = sushi at our new favorite place just up the road from us.  This is what the Mr. ordered...I think he was more excited about the fire than his sushi {5} I fell in love with the high pony tail and bangs, and my chambray top layered over my black maxi {6} I'm sticking with my summer bucket list and enjoyed this bad boy my first day of summer.   

{7} My good friend, Danielle, and I got busy putting together an adorable gift basket for one of our friends who is expecting a baby girl!  My sewing machine and I became best friends, and I'm finally getting the hang of it.  I was super proud of the onesie, burp cloths, headbands, and blanket I sewed for her.  {8} How cute is her belly???  {9} Part of our school's fundraiser is auctioning off a day with the teacher.  I was so lucky to take one of my adorable students miniature golfing this week.  We ended the day with a picnic lunch at the beach and fro yo, of course!

{10} A highlight of this weekend was attending a wedding to a young couple we love to death.  It definitely deserves a post all to itself, but the wedding was absolutely adorable and breath-taking.  They kept their guests occupied with a cross-word puzzle on the back of their programs, so adorbs! {11} The cutest couple ever! {12} Best friends reunited.  We were so happy to see Nathan visiting from D.C. {13} Seeing my great college friend at the wedding was such a treat.  It has been a full year since we have seen each other and we always just pick up from where we left off.  

And now I'm off to tackle our crazy, messy home.  Holy smokes, I don't think it has ever been this messy before so wish me luck!!!

my summer bucket list

Happy 1st 2nd day of summer!  

I don't think I can fully express how happy I am that summer is finally here, school is over, and my last assignments are done to clear my teaching credential.  I spent yesterday completed lounging, and I even took a nap!  A fancy nap at that: my co-workers call naps that are in bed "fancy naps".  

Now that summer is finally here I can't wait to start on my summer bucket list.  There are many projects I can't wait to start, but I really want this summer to be about relaxing, focusing on God, and just feeling happy.  

Without further ado, my bucket list:

-juice/make a smoothie at least once a day

-go to the beach once a week, either in the morning for quiet time or for fun in the sun

-read three books

-organize our bedroom closet

-finally finish our photo collage

-make some decorative pillows for our living room

-organize the laundry room

-go to breakfast/coffee with the Mr. once a week

-have weekly date nights

-have a picnic at the beach

-try a cupcake from here!

-have brunch at Tower 23 and soak in all of the amazing views

And now the projects:

Source: imperfectlypolished.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I finally organized all of our baking goods and bulk items into nice glass jars thanks to Ikea.  Now I can't wait to make these adorable labels for all of them!  I'm crossing my fingers I will finally be able to tell my flours apart.

Source: thepaintedhive.blogspot.com via Jamie on Pinterest

There is a pile of old shirts next to my dresser that I keep wanting to give to Good Will but am saving them for these...

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Jamie on Pinterest

And last, but not least, this summer I'm going to paint our dining room table.  We have such an old and gross table, but I love the color of these chairs and they will match the color scheme I'm trying to have in our condo.  I'm debating on painting the table white or staining it dark brown or black...or looking on craigslist for a slightly bigger table.  

Source: betterafter.blogspot.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I can't wait to share with you how I'm doing on my bucket list!

what i'm afraid to say

Source: thebluepeonyblog.blogspot.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I must forewarn you because this post will get deep, down, and honest.  I'm usually someone who exudes joy and tries to make it my goal as much as possible, but something has been deeply on my heart that I've never shared before and it makes me a little scared to even talk about it.  But, I have been touched and moved by so many open and amazing bloggers that I only hope mine can do the same for someone else.

We all have parts of our lives we like to keep locked up in the closet, shut away from the rest of the world to see, and paint over it with a big smile.  Mine is anxiety.

I never knew I was an anxiety prone person until about two and a half years ago.  When I look back at that time, it makes me shutter to think how bad it was.  Two and a half years ago I was in my first year teaching, newly married, and struggling with the transition from being a college student to being in the career world.  My first year teaching was also probably the hardest years of my life, I don't think I could've ever planned for it.  Add to that the fact that I was constantly sick because my immune system was not ready for 20 different kids bringing me all their germs.  All of a sudden, I felt like my world had caved in.  I was stuck inside my head, listening to my own thoughts, thinking about everything I was doing wrong.  I would go home and barely speak.  The stress had just taken over my life and my anxiety was out of control.

