What Did You Do? Wednesdays - No Purchase Necessary

I like stuff.  I like stuff a LOT.  No, I actually think I love stuff.  They say "things" can't make you happy.  But I believe I would beg to differ.  Shopping for the stuff has actually made me VERY, VERY happy.  It's one of the few things I'm quite good at.  Ahhhhh, shopping.  And it's not just going to a store and laying out bookoo bucks for something.  For me, it's the bargain searching, the clearance finds, the garage sale treasures, the discovering the last one left, the thrill of the hunt....you get my drift?  I'd never feel good about an expensive purchase on, say, a pair of boots.  What I would feel pleased as punch about is the excellent sale plus coupon plus rewards I used to get a zillion dollars off that pair of boots.  Do you do the same thing at all?  I think many of you bloggers do.  We're a thrifty bunch with some seriously shrewd spending habits.

But here's where it got me in trouble.  That stuff I love has, over time, brought me down to the point of being really kind of miserable.  I'm not a serial shopper.  I'm not out there every day shopping and only shopping.  It's actually not even that often that I go, but like I said, when I go......I'm goooood.  And it's hard for me to turn down a good garage sale, or go to Super T A R G E T and come away with things I really only needed.  I mean, come on ~ the other day they were changing out aisles of merchandise.  We're talkin' shiny, new STUFF here folks!  THAT'S exciting!

However, after looking closely at my basement.....and closer and closer still, I sheepishly admit that I am embarrassed.  I can laugh about it, and I can get rid of it, but I truly do know that I have an addiction.  I'm also not one to waste, so many items I think I can fix or do up pretty like so many on the blog-o-sphere can.  Truth is, some of it I could put a snazzy touch on, and other things I couldn't.  I guess because I don't have the space, the time or the talent.

My goal, in the next year, is to comb through my belongings with a fine tooth comb, so to speak, and be wary of all things I purchase and where the money actually goes.  My mom had a great idea for me:  keep a list of all the things I didn't buy, and keep that money separate in a special fund.  What a motivator to know how much I would have spent on stuff crap I just. didn't. NEED!

I think it might be a little hard considering we're approaching the biggest sale season of the year, but staying out of stores in general, sticking to my list of necessary items when I do go, and keeping track of the money I saved when I didn't buy all seem like a good plan.  See?  Money in my pocket for vacations or all new flooring or a kitchen remodel....no purchase necessary.

What do you think?  Anybody with me on this one?

**This post brought to you by a bin of 20 childrens', clearance Valentine's boxes.  (For the record, I have 2 children, not 20.)

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Back In The Saddle

Well folks, I think I'm getting back on track with some things after a full and fun summer, and after the start of the school year (one started preschool, the other started in a new school district). I've had my nose in my Google reading list regularly, and had a ton of posts swirling around in my head. But by the time I actually had time to focus for more than 3 minutes to write for my own blog, I was way too tired. (Again, thank you CFS...always at my side, aren't you?)

Anyway, I've missed you and I see from the ol' blog site posts that yesterday was my one year anniversary. Go figure. Just 6 short months of that, I'd have told you that I had zero interest in writing a blog. However, THAT was before I knew about "all ya' all".  So, in one word....WOW to you, and you, and you, and you, and......    such creativeness.  I just swoon over it.

Also, I'm personally hoping to keep things rolling here on a more regular schedule.  My biggest problem is overcoming the perfection I want to achieve in each and every post.  Do you experience that too?  I want it to be the funniest, the most thought provoking, the most helpful, the most interesting, the wittiest, the most photogenically awesome.....and the list goes on.  Instead, the reality is that sometimes it won't be any of those, and my pictures will most likely stink.  (I am seriously trying to improve those....might mean a new camera, which probably means that it'll be awhile on the awe-inspiring photos.)  But I'm thinking you can always rely on honesty, humor and desire to improve.  I wholeheartedly thank each one of you who have chosen to read along!  I'm honored to have you share my journey with me.

Not yet Practically Spent?  Do so in a reader or via e-mail.

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Avoiding Aging

 

I've been coasting into a certain age I do not want to be for some time now. I hate everything there is to hate about aging.  I always have.  Even my name, Julie, means youthful.  Now, before I give you the wrong impression, I want you to know that I appreciate life in general and the life I that lead.  Just because I dislike aging does not mean that I am not grateful for all that I have.  My list is extensive when it comes to the privileges I enjoy on a regular basis, and I'm well aware of how awesome those things are.

