Project Entrepreneur

So if you know me well you know I've always had my own business. The thing is though, it's never been the same business for more than a few months. I think my first real business was the concessions business at summer baseball games when I was 13 or so.  Since then I've had a jewelry business, a chandelier business, a furniture business, and about a million other ideas for  businesses. I'm probably forgetting a few "businesses" along the way too. Some have made money, some haven't, all have tought me something.  So, naturally, I'm trying this business thing again. This time I have a little bit different business plan and I'm partnering with my very best friend...the hubs.  Definitely check us out, we don't sell anything to do with cleaning, cooking, or working out, but we do sell things your husband will love... And that just might get you enough browny points to earn some free cleaning.  Oh, and we're also celebrating our new venture with some free giveaways so you might be able to earn those brownie points totally free.

Free Giveaway

More for Less

Sometimes, I can get chored and not have the slightest idea it's happening for months on end. That was the realization I came to earlier this year when I was analyzing our budget. Turns out we were spending over $100 per month on our various internet services and another $80 per month on our TV. This seemed pretty absurd to me so I started looking to make improvements.

The first thing I did, which is pretty ordinary so i wont discuss in detail, was call our tv provider (direct TV) and work a deal to combine both our Internet and cable service through them. Doing this alone has saved us over $40 per month.

The next thing I looked out was our outrageous phone bill. Between data to my phone, ipad, and then unlimited talk and text we were spending close to $120 per month (this is just for one phone mind you). I wasn't really sure I what I could do here as getting some cheap, no data, phone just wasn't an option. I have an iPhone, and I like it!

So I started researching and found out some CRAZY stuff. Maybe I'm just naive, but I thought the only cell phone carriers were AT&T,Verizon, Tmobile, and something called Cricket and of those, only AT&T and Verizon were really worth anything. So I was pretty shocked to discover that there's actually tons of carriers. I was even more shocked to discover that many of the smaller carriers actually piggyback on the nationwide networks owned by AT&T and Verizon. And I was most pleasantly shocked to find that some of these smaller carriers offer the same plans as I have for half the price I'm paying...seriously...Half!

So, after doing a lot of researching I narrowed it down to Straight Talk and Net10. I opted for net 10 because their service would allow me to use the iPhone I already own on the AT&T network. I have to admit that this process has been rather challenging, involved a TON of research, and that I've definitely made a few mistakes along the way. While I won't go into the details about how to switch providers, I will say that if you opt to go with Net10 or similar, do NOT port your number to google voice. Port it directly to your new carrier.

The happy ending though is that I I have great service and my phone does everything it could do before (call, text, and surf the web) for $45 dollars per month, that's half of my previous bill and it absolutely includes unlimited talk, text and data. I'm a happy camper!

First Farm Table

Some people love designer bags or maybe your thing is jewelry; mine is furniture. I have loved furniture for as long as I can remember. Its not really so much about expensive as it is about cool. My favorite thing is probably finding a great quality piece at a dirt cheap price. Something that looks great but cost nothing. I also love to build though. I bought my first set of power tools when I was 21 and have grown the collection considerably since then. I'm probably the only girl who would be thrilled if my husband bought me a pile of wood and a new drill for Christmas!

My two loves came to a wonderful heading when I started seeing some of the gorgeous farm tables people have been building and posting on Pinterest. For weeks I have been contemplating exactly what type of table I wanted to build. I finally decided on a very simple style that uses hair pin legs. I love the hair pin legs because they are so minimalistic and also because using them would save me tons of time on the project!!

I am really excited about this table even though I have no idea where I'm going to put it!! Right now it's just hanging out in the garage until I decide it if will replace my kitchen table, become an actual dining room table, or be sold on Craigslist!

Not Everyone Who Works Gets Fat

When I started working a real 40+ hours a week job I realized quickly that my fitness level was probably going to suffer. I mean that much time sitting on your duff is hard to overcome. Luckily, I've been hugely blessed to not battle weight problems throughout my life. I don't by any means have a perfect figure but I've always been able to create muscle and maintain a decent metabolism. These qualities meant the development of back fat and love handles was a slow progression that I easily justified with thoughts like "well, this is just reality for those of us with office jobs " Or "I'm not always going to look the same as I did in high school." While there is probably some level of truth in these statements, using them to justify my lackluster workout philosophy was definitely the wrong attitude.

Thankfully, I readjusted my thought process thanks to seeing the hard work of some of my closest friends and developed these 4 weekly workouts to try and get back on track. I have to confess here that while I thought these workouts were going to be a breeze, they have actually kicked my but and I've had to concede to only doing one set of the muscle routines.

