Sunday Scaries

Some would say I'm a high strung individual...I say I'm highly efficient, organized, slightly OCD individual...to each their own.  

I also like doing everything I do 110%, which can lead to a lot of anxiety.  I feel as each year passes I get better at managing myself and "letting it go" but I still get bad anxiety on Sundays.  I've come to hear the term that a lot of millennials use/suffer from and they call it the

Sunday Scaries.

I really can't pin point why or what brings it on other than I guess I am subconsciously worrying about my upcoming work week.  When I was still in college this was a normal feeling and I could usually pin point that it was because I had an important assignment coming up or had procrastinated and that was the effect. Once I graduated it took several months to get the feeling that I was constantly forgetting something out of my head.  I was so used to juggling 50 things when all those things were now complete I was only left with a few items and so I had a constant feeling of forgetfulness.  Over the past year that feeling has slowly creeped back into my belly.  The only thing I can really find that would cause me this undue stress is the increase in responsibility and pressure I put on myself from managing my husband and in-laws businesses and all the items that entails...federal reports, state reports, state and federal regulations, normal financial pressures, and day to day operations are things I deal with on a daily basis and things I'm also usually learning more about daily.

FUN FACT! According to NBC News 76% of Americans have Sunday night anxiety!!!!

I'm determined to regain control of my weekend so I've outline a few things that help me.

How I combat the Sunday Scaries

1. Make a to do list for work tasks- Now on Friday's I start a new list for the following week to record on paper and get out of my head the tasks I already know for sure that I will have to do....By doing this I can free up that mental space and know I'm not "forgetting" I am prepared know ahead of time that I for sure have these things to do and I'm already somewhat organized and mentally prepared to accomplish them.
2. Organize and plan my week at home- not only do I try to prepare for my upcoming work week on Friday I try to plan and prepare for the week ahead on Sunday at home as well.  This consists of planning my nightly meals and ensuring I have all the ingredients, meal prepping for lunches and snacks, mapping out workouts and other to dos like mowing and such.  By scheduling and mapping out my week I can ensure that I have ample time to accomplish things and feel like a success.  
3. Lastly...Routine and Rest- If I have cleaning and major tasks to do I really try to get those things done on Friday night or sometime on Saturday so my Sunday's are really just about what I WANT to do.  I watch TV, garden, or just anything that I want to do so I go into the week relaxed and ready not unprepared and stressed from prior days. 

Do you have episodes of Sunday Scaries?

Let's Talk About Balance!

I've been saving this post in my drafts for months now after I thought of the title of this post MONTHS ago and have been waiting on the perfect time when I have everything balanced to write the perfect post on living and maintaining a balanced life.  hahaha Well here we are MONTHS later and I'm writing this post, which as you continue to read on you will find that I have NOTHING balanced.  You will also find how I struggle daily and how it's a constant battle.  So the remainder of this post is going to be me venting about my lack of balance....and how to learn to balance the non-balance!  I know that most, if not all, can relate.  

It seems like over the past year and a half my life has gotten increasingly more hectic.  I used to have EVERYTHING together....clean house, home cooked supper on the table each night, organized planner and desk at work, I worked out daily, meal prepped on Sunday, and I was generally on top of pretty much everything!  Since I graduated graduate school last May of 2016 my life has just taken off.  2016 was a year of whirlwind traveling, we got engaged in October and then started the wedding planning.  We got married April of this year then more travel and just life happened.  On top of all that I have became increasingly more involved in managing both Hendrik's and his parent's companies and that takes a lot of energy.  Oh yeah and in September we bought an investment property for me to renovate! (that's a whole other post or 10 in itself)

I feel like, on most days, I'm failing on most fronts especially the working out and cooking front.  My house is semi clean but only gets cleaned about once a week.  If you walk in the dishes are piled to the top of our farmhouse sink and the laundry baskets are overflowing.  I've gained...to me...significant weight over the past 6 months due to my lack of consistency in the gym as well as in the kitchen.  This is the part that makes me just not feel myself.

Although I love doing what I do for a living....I have a variety of tasks each day but it is really stressful taking care of ALL things in 2 businesses and working with your husband and family.  Not to mention the personal responsibility and stress I feel because this is our livelihood.  It is a constant strain on all my relationships and it is always on my mind.

