Taking Care of You

Showing posts with label About Suzanne. Show all posts

I've Got Senioritis!

I've been reflecting on this article, Have you moved up a grade in life?, by Laura Vanderkam since reading it 10 days ago. At the end, she encourages us to do the following.

As you send your kids back to school — or at least look at other people’s cute first day photos on Facebook — you could try asking these same questions. How do you feel about life over the last year? Has it been good? Are you making progress toward your life goals?

I'm in the last semester of work to complete my Bachelor's degree, which I began in August 2015. To say I've got senioritis would be so true. The end is in sight and, while proud of all I've accomplished, I'm ready to be moving on to the next stage in my life. That means, the drive, the focus, and the feeling of exhilaration I've been experiencing for all of the previous months has been replaced by a bit of burnout, some inability to focus, and more willingness to play/party instead of study! This change in perspective brings along a few others as well. I'm beginning to look ahead and figure out the plans for what comes next...but I'm also just a bit stuck in reminiscing (looking backward).

It's amazing to see how far you've traveled when you take a moment to look back at the ground you've covered! I think that's one reason why this post spoke to me as well. While evaluating my progress as I "move up a grade" this September, I've been reminded of all of the growth I've encountered this past "school year". I don't have a beginning of the year photograph to remind me how I've grown, matured, and generally aged, but I do have a mental snapshot of how I used to act compared to now and can definitely detect the growth and development difference!

After considering the answers to the questions Laura posed above, she finishes with these thoughts.

If so, wonderful! Celebrate this. As adults we don’t take photos of ourselves getting on the bus with shiny new backpacks, but we can figure out equivalent pats on the back. If not, it’s OK. Life is like that sometimes. But September is always an opportunity for a fresh start. What could you do to make life feel better and more satisfying next September? Knowing where you’re going creates the same sense of progress as starting a new school year.

Thanks to the reminder to reflect upon where I've been, where I've landed based upon following that particular path, and the destination where I'm heading next, I've been filled with cause for celebration. Thankfully, it also reignited the fire in my drive to finish out my senior year of college STRONG and with FOCUS again. It's definitely going to steer me toward the finish line!

What are your thoughts on this topic?

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TCOY Lessons From My Favorite Bloggers (Jan11)

In last month's TCOY Lessons, there was an overload of "Self-Improvement" posts as blogs were focusing on resolutions and goals. This month, the tide has turned and there was an abundance of "Awareness" posts to share. As I believe that inner awareness is key to self-improvement, it's nice to see it being spotlighted, albeit belatedly!

Finances
From Pick The Brain: 4 Reasons You Need To Pursue Financial Solvency
Understanding financial solvency is a life lesson that I wish we learned solely from parental guidance or in a class setting. For many of us, though, it seems we need to learn it through mistakes made and awareness gained.
From Get Rich Slowly: Take Control of Your Finances
J.D.'s annual "road map" posting, with a new tip added each year

Awareness
From Raptitude: A Day In The Future
If you're a regular Raptitude reader, you'll understand what I mean when I say this is classic David. He can write a story and deliver a message in an unexpectedly refreshing way.
From Simple Marriage: 5 Passionate Truths About You
In this powerful post, Corey helps us to narrow down "reminders about what’s really important, what matters, what will make the difference in the long run, have enduring value, you name it." Definitely a must read!
From Trent at The Simple Dollar:
Intimidated By The Mistakes of the Past
"Change. Right now. And don’t look back."
Some Perspectives On Career Success
"Your real boss is you", says Trent. Are you an Option A or Option B worker? And, are you being the kind of worker that is best for you?
From J.D. (and staff) at Get Rich Slowly and Foldedspace (his personal blog):
One Problem, One Correction
I thought the quote from J.D.'s fitness trainer summed it up well: "When you try to correct more than one thing at a time, it’s easy to get distracted. You can’t do any one thing well because you’re trying to do many things poorly. But if you concentrate on a single goal, you’re able to obtain a laser-like focus that better helps you achieve that objective."
Underachievement and The All-or-Nothing Mindset
Ah, perfectionism...my old friend. Thankfully I'm detached from the emotional pull it used to have on me. Now I can feel the all-or-nothing tendencies in my life but in the light of grace I show to myself. I love the quote from Anais Nin that she included: "You have a right to experiment with your life. You will make mistakes. And they are right, too.”
Action is Character
"What we say doesn’t matter; it’s what we do that counts."
From Pick The Brain:
Lies Unhappy People Love To Tell
Good read! I loved how she approached the flip-side of this topic.
10 Things Your Mom Said That Were Actually Right
Another great one from Tracy (see lies above).
Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously
"Many of us die before we’re ready. We spend hours, months, years, engaged in activities which bleed life from us one miserable moment at a time."
From Shake Off The Grind: Feeling Stuck?
"You may have learned to get comfortable in your current surroundings. Even with all the frustration and unhappiness, you have simply adjusted to this way of living...Because of this, being stuck might be quite a habit for you. It might be all you know...There is a time to stay and adapt to a situation, and a time to change and move forward. Knowing when to move on is powerful self-awareness to gain."

