Workout and Furniture Fund

Had an awesome workout today. I did the Power workout from Friday because I never did it.

Here's how I did:
4 rounds of 2 reps (so heavy!)
Dumbbell clean
1st round only 25 lbs each dumbbell
2-4th round did 30 lbs each dumbbell

Clean and split jerk
85 lbs all 4 rounds.

I'm pretty pumped about the clean and split jerks because when I first lifted the 85 lbs, I set it back down and said to Michael, "I don't know, this is heavy, maybe I should take some weight off." He said, "Give it a try, then decide."  So I did and sure enough, I ended up doing the 85lbs all 4 rounds. It was tough but I really liked it.

Then we did the following core workout, which caused me to curse my husband repeatedly:
21 reps of incline reverse crunch, decline bench sit-ups, and floor wipers
15 reps of incline reverse crunch, decline bench sit-ups, and floor wipers
9 reps of incline reverse crunch, decline bench sit-ups, and floor wipers

All-in-all, a great workout!

Also, our tally for furniture we've sold on Craigslist so far is $210! We'll have another $25 tomorrow because someone is supposedly meeting Michael at his work over lunch. All we have left is our bed and we're currently asking $125. I'm going to drop it down to $100 though and see if anyone will buy it. I've had a lot of people ask about it, but no one has followed through yet. 

Michael has promised to make me a headboard with plywood, batting, and fabric over it. We went to JoAnn's today and looked at fabrics and saw a bunch we liked.

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Around

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days... I post 3 times in one day than go 3 days without a post. I'm one complex woman I tell ya.

Anywho- I will be heading to the gym later this afternoon, so I'm sure I'll report on that later.

As for the rest of the weekend, we've pretty much spent it packing. We took 5 bags of stuff to Savers (our Goodwill) and posted a slew of things on Craigslist. Oh, can I just tell you, people are crazy when they see something they like and want to buy it. I'm getting bombarded with phone calls. These one people came over to purchase a set of chairs and the pointed at everything in our apartment and said, "Are you selling that?" "How about those?" It was crazy!

But, it's helping to pad our furniture fund for February (lots of 'f''s right there) so I'm excited about that. So far, we've earned about $150 to be added to our $1,000 budget for some new furniture. That's like giving ourselves a 15% raise in that budget category!

On other news, we cancelled our Blockbuster online membership AND CABLE this weekend. When we move to our new place, we will only be transferring our internet service, not cable. My goal is to watch less TV and so far, I have not done that. We're going to add Netflix but that's only 1 DVD at a time instead of 2 and it's $10/month cheaper than Blockbuster. Plus, we'll be saving about $25/month on the cable too... saving money and hopefully leading a more productive life in the process- it's a Win-Win situation!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend.

KelsaLynn

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Holy Hard and Holy Fun

3rd post of the day! YIPPY! This is just for you Lexi!    : P

Granted, my first post of the day was at 5:35 AM and was pretty short- it simply stated that I was excited for tonight's workout.

Then I got home from work, had about an hour to kill, and since it's almost February 1st, I thought posting our budget seemed like a good idea.

Now I'm home from my workout and just wanted to blog about it.

Because.it.fricken.rocked.

Okay, it sucked in a lot of ways, but I loved it. I did the reverse triathlon- 10 minutes of running, 10 minutes of biking, 10 minutes of swimming.

Jess, you're not the only one that stinks at swimming. It was soooo hard! I think they will need to replenish some water because I guzzled a lot of it and not on purpose.

Here's how I did:
Running - 1.1 mile
Biking - 3.55 miles
Swimming - 6 laps (Michael says this means 300 meters, or .18 miles)

If your gym has a pool, this really is a fun and challenging workout. Give it a shot!

Until tomorrow, (or maybe I should change this to "until later" since I might post another one- you never know!)

KelsaLynn

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February Budget

The move ate up most of January's budget, but February's looks a bit more normal. We're able to save a bit for a car, buy our plane tickets for a trip home in May, and buy some furniture- all in the same month! Not too shabby!

As you can see, the "Recurring" expenses increased slightly because I added some bills since we'll have two different apartments for part of the month (which leads to two of each utility).

Utilities: We'll likely receive one cable (Cox) bill for our current place and one for our new place. I'm not sure if we'll have to pay transfer or installation fees so I just guessed on the amount of my budget for those categories. I also added a water bill, which we do not pay now but will have to in our new rental.

Rent: Our new rent is only $989.63 compared to the $1218.90 we pay now.

Gas: I increased this budget from $160 to $250. I know we'll be making multiple trips to Gilbert to move and meet various vendors there, so I'm trying to account for that in some way.

Gifts: I added this for the first time. There always seems to be something we have to buy a gift for, so I'm adding it in, will save it if we don't spend it, just like my other sinking funds.

Vehicle Repair: We need to get the scooter fixed since we used that money for our car repair in January. This amount is simply a guess.

Clothing: I also added this sinking fund and will save this money if we don't spend it. It's for things like underwear, socks, new shoes, etc but also a new suit if I need on later.

Car: YAY! Finally!! We're able to start saving for a new car. This month, we're only putting away $900, but I guess it's a step in the right direction.

May Vacation: We are going to take a trip home in May over Memorial Day weekend. We've been planning it for some time but haven't purchased our plane tickets yet. I know our trip will cost more than $700 but all we need at this point is enough to book our flights.

Dentist: A bill from work Michael done forever ago. Seriously, wtf can't they send us a bill in the same decade the work is done? Is that too much to ask? Don't get me started on medical billing...
Chicas: SOOOOO Excited about this budget category! My girlfriends are coming in February and part of our arrangement (I think) is whoever doesn't fly, takes care of food. At least that's what I plan to do. So, this is for miscellaneous stuff we'll buy so my girlies don't starve during their visit including a trip to splurge on some sushi!