I loved turning 30.  Thirty meant leaving the 20s behind, and that alone was a nice feeling.  A decade later, approaching the "F" age, I'm not feeling the same way.

Maybe every milestone is challenging, and I'm just now realizing that.  My 30s were almost as altering as that first year of a baby's life, just different.  I traveled around the east coast a bit, flew to various places such as Monterey, CA and Saskatchewan in Canada for work.  I got married and my husband and I moved cross-country (again), but this time it involved buying a house.  I got a sample of one of the coolest jobs I've ever had.  I got pregnant, had a (big) baby via emergency c-section.  I wigged out with fear and insane cautiousness over that new, precious bundle and thought for sure my marriage wouldn't last because of it.  We joyously moved back to Madison, sold and then, once again, bought another house, all the while living out-of-state (again).  I suffered through the loss of my dad to pancreatic cancer.  I took on a new job that allowed me to (finally) run my own business and be my own boss.  I birthed baby girl #2 after 52 (no lie) hours of labor with the use of a forceps (instead of the c-section I was supposed to have, and which, 3 years later will require 2 types of surgery for me this fall), which damaged me in several ways, for life.  And, also, in my 30s, I realized that I had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Although, in hindsight, it started in my 20s, the fibro/CFS has gotten progressively worse.  I don't know if it's turning the age after 39, or the fact that I feel like I've got one foot in the grave most days that makes me want to go back to true youth.  (18 anyone?  Well, at least knowing what I know now anyway.)  I suppose that it's a mix of both.  Overall, I'm not unhappy, and I'm certainly very appreciative of all the wonderful things in my life, but it's hard to feel 100% great when your body fails you and you already feel about 50 years older than you are many days.

I do what I can to combat this demon, but knowing that age is creeping in, makes it, well, just plain upsetting.

But maybe, just maybe, this next decade will be the one to settle me.  Maybe I'll get to figure out what I really want to be when I grow up, maybe we'll be able to move into a house that I absolutely love, maybe I'll find some time for myself when the girls are both in school, maybe there will be more solutions in helping my body feel better.

Although I've got the brakes on....(hard)....right now, hoping to slow down the whole getting older thing, I'm still hopeful about the upcoming decade.  I've got 2 beautiful girls to raise, a super-duper husband to share them with, and a mom/partner in crime to enjoy more time with as she semi-retires this year.

....but honestly, I'll still be hoping someone invents a time machine.

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Camp Momma

Last summer I cut myself a massive break.  I had fun.  Really.  It was quite a let-down when the summer ended.  The unassuming beginnings of Camp Momma began accidentally two years ago when my husband went to Sydney, Australia for work.  One really great day at the zoo lead to a surprise stop for ice cream another day, which lead to an extended afternoon out and then dinner at a restaurant.  During the weeks he was gone, I simply let a few things go that I wouldn't typically allow to be out of my control.  And you know what?  The law enforcement never came to charge me with endangerment and reckless abandon.  The decorating police never came.  The cleaning police never came.  Neither did the ironing task force or the organizing crime squad.

At the beginning of last summer, I'm sure I had forgotten the few carefree moments I allowed myself to have with the girls, but I started out with a bang anyway.  A "Hey, let's go to the......" turned into a memory flood of how much fun a beautiful summer season can be when the pressure is turned off.  I live for our summers, and now I live for the days of Camp Momma with which to fill them.

It's hard when my husband travels, and it's dually hard for me with the utter exhaustion I experience all the time.  Even on days when I think I can simply not function one more second, I have kind of learned to almost remove myself from my body and just focus on the girls and what I want for them.  What I want for them is to remember Mom giving special pushes on the swings....oh no, no ~ not your standard under ducks, but "under kitties" and "under cows", complete with sound effects.  I want them to remember the awesome mess we made making a craft, or baking muffins.  And I want to remember squeals of "This is FUN!!!" as they roll down hill together and land in a dizzy pile at the bottom.

Summer is just such an awesome opportunity to cram all kinds of great stuff into three short months.  I know I don't have forever with the girls when they are little like this, so I want to make the most of it.  Now if only I could get a little relief on the fibro front.  I'd feel like we could fly to the moon.