Life Clutter
From MaryJo at reSPACEd:
Dealing with the post-Christmas gift explosion
"If you are like a lot of people, there's a lot of new stuff laying around -- stuff that doesn't fit anywhere, stuff that you don't know what to do with, stuff you don't really want but feel obligated to keep."
To Get Organized, Avoid These 4 traps
Before you open a cabinet or purchase one storage container, read this!
From David at Raptitude: I Don't Want Stuff Any More, Only Things
Take a look and see if you only want things as well.
From Kristen, the Frugal Girl: Cut Schedule Clutter
"Simply put, I try not to fill my life with things that don’t matter to me or that don’t mesh with the overarching beliefs and goals that shape me."

TCOY on the outside
From Sally at Already Pretty: 3 Stages To Becoming Truly Stylish
I've done pretty well with #1 and #2, and am still working my way through level #3. I had to work through mental clutter issues (fear of letting go of clothing that didn't look great on me just because money had been spent on it, it was still useful, still fit, etc.) to begin to see what truly mattered were the clothes that looked great on me as in not just OK but ones that made me/others say terrific, fabulous or super cute!

Little-by-little I've been editing and then editing some more, while picking up something new now & again, to create a wardrobe that reflects all of my preferences (within budget, a complimenting color, comfortable fit, something that thrills me when I wear it, etc.) And along the way I've begun to find my creativity. That has been the best, I mean absolute awesomest part of this whole journey. I never thought expressing myself through clothing would be something I'd ever do.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Photo Credit: Iron Design

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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What's In Your Cup?

Just as there are "cat people" and there are "dog people", I believe the same distinction exists between drinking coffee or tea. You may drink them both but one or the other is your true drink of choice.

I am a coffee-drinker, though not a coffee-aholic. In the dark morning hours, I enjoy wrapping my hands around a steaming mug as I inhale the delicious fragrance of the steam. I sip the drink slowly as I work at the computer, enjoying the silence and solitude of the this time of day. Until the kids wake up or it's time to get us up and moving out the door, this is my time.

For a few weeks last year, I tried to be more healthy and become a green tea drinker. Since my taste buds would not go for anything but coffee in the morning, I drank only a glass of water in the morning and a cup of hot tea sometime during the day in lieu of my regular glass of water. (A bit off topic but to explain, from 11 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., I drink 8 oz. of water at the top of each hour while at work.) Though I was happy for the healthier switch, I still missed the chocolate part of my hot drink routine. So, I returned to my warm cuppa love in the morning.

After reading Jo-Lynne's post over at Musings of a Housewife, I am thinking of attempting another "healthier switch"...this time to Choffy.

Choffy is made from 100% organic cacão beans (also known as cocoa beans), roasted to perfection. All the antioxidant value, mineral benefits, neurotransmitter rejuvenating properties and overall health-giving qualities are found naturally in cacão beans. No sugar, no dairy, no chemicals. Just one ingredient: cacão.

The most favorite part of my warm cuppa love routine is the chocolate I put into the mug. And now I find out that they've actually brewed that chocolatey love and I can have an entire cup of it...Where can I get some of that?!

I emailed Melisa Mons (Jo-Lynne's source) to request a sample and I didn't have to wait long to hear from her. Within a few minutes, she had replied and my sample was scheduled for delivery.

A sample bag of Choffy is $3 (shipping included!) Melisa would love to get the word out about Choffy, so she offered the sample for FREE if I shared my thoughts on it somewhere, such as the blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Of course I would be glad to tell the world about brewed chocolate, thankyouverymuch!

Now, Choffy is 100% organic cacão beans, so if you don't enjoy the taste of dark chocolate you might need to enhance your drink with some sweetness! After trying it straight, I decided that just like regular coffee I needed to add some creamy sweetness to my drink. The best part is that with the health benefits of cacão in my warm drink, and not caffeine, I did feel like this was a healthier drink overall.

If you're looking to enjoy a warm cup of something delicious, I would highly recommend trying Choffy for yourself!

Jo-Lynne also mentioned the amazing truffles she tried from Choffy...which are organic, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free. She is going to give them as teacher gifts and said that they'd make a fabulous Valentine's gift as well. As for me, I've been nibbling on a few grounds left in the sample bag. So incredibly good! I can imagine sprinkling them anywhere I'd like a touch of dark chocolate.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved
What are your thoughts on this topic? Leave a comment and let us know!
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The End of My 2010 Decluttering Challenge

When I accepted another 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge at the beginning of this year, I was worried about being able to stay true to another commitment to declutter every single day for a year. As expected, I started off focused and determined but when my mid-year craziness began at work, decluttering was the last thing on my mind. I made up progress at the end of the year, but it wasn't true "decluttering one item per day" and not my challenge. No matter how I judge my decluttering journey this year, though, I feel amazed at what I've accomplished because I'm free of over 365 items of clutter!

The last Focus Challenge being issued this year has been posted over at the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge blog. It's a thinking one; a little something to consider as we head into the new year, fresh with promise.