Moving: Any last minute things that come up- JUST IN CASE!

Furniture: YAY! We have been wanting/needing new furniture for a long time. We have a whole list of things and in what priority to buy them. Because we have pets, we're going to keep our couch and loveseat for a while longer. But we are planning to get a new headboard, rugs, desk, coffee table, and a bunch of other stuff. Nothing fancy, we'll probably hit up Ikea and Craigslist for a lot of it but I'm excited nonetheless.

TOTAL EXPENSES = $6,403.

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Excited!

I finally feel like I'm back to my old self. Not quite 100%, but pretty darn close.

I'm excited to go to the gym tonight to do Michael's FITR workout of the day. Did you see what it is?

Reverse Mini-Triathlon GYM-STYLE!
10 Minute Run
10 Minute Bike
10 Minute Swim

Keep track of how far you go in each category. Sounds like fun right?

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Good intentions

So much for my last post- remember when I said I was ready to get back into the swing of a routine? And remember when I said I was excited to go to the gym tonight? And I was excited to go to work to get this whole drama overwith?

That was before I woke up at 4 AM with a fever.

Yuck. I went to work, tried to make it through the day but left at 10 and slept all day. Well, almost all day (keep reading).

I am currently wearing a tank top and shorts, yet I have all the windows open and I'm evening toying with the idea of turning on the air conditioner. I'm soooo hot!

My bestest friend Lexi calls this the post stress cold and I think she's right. When you're working through a stressful situation, you push your body too far whether that's by staying up late, worrying, or working long hours. As soon as you slow down, you get sick. It doesn't help that everyone at work has been getting sick and passing it around.

All of this brings me to work. Wow, talk about serious change. Although I left the office early, I was asked to have a phone conference at 4:00 with HR and the Controller. Talk about nervous! I am glad to report that I was formally offered my current position! They were very nice and said I'm their best supervisor and they appreciate my efforts. Whew. 

Unfortunately, an employee was let go that I really wish wasn't...she's one of mine and I was excited how far she's come in the past 6 months. I guess it was too little too late though. And while I have my job, the other two supervisors were both let go. Originally, it was supposed to be only one of us, but they ended up keeping only one-me.

So, it looks like I'm going to be busy the next few weeks as I learn how to do the work of 3 supervisors. I know I'm up for the challenge, but that doesn't mean it will be easy.

Right now, I'm counting my blessings and realizing how fortunate I am. Now, if I could just shake this fever I'd be extra lucky.

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back in the swing

This weekend was much needed. I feel so much better. We signed our lease on Friday so we're definitely moving on February 12th and as for work, well, the part I can control is done. The rest is out of my hands so why fret right?

After really analyzing the budget this past weekend, I figured out that our damage wasn't as bad as I anticipated. That, too, made me feel a lot better.

I worked out this morning at Michael's bootcamp, something I hadn't done in days- every waking minute of the end of last week was spent preparing for my interview. Instead of getting to the gym at 6 AM to workout, I would get to work at 6 AM and prepare. Instead of working out after work, I stayed at the office until 7 PM and proofread resumes and cover letters. 

I ate like crap. I spent like crap. But you know, when life throws things at ya, what else can you do but to go with the flow of it and just wait it out? I feel like that's what I had to do the past week.

But now, that's all behind me and I can look forward- YIPPY! We made our meal plan today as usual and made our grocery run. That means eating out and spending shouldn't be an issue. I can also focus on our move and make all of the necessary phone calls. 

That leads me to working out... it was over the summer that I started exercising before work because Michael would drop me off on his way to work. It was supposed to be temporary, but then the summer was over and Michael started training for the PF Chang's race (last weekend). Since he was always running in the evenings, I just kept my routine of morning workouts.

But now the race is over and we can get back into our routine of working out after work. This is just what works best for us as a couple. I really miss exercising with him...we motivate each other and it's simply more enjoyable to have company during my workouts. Since he leaves for work at 6 AM, working out together beforehand is not an option.

Michael used some of his Christmas gift money to buy a skin fold calliper. Essentially what that does is pinch your fat, give you a measurement, and then you use a website like this one to determine your body fat percentage. It's much more accurate than a scale or the device you hold onto. Personally, I would like to send it back and I wish I could proclaim that it's broken... I did not like the results. Here they are-
28 years old, 138 lbs (I think)
Bicep = 7
Tricep = 13
Subscaplar = 13 (my back)
Suprailiac = 10 (hip area)

My body fat %?  24.69%!

According to the website, I'm considered "Fitness." Here's what the chart looks like for women on what makes up the different levels-
Essential Fat = 10-12%  (For men, this is 2-4%, now isn't that total horse shit? How come they only need 2-4% and we need 10-12%?  Assholes... ) : P
Athlete = 14-20% (men is 6-13%)
Fitness = 21-24% (men is 14-17%)
Acceptable = 25-31% (men is 18-25%)
Obese = 32%+ (men = 25%)

I suppose 24% isn't terrible, but now that we have the ability to measure it, I plan to keep track of my body fat and see if I can't get it a bit lower. Michael and I are going to start his FITR program consistently tomorrow so I'm looking forward to it! I hope to see some results!

Tomorrow (Monday) is the day we should find out who is canned at work and who will stay. Obviously, I don't need to tell you how I will feel if I'm let go. But even if I'm one that stays, it's going to be a long day. There will undoubtedly be people leaving that I truly enjoy working with, there will be tears, long conversations with my employees on how to move forward, etc.

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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January Budget so far

Earlier this week, I mentioned how our budget has gone down the crapper this month. Or, at least I thought it probably had but in the same post, I confessed that I had not balanced the checkbook or even looked at our budget in weeks. I felt like we had been spending SO much money on random stuff- nickle and diming us to the point that we were over budget.