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Garage Sale Glory

You know, once I actually got started with my garage sale prep, I've kind of been in my glory.  I have truly enjoyed the organizing, the pricing, the sorting, the straightening, the WhereAreWeGoingToPutAllThisStuff decisions.  The colors make me happy too.  All the bright colors of the toys, the little girl pinks and purples, the sea of book covers....I feel pleased when I look around.

I'm content with the memories I have with each item as well.  Most of the items were more well used by our oldest daughter.  It's different with the second, isn't it?  They go right into whatever the older ones like/have.  So, maybe I remember what my oldest and I played in the time she fit into a certain outfit, or where we went, and what we did.  I recall the vast amounts of time spent doting on her in a tiny, little house far away from any family or friends, while we played with many of the toys we're now selling.  It's bittersweet, you know?

It's like Where's Waldo....could you find me in any of these pictures? No? Of course not.  I'm buried under all the other stuff I didn't post shots of. Oh,trust me. There's A LOT.  I've overflowed from the garage significantly.  If it rains, we're in big trouble.

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Single Parenting

I don't know how single parents do it. Every single little thing is their responsibility. Every single thing! My husband's been traveling a lot lately, and it's always such a relief when he arrives safely back home, especially when he's been to other countries.

Motherhood is exhausting all on its own, isn't it? But to handle it all as a single parent? The word responsible is almost an understatement at that point. I could go on and on about how every household duty both inside and out are up to that one adult, how every meal, every illness, every care-giving detail (especially when the kids are young) is up to that one parent in charge. But I am tired and I need sleep because today's another single-parent day. How thankful I am that I don't have to do this all the time.

Kudos to all the single parents out there. I can only hope you have a great support system. I know you both need and deserve one.

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Keep Up The Fight

I have been struggling with some health problems for quite a long time. Doctors upon doctors, specialists upon specialist have shuffled me off to one another, none of them ever getting to the root of it. I have literally spent years and years of my life researching, trying to find any answers that would lead me to the right person for the proper help.

I'd feel hopeless at times, but my mom would remind me, "There's an answer out there, we just have to find it." So I kept fighting.

Today I had appointments with a specialist and a doctor/surgeon who uttered these words. "We can help you. You're in the right place." I wept with relief, gratitude and hope that their responses will serve true.

What's your fight? We all have one. It may not be health related, but there's something you'd fight for.....a cause, a person, a better life.

May we all be victorious in the end.

WDYD? Wednesday - Blog Frog

Another week has rolled around, and I moved a couple of inches forward on the blog front. On Monday I attended my first of three photography classes. Am I going to "graduate" a seasoned, award-winning photographer? Nope. But I've already learned a couple of points, and I would imagine by the end I'll be able to actually understand all the verbiage in the instruction manual (when I'll have the time or the mindset to read that, well, that's another story). We've got a cute, little camera that actually has a whole host of features. It's my goal to learn what I can accomplish with it and greatly increase my skills.

I've also joined the BlogFrog. I had only recently heard about it myself. So if you are unfamiliar with it, here is the description from the BlogFrog web site:

BlogFrog makes blogs social through online community. This opens the conversation up between bloggers and readers and generates buzz, visibility and engaging conversations.

Although I am still working to fully set up my community, I would like it if you would join me because I have a lot of questions for you. I guess I decided to begin this additional piece of blogging once I learned I had 50+ more folks subscribing to my blog than I even knew!! (Thank you Google stats.) Heck, I thought I had a few friends taking a peek now and again, my dear Mother and two of her supportive co-workers reading my posts. So to the rest of you.....Hello and Welcome!! But more importantly, who are you?  Really ~ I want to know because I appreciate an audience.  My whole blog establishment comes from my desire to publish my life experiences (and oh boy, I've got 'em), a children's book (or 10), and some crazy and somewhat secret wish to be a stand-up comedian.  (Nice, stable life there, eh?)

My new BlogFrog widget is on the right column, labeled as such. I have displayed my first question. See that one, lonely, little question just sitting there all by itself with nary a response? I'd love some visitors. I wouldn't even feel the need to dust. And to all my other secret subscribers:  Hello?  Is this thing on?  Testing 1,2,3.  Testing 1,2.

What about you? How was your week? What did you do/accomplish/enjoy?

WDYD? Wednesday - Appreciating Others

Last Thursday here in Wisconsin we had record breaking temperatures.  It was spring break for my daughter, so when 82 degrees was in the forecast, I knew I had to blow off Easter preparations for the day and get outside with the girls.