For those who are still in progress on their challenges, past Focus Challenge ideas are available to inspire you during the months ahead. And I am here, ready to share motivation and cheer you on, if you need it.

Are you going to accept your own 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge in 2011? Want to be inspired by a routine approach to looking at your stuff for signs of it being clutter; something to develop into a lifestyle change, not to get on a decluttering high that will lead to a de-motivating crash & burn.

To me, decluttering doesn't end. We all buy. We all consume. And we all have the potential of letting clutter in the door or keeping it here when we get more stuff. Pretty much, we all have to decide what stays and what goes, because there is always more clutter trying to make its way into your space and into your mind.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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Abundently Full of Gratitude

If you read even half of last month's TCOY Lessons, you probably picked up on a theme that's been pretty strong in my life recently: Gratitude. My heart has been so abundantly fully of gratitude lately that it's been heavy!

Growing my inner awareness has been a wonderfully amazing journey so far. One of the strongest effects that I've seen/felt is the overflowing happiness and gratitude that I'm now aware of in both my mind and heart. Sure, I knew I'd feel better about myself, my life, etc., however that rose-tinted glasses feeling of how everything is seen, felt, smelled, tasted and heard has certainly been a surprise.

I've read many posts/articles about gratitude, relating to why you'd what to increase it all the way to a person trying to describe how it feels to them. It is unconveyable, I feel. Though I could read the passion in their words, I couldn't relate. Now that I'm the one feeling it, I know why. It must be lived to be understood.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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TCOY Lessons From My Favorite Bloggers (Oct10)

Last month's TCOY Lessons From My Favorite Bloggers was jam-packed! I love it when there is so much good stuff to share with you all. To that end, there were some things that just had to be left off...but not forgotten. I've included links to a few things on this month's lessons that might be noted on the wrong month but still as relevant as ever.

Relationships:
Trent at The Simple Dollar shares The Value of the Golden Rule and the ins and outs of How To Organize and Host A Gaming Evening.

"Are Your Friends' Good Intentions Holding You Back?" asks Pick The Brain.

How To Have An Affair With Your Spouse is an insightful surprise from Simple Marriage.

Lysa reminds us of the crucial role good friends play in our life in I'll Be The One With The Greasy Hair.

And lastly, I will use Aileen's sumptuous post at Kaizen Vision on 12 Low Cost Luxuries To Indulge Your Senses to remind you of my belief that the most important quality relationship in your life is with yourself!

Finances:
From Get Rich Slowly, we have:
Allowance: For Learning or Reward?
DIY Personal Finance: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life
Where's the Money Honey? Why You MUST Track Your Spending

And from The Simple Dollar, please enjoy:
Pay Cash or Not? Cash Flow Versus Liquidity
Scarcity and Abundance: Escaping the Scarcity Mentality
Jealousy--And What You Can't See

Diet & Exercise (a brand new category!):
Clearly Composed (aka Emma) at Graceful Balance pays homage to one of her favorite foods in Nutrition Spotlight: Soup.

Lynn, writer of For Love or Funny, was surprised that the food she eats affects how she feels in My Decision To Go Gluten Free.

Suzen at Erasing the Bored alerts us that October is NON-GMO month (non-genetically modified foods aka genetically engineered). If this is something that interests you, please check out the link she provided to The Institute for Responsible Technology's website with tools that will make it easier for you to choose non-GM foods, such as the Invisible GM Ingredients list and a Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

Self Improvement
A new-to-me blog is Pick The Brain and you will see posts from them all over this (and likely future) TCOY Lessons. They choose to take a broad approach in their focus on "self-improvement" and, as you can see by the categories I've shared them under, it's the truth. I am very happy to have found them for both my own enjoyment and for sharing on TCOYou.com as well. Enjoy!

In my self improvement category, I want to share their ideas on not multitasking, getting results without working too hard, taking risk and most importantly finding more time for yourself.

This guest post on Get Rich Slowly called What To Do When You're Completely Unsure highlighted something I've learned myself: Don't wait around and let the frustration of inaction be your catalyst.

From The Simple Dollar, we are reminded of The Value of Reducing Stress -- and 12 DIY Tactics For Doing So.

Trent is also breaking down David Allen's book "Making It All Work" and his sixth entry Getting Control: Clarifying has been my favorite so far. Here's a sampling:

It moves you from a sense that your life isn’t moving forward very much to a sense that your life is moving forward in a lot of dimensions. That’s transformative. It fills you with hope and energy and a sense of accomplishment and it lets you feel in touch with areas of your life that you’ve felt out of touch with.

Awareness
Aileen at Kaizen Vision outlines the ultimate factor in boosting productivity (or why happiness works, as I would say :-).

Clearly Composed (aka Emma) at Graceful Balance shares the blessings and gifts of an anxiety attack.

Pick The Brain instructs us on How To Recognize Constructive and Destructive Emotions and wisely says, "You already have the life you want".

Corey from Simple Marriage offers the 60-second solution to developing the skill of appreciation: gratitude training.

Chris Brogan offers up the wise advice of "Be. Then Do." in Inch by Inch.