Now that the work thing is out of my control, and we officially signed our new lease and have that taken care of, I feel like I can focus on our budget. I told myself one of my top priorities this weekend was to see what kind of damage had been done so far this month.

I'm pleasantly surprised to see that although we've certainly overspent in some categories, we are under in some others and the total damage isn't all too bad. I put together a little comparison to see where we're over and where we're under so far this month...

We budgeted $3,000 for the move but have only spent $2,105 so far. We still have to pay for the movers, carpet cleaning, and general overall cleaning. Most of these expenses will not actually occur until February but we have the money budgeted for whenever they do hit.

One thing I didn't realize when setting January's budget was that we would not have to pay a full month's rent at our current apartment. Our lease ends on the 25th of February which means it's about $200 less than we budgeted originally.

Our grocery expenses so far are a lot less than they should be at this time of the month, but as you can see, our fast food and "spending money" budgets are really high. We did not buy any groceries this week which means we ate out a ton. It was like everyday we were eating out instead of the one trip to the grocery store I normally see. I think this contributed to my sense of dread over how much we had spent so far because it seemed like we were always spending and I couldn't keep track of it all.

We also have not ordered the carpet repair yet but we'll do that soon. I budgeted $100 but I'm not sure yet how much that will cost.

In other words, we're still doing okay. We did let a few things get out of control compared to other months, but it wasn't too bad. I'm glad I took a look when I did so hopefully we can end the month better than we started it.

Kelsalynn

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Update about not having an Update

I'm sorry I posted an entry where I was essentially freaking out, then posted nothing afterwards... the reason is because I still don't know anything.

I had my interview yesterday. It was supposed to be at 3 PM but I didn't end up starting it until 5 PM. Needless to say, they were running behind as the day went on and since I was the last person to interview, I just kept waiting. 

The day was absolutely dreadful. I actually woke up feeling fine. I was as prepared as I could be and had done all I could do. As people walked in, interviewed, then walked out and described how relieved they felt, it was as if I took on their stress each time. Here were these people getting their interviews over with one by one and then there was me still anticipating the dreaded interview.

Finally, 5 PM came and I was called in to the first round. It went okay. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the new guy...he rubs me the wrong way. But, I don't have to report to him directly so I don't really care. I didn't exactly like my interview with him and didn't feel great at all when I left it. But Round 1 was finally over which meant I was on the home stretch so I felt 50 lbs lighter immediately.

Then there was Round 2... the interview with my current bosses. That interview I actually feel better about. They know what I do, how I work, how passionate I am about my job and being a manager. It felt like more of a conversation then a Q&A session.

They told all of us we would fine out today who was cut and who would stay.

But we never did. Today came and went and we never heard anything. Finally at 5:15 PM, after half of our team had already left (realizing there wouldn't be an announcement), the big boss came out and said, "Sorry, we won't be able to tell anyone today. We'll tell you on Monday."

Overall, I suppose I feel ok. I feel confident but you never know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I can tell you one thing...Michael and I talked b/c they may offer one of the managers a demotion instead of a flat out layoff. If that happens, I will NOT take the demotion. I will take the severance and walk away. Financially, we're in a position where I don't have to take a job I don't want to do. I don't want to do the job that a demotion would be, and I don't have to settle for that so I won't. A lot of people at work are flipping because they may not have a job and they don't know how they will pay their bills. I feel terrible for them and wish more than anything their situation was different. At the same time, it's helped me realize how lucky we are and how proud we should be to have worked so hard for this financial peace.

Thank you so much for all of the nice comments. You guys really do make me feel like I can do anything!

KelsaLynn

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I can't do it all...

I'm very excited to announce that I found out this evening we got the house on Emily Lane! Wahoo!

Okay, announcement over. I don't even have time to think about that right now.

Ask my friends Amy and Lexi, earlier today, I was feeling good. I felt focused and ready to tackle all the changes life is throwing at us right now.

What I realized last night was that it's not "all these big changes" that are stressing me out. It's just one of them - work. Once I realized that work was my only stressor, I was able to focus on that one concern and give it all my attention. When I woke up this morning, I felt like I could tackle anything and was ready to face the day.

Then today happened.

Holy shit. This work thing is completely stressing me out. I am internally torn between helping my employees prepare for their interviews tomorrow and helping myself.  Yes, we all have interviews. It's my job to train and develop my team and that job doesn't end just because I have an interview too.

Today, I spent ZERO time preparing for MY interview tomorrow. ZERO.

Instead, I spent the entire day proofreading my employees' resumes and cover letters. Round after round after round of edits and questions and conversations on what they are trying to say...oh my gosh. And now I'm left feeling like I have no time and no energy left to prepare myself for tomorrow.

How do I do it all? I can't. Simply, I can't do it.

There's so much I need to do tonight and I feel like I have nothing left to give for this process. My resume and cover letter are done (thank God I got them done early because I never would have found the time) but I still need to organize my thoughts and determine all of the stuff about me that I want to share tomorrow.

Please send positive thoughts my way.

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Everything out the window?

Exercise
I headed to the gym this morning and had a really great workout. It was the FITR WOD of High-Intensity Interval Training and looked like this-

24 Mountain climbers
24 Walking lunges
24 Push-ups
24 Thrusters
24 Pull-ups (assisted, level 12)
24 Burpees (done w/ the jump @ the end)

I used a 10# dumbbell in each hand during the thrusters.

It was good, I really liked it. I probably could have done the whole thing through one more time and it would have really tired me out. I opted to stretch my hips instead which was probably a smart move.