I've spent the better part of 2017 trying to clean house on the business front so I can feel secure in that and then move on to the next thing...getting myself back "together" in the gym and back on track with my healthy lifestyle.  I am conscious DAILY of what all I need to do and I know how to do it but it takes energy and at the end of 10-12 hours of office work I just don't have much left.  I just have to be like Nemo and keep on swimming!

I know this just seems like a bitch fest and oh poor pitiful me but it's really not...this post is about how someone who is super organized, OCD, and usually always has it all together has been struggling with loosing control and learning how to operate and manage this new "normal".  My only saving grace is that I KNOW that I will get it all under control I just have to manage one thing at a time until I have it all back to the way I like things.  I couldn't imagine feeling this way now and then throwing kids into the mix like so many others have...I doubt I would ever be the same again LOL.  

So that's the balance in my not so balanced life.  But stick around...I'm going to get it all back under control and feel better about it all but I do know and understand now that it is a constant battle and sometimes things just don't happen but trying to be positive and look to the future and continue to try is the most important things. 

2016 in the Rearview

My goals for 2016 were:

• Prepare and compete in my first fitness competition didn't happen this goals has changed
• Continue growing in my fitness journey and in gainzzzzville!! LOL  I hope to grow my quads and back to epic proportions! I grew and learned a lot this year about fitness and I feel I made significant gains on my physique but its always a work in progress
• Start my own business Done and Done- started my own personal training business in March.  Although I have stopped training clients as of now it was a perfect start and I still plan on opening more business in the future that hopefully become more permanent
• Take Caleb on a brother sister cultural graduation trip Completed this goal in June and although I STILL need to recap the trip on my blog (in the drafts)  We took an awesome week long trip to London, UK and Ireland.
• Take a girls trip to NOLA still a goal but this didn't make it on the completed list
• Vacation to somewhere extraordinary like Bali, Thailand, or somewhere equally amazing with Hendrik  Not only did we travel to some where amazing we hit BOTH of these places plus a couple more.  I have recapped our Dominican Republic trip but still need to recap our amazing trip this Fall to Bali, Thailand, and Dubai (in drafts)
• Finish the massive home to do list and declutter/ clean up old furniture, garage, and home in general.  I don't have clutter but there are always build up in drawers and useless items that can go I feel like this is completed but also on going as I completely revamped the shop and parts of our living room but still would like to reorganize our drawers and night stands.
• Finish my chicken coop and get chickens This got completed back in July and I now collect 6 eggs daily
• Plan for a great garden I planned and had a great garden with a lot of new items even though my tomatoes didn't fair well
• Finish my MSA with a bang and start CPA exam preparations BOOM!  Done with that grad degree
• Work on my 30 before 30 bucket list I did work on this but SEVERAL things carried over for me to hit maybe by 40?
• Work on myself- cussing, procrastination, focusing on the positive and cutting out negative (people, thinking, situations), not worry so much  I don't think I made much progress on this but there is always next year LOL

On top of the above goals that I put on the blog I also had a goal to read 25 books and I only read 12!! 4 of which were school books YUCK!  

I took 3 amazing vacations- Dominican Republic with Hendrik, London and Ireland with Caleb, and Dubai, Thailand, and Bali with Hendrik.  I still need to blog about 2 of which but I will get it done I have them waiting in my drafts I just need to finish them.

Hendrik and I got engaged.  Again I need to blog about this as well but I will catch up.

I think that was all of 2016 essentially other than the this and that.  I wasn't very good at staying up to date with my blog in 2016 but maybe that will change in 2017...  

Check out my 2017 hopes and goals to find out what all is planned and hoped to achieve for the upcoming year!

How I stay Organized

Some people are just messy, some are organized and some are well...OCD!  I fall somewhere in between VERY organized and OCD.  I plan everything from my daily to dos, monthly meals, to my route when I go to Canton!  The #1 item that I use to support my organizational habits is my yearly planner that has a monthly, weekly, daily breakdown.  I have used Erin Condren before but for 2017 I'm going with my 3rd Plum Paper planner.  Get yours HERE!  

I chose this nice floral design for 2017 and today I plan on organizing my meals for January along with my upcoming week.  