I completely enjoyed Even Better Than Enough, a guest post on Get Rich Slowly.

Bets gives it to us straight in Are You Too Comfortable?:

We’ve been caught up in the crazy belief that personal comfort is always the goal. It’s why we try to regulate every aspect of our existence. Too cold? Crank the heat. Too hot? Turn on the AC. Bored? Turn on the TV. Work too hard? Spa day! Convinced of your beliefs? Avoid critical thought. And on and on. This has made us fat, lazy, stupid and unhealthy. Not mention that we have a chip on our shoulder and a massive entitlement complex. Creature comforts have become our god-given rights, and they’ve robbed us of our health and vitality. Of our humanity.

House & Family:
Many of us have probably already heard of the little rocks vs. big rocks analogy in reference to prioritizing and time management. I found a nice reminder on Motherhood Your Way, complete with pictures to really get the message across.

Terrific insight, humor and knowledge to be found on the "Parenting Teenagers" guest post (part I/part II) at Simple Mom.

Always inspirational Lysa reminds us that "We moms should never build the stability of our identity on the fragility of our kid’s choices" in The Mother Load.

Clearly Composed (aka Emma) at Graceful Balance shared this amazing reminder about Creating A Haven:

It’s a basic need to have a roof over your head and the essential items for living but it is a higher calling to view that space and your possessions in a sacred way, imbuing them with intention and energy that fulfills and lifts the spirit...Tending to our homes can be a joy or a chore depending on what it is exactly you are doing and why. Cleaning a toilet because it is Tuesday and that’s when you clean the toilets is a pretty joyless endeavor. Choosing to honor space and pay loving attention to it is a whole different process.

About Suzanne:
One thing leads to another as they say. I recently discovered a pretty fabulous blog to read called Pick the Brain and through it I found Shake off the Grind. I'm subscribed to both and have enjoyed reading them.

If I remember correctly, I found Shake off the Grind when Joe contributed a guest post to Pick the Brain about how to control negative self talk. This is sometihng I've been focusing on lately myself. Thankfully, I'm a pretty positive and compassionate person, especially to myself. Occasionally I do find myself saying something unkind to myself when I make a mistake (usually a dumb one), so I've been working through the "Challenge" step Joe outlined.

C = Challenge: Dispute the negative thoughts and replace them with accurate and positive statements...When you start to notice your bodies’ reaction to anxious and detrimental thinking, you can start to become present, consider how you want to react, take a step back, relax, and rationalize what’s really going on. This is where the “Challenge” step comes into play.

As Joe put it so well, "Learning to recognize how thinking, feeling, and acting influence each other, helps you to develop emotional awareness, and to start monitoring and managing negative thoughts and behaviors."

Life Clutter:
Erin at Unclutterer shared a valuable resource on RealSimple.com for how to recycle or reuse anything and 5 simple ways to easily organize your things.

MaryJo identifies the root of disorganization.

TCOY on the outside from Already Pretty:
This month's goodies from Sally include how to repurpose a bridesmaid dress and her thoughts on staying stylistically flexible. (Be sure to read the linked text in the article that says, "I believe that we should all make subtle changes in our hairstyles every year"...another great gem!)

In an Other sort of way, here are 10 Toiletry Products With Surprising Uses from College Candy...the comments are good too.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Photo Credit: Iron Design

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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TCOY Thinking: No Guilt Allowed

The tail end of the "busy season" at my day job was also filled with final preparations for our first ever Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to honor local high school athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and benefactors in our area.

Planning a first event is always a challenge and this was no exception. We've seen our guest list swell from 180 to a maximum capacity 520 in the last 2 weeks! Oh, and the event is tomorrow. Talk about people waiting until the last minute. It has been some exciting but harried last few days. Everyone in my office has helped to plan the event and we will all be truly happy when Monday, October 25th is here...the day after the event.

Unfortunately, the combination of the "busy season" overload and only so much time available for extras like posting to my blogs was hardest felt by my other blog, the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge. The posting of both the September Focus Challenge and the October Focus Challenge were pushed to the back-burner.

If you're a (mostly reformed) procrastinator like me, then you can already guess what happened. Putting up the missing September post and prepping the October post was on my to-do list for the entire month of October. Really. Just carried over from one day to the next, hoping that today is the day when I'd make time to get it done. They don't take much time to think up and format for posting, yet I just kept procrastinating. As I said, hoping that the ever-promising "some day" would finally come.

Well, I'm very pleased to say that I finally made "some day" happen...today! Though I'm not happy that my duties to the 365 Days of Decluttering Challengers went so long unfulfilled, I am very proud of myself for not letting it go a day longer and remembering that our unofficial challenge motto is "no guilt allowed".

I hope you'll take a moment to check out the September Focus Challenge and the October Focus Challenge for our little decluttering project. To me, decluttering doesn't end. We all buy. We all consume. And we all have the potential of letting clutter in the door or keeping it here when we get more stuff. The October Focus Challenge even has bonus inspiration courtesy of MaryJo, writer of the reSPACEd blog.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Photo Credit: Thinking Back

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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To Me, From Me

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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Suzanne Is Away and Unplugged

Hello, this is Suzanne. If you have reached this message, I am away at the moment. Any messages left for me will be returned, once I have returned, in the order they were received. Hope you make it a great day and, as always, thank you for your interest in TCOYou.com.