I'm surprised I didn't see you there, because I think the whole rest of the world had the same thought I did and was also at the zoo.  But it was a good crowd, and although there was a mosh pit of kids in the play area, I saw a lot of parental supervision and general assistance among the adults.  You know how sometimes you attend kid events or visit a child play area and there's a sense of distance from the parents where you just have to wonder, "Who's watching these kids??"  I didn't feel that way at all last week.

I felt a kinship among the parents and grandparents who were there.  I had a very nice conversation with the mom in front of me while we were in line for the carousel.  I felt comfortable with her keeping an eye on my youngest for a couple of seconds while I made sure A. was settled on the animal of her choice around the other side of the carousel where I couldn't see her (grrr).  I spoke with a mom in the monkey house (there are days when that surely would have a double meaning) about her 3-year old daughter who was clinging to her and afraid to look at the apes about how I had the opposite problem with my two girls.  The conversation was short because I had to tackle my 2.5 year old as she tried to make her own way through the crowd.  (You see, I have these children that even as crawling infants were gone.  "Mom who?  I'm off!")  Later I coaxed her daughter down the slide from the top of a play structure with a long line behind us.  There was another mom who helped A. down from the climbing rocks while I was busy corralling M.

As we were heading over to the bears, A. was about 2 steps behind, but then not....   As I stopped to make sure she was still right by me, she ran about 5' to catch up with a desperate sound to her voice.  "Mom!  That little boy can't find his mom!!"  Indeed.  We backed up and I had a conversation with a 7.5 year old boy who had gotten separated from his mother and big brother.  Long story short, I got the information I needed in order to get help for him.  He was very brave, and my daughter was so concerned about him.  In all the busyness around us, it was A. who heard that child call out "Mom."  She was the one who came to his rescue.  She was the one who tried to help him feel at ease as she plunked herself on the pebbles in front of him, and looked him right in the eye.  When I asked if he would tell us his name, it was A. who encouraged him to let his guard down by chatting with him.  "I had a Tyler in my class last year."  And it was A. who was on high alert as we made our way for assistance.

And so, this week I was able to appreciate the help and kinship of strangers along with the deep caring and comforting traits my daughter possesses.

Here's a picture of the "black cat" (left side) that M. wanted to ride.

WDYD? Wednesday - Flashback Cereal

I don't recall eating a lot of sugary cereals when I was a kid.  I think we had Apple Jacks once in awhile, maybe Honeycomb on rare occasion, and possibly Tony the Tiger showed up with his Frosted Flakes a time or two.  Sure, I've consumed my share of the sugared junk on my own while I posing as an adult.  But now it's been many years since I've purchased anything like that, and it's rare I even purchase a cereal marketed by a big, national brand.  However, this does not mean that I don't love sugar.  Au contraire, mon frere!!  It is quite the opposite. I Love Sugar!!  LOVE.  SUGAR.  Too much.  So much so that when I was forced to do an elimination diet last summer to discover if I had food allergies, I realized how addicted to it I actually was.  Detox is not fun.

Fast forward to having put the kibosh on massive over indulgence of the sweet stuff.  Now I try to stick with just dark chocolate, and eliminate, avoid, limit my intake of straight up, nutritionally empty sugar products.  But.....But.....once in awhile I cave.  Come on ~ cotton candy?!  Cotton Candy, people!  Sugar and food dye on a stick.  My GOSH I love that stuff.  However, the more I learn about the harm too much sugar can do, the more hesitant I am to consume it (never mind the red #40 and blue #1 ~ how awful).  I do allow myself cotton candy once a year.

I think my favorite sugared cereals were ones that also incorporated chocolate.  How I'd dig and dig through a box of Count Chocula to devour those marshmallow bats (let us again acknowledge red #40, yellows #5&6, blue #1).  My dear roommate warned me during my entire search mission of the disappointment I'd experience when they were all gone.  Didn't listen ~ slow learner I guess, but I was driven.  Drat!  Must have bat!  The cereal alone was certainly no great shakes.

**Note that the box itself even beckons a taste of their "Spooky-Fun Marshmallows."  How was I to resist? 

Remember the chocolate milk you'd end up with at the bottom of your cereal bowl thanks to the chocolaty, sugary goodness flowing over the abnormally chiseled nuggets of hardened corn?  So good and gross all at once, it gives me a stomach ache just thinking about it.