Other tools I use to help to stay organized is Pinterest which I get meal ideas and I love Numbers on my MacBook.  I can make long-term to do lists of items that I need to get done "eventually" around the house. Ever since the time changed I have been in a bit of a funk but the new year is a perfect way to get out of it and the first step is being prepared and organized!

BIG Happenings Since March

Wow my blogging has really slacked off but I'm almost caught up on big events and such so I thought I would do a little catch up post of snaps and things that have been going on with me since March. 

March was an eventful month for me and pretty monumental as I finally made a move in my work-life that I wanted to do....

• I started my own personal training business!!! It has completely taken off and I have had full books since March.  I am still juggling 40 hours or MORE at Hendrik's office on top of my clients so I am one busy gal but I LOVE it!  
• I also made a few trips to Lowe's to get my ferns for the front porch, more flowers for my pots near the front door, and also my garden seedlings.  Max even went along and was the perfect puppy!  
• Working out continued as scheduled....meaning everyday LOL  I love seeing all my muscles.

April was just a great month in general.  My personal training business had taken off and I was finding the balance for all my work and play and hobbies....  

• my MMA training is still going great and I have come so far in the past few months.  I have gotten punched in the face but I'm still waiting for a black eye or bloody nose I think it's coming soon LOL.  
• We have taught the dogs to drive!! See pic below.  
• I received my white belt in Brazilian Ju Jitsu after a training seminar and I was completely surprised and was definitely not expecting to come home with anything other than more knowledge and some ninja skills.  
• By the end of the month my garden had really taken off.  This year was my first year to plant onions and also cauliflower.  My onions did so awesome and I got huge heads of cauliflower from each plant I planted.  The only thing is that I didn't realize that once cauliflower produces it is done so I will need to plant 2 to 3 times as much next year.   

May was probably THE BEST month of the year thus far.  So many memorable things happened that all were results of a lot of hard work.  

• First I graduated with my MASTERS DEGREE and I'm still adjusting to life after the anxiety of 25 years in school. LOL  If I have any down time I get seriously anxious and nervous because I have a nag in my brain that says I shouldn't be sitting and relaxing. It's like a deadline that I've forgotten.
• The week after graduation Hendrik and I made a quick getaway to the Dominican Republic for a long weekend to unwind.
• Once we returned semi-tanned from Punta Cana we had our first professional photos as a couple made by the awesome Rocki Hoops.  The pictures couldn't have came out more perfect as just about everyone of them the best.
• At the end of the month my youngest brother graduated from high school and it was a nice graduation but it was a bit hot as it was held in the new high school gym because of the weather.
• My mom and Mike had a little backyard BBQ graduation party for Caleb and I.  Colby caked me in the face which gave him and Hendrik a BIG laugh!!  A lot of people came out to support and congratulate Caleb and I and it was a really nice night.

View graduation post HERE

Read about our long weekend in the Dominican HERE

See more of these awesome pictures HERE

June I continued the busy trend of running myself to death...

• I took Caleb on a once-in-a-lifetime graduation trip to London, England and Ireland.  I'm in the middle of those post and they will be up soon. They are the only drafts I currently have!!
• My inner mermaid started coming out one night after MMA which lead me to come up with the idea that mermaid type scales would make an awesome tattoo!!!  
• Hendrik I kept up with our Sunday afternoon workouts together. It's a great way to catch up and unwind before our week starts.

July was the first month that wasn't jam packed with travel and pre-made plans.  I was able to actually start to feel what it was like to be done with school and I made it my goal to get organized at home by conquering a massive to do list.  I got all but 1 item done...which is to clean out Hendrik's night stand.    It was a busy month and eventful but not stressful and just really all around GREAT!