(beep)

At my regular day job, I love when it comes time to change my extension's voicemail to a vacation message. In the days preceeding it, the anticipation builds as I eagerly count down until it's time to go like an excited child. Recording the message just sends me that much higher because I know that tomorrow is the day when I get to get away. And, now, as I'm writing this a few days before I leave for 5 days on vacation, I'm feeling that old familiar feeling. It's almost time to go, yay!

Until July 16th, I can be found around our weekend home or on my weekend couch.

As there is no internet access where we go, I'm going to enjoy my unplugged time! I'll be back soon. :-)

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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You should follow me on twitter. Thank you for adding your Twitter identity to the guestbook on the right!Enjoy what you read at Taking Care Of You? It's easy to receive free updates by email or RSS.Click SHARE to help spread the word about TCOYou.com. Please and thank you!

Saying Yes to CSA

I've been intrigued by the idea of participating in a CSA (community supported agriculture), however I never signed up because:
1) I felt our eating choices & lifestyle may not have supported the commitment and
2) I'm lazy (I didn't want to have to drive to the downtown farmer's market where they did the drop off because it's way too busy...it's the kind that's actually in town and they block of access to a few blocks).

However, as luck would have it, FarmFreshToYou found me. They had a booth set up at Lowe's this past weekend for a Muscular Dystrophy Association charity drive. All told the event had a car show, sponsor booths and Lowe's employees ran a few things for a $1 each (kids bounce house, Raider's gear auction, food booth, etc.) The Lowe's proceeds were all donated to MDA and I saw one vendor saying that 10% of their sales went to MDA.

Anyways, FarmFreshToYou delivers right to my house and there's no commitment or contract, so there goes my objections. We signed up and our first delivery was yesterday. I can definitely tell the taste and quality difference between what we received compared to what we used to purchase at the grocery store. Now I finally get to have organic, very local fruit & produce and support our area farms too.

Another strong 'pro' to their set-up, in my eyes, is that we were not 'stuck with what we get'. We are able to make note on our account of certain fruits and/or vegetables that we never want to receive (really awesome since there are a few strong food aversions in this house!) and that we can substitute for items that we'd rather not get for that delivery. All they ask is that we substitute a fruit for a fruit or a vegetable for a vegetable and that the substitutions have to be called in at least 48 hours prior to delivery. Sounds fair enough, I say.

Our Mostly Fruit box contained a few substitutions. In exchange for the naval oranges, lemons and grapefruit, we received blood oranges and more of the pears and strawberries. Since this was our first experience, I also substituted the Braeburn apples for Fuji apples to have a real side-by-side comparison. Fuji apples are my favorite and most-often purchased choice for an apple.

In the last year or so, as I've become much more aware about taking care of me on the inside, my fresh, non-factorymade food choices have evolved from slim-to-none into eating a greater variety and having several servings per day. My fruit intake has increased from just bananas, green grapes, the occasional melon and Red Delicious apples to several varieties of apples, apricots, avocado, bananas, a number of different berries, cantaloupes, red/green grapes, kiwis, kumquats, nectarines, peaches, plums, pineapples, pomegranates and watermelons.

And to hear me even talking about eating vegetables, or dare I say talking about how much I love eating this or that, is a total 180 from where I used to be a few years ago. Now that I've finally stopped saying "I hate vegetables", I've grown to like most raw veggies and am willing to try just about anything, especially if cooked in a way I haven't tried before. Seriously, I watched Claire's enthusiasm as she roasted brussels sprouts on her show "Five Ingredient Fix" and now I want to have a taste. I'd always imagined brussels sprouts as steamed, mushy and just plain yucky. But crispy and flavored with bacon, now that does sound like some vegetable goodness!

Based upon the yum factor of what we ate from our FarmFreshToYou delivery just yesterday alone, I know that we made a healthy and nutritional choice for our family by signing up. I am so very happy for what I will get to try but, even more than that, I'm excited to be teaching my children that nature is abundant and delicious!

Though this may sound like a paid-for-review post, it is most assuredly not. I'm proudly sharing my family's experience with a local CSA so that others can read a firsthand experience. If you've participated in a CSA, please share your experience in the comments! As all CSA's are not created equal and not all are located in the agriculture a'plenty state of California as mine is, a broader range of experiences will be welcome.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Photo Credit: Colorful Veggies
Photo Credit: Fruit Salad
Photo Credit: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(as prepared by Claire Robinson, Host of 5 Ingredient Fix)

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved
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Feeling Uninspired But Thankful

As I'm feeling uninspired to turn any of my notes into an actual post, I thought I'd just use this moment to say thanks for being a subscriber if you are one. Although my efforts to grow this blog have brought lackluster results, I still appreciate those of you who've found TCOYou.com and like what you read enough to subscribe. I greatly appreciate you.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved
What are your thoughts on this topic? Leave a comment and let us know!