Because I was constantly battling sinus infections I was at the doctor's office a lot.  All of a sudden I became a complete hypochondriac, I thought that anything and everything was wrong with me.  Going to the doctors would cause me to break out in sweats because I thought there was something terribly wrong with me.  I began getting horrible headaches that would bring me to tears, and my mind would begin to go crazy and I thought I had brain cancer! (I was seriously going crazy.)  One day I called a sub for me the following day, drove to my mom's house, and fell asleep with my head in her lap and tears streaming down my face-I didn't know how to cope.  How do you tell yourself that you are overacting, that your'e completely healthy, that your headaches are probably just from stress, and that you need to get our of your head?

I eventually went to my doctor who put me on medication, but I desperately fought taking it.  A month later, I finished the school year and was officially on summer break.  Over the summer I stick dealt with the obscure headaches and anxiety flare-ups, but slowly it all faded away.  It was as thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I don't remember what brought it on.  All I remember is that I finally relaxed, my crazy thoughts went away, and peace began to fill me rather than fear.  Ever since then, I've battled with anxiety but it has never been as bad as it was.

Throughout the whole experience I realized one huge answer to my anxiety: GOD is bigger than my anxiety.  HE is there to take it away, HE helps me get through the stressful situations, and HE provides.  My wonderful sister-in-law recently gave me a CD by JJ Heller and it completely speaks to my soul.  There is one song that says "Don't need a thing, my Jesus is all, He is all I need, there's no need to fear..."  This is sometimes a daily reminder, but when I give Him each day in the morning I give up the control I try to hold onto and embrace that HE is all I need.

So my apologies for a crazy long post, but I've loved opening up to you and bringing authenticity to the blog.  If you have ever dealt with anxiety please feel free to ask any questions or share how you have coped with it.

ode to break

There is nothing better than Christmas break.  No work, no school, and lots and lots of family time.  I know I'm on break when I live in PJ's and workout clothes.  Even if I haven't worked out yet or don't plan to they are what I'm most comfortable in.  The other day I was thinking about how I see life now compared to a couple of years ago.  One thing I realized is that married life has made a huge impact on me for the better.  There aer things I used to swear I would never do, like going out in public without makeup or in my work out clothes.  Some people have the saying "You've let yourself go".  I have not by any means let myself go, but I've learned to relax and not stress over these little things.  Trust me, I still take care of my personal hygiene and make myself nice and presentable by the end of the day.  I've learned that it's okay to not (seem to be) perfect all of the time.

Case in point: This morning we were out of coffee which a huge tragedy in our household.  Things don't function properly without coffee.  The husband had to be at work by 7:00am so this girl woke up early, grabbed my uggs and a sweatshirt, did not touch my hair or anything else and headed out the door.  I'm pretty sure that the barista was just as horrified by my appearance as I was.  My hair was wild a crazy and my face was painted from my makeup the night before (don't tell my mom!).  I'm pretty sure my look screamed, "I definitely just rolled out of bed for a cup of coffee and you're lucky that I brushed my teeth". 

Let's move on to the other joys of break:

Christmas break also means wearing red lips to go see The Nutcracker Ballet downtown with your mama.

Spending the morning with a beautiful friend while walking around the lake is one of my favorite things to do on break...

And gazing up the the beauty God has made.

Christmas break also means realizing how long your hair is getting and sending a picture to your hair dresser.  It's almost at my "wedding hair" length, and yes we do refer to it as this. 

I hope you're finding the little joys this week!

crazy love

Lately my quiet time is in the car.  As I'm driving to work you may catch me passionately singing along to the radio, praying aloud, or looking dazed and half asleep.

I love this time.  I'm all alone.  My thoughts flow freely.  And the only thing that seems to matter is that moment.  I don't think about what I'm going to do when I get to work or what I'll make for dinner next week.

This morning a song came on the radio station I was listening to, and while it may not show me in my best dress, it definitely speaks to the heart.  "Crazy Girl", yes, hello, that's me sometimes.  Daniel calls me crazy for various reasons.  These include a) getting the last minute itch to clean the kitchen before going to sleep, b) making homemade granola instead of just going to the store and buying a new one, c) setting my alarm for 4:45am in the morning so that I can workout before work (and he knows that I'll just hit the snooze button anyways), and d) creating crazy stories in my sleep while he tries to put me in bed as I lay passed out on the couch.

No matter how crazy I seem to become, he is always there to love me.  He loves me for who I am.  The crazy.  The good.  The bad.  The ugly.

This song also makes me laugh at myself for all the crazy things I do sometimes.  

I'm pretty sure that everyone has a bit of craziness inside.  

a little bit of random

Things are about to be very random.  I feel as though there has been an extra spring in my step and I'm noticing all of the random things I am loving these past couple days.  