• I copied one of my clients and got an undercut.  My mom wasn't impressed but I loved it and made a lot of new friends at the gym in MP.  LOL
• That same night I carried on with my badass-ery and got hit and gave some hits for the first time sparring with my MMA coach.  It was so much fun and even though I have a lot of work to do to be where I think I need to be I will keep on going back for more.  
• I made about 20 jars of homemade spaghetti sauce using THIS recipe.  We are really excited because it has been over a year and a half since having spaghetti sauce seeing Hendrik refuses to eat the processed store bought version and it also isn't my favorite either.
• Max stayed cool by using the cow tank as his own swimming pool and wouldn't come out no matter the reason.
• My garden kept impressing this year with all it's gifts.  Besides the cauliflower and onions that were both new additions this year I also planted cantaloupe and boy did we enjoy it.  We got 2-3 cantaloupe each week from mid-June through August.  They were delicious and a store bought melon just isn't the same now.
• We made a trek to Fort Worth to the man's version of Canton....Ritchie Brothers Auctions.  We were looking for a tractor but it wasn't up for sale yet.  We did find some neat deals and it was something to see but like Hendrik to Canton...I won't be going back for a while.  Pallets of ratchet straps just don't impress me.  
• I got in some late night workouts in Mt. Pleasant and took advantage of an empty gym to get some pics of me squatting in my new shoes.  I had been debating for a while about trying Under Armor shoes and I'm so glad I finally did.  They are so comfortable :)
• At the end of the month I went with some other kickboxing students to a Bang Muay Thai seminar at the Onnit headquarters in Austin.  It was a great trip with new people and a fantastic seminar by Duane Ludwig the creator of BMT which I have been studying for a year and half now.  I hope to make another seminar this year in Austin but if Professor Ludwig can't work Texas into his trip their is talk of a team trip to Colorado to train at his home base school there.  

August was just a nice normal month that was smooth sailing and was really the first month all year that we/I had no real plans and I got into a great weekend routine that consisted of lounging and doing house chores on Saturdays and then meal prep and couple time on Sundays.

• The first weekend of the month was Case's first birthday.  My mom and I helped Lara plan an barnyard/farm theme and it turned out so great. Case got a ton of neat things and we had a lot of fun.  His cake was wonderful!!!
• Hendrik and I lounged the good part of the next day watching DVRd shows and Netflix. We don't hardly EVER do that so it was so nice.
• I completely revamped the west part of our living room.  The pool table used to be there but now that we have no more boat and a lot more space I made Hendrik a little hunting area/man cave in the shop which freed up the perfect amount of space to pull off this.  It is by far my most favorite spot in the house right now and I've made it a habit to start my weekend mornings there blogging, catching up on emails, and drinking my coffee.  
• We decided in August that we would definitely try to go on vacation in October seeing we haven't taken a big trip this year yet.  Bali or Thailand has been on the menu since last year for the both of us so I took August to do a little vacation planning.

Although we are at the END of September I still have a lot of awesome things going on through the end of the year.  Upcoming family trip to Stephenville, upcoming vacation with Hendrik, making some great strides with my physique, and the holidays are just some of the things I have going on.  2016 has been a life changing year and it isn't even over yet!!  I'm so glad I'm almost caught up on blogging and that I actually have time to continue doing something I really enjoy.

Stay tuned!

New Adjustments

If your behind then you wouldn't know all about me leaving my bank job to go to work for my boyfriend's company but you can check it out HERE and get caught up!

As everyone now should know, I started a new adventure January 1st of 2015 and it meant learning all the ins and outs of my boyfriend's company and his parent's company.  I've been at my new job now for a full quarter and I can say that I'm feeling more and more in the right spot everyday.  The first month was pretty rough.  I had a huge adjustment to make.  I was used to knowing every detail of my job to not knowing the first thing about where the extra toilet paper was!  I was used to being in a glass office all alone in the quiet left to all my general ledger vices....now I'm in an open office with 3 other people.  The noise and craziness that sometimes in-sues will get any one's blood pressure up.  LOL  I spent the first week cleaning and organizing the new space to make room and revamp the area to make it accommodating for more people.

My desk and work space all set, along with my new Mac computer. (more to come...see below)

After I had a spot to work, I was ready to jump in but before I could get into the actual business side I had to audit our big truck fleet and all the paperwork that went along with it.  I went back as far as 2012 and brought it all up to date.  That took me a month and a half and once I was done it was such a relief.  I quickly began working on large projects like financial statements and web design.

Now that I'm back from vacation I have a normal routine of daily tasks along with a  progressing to do list of more big ticket items that take more time and aren't that time sensitive.  I still have a lot to learn before I know this job like the back of my hand just because there are SO many areas to dig into.  I love learning all about it and have come to understand and embrace the craziness of family business!  