I also loved Coca Krispies, but feeling the same way about all products vastly processed and of no redeeming value, these things just aren't part of my life anymore.  This is where I'd like to introduce you to EnviroKidz Organic cereal.  I broke down and purchased a box of the Koala Crisp, and it curbs the chocolate cereal fix, that's for sure!  It's a nice option for gluten free diets, and I like the fact that it has no preservatives or additives.  I've formed a new relationship with brown rice flour in my baking, and this is also the first ingredient in the cereal.

 

So as it stands, this week my WDYD? Wednesday consisted of treating myself to a taste of childhood.  I have selfishly hidden this cereal from the girls and plan to keep it all for myself.  It is with my bowl of chocolaty rice puffs and a mound of freshly sliced strawberries on top, I shall yearn no longer for both a sugar fix and a healthy dose of childhood memories.

WDYD? Wednesday - Needle & Thread

This week I wanted to:

Scour the kitchen's nooks and crannies.

Plan Easter dinner.

Start working on a centerpiece.

Take down a few decorations.

Put up different ones.

Switch the girls closets from winter wear to "not-quite-so winter wearish".

But instead, I pulled out needle and thread. I heard them whimpering, and I listened. "There, there," I reassured. "I will no longer ignore the fallen off buttons on these three articles of clothing that have been waiting for my attention since 2009. I will use you to repair their broken fasteners."  And so they were happy.

"More! More!" They cried. "As you wish," I replied. And off we went, to finish A's skirt that you've been waiting so patiently to see. It had honestly only needed the flowers for completion.

Take time to smell the flowers.   .....or at least just look.

It's not just a skirt, it's a dress on a new "ME turn" model.

 Upon closer inspection, not only were the needle and thread delighted, so was this customer.

I'm really excited that WDYD? Wednesday has inspired others to take part in their own goals, enjoyments, and tasks. I about fell off my chair when I saw this post!!  (I'm listed at #8, by the way.)

Meanwhile, I have some projects to share with you.  Thanks Judy and Pat.  And, yes, we know you're truly hard at work during your 8-5.  ;)

WDYD? Wednesday - Preserving Gourds

Ok, ok, so I'm only 2 seasons behind on this, but this week I preserved a couple of gourds that were left over from my fall decorations. You can do this by washing them in a bleach solution and then letting them air dry. Of course, if your seasonal nugget already has a soft spot or two, there's no bringing it back to life. So do this only if it's already in good shape. (This might have been helpful long about November 28th, eh?)



I also wrapped a couple of knives I no longer want (not a fan of Chicago Cutlery) in bubble wrap and added them to our garage sale stash. Five too babyish toys joined that pile, as well.

What about you?




Grab my button (on the side) if you'd like. (That sounded kind of personal, didn't it? Well, what the heck....go ahead and grab it!)

Introducing: What Did You Do? Wednesdays

Welcome to the official kick-off of What Did You Do? Wednesdays. If you missed it, the inspiration for this began with my desire to take up sewing, which made me realize I was far too often stuck in a holding pattern of wishful perfectionism. I am aware every single day that nothing is perfect and I just hate that!! But I have realized how much that inhibits me from happiness and a sense of peace. My list of goals and desires is outstandingly lengthy, but I found I was sometimes unable to make strides due to my fear that things wouldn't turn out just right.

And so, in the end, I invite you to join me while I take baby steps towards my goals, desires, wants and needs.. Below is an excerpt from my original post to give you an example of how you might want to begin. I can't wait to hear about your own WDYD? Wednesdays!

**You don't need to be a perfectionist or a procrastinator, but I imagine we all have things that we have wanted to finish or start or stop or do. It doesn't have to be a big thing, and as a matter of fact, that's the whole point.....it shouldn't be.

I'm going to choose small things, because I know all those small things add up to big things that suddenly become overwhelming for me. Maybe you'll sweep out your garage, or send that card to a friend you've been meaning to get in the mail. Maybe you'll organize just one stack of papers or sort through one file. If you are a workaholic like I tend to be, maybe you'll choose to NOT do something. What about skipping some work that just isn't crucial to play a board game with your family? Or forgo a fast food meal with something simple the whole family helped prepare at home. Maybe it's just a tiny step towards a larger goal. Could you give up the soda habit you'd like to nix all together for just one day a week?