Brace yourselves, it's pretty random.

1. I bought a couple peaches at the farmer's market last Saturday and was a mix of feelings about them.  I have been dying for a juicy, sweet peach all summer long.  Each batch I bought at the store never satisfied that.  I'm also not the best at picking out fruit.  I was starving the other night while making dinner so I decided to cut it up and give it a shot.  

Delicious.  Sweet.  Amazing.  Indescribable.  It just goes to show how amazing fresh food tastes.  I'm so sad now that I only bought 2!

2. Thursday night I was able to finally get a run in.  When I put my shoes on, it was like my feet were saying "Thank You! We're tried of wearing heals and uncomfortable flats!!!"  As soon as I put them on, I got moving!  It reminded me why I love wearing work out clothes while running errands.  I move so much faster.

My body was so excited to get moving, too!  The air was crisp, the sky was filled with clouds, the sun was setting.  Conditions were perfect were running.  Plus, I had a lot to "unpack" on my run.  Boy, did I run!  It felt amazing!

It was a little shorter than I wanted, but the sun said "goodbye" sooner than I thought it would.  And, do you see that pace????  7:45?!?!  Well, the first mile was 9:01, the second was 8:51, and the last 1.25 miles was 7:45!  When I got home I just kept going....made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, started laundry, and then crashed!

3. The one thing that I can't keep craving during my spending freeze is a pumpkin spiced latte.  Come on, is it almost October so that I can finally go buy one????  Well, I found a recipe for an at-home version that I'm dying to get my hands on:

gotta love Pinterest!

Look for my attempts later this weekend!

And some other super random things about me currently:

-favorite Pandora station = Priscilla Ahn

-most beautiful thing I saw this week = the MOON!  It was spectacular!

-favorite Netflix obsession = Brothers & Sisters

-what I ate for breakfast this morning = a TJ wheat free waffle with almond butter and banana

-have my hopes about = "Up All Night", I fell in love with the pilot

-what I'm dreading = writing papers all weekend long :( and laundry...

SSF: the good and the bad

I am officially one week down in my September Spending Freeze!  To be quite honest, it has not been as hard as I expected it to be.  Don't get me wrong, there are most definitely some weak moments I have in my mind.  It is when I push through these weaknesses that I remind myself "I can do this" and feel very confidant.  

Some tricks that have helped me are:

1) Just Press Delete- The number of e-mails I get in a day from Groupon, Living Social Deals, Daily Deals, ANY deals is ridiculous.  Add on to that adds from JoAnn's and Micheals (oh do I ever have a weakness for craft stores) and my inbox is flooded by 10am with anything and everything to spend money on.  This week I have learned to just press delete.  Don't open.  Don't read the title.  Just delete!

2) Make Lunch Fun- Now that work is in full swing, packing lunches is a necessity.  I have been on the look out for a cute lunch box for work but every time I saw one, I decided it wasn't worth the money.  Well, good ol' Wal Mart came in handy this past weekend when I found this little cutie for only $7!!!  

My apologies that it isn't the best picture, the week has been a little crazy.  

Now that I have a cute lunch box, I am more motivated to put great food in it for the day!

3) Get Out and About- Since we can't spend money on entertainment, eating out, coffee, etc. we decided to spend my last day of summer hiking!  We are spoiled to live in such a beautiful place, and this hike is my absolute favorite.  

The other thing we have enjoyed doing is going to the nearby park late at night and swing.  Last weekend I was cooped up inside all day, the husband wasn't at work, and I couldn't go out because I knew the temptation to shop and spend would be too much.  By the time D got home from work, I was going stir crazy!  So, we piled into the car and headed to the park and acted like 5 year olds at 10pm at night.  It feels so good to just act young and careless sometimes!

Now, there have been some definite temptations this week.  

These include:

late night cravings for frozen yogurt

my energy level plummeting on my way to class and my body begging for coffee

getting home at 7:30pm wanting nothing to do with cooking dinner

nail polish at Target

seeing my favorite breakfast spot and dying for their scrumptious pancakes

forgetting to pack snacks on a day I was out running errands for hours, popcorn at Target never smelled so good

spotting the cutest shoes on a co-worker and counting down in my head how much longer I have to wait until I can think about buying them

I pulled through and the temptations did not win!  I did, however, use one of my exceptions.  While at Target getting last minute (absolutely needed) items for my classroom I spotted IT...the dress...my back to school dress...on the clearance rack....for $7!!!!!!!!!   At least I didn't break the bank with this little exception!