Another day at the office

Let's jump to a different topic and talk about my Mac computer.  This was a leap of faith as much as changing jobs was and boy am I glad I took it.  I love my Mac so much.  It is easy, fast, clean cut, and just so freaking awesome.  There's no hunting around for files and programs, it is all right there in front of you so you can literally just jump on and start working.  I will for sure be making a Mac purchase for our home in the next year.  

As far as working with my partner....

On our way to work on a snowy day

It couldn't be better!  I'm in the office and Hendrik is in and out but mainly he's out doing his own work.  We aren't together 24/7 but I love that we are familiar with each other's day and can talk about the business and our goals and what is to come in the future.  We have gotten into maybe 2 heated arguments but they are quickly forgiven and it was mainly due to just a difference in opinion.  We are closer than before and I don't think that the business would ever come between our relationship.  

I love working with his family also.  We have a very honest relationship and no one tries to tip toe.  It's business as usual but probably better because we all feel comfortable expressing our opinions and talking through to an end decision.  

Lastly lets talk dress code!  THERE IS NONE!  I wore cutoff and high tip sneakers the other day!  I can't wait to bust out my sleeveless shirts when it finally decides to stay hot.

one of my outfits from last week and my working buddy

So long story short I love my new job it is a constant learning process and I love working with Hendrik and his family!  Plus it doesn't hurt I get to ride my bike to work!  I'm adjusting just fine.

Pictures are from Instagram as I hardly ever break out my camera any more :( I think its time for an upgrade!

In just 2 weeks...

A LOT has happened.

 

You know the phrase when God closes a door he opens a window but how about when God closes a window he pushes you hard through a newly opened door and you just hope to land on both your feet but either way you know that it's going to be awesome and exciting and fun and new and challenging and maddening and just everything all at once? 

Ok so remember two weeks ago I posted THIS post on my 1 Year Plan... well I'm rolling all that up to 1 MONTH plan!!! I know what the hell happened?  All I can say is really the unexpected in several areas.  I've always known that working with Hendrik's business is one thing that I've wanted to do, not only to help our future but to be able to work AND stay at home with future kids.  The downside to my idea is that to me I wasn't really willing to give into that until we were married.  I just felt that mixing all of those sort of things before marriage would be a lot to take on.  Hendrik knows my views on this subject but he still brought up around a month ago that a few new big projects were in the works for his business and also the need for help in the office.  I reminded him of my views and said that if it was something that he was serious about it would need to be talked about A LOT since the marriage thing isn't happening for us just yet.  Well that's what we've done not only together as a couple but also with his parents to ensure that everyone is on the same page and wants the same outcome from these changes and additions. 

A decision has been made and Monday I turned in my notice at the bank effective 12/31. 

A priority of making this move was not only making sure that working with my partner day in and day out would end with my relationship still in tact but also that I gave the bank ample notice to find a replacement and also for me to train my co-worker in tasks that she's unfamiliar with or have never done at all. 

 

To say I wasn't nervous about this would be a lie because I am.  It is unknown and it's not like I'm trying to get away from my current job for any negative reasons so that always makes this sort of move a bit more difficult.  Given that, I am still very excited and confident that this is the right choice for me, my future goals that were in my 1 Year plan, and just my (OUR) future in general. 

 

I've already made a to do list with top priority tasks and I'm so excited to make certain changes and just take what Hendrik and his family has already built from the ground up and really expand it and give it a ton of room to grow along with our future!  There are many projects that I'm going to get my hands in like web design and other things that are new to me and my job duties.

 

 

 

I'm so excited, nervous, and anxious about this big step in my career and future that I had no idea would present itself this quickly.  Even in my one year plan I was going at all those things on my own and not even considering this partnering as a possible option but now it's here and I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

1 Year Plan

I'm sure I've mentioned before about wanting to have a more creative outlet during my work week, wanting to one day stay home or at least work from home and have a more entrepreneurial skill set...the post or posts that I might have put this in have escaped me so there are no links but just go with me here!

Over the past month or so I've really started thinking about my life after school seeing the light at the end of that tunnel is getting brighter.  I have always known that 1) I won't ever move to the big city so working at a big accounting firm isn't happening and 2) I don't want to be in banking forever.  Knowing these two things means that I am 1) left with opening up my own practice or 2) making my own way with not only my degree but other things as well.  I think that #2 is the perfect option and this is where my one year plan comes into the picture.