The WOD was done to celebrate the season premiere of the TV show "24" which my hubby and I love. Pretty creative huh? I was impressed when he told me what it was...

Budget
I'm not sure if our budget has gone to crap this month or not but I feel like it probably has. The fact that I don't know is what worries me more than actually going over budget but being aware of it. I feel like we've spent money here and there a lot lately- nothing substantial, $8 here and $10 there... $3 on posters for Michael's race this past Sunday, $4 for Starbucks... you know the drill. I have no idea what the total tally is because I haven't even looked at our budget or balanced the checkbook.  Can you believe that? I haven't even looked at our budget or balanced the checkbook!  Aaah!

The Move
The only money we've paid out for the move so far is $65 for our application fee. But soon we'll have the cleaning deposit, pet deposit, and security deposit. Isn't it terrible that I don't even know how much that will be right now? I honestly have no clue. I should know this since it was on the MLS listing for the property but truth be told, I didn't even pay attention (yikes huh? What the hell is wrong with me?).

One good thing is we asked that our new lease begin on February 12th. Since we have to be out of our current place on February 25th, we're really only paying "double rent" for a fraction of February not the entire month. That certainly helps!

Budget, Work, Piano, The Move, Everything
Overall, I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed right now. I feel like there are way too many things I don't have control over and I'm desperately trying to grasp onto something. I usually try to control every little detail but that stresses me out. So this time I'm trying to be more flexible with how things play out with work and the move but that's not exactly stress-free either, especially when my tendency is to micro-manage the details.

In addition, our homeowner's insurance, renter's insurance, and property taxes are all due so I can't forget to pay those. Thank heavens for sinking funds because I can't imagine paying those in full right now while we're trying to pay for a move. It's not like these bills are even a big deal, but it's just one more thing I need to do. I also need contacts because I'm on my last pair, but I really want to find a new eye doctor, so add that to my to-do list.

I actually had a very productive night yesterday and that helped. I boxed up and cleaned the guest bathroom. Since this room is never used unless we have visitors, this room is officially done! Tonight my goal is to tackle the guest bedroom and start using that room to store the boxes I'm putting together from the rest of the house so I'm not living with all of them!

I also practiced the piano last night and I'm really proud of how far I've come in such a short time. Songs I could not play during my lesson on Saturday are now much easier and it's actually starting to sound like music.

Thanks for listening to my babble... it helps to put it all down.

Kelsalynn

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Good with words

Oh man, cover letter-writing really blows.

I mean, even if I'm applying for a job that I want REALLY bad and I've PUT IN for the position, writing the cover letter is the worst part. But at least then, it's something I signed up for!

But now, I'm writing a cover letter for an interview to keep my job. I wish I could start off the letter by saying:

1. "Look, you already know I fricken rock, let's get this over with."
or
2. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell you what you already know since I work with you daily."
or
3. "I'm eager to interview for a position I already have."
or
4. "Thank you for scheduling my opportunity to jump through hoops."

argh. 

No updates yet on the house situation. We should know in the next few days if they accepted our application. Considering I've already started visualizing our floor plan and furniture layout for our new home, it's probably safe to say my hopes are already up! Continue to keep your fingers crossed!
~Kelsalynn

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Update

Thank you for the good luck wishes in response to my last post.

We went out again today and loved the first place we saw. It's in the same community as the house we wanted yesterday, just a different model. In fact, we like this layout even better! I should have known yesterday that things happen for a reason... that house yesterday would have been great, but it didn't work out and now we found one we like even better!

It's hard to remember when things don't go as planned that things really do happen for a reason.

We submitted our application and should know mid week if they accepted it. So, we're not exactly home free yet but a lot closer than last night.

Thanks again for the encouragement,
Kelsalynn

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Rollercoaster, wanna ride?

Holy crap, yesterday's search for a place to live was a total rollercoaster ride.

First, I went all incognito during the day and stopped at the houses we were planning to see in the afternoon with our realtor. I snuck in the back gates of most of them, peeked through all the windows, etc.

At that time, I thought for sure we were going to choose the house with the pool... but not just because it had a pool. It's layout was much better than the other places and it just felt more like a home. When I peeked into the windows of the non-pool house, the kitchen was soooo small... it looked more like a hall bathroom than a kitchen.

I was convinced.

That was until my husband, the more practical one, saw the houses later that afternoon.

When we walked into the non-pool house, I actually liked it and the kitchen was much bigger than it looked during my initial inspection.  The layout was more separated, but I liked the quality of each room better. Michael convinced the more reasonable, rational, and practical side of me that the smaller, no pool house actually fits our needs better and will be easier for us to maintain and clean. He was right. The pool house has 4 bedrooms. WTF do we need 4 bedrooms for? We stood in that house trying to determine which each of the 4 rooms would be used for and you know what we came up with? One of the rooms would be a guitar hero room.  Yup, definitely do not need 4 bedrooms.

So, our day ended at about 3:30 and we walked away feeling confident. We filled out an app and left the realtor to do her job. From there, we went to dinner and a movie. When we turned our phones back on after the movie, we had a message from the realtor at 5:00 that said the house we wanted accepted an application at NOON and they were planning to rent it to those people. We were out.

Bummer. 

I came home and went through her listings again and came up with a whole slew of them to see today. So much for a short list...

And now that I've convinced myself a bigger, 4-bedroom home with a pool is not rational, I can't even consider that now! It just doesn't make sense and I see that.

I really wanted the process to be complete, at least this phase of the process so I could finalize the rest of it.

I haven't eluded to this on my blog yet, but work is a total rollercoaster ride right now too.  We are merging with a nearby office, which means a lot of departments have two people for the same position. Every level- from the highest manager to the clerical staff, are being required to re-interview for their positions. This interview will determine which person they keep.