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To List or Not to List

I have tried to be a listmaker. I have failed at being a listmaker. What is it about them that keeps trying to seduce me?

Is it the feeling of order? I do love order.
Is it the feeling of accomplishment? During my listmaking attempts, I've felt that good job, pat-on-the-back feeling when something is completed and crossed off the list.
Is it because I really do want to do more? Or do I just enjoy the pursuit of appearing more responsible?

No matter the reason, I still haven't become a regular listmaker. The one thing I've been able to do now & again this year is to write down my most important tasks to accomplish for that day (or MIT's as Leo Babauta calls them).

The reason this has been so successful is due to having my company's website go down in early January and me having to scramble to get it up again. My head was spinning at every area I came across that seemed to claw for my attention right then. I began adding each thing to a running list so that I could purge it from my mind. As motivation permitted, I'd choose 2 things from the list before finishing up for the day to put on a priority to-do list for the next day. The 3rd spot is something that would come up during the day. Leaving room for it didn't push anything else aside. After seeing how useful it can be, I don't know why I can't integrate this into my personal life.

I have procrastinated writing anything for the blog over the last week. If you haven't already figured it out, I only post on certain days and each day has a focus. I wasn't inspired enough to write on the 15th and the next posting day, the 18th, is "About Suzanne" day. While doing some brainstorming yesterday, I thought that I should just write about my inability to regularly utilize to-do lists. However, this morning brought no motivation to do so.

While using my computer time to do the ever-so-important things such as checking Twitter and reading blog posts on my reader, I came across a guest post on Get Rich Slowly by Robert Brokamp appropriately titled "Should you really be reading this post?"

While enjoying the humor of his post, describing my exact dilemma about doing stuff that doesn't matter in an attempt to put off things that do, I re-read the following line and let it sink in.

Why is this? Why do we not do things we know would improve our lives?

I haven't figured out the complete reason, just yet. However, I have learned that sometimes the inner child in us still comes out to play now & again. I don't want to have to do what I don't want to do.

Have you developed ways to get around your inner procrastinator? Care to share them with me in a comment? I might not be the only one who could use the help...

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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Saving Yourself Is Taking Care Of Yourself

For a few hours in February 2008, Suze Orman allowed her book Women and Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny to be downloaded from Oprah.com at no cost. As I had barely been able to read through only a portion of The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom before becoming disinterested, I was hesitant on taking advantage of this free offer. Yet, free is free, so I did.

As expected, it languished around just waiting for me to read it. Well, now I can say that I've felt the Buddhist proverb in action: When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. After finally diving into Women and Money sometime in the fall of 2008, I did enjoy its message...because I was ready to accept it, that is. Again, I could only take the message in by small doses but I kept coming back to reading it. And thankfully so.

When I came to the chapter about the "Save Yourself Plan" that Suze had created in partnership with TD Ameritrade, I was intrigued. When the book was published, the terms were that if you opened a new money market deposit account at TD Ameritrade anytime from February 27, 2007 through March 31, 2008 and agreed to deposit at least $50 a month for 12 consecutive months, TD Ameritrade would "reward your commitment with a $100 deposit to your account".

Fearing that I had lost out, because it was now past the deadline, I went to the "Save Yourself Plan" website none-the-less hoping for the best. The terms had changed to a minimum deposit of $100 a month but the bonus of $100 was still intact. It took about a month for me to work up the nerve to do it but I finally did. On February 2, 2009, I opened my account and made my very first $100 deposit.

That was a crucial, pivotal step in my life. My need for safety and my need to be a spender have always been in conflict, yet here I was allowing $100 less of my money to be in my control (read "my money" and "my control" with a bit of a frightened voice...the 'what if's' scared me!) Yet, I knew that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and it was time to begin to slowly change myself into a saver. This was huge for me at the time and I have come so incredibly far within these past 12 months.

With absolute joy I can report that, on February 2, 2010, TD Ameritrade did deposit $100 into my account. By February 4th, all of the money (my deposits, accumulated interest on those deposits and the bonus) had been transferred back to my personal savings account. Although I'll soon be bidding adieu to TD Ameritrade, they will never be forgotten. Suze Orman and TD Ameritrade helped me to begin to save myself and I will never forget that.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

On a side note: Another offer on Oprah.com to download a later book called Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan for free has expired. However, with a revised and updated version called Action Plan: New Rules for New Times due out on March 23, 2010, you might want to keep an eye on Suze's page on the Oprah site if you want a downloadable copy for yourself. Suze has shared her insight and knowledge for free before and it's possible to happen again!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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The Beginning of My 2010 Decluttering Challenge

With a little reservation, I accepted another 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge and am again writing new material for my other blog, which is associated with it. I still enjoy both the decluttering and the blogging, however I know that my perfectionism will try to have its way with me.

While considering whether or not to accept the challenge at the end of December, I had to remember back to my first 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge. Didn't I feel scared at that time also?