Regardless though, I'm thrilled to report that after five straight weeks I am definitely seeing results! I feel significantly less "jiggly" and more toned. I've cut about 30 seconds off of my mile time and find the 15 to 20 min runs soo much easier than at first. Many of my measurements have also decreased fractionally and I've lost about 3 pounds. Three pounds might not sound very impressive but combined with the shrinking measurements and more toned appearance I'm completely thrilled! I also managed to GROW my chest measurement (can I get a whoop! For the flat girl!?!?) although I believe it has a good bit to do with developing some back muscle as opposed to spontaneous boob growth.... But still....

I took some great before and after pictures that I was planning on sharing until my husband informed me that I well... Wasn't. Sooooo, this will be a little less dramatic but I'll just have to give some before and after statistics:

Week 1
Weight: 140.6
Booty: 38.75 inches
Waist: 27.75 inches
Chest: 32 inches

Week 5:
Weight: 137.4
Booty: 37.75 inches
Waist: 26.5
Chest: 32.75

The difference:
Weight: - 3.2 lbs
Booty: - 1 inch
Chest: + .75 inches

Friends

Here are some really awesome Blogs you should definitely check out!

I Need an Adult

   

Grand Passage

 

Do Nothing Mode

Reality of my life is if I don't plan it, it doesn't happen. I have mastered the art of TV sucking my day away. Worse yet is when I dare to open a book...24 hours later I close it for the first time. I've never been a "bored" kind of person. I can happily "do nothing" with the best of them. This quality has its perks for sure but can also wreak havoc on my life. When I enter sustained periods of "Do Nothing Mode" my house falls apart and my exercise routine disintegrates. To combat this I developed a simple, probably inadequate by many people's standards, monthly cleaning calendar. It is easy enough that I can keep up with it and thorough enough that my house always looks cared for if not perfectly clean. 

When I originally created it I had visions of my husband and I sharing the chore load; visions which quickly disintegrated. Turns out my husband’s standard for "clean" is a lot different than mine. Dusting downstairs, to him, means wipe the top level of the coffee table only. How he could neglect to dust say the bottom level of the coffee table, or the TV and TV console, or hey maybe like the six other occasional tables in the room is beyond me but it ultimately led to a decision that I do ALL the inside chores and he does Most of the outside ones. Things are definitely a little skewed but it keeps the peace so I'm happy. 

Anyways, if you are struggling too, I highly suggest this calendar. It has done wonders for my home!!

Excel Download

I've Been Chored: Rotten Egg Chicken Style

It happened again this week. I had just started to think maybe it was a stage of my life I had finally grown out of. I have been doing so well with the cleaning/cooking thing that truly I think I got a little cocky. Maybe "being chored" was just a thing of the past?

Not So... Cocky self is back in check. See below for my nasty rotten egg chicken style reminder.


Last week on Wednesday I brought my lunch to work in a fancy little Tupperware container. It was a rosemary lemon chicken dish (recipe here if you're brave enough to try it after this story). We ran out of plastic knives that day at work though and so after scraping a few bites of my chicken breast off with a fork, I gave up and just ate the potatoes. I closed up my Tupperware and set it aside.

Skip ahead five days to Monday, and I see my Tupperware container shoved into the corner of my desk totally forgotten. It was a little before 8 a.m.  so I decided I had time to go to the kitchen and empty it out before everyone started coming in. I did expect it to be a slightly unpleasant experience as sealed up Tupperware with food in it is rarely an enjoyable smell.

When I cracked the container and tossed the chicken into the trashcan I was immediately slammed with the foulest rotten egg chicken smell you can imagine. I was a little worried about its intensity, I mean, I was trying to do this under the radar before everyone came in. I decided my best bet was to use dawn on the container, spray some air freshened, and let it dissipate. Surely it would dissipate I told myself.

But it didn't. Back in my office, at least 50 feet away, I realized I could smell it. Not only that, I was hearing an on-going chorus of "what the heck is that?!" At this point, with fear that I might stink up the ENTIRE office rather than just the back half, I tried to nonchalantly make it back to the kitchen to take the trash out and pray that would fix the problem. It almost worked, I was caught red handed by my co-worker but she was cool enough not to tell the whole office how gross I am.

It took about another 2 hours and probably half a can of febreeze, but finally people quit making comments when they come to my side of the building.

Lesson learned: Getting chored is never fun, but its ALOT more embarrassing when it's in front of your co-workers!!