My interview, to keep my job, is from 3-5 on Thursday. I'm nervous for the interview, not necessarily about the possibility that I'll lose my job. I'm interviewing with 3 managers, 2 of which are already my bosses so they know me and we goof around together. It's weird. The 3rd is the new manager they've decided to keep from the nearby office. So it will be me, staring across a table with 3 managers interviewing me simultaneously... sounds dreadful right?

Lots of changes right now. Lots of stress. Hopeful my 2nd piano lesson at 11:30 today help ease my stress!

Kelsalynn

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Warning!

For most of you, I comment on your blog just about as often as you post one... or at least I try to!

Well, ever since Michael started his own blog and posts daily, I've been leaving comments but they show up as my husband Michael! lol

Personally, I find this comical, because he comes across as sounding totally gay when I say "Nice job chica!" or exclaim "Super cute!" or scream "Oh my gosh!"

Trust me, it's very unlikely my hubby is going around and commenting on anyone's blog. It's just not his thing, he doesn't even comment on mine and I'm his wife.

So, Lexi, Jess, Amy, Lacey, Denise, Megan, Stacey, and whoever else ---

CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!!

:)

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The value of a pool

Tomorrow is the day we finalize our plans for moving... well, at least the first step will be finalized- which is choosing where we will be moving to!

We have our list down to 3 different houses to rent, all about 20 miles east of where we live now. Our thoughts about moving that way is to be closer to Michael's work. He works longer days than I do- 6:30 AM to 7 PM usually. So for him to add a 30 minute drive on top of that only makes those days even longer. All 3 properties are within a 5 mile radius of Michael's work so we still plan to be a one car household until we save enough cash to buy a car without financing (see goal on right). He also gets to wear tennis shoes to work everyday, so biking or scootering (did I just make up an awesome word? I think I did!) is not a big deal. I usually wear a skirt and high heels so I have no choice but to change when I get here.

Two of the houses are in the same subdivision, just different models. It's a gated subdivision only 1.2 miles from Michael's work that has a community pool and a park. The rents are about $150-$200 less than we're paying now.

The 3rd house is just over 2 miles from Michael's work but it's the same rent as we pay now ($1200/month). However, it has a private pool, not just a community pool but it's on a golf course and the fence is open to one of the holes so it's not exactly "private." (pool service is included in the rent)

The size of the houses are very similar so this got me thinking, how important is a private pool? And not just a pool, mind you, because 2 of the houses have a community pool (outside, large, very nice) but the one has a private pool right in the backyard.

Is it worth $150/month?

Considering Michael and I work as much as we do, we only use the pool on the weekends. An extra $150/month is $1,800/year--- is it worth it?  Right now, I'm not sure of the answer so we'll have to see what happens tomorrow when we have to decide. 

The plan is to sign the paperwork tomorrow so our lease will start Feb. 1st. We have to be out of our current place by the 25th of February so that gives us almost the whole month to move. My workouts may be a little MIA while we're in the middle of getting things situated so bare with me!

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Back to Back

After working out last night, I got up this morning and headed to the gym before work. 

The FITR program called for legs and I was excited to get to the gym to do this workout! I think legs are my favorite. But not because I like my legs any better than my arms or anything like that. It's because naturally, most people (women) can lift more with their legs than their arms. I'm definitely in that category so I feel like I'm stronger on leg days and a weakling on arm days- especially PUSH days! I can PULL a lot more weight than I can push. 

Wow, that was one hell of a tangent I went off on up there. Oops.

Back to the workout I did this morning-
I was a little pressed for time, so instead of 5 rounds of 12 reps each, I only did 3 rounds. I will admit, however, I don't know if I even could have done two more rounds! It was really tough!

Front squats- 65#
Sumo deadlift- 85#
Step ups- held 1-15# dumbbell

Great workout! I'm sure my legs will feel it tomorrow.

I also have to say that front squats are one of my favorite things to do. You practically are forced to keep perfect form in order to hold the weight in front of you. If you lean forward, you'll drop it so you have to sit back into the squat and use your hips to drive up. I love it.

Oooh, so, I have my new skirt on today with the leopard print top and little cami over it. It looks even better than the picture I showed you earlier b/c now I have my hair and make up done too. Isn't it amazing how a new outfit can make you walk taller and feel better?

And I have my new Norah Jones THE FALL CD playing at my desk and it's wonderful! It's different than her other albums, that's for certain, but I still really like it!

What a wonderful day!

Until tomorrow,
KelsaLynn

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Just what I needed

While I've become a fan of working out at the ass crack of dawn, tonight's trip to the gym after I got off work was just what I needed. Getting my groove on (AKA exercising) after a long day at the office is really a wonderful thing too.

This afternoon was pretty hectic and since I didn't make it to the gym this morning, I headed there right after work. Literally- it was like 5:02 PM.

I did Michael's FITR workout for the day and I'm not just saying this because he's my husband (trust me, he would take me out in poker without hesitation, I would say his workout sucks if that's what I think)...

Tabata - 20 seconds on, 10 second rest, 4 times through
Thruster (used 40# straight bar)
Jump rope
Wallballs (used 10# ball)
Push-ups (modified cuz I suck)

I didn't count my reps or keep score, I just worked out and enjoyed it. And now I feel soooo much better!

If you ever need an amazing workout but something quick, the one above is darn near perfect. Each round is only 2 minutes long and you do 4 rounds so 8 minutes and you're done! But trust me, we were both huffin' and puffin'!
Tonight we're trying spaghetti squash for the first time... I hope we like it!

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Talk about inspirational

I just have to post this.

Every day I come in and listen to the prior day's radio program of the Dave Ramsey show. So this morning, I start up Friday's show and listen to it while at my desk working.