Before I break it down for you here is the gist...In approximately one year from now I want to be graduated from school with my masters, studying for the CPA exam, have my personal training, and real estate license, and also be doing a small amount of interior design work....hopefully enough of all these things to be doing it all from HOME.

Now for the breakdown!

The degree is a no brainer at this point.  I love my accounting work but I also know that I can't sit in an office from 8-5 for the next 30 years only doing financials and reconciliations.  If I chose to do that I want it to be on my terms, in my office, and I also want to be able to do it as heavy or light as I'd like for that time period.  This will be my main focus in the next year as it is my foundation to be able to do the other items on my list.

 

After the degree is done I'm going to have free time and I'm going to quickly fill it with a couple certifications that are quick, easy to get, and will benefit my well being.  Both the real estate license and the personal training certificate are something that I have a deep interest for and they will compliment my "make your own" work life nicely.

 

I've always loved real estate I love the buying and selling process and also the whole process of looking at someone's has been and imagining what it can be.  I'm an HGTV addict and although I'm not getting into the whole flipping thing (yet) I do find a certain interest in being excited to show people homes and help them start something new and awesome.

Along the same lines as the real estate I've always been athletic and years ago thought about becoming a personal trainer.  Thought is all I did back then but now I've actually researched the requirements, talked with other trainers, and even used one.  I love my workout regime and I think that it would be a great way to fill in a few hours of my week motivating and teaching others how to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle.

The whole interior design thing is really just a creative outlet because I really love decorating my own spaces with homey décor.  I would really like to do this and if it works or takes off then more power to me but otherwise it is more of a fun hobby that if possible I would like to make money at.  Out of all the things on my list this is the least important part.

 

My thinking is this....Although accounting and business is my foundation I don't want to be or feel trapped or burnt out and at the rate we are going that's how I'm going to feel sooner rather than later.  By attaching the other trainings and certificates to my business/accounting degree I am allowing myself the freedom to concentrate more heavily on one area when or if I want.  If I'm done doing taxes for the busy season I may deny a few clients for a few months take a breather and in the mean time pick up a few extra training clients to fill the void of money and time spent working.

 

This entire plan is to build myself a repertoire of things I can do all at once and individually if I'd like to build the free, creative and challenging work environment that I'm not getting at a steady state job.  I've all of a sudden evaluated myself and my work history and came to this conclusion....after about 3 years I get bored, itchy, and unchallenged in my job.  At this point I'm ready to move on to newer and greener pastures to learn the new ropes of companies or job duties.  Obviously this is the same thing as opening and closing a million credit cards over your life...yeah they were paid off and closed in good standing but why did you get so many over all this time. Was the first one that you had for 3 years not good enough?  I don't want people to look at my resume and see a string of employment here and there and really no good reason to leave anywhere except...I'm done, I'm bored, and I'm not challenged enough. 

 

I feel that the one year plan that I've laid out for myself is the perfect mix of areas that I can really mold into my own and make myself an awesome at home career. 

 

Who knows what all this will bring but I'm ready to get the show on the road and find out!

A Day in the Life of Me

I haven’t seen too many of these type of posts even though I know they are out there everywhere but either way I wanted to do one….Take a photo an hour from waking up until going to bed to document your day.

 

Here we go!

 



Wake up! 4:45



 



Working out 5:45



 



Breakfast 6:45



 



Driving to work 7:45

 

getting organized for my day 8:45

 

Start on daily balancing 9:45

 

Still working 10:45

 



Lunch and studying in my car 11:45

 

back to afternoon work 12:45

 

working and a bit of Internet grazing 1:45

 



Heading out to a meeting 2:45



 

Back on the road to school with my dinner 4:45

 

Arriving ready for class for the next few hours 5:45

 

Out of class early but eating carrots to tide over late night cravings 7:45

 

Rocking out driving home...almost there 8:45

 

Clean kitchen now time for bed 9:45

 

 

Wheewww I'm tired reliving that.  As you can see this is what my Tuesday looks like and every other day I just as full even if I'm not on the road quite as much with school I'm always into something. 

 

What does a day in your shoes look like?