Whatever it is, I'll look forward to hearing about your choices each Wednesday. It doesn't have do be something that you do that actual day of the week, just fitting in one tiny thing during a 7-day period will be a step towards a satisfaction. I'm beginning to feel triumphant already.**


This week I removed all the fall, winter, Christmas and just-too-babyish books from my girls' collection and filed them away in storage (or the garage sale collection) until they're more relevant again. I brought up the spring and Easter books from the basement as well. Hurray for new reading material.

I'm Sew Ready

Well, well, well, what do we have here?



The wait is over, friends! And for all of you who were holding your breath, it's time to exhale. This nifty, little contraption is up and running. I have "sew" much to tell you I don't even know where to begin. I'm amazed I have learned as much about myself as I have just through a sewing machine. It's a little story that goes like this.......

I am a perfectionist. I knew that. I just never thought I fit into the typical "I'm not going to start a project because: it might not be perfect/go along without a hitch/I can't to be interrupted because I will work at it until it's done and it's done RIGHT" profile. Oh my ~ let me tell you, that is so me. I didn't realize how many things I procrastinated on due to that character flaw. I know my issues. I've got as many as the next person. It's just that I was always secure in the fact that I knew what they were. Well, "surprise, surprise" (Gomer Pile style). I have wanted to sew....something. We all know I spent money and took those simple classes. I was ready. Or was I?

The machine has remained in the carrier this whole time. What has it been? About 1-1/2 months since my mom gave me hers? I hate reading instructions. To me, they're like math story problems. (Run for your life!!!!!!!) And I'm always way too exhausted to be able to focus on such little details that probably won't make sense to me anyway. I'm a "just show me and I can do it" kind of person. But reading tedious, little instructions ~ ack, ack, ack.

So couple that with the fact that I was doing this procrastination thing I apparently do, there it sat.....unused. I was afraid, in a way, to not know how to thread the darn thing, how to wind the bobbin, how to use the settings (that I'm still working on reading about). You get the idea. And so enters my A-Number-One Momma (once again). During her visit last weekend she needed to use it to put darts in her jeans. (Oh yeah, she's thin. Plus if you can find a pair of jeans to fit, well, lucky lucky.) So up went the machine and in a matter of seconds she had versed me with her knowledge.

I want you all to know that that very evening I made A. a skirt. Just made it! I have a couple of finishing touches to add, but I just whipped up a skirt! Was it probably the simplest design on earth? Yes. Was it without mistakes? No. But I am proud of my accomplishment, and my daughter thinks the skirt is pretty awesome.

And so my own personal lesson, not just in sewing (whether my career ends after this skirt or not), but also in life, is that I am far too often paralyzed by my fear of lack of perfection. I can see it in all sorts of things now. I began to see it in my blogging.....not posting for days because I was too knock-down-drag-out tired to have my words flow as I desired them to, or too hesitant to write about something that I figured no one else would find interesting. I am now aware of my desire to achieve the perfect everything all the time, and it's wearing me down. I'd only look at the big picture when it came to tackling a project. I saw the "whole house" needing things ~ a new decoration here, new flooring there, picking up EVERYWHERE (thanks to those 2 little girls). You know how it goes.

So, now that I have "outed" myself, I'm developing a weekly post called What Did You Do Wednesdays. Each Wednesday, I'll be sharing something I have done that I have been meaning to do and I'd like you to join me. You don't need to be a perfectionist or a procrastinator, but I imagine we all have things that we have wanted to finish or start or stop or do. It doesn't have to be a big thing, and as a matter of fact, that's the whole point.....it shouldn't be.

I'm going to choose small things, because I know all those small things add up to big things that suddenly become overwhelming for me. Maybe you'll sweep out your garage, or send that card to a friend you've been meaning to get in the mail. Maybe you'll organize just one stack of papers or sort through one file. If you are a workaholic like I tend to be, maybe you'll choose to NOT do something. What about skipping some work that just isn't crucial to play a board game with your family? Or forgo a fast food meal with something simple the whole family helped prepare at home. Maybe it's just a tiny step towards a larger goal. Could you give up the soda habit you'd like to nix all together for just one day a week? Whatever it is, I'll look forward to hearing about your choices each Wednesday. It doesn't have do be something that you do that actual day of the week, just fitting in one tiny thing during a 7-day period will be a step towards a satisfaction. I'm beginning to feel triumphant already.