Here's the link if you want to check it out. Click on "Archives" then choose the date you want to listen to.

On Fridays, people call in and shout "We're Debt Free!" into the phone. Dave asks them questions like how much did they pay off, how much do they make, how long did it take, etc. It's one of the best parts about Fridays because it's very inspiring to hear how other people are trying to win with money too and it's not just a depressed state of affairs out there right now.

Get this- they just took a call from a young couple (early 30's) who are completely debt free- house and all! That's right, they're in their early 30's and they don't even have a mortgage! Crazy right?

Okay, just wait because it gets even more wild...     ... these people aren't rich, like you may assume.

They have 6 children!!! 
They make $108,000/year!!!
Their house is worth $250,000!!!

Insane right? I mean, they make the same amount of money Michael and I make and we have no children and they've managed to pay off their mortgage even.

It took them 4 years to pay off all their debts including their house. If that's not amazing, I don't know what is. It makes me so motivated to continue sacrificing and saving so one day we can have a similar story as this couple (well, everything except the 6 kids... I have to draw the line somewhere).

I realize it's completely not normal, but are you allowing yourself to dream big anyway?

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Shopping is so much fun!

I spent the last of my Christmas money on a trip to The Limited today! I had a gift card there plus some cash but even then, I still spent $100 over that.  Oops.

I have to wear a suit everyday to work. I've worn the same black pant suit for over 5 years! Do any of you remember the store Casual Corner or Petite Sophisticate? They went out of business years ago and that's where I got my black suit!

Needless to say, it was time for a new one. I noticed this past week that I've burned holes into the elbows of the jacket from normal wear and tear. It lasted me a long time (and still fit, so that's good) but it was definitely time for a new one!

I'm happy to report I got a 3-piece set including a skirt, pants, and jacket! They're even hemming the pants for free for me! How cool is that?  One thing I learned today about The Limited black suit collection is that every year they change the style of pants or jackets but they use the same fabric year over year so your pieces always match. That's one thing I love because each year I can add a piece and the blacks will match!

Here's the first outfit- the skirt with a cute leopard print blouse and a little sweater over it.

And here's the 2nd- the pants with the jacket plus a little sweater vest that I also bought!

You'll have to excuse the pictures once again. Our camera is broken so we've been using our phone.

Until tomorrow,

Kelsalynn

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"Teaching Little Fingers to Play"

I had my first piano lesson today!

She has 5 other students and they're under 10 years of age. The title of this post is also the title of the lesson book I'm using- cracks me up!

Hey, it's never too late to fulfill one of your dreams right? I've always loved the piano! I find it incredibly relaxing. My teacher- her name is Sanar- asked me what my goal is for these lesssons, essentially

Why do I want to learn to play the piano?

I told her I envision coming home from work and sitting down and just playing it- as a way to unwind from the day and get lost in playing. I don't have a dream of playing for anyone else ever, just me.

From there, we set goals 3 months down the road and even 3 years down the road. It was very motivating!

I have a keyboard and Sanar thinks it will work perfectly for me to practice on during the week. I've had this keyboard for years- since I started this blog actually! It's been in its case under the bed since we moved here two years ago. I realized that getting it out and setting it up was the biggest hurdle for some reason. Now that it's out in front of me- I can't wait to start practicing!

Now I just need to get off this damn computer- any tips for that?

We're going to see Avatar at the IMAX 3D tonight but 4 of our friends are coming over first! Should be a good night.

Oh, and I took 5th out of 10 players in poker last night- I got shit for cards and there was nothing I could do about it. I was the only chick playing and considering the crappy cards I got, I think I did ok. Michael, on the other hand, took 3rd and won $20.

KelsaLynn

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Why oh why?

Am I such an idiot?

I ate like Crap (capital C) this afternoon.

First, I had a bag of popcorn. To wash it down, I followed up with a Dr. Pepper and no, it wasn't diet.

And now, I just ate two cookies!

WTF is wrong with me?

I don't even feel good right now. Argh. I hate myself      : P

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Pull my finger...

haha, just kidding, don't pull my finger... but I did do the pull workout today from FITR.

It's funny, I LOVE the pull workouts so much more than the push! Isn't that a bit bizarre? I have no idea why...

Here's what I did:

2 sets of 12 reps of each exercise
Seated narrow grip cable row (30#)

Assisted Pull up (level 12)
Seated cable row wide grip (20#)
Wide grip lat pull down (65#)

I feel like this workout really works your back and I mean, what woman doesn't want a sexy back?

Last night was a loooooooooong night at the office. I didn't get home until 7:55 PM. I had a killer headache, neckache, and backache from sitting in the same position and working on the same report all afternoon and evening long. So, another long night this week. I really need the weekend, although it's going to be busy too.

Tonight we're playing poker with a bunch of friends.
Tomorrow morning I have my first piano lesson (YAY!).
Tomorrow evening we're hanging out with friends and going to see Avatar at the IMAX in 3D.
Sunday morning we have Michael's bootcamp.
Sunday afternoon/evening I guess will be left for errands and cleaning.

*sigh*

kelsalynn

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Fickle

I'm THE MOST indecisive person you'll ever meet (I say "meet" loosely)... always have been (I remember my mom yelling at me b/c we'd be in the drive thru of some fast food establishment and I couldn't decide what I wanted to order), always will be (just ask Michael).

After all the hoopla, I decided to take my blog off private!

hahaha, I know, I know, how dumb.

But here's the thing, I really hate logging in to read my own fricken blog. Every time I had to do it, I just got peeved. I only made it 2 days and I had had enough!

Good idea in theory, not in practice.

But, I'm glad I did it because I now know some of you exist! I now have a slightly longer blogroll to follow myself which is a good thing!