I didn't worry about the actual decluttering, because it's not hard for me by any means. What is hard for me is to do something routinely...and even more so when there is accountability involved. I hate to be a hypocrite and say one thing while doing another. And, what I imagined did materialize throughout that year. There were many times when I was tempted to keep posting my motivational and 'cheerleader-esque' posts to other challengers, both on the blog and on the original Delphi forum where it originated from, while skipping a day or several. I knew that no one would know. I knew that others would forgive me. But, here's the deal, I don't believe in behaving like that. I live with integrity, to the very best of my ability, in everything I do. I would know and that would be awful enough.

So, I accepted the challenge knowing that I would not start down that slippery slope and miss a day on purpose. If a day did pass when I missed decluttering an item because it was over before I knew it, I didn't let my all-or-nothing perfectionism force me into believing that I should abandon my challenge altogether. Instead, I stayed true to my challenge and faithfully decluttered one item each day unless it was one of those days as described above. For those, I would sometimes declutter a few things on the next day to make up for them and for others I didn't; but I did just kept going and declutter one thing a day. As I have told other challengers in the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge, "There's no guilt allowed. Just jump back in right where you are!"

Another question that came to mind is "Don't I still have clutter to deal with?" And I know that is a big yes. Although I declutter all the time, it's the small stuff such as incoming clutter, kids clutter, clothing clutter, etc. It's kind of like cleaning. We feel like we're cleaning all the time but usually what we are only able to accomplish are daily pickups and some surface cleaning. The deep cleaning jobs are only handled now & then, if at all.

I know that I was able to lighten my life considerably by taking my last decluttering challenge. I decluttered easy stuff, old forgotten about clutter, sentimental clutter and LOADS of mental clutter. Now the clutter I see around me is the 'old me' kind of clutter; as in items given to us or low cost stuff that we had while starting out, stuff that is not my taste any longer, clothing that is not my style any longer, etc. This year is a metamorphosis year for me and that stuff is really starting to nag at me. Well, not anymore. I accepted my 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2010 and I've already freed myself of 22 things!

I don't think I have the time to adequately describe for you how great I feel. Within these last 3 weeks, I have been feeding my motivation meter by decluttering mental clutter and I feel so good. Sure, the physical clutter went with it but I can barely recall what it was, truthfully. So far, I have dealt with several 'wish I had the time or skill to do this' projects or the materials I had put aside for that project. I've also passed on several pieces of clothing that are still something I could wear (and maybe do now & again but don't love it) as it's one of those 80% pieces of clothing, cleaned up some clutter piles I've let accumulate, and thrown away some stow away clutter (such as reusable containers that are so warped the lid won't even stay on), etc.

I still have many, many more days to go but, regardless of whether I miss a day or not, I know where I will end up. I will end up at least 365 items lighter and freer. That feeling is awesome and I can't wait to feel it again!

Have you accepted your own 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge? If so, awesome! Hopefully you've announced your start date on the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge start page so we can cheer you on.

With my new challenge going on, I've also started up the Focus Challenges once again. The old Focus Challenges are still available and a new one will be posted on our Challenge Anniversary, which is the 22nd of every month. Hope you'll join us and free yourself of at least 365 unneeded, unwanted, unloved and unused things.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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Yes to a New Year's Theme and Gifts, Not Resolutions

At this time of year, many of us are thinking of the new year ahead and about changes we'd like to make in our lives or ourselves that we can put in a tidy package called a New Year's Resolution.

But I ask, why does January 1st have to feel much more important than May 7th or September 12th? Ah, I know...it's that itty bitty part of us that seeks perfection. The part that loves a very clear, very defined starting point and that loves to feel ignited by motivation. And what could be more motivating than starting something on the very first day of a brand new year?

I used to be that kind of New Year's Resolution maker...the one who met the new year bright eyed and excited with a list of life-changing resolutions in mind. Like this article says about the science behind failed resolutions, I mistakenly thought that I could follow through on that list of New Year's resolutions if only I had a bit more discipline. I even built in negative consequences to my resolution (like the money spent on a gym membership to ~~force~~ encourage me to like to exercise!)

So, in defiance I suppose, I have sworn off making any sorts of changes for the last few years just because I've brought out a new calendar. However, I admit, even the anti-resolution side of me has been a wee bit excited by all of the tweets, blog posts and articles I have let myself read lately.

Maybe that's because, in early 2009, I realized that life had lost its flavor and, by April, I had decided that I was ready to put myself in the line of priority, and right in front. I later realized that this was just my inner awareness coming back to me after having been in a depression funk for a few years. With the second half of 2009 devoted to taking care of me, and sharing what I've learned with you all as well, I'm feeling very motivated to continue and see how awesome I can make 2010.

Now that I'm excited and ready to meet a new year, with an attitude of making positive changes for as many of the next 365 days as possible, I will declare my New Year's Theme for 2010 to be: Take Care of Me...the full year version!

Here are the gifts I plan to give myself in the coming months. I truly hope I get to the big gift but otherwise I will just enjoy the stocking stuffers!

