Grabbing The Reigns

I really appreciate all the advice I recieved yesterday about financial investments. I definitely have some new ideas and things to check out now and that gives me a great deal of - I don't know - a sense of calm than before? That's the best I can describe.

As you might be able to tell, I'm trying to get my life back on track with my former organizational skills. Cutting coupons, and actually using them when I can. I'm cheap and will mostly buy generic products, but there are a few items that are not acceptable to be anything but my favorites, like Tide laundry detergent. The Evil Twin will only drink regular Cokes (not the store brand or diet or any other permutation of a soda. Coke, in the red can). So, I try to use the coupongs I find for name brand items I do buy and make the most of my money with other items.

I think I've been so busy and scattered the last few years, I've let a lot of my happy frugal ways slide. However, Sissy has her birthday coming up on Feb. 2nd and after that, I really plan to buckle down and get serious with my organizing.

After I stopped working outside the home when Buddy was born, I'm such a control freak, I had to channel my energies for control elsewhere and that's when I started with my "system". I had my days down to a science and I was happy.

We went through the process of selling a home and buying this one four years ago. A few months later, my dad passed away and I spent the next 14 months taking care of my mother. I also got pregnant during that 14 months and was a little more than halfway through a high risk pregnancy when she passed away. I spent the next two years taking care of a newborn, settling an estate, selling their house, dealing with all kinds of shit with that (another blog altogether) - basically just stressed out at every turn and feeling overwhelmed at just having to rise for another day.

Now that the holidays are over, the kids' birthdays are wrapping up for another year and I have some blank slate time in front of me, I just feel the need to get back to that routine. That safety net. The feeling that I do have control over some aspects of my life and I'm damn good at those things when I take the time to do my best.

Ever since we've moved into this house, I've never had the opportunity to just enjoy it. Last summer, we survived updates and remodeling and so this spring and summer, I plan on lots of outdoor time in the hammock and the kids' playing on the swings. Lots of hours at the pool we belong to and Sissy actually enjoying the kiddie pool this year!

Thanks for listening to a dottering nearly middle aged fool vent her spleen (or liver or something bigger).