Speaking of blogroll, I am seriously behind...even on the blogs I normally check daily. With the car ordeal on Tuesday, we were out late, and then last night I went to the gym w/ Michael at 9:00 to spot him and run a few errands, so I've had no time after work to read blogs, which is normally when I do it.

Hopefully I will get all caught up this weekend! I can't believe one of my best friends Lexi posted videos of her cute little girls probably doing goofy things and I haven't watched them yet! I bug her routinely to post videos (because her girls make me laugh and put a smile on my face) and then she does it and I don't watch them instantly!?!?!???  What is wrong with me? I mean, one of her captions on the video says "Laynie [her 3-year old] showing off her ballet moves."  Doesn't that sound completely irresistible?

Enough rambling already!

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

PS: Although I did not workout yesterday or today (yet), my upper body is incredibly sore. My traps, shoulders, biceps, forearms- everything! Just keeping you in the loop!

PSS: What should my label be for this post? It's really about nothing! How about "diahrrea of the mouth" or "random ass crap" or "stuff no one cares about" ???

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Jumping the gun...

Okay, warning, I may be jumping the gun w/ this post... but I don't care, I can't help but post about it.

We may have sold our Michigan home on a land contract today.

I am sooo hesitant to post that because no one has signed a contract yet but today, all parties agreed on the terms!

Until the papers are signed, nothing is official so I'm trying really hard not to count my chickens before they  hatch, but considering they were the ones who initiated the whole deal, I'm hopeful.

The sooner we sign some papers, the better I will feel until then, why would I withhold the play-by-play from my blog readers? Of course I can't do that!

Currently, we lose $231 per month on our Michigan home when you take into consideration mortgage, home equity loan, property taxes, and homeowner's insurance.

The $231 loss per month does not take into consideration home improvements or repairs that we've had to do which average $100/month (i.e. we had a $600 repair at one point but some months we have no repairs).

If we close on the terms we all agreed on today, we'll lose about $92 per month but they will be responsible for all repairs.

But our house will be sold in 2-3 years so the bleeding will finally end! There's an end in sight, a light at the end of the tunnel!

Keep your fingers crossed for us please!

KelsaLynn

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Financial Peace

The title of Dave Ramsey's program is "Financial Peace University." You essentially go to class for 13 weeks (1 night each week) and learn how to manage your finances.

The name never really meant a whole lot to me.

Until now.

Yesterday, if you didn't already read, Michael was stranded on the side of the road because our car would not go. It would start, but it would not accelerate. We called our buddy Phil who in my book, is a genius when it comes to cars. He diagnosed it as a fuel pump almost immediately. There was an AAMCO right around the corner so he towed it (he drives a Hummer) there for us to have them do a diagnostic just to be safe. Sure enough, it was the fuel pump. AAMCO wanted to charge us almost $500 for the part. Next door was an Auto Zone so Phil and Michael walked over and saw that the fuel pump is actually half that. They asked AAMCO if they could buy the part from Auto Zone since it's half the price and still pay them to install it. AAMCO said no.

Stupid AAMCO.

So, Michael and Phil paid AAMCO for the diagnostic, bought the part from Auto Zone, then they towed the car back to Phil's house where he replaced the fuel pump for us. We gave him $150 to thank him. All in all, we spent around $500 for parts, labor (Phil), and the diagnostic. (We also bought them dinner and we're buying their IMAX theater tickets this weekend).

It's almost embarrasing to think about how I would have reacted to this situation if it had happened 2 years ago. I would have thought, "Where are we going to get $500?" or "I guess put it on the card and we'll pay it off next month." or "Ugh, we don't have $500." Not only that, but I know 2 years ago I would not have been able to give Phil, our friend who helped us, any money...and especially not cash on the spot. I would have wanted to, but probably would have been so worried about how much it was already costing us, that I would have given him very little if any.

Yes, I have to admit, I probably would have freaked out over an unexpected $500 expense.

And now, my reaction is simply a shrug of the shoulders. It was slightly inconvenient initially but the end result was that we spent the day with some good friends. Repairing the car and dropping $500 was simply a side note. We are able to cash flow this as if we were out buying a soda from a vending machine. And even if we weren't able to cash flow it, we have an emergency fund!

To me, this is what Dave had in mind when he created his program. He wanted people to feel what I'm feeling right now. A sense of relief, serenity, and peace that we have the means to tackle anything that arises so there's no need to worry about it today or even tomorrow. He always says that your income is your best tool and when you're not sending it all out in debt payments and you have an emergency fund, very few emergencies actually arise and all you face are small inconveniences.

That Dave, he's one smart cookie.

Kelsalynn

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Uh-oh

Has it finally happened?

Has our beater of a car finally died for good?

Michael just called. He left work at 12:30 as normal on Tuesdays but only got 1 block and the car would not accelerate. He was able to coast into a nearby parking lot where he's currently sitting.

A friend of ours is going to take a look at it. Keep your fingers crossed!

I remember reading that once you have an emergency fund in place, things are no longer "emergencies", they're simply inconveniences. Let's hope that's the case here.

Peace out,
Kelsalynn

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2 days in a row

I'm on a roll!

Man, I love having a routine again. I know most people hate the lull that follows the holiday season but truthfully, I look forward to it. I enjoy the holidays, but I miss my routine during that time and tend to appreciate getting back into the swing of things when the time comes.

Of course, this routine is short lived because next month we'll be moving ~20 miles east of where we are now, which means there will be a lot of driving back and forth. Good bye routine. Come March though, we should be all moved in and can hopefully create an all new routine in our new home.

Until then, my current routine is working out just dandy.

I headed to the gym this morning and did the FITR workout for the day. It just so happens to be called "Kelsa" b/c I made it up a long time ago. Michael liked it and decided to add it to his blog workouts!