Taking care of my body by being kind to it
(enhancing my best traits on the outside and eating well to take care of me on the inside)

As Sally says it so succinctly:
This is the only body you've got.
Be kind to it.
Befriend it.
Work with it, not against it.
Care for it tenderly and you will be a much happier person.

Accepting the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2010

Clutter and unfinished projects around here don't stand a chance!

Continuing to live a cash-only lifestyle (started in 2009)

The new component this year will be to put money into a high-yield savings account every month that will become the money I spend on 2011 expenses. I’m tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck and will eventually be using money that’s spent a year gaining interest instead of new money that hasn’t!

To regain the inner peace I have lost during the past few years

I'm not ready to give any specifics on this one just yet.

What will your New Year's Theme be for 2010? What gifts are you going to give yourself over the coming months?

Below, I've listed some ideas to get you thinking. These were part of an email forward I received but do they ever work for new year, new you inspiration!

But, first, I would highly recommend you read Dani's insight on how to prepare for change and Leo's definitive guide to sticking to your New Year's Resolutions. They are definitely inspiring!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Themes ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Never borrow from the future.
(If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.)

Simplify and unclutter your life.

Develop a forgiving attitude.
(most people are doing the best they can)

Be kind to unkind people.
(they probably need it the most)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Gifts ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pray

Practice gratitude.
(Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.)

Go to bed on time.

Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

Delegate tasks to capable others.

Slow down.
Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

Pace yourself.
Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

Separate worries from concerns. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

Do something for the kid in you everyday.

Get enough rest.

Eat right.

Get organized so everything has its place.

Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

Write down thoughts and inspirations.

Sit on your ego.

Talk less; listen more.

Every day, find time to be alone.

Until next time...Take Care Of You!

Copyright © 2010 by tcoyou.com | all rights reserved

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Accepting the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2010?

If you want a
golden rule that
will fit everything,
this is it:
Have nothing in
your houses that
you do not know
to be useful or
believe to be
beautiful.

William Morris

As TCOYou is fairly new and small, I'm not sure how much of my history you may know or do not know. My first blogging endeavor, the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge blog, was just to highlight an event that was going on inside a Delphi forum where I participated. I'd decided to work on myself by committing to decluttering one item from my home per day for the next 365 days; decluttering was easy for me but doing anything routinely was not! So, I asked on the forum "Who wants to join me?" The response was amazing! In addition to forum participants, I'd hear that they had spread the word to coworkers, family members and friends. For one person alone, I could count their reach to 8 people! That same person convinced me that I needed to create a blog as a central point for those outside the forum.

That year of blogging taught me a lot about blog creation and how much I love sharing information with others. This is what brought out the idea for the Taking Care Of You blog and how I became a blogger for real.

Now, with everyone on the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge blog starting at different times, I thought it would be unifying if there was a monthly date when those of us in the challenge could celebrate our anniversary together. I announced that the 22nd of the month would be our anniversary and, on that day each month, I would send out an encouraging message and a gift called a Focus Challenge.

The Focus Challenge was to serve as a reminder to everyone that, actually, we are not doing this all alone. Many other people are right there beside us doing the same thing, at the same time. Some are going through the same challenges, and some face others, but we are all united in one purpose!

With a brand new year just around the corner, many of us are already preparing for a fresh start! I wholeheartedly believe that living by that quote above is one of the best ways for Taking Care Of You. Those who've accepted and completed their own challenge to declutter at least one item from their lives per day for one full year are already 365 objects lighter, and freer.

Are you ready to accept your own 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge?

If so, declare your acceptance on the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge start page and you'll get to see for yourself how amazing you will feel just one year later!

Remember those little Focus Challenges I mentioned before? Well, I pasted the link to each of them below, for your convenience.

Please, remember these were issued monthly just to give a little kick of motivation for the coming week. I am sharing these with you to help motivate, not to overwhelm yourselves; the clutter does that to us already!

So, whether you use these as weekly challenges for the first 12 weeks of 2010
or to use them as monthly kickoffs for each of the coming 12 months,
HAPPY DECLUTTERING!

Focus Challenge #1	Focus Challenge #5	Focus Challenge #9
Focus Challenge #2	Focus Challenge #6	Focus Challenge #10
Focus Challenge #3	Focus Challenge #7	Focus Challenge #11
Focus Challenge #4	Focus Challenge #8	Focus Challenge #12 (this one you create for yourself!)

What are your thoughts on this topic? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Taking Care of You

I've Got Senioritis!

TCOY Lessons From My Favorite Bloggers (Jan11)

What's In Your Cup?

The End of My 2010 Decluttering Challenge

Abundently Full of Gratitude

TCOY Lessons From My Favorite Bloggers (Oct10)

TCOY Thinking: No Guilt Allowed

To Me, From Me

Suzanne Is Away and Unplugged

Saying Yes to CSA

Feeling Uninspired But Thankful

To List or Not to List

Saving Yourself Is Taking Care Of Yourself

The Beginning of My 2010 Decluttering Challenge

Yes to a New Year's Theme and Gifts, Not Resolutions

Accepting the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2010?

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