5 min cardio (I did the elliptical)
10 pull-ups (kipping, unassisted)
20 push-ups (modified, because I suck at push-ups)
30 sit-ups (on incline bench)
40 squats
5 min cardio (I did the stair mill)
10 pull-ups
20 push-ups
30 sit-ups
40 squats
5 min job (slow pace on treadmill)

It was an excellent workout! Give it a try!

Ooooh, I brought in flavored coffee today and made a pot when I got in. Not only will I be everyone's favorite person today (people in this building LOVE flavored coffee) but the whole breakroom area smells like chocolate. The flavor I brought in was "Chocolate Almond". I just took my first sip and YUM--- DIVINE! :)

As you probably noticed, my blog is now private. I hope I didn't miss anyone! When making the list, I also added most of your blogs to my blogroll. I have some serious catch-up to do since I didn't know some of you people exist (lurkers- I'm talking to you!). Hopefully I can get caught up this weekend and leave you some comments as well!

Also, if someone could tell me- now that my blog is private- are the updates showing up? If you do the blogroll thing, is it informing you that I updated my blog with a new post although it's still private? Just checking.

Until tomorrow,
Kelsalynn

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Workout

I was surprised by how few people were at the gym this morning. I mean, the first Monday of the year, I was expecting tons of new faces, but I'm pretty sure I didn't see even one.

I bet it will be bat-shit crazy tonight though!

Here's the workout I did this morning:
1. Barbell bench press 45# 2 rounds of 10 reps
2. Dumbbell shoulder press 20# 4 rounds of 5 reps
3. Dips level 12 and level 14 on the assisted machine 2 rounds of 10 reps
4. Push-up obstacle course- used 3 different sizes of medicine balls. Did one trip down and then back so 8 push-ups in all... probably should have done more but wanted to fit cardio in too yet so I was rushing.

Cardio- this turned out to be a great workout! I loved it! I used the bike and would amp it up level 12 for the most part. A time or two I did take it down to Level 10 if I needed a quick recovery on some of the longer rounds. For the "off", I continued biking but down to a level 6 on the bike.

I was surprisingly really sweaty by the time it was done. It turned out to be about a 21 minute workout!

30 seconds on

30 second off

1 min on

30 seconds off

2 min on

30 seconds off

3 min on

30 seconds off

4 min on

30 seconds off

3 min on

30 seconds off

2 min on

30 seconds off

1 min on

30 seconds off

30 seconds on

My goal is to be diligent with my workouts and eating this week. I've already turned down some chocolate fudge that was being passed around. I'm officially no longer in the vacation mindset so that should help tremendously. And now that family is no longer visiting, I'm finding it easier to be in a routine already.

Tomorrow I will be taking this blog private. I've received 19 requests for access! Wow! That makes me so excited b/c I had no idea some of you existed (since you never leave me a comment)!

One last thing, when you get a moment, please hop over to my friend Amy's blog (who just so happens to be the best photographer ever) and wish her a happy birthday!

KelsaLynn

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Love Sundays

Well, I don't know what all of you are doing today...but I know what fun I have in store-

Once these loads of laundry are done, Michael and I are heading out to do a little shopping. We still have about $100 left each from Christmas so we'll see what else I can find to buy!

Here's another picture of some new clothes I bought myself with Christmas money. This scarf is one of my favorite purchases b/c it has brown, black, and navy blue in it which means I can pretty much wear it with anything!

You guys didn't realize this blog was going to turn in a fashion show did you? : P
I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday!

KelsaLynn

PS: I will probably take this blog private mid-week after I give everyone time to give me their email address... It's crazy to me that 13 people have signed up! Some of you sure are lurkers!   : P

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Taken with a cell phone camera

I told my good friends how I bought an outfit that wasn't exactly "me" but I was excited! They requested a picture so here you go- my new outfit-

Please make sure you see the post before this- I'm taking this blog private and want to make sure you can still read it. Please leave me a comment with your email address so I can add you to the list! 

Peace out!

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Private

I've decided to make my blog private. If you are a current reader or subscriber, I still want you to read it.

All this money talk and family talk makes me a bit nervous. I don't hide who I am, my real name, or the details of my life. For that reason, I want to make sure I know exactly who is reading. Plus, with Michael having his own website, many family members check it out and my comments over there lead them to my blog.

Please leave me a comment with your email address so I can add it to the list!

Thanks everyone!

KelsaLynn

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Happy New Year to Us - Our Net Worth

Happy New Year everyone!

As if to say "Congratu-fricken-lations"... we got a little surprise this morning!

I logged in to update my net worth and guess what?

The value of our Michigan home dropped another $10,000 in one month.

Happy New Year to us!

Therefore, our net worth for December is -$38,821 (down from -$31,124 in November).

A net change of $7,500 (loss).  Luckily, adding to our emergency fund and retirement helped make up the difference or we would have lost a lot more.

It's just an estimate and I like to think we could get more for a 2,100 sq.ft. and 4 bedroom home than $76K but there's no way to know right now. So on paper, it looks like crap and there's not much we can do about it.

On a much cooler, happier note, Michael's Aunt Sheri (who we love!) gave us an electric scooter just because! It was given to her a few years back and just been sitting in her garage. It requires some maintenance, probably a tune-up of some kind. It says it's not holding a charge and the front headlight doesn't work. I've increased our "car repair" budget for January from $100 to $400 to accomodate the tune up. I'm so excited to have it and think it's super cute!

Plus, spending some money on this cute ride could delay our 2nd car purchase for quite a while.

Here's a picture of me taking it for a spin- I look like crap. I just woke up and Michael wouldn't even let me change before taking it for a spin!
Kelsalynn

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