Can Anyone Help Me???

I am so confused and I’m getting frustrated.  This is what I am working on today and I feel like I am STUCK!!!

My Week in Styles

Two weekends ago, I put some mini twists in my hair.  As always, putting them in was a marathon pain in the neck, but the end result was so worth it.  I did however wash them right away and was then left with fuzzy twists.  Now exactly what I wanted right away, but that was what I had.  So I decided to challenge myself to style these twists every day that I had them in my hair.  I ended up styling them for an unheard of 10 days!!!!  As I sit here typing up this post, I so desperately need to wash and deep condition my hair it isn’t funny.   I think I’ll do a caramel treatment today but then I’m thinking it’s already after noon as I am finishing this.  I guess I’d better get a move on then.  So above is my little collage of the styles for the week.  Or click and watch the video with more detailed pics of the various styles I did over the week.  Thanks for checking in!

Halfway Through Rehab…

Otherwise known as 14 days smoke free!!!  I’m so happy and I am totally feeling like a non-smoker.  I felt so much like a non-smoker this afternoon, that I forgot it was cold outside because I hadn’t been outside all day long!!  I’m really loving it!

Thank you so much to everyone who has encouraged, supported and indulged me these last two weeks.  I honestly didn’t know if I could make it this far in the first place.  Now I am ready to put two more weeks behind me as well instead.  Then they can make a rehab movie about me and instead of Sandra Bullock, I’d get Kerry Washington to play me!  LOL

Where oh Where Have I Been???

I’ve been here.  I took a break because I really needed to be as stress free as possible during my first smoke free week.  It has obviously been the number one thing on my mind lately, and for good reason I suppose.  I am happy to report that today is my 7th smoke free day!  It’s pretty darn awesome too!  I really am enjoying being a non-smoker.  In just 7 days, I’m already noticing big changes!  My favorite part of my day right now is when I walk into my apartment and don’t smell cigarettes.  I haven’t experienced that since I don’t even know when!

I have also been busy making a pretty big decision.  Well I think it’s a big deal…I am going to try to do Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.  Tomorrow, I’ll be posting more about that as well as where I am at with my 2011 financial goals.

Don’t forget to head over to my Youtube page to see my video journal about quitting smoking.  I promise there is less complaining than you would think!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!  I’m back!

Approaching One Full Day Smoke Free…

…And no one had to remind me not to make anyone else miserable!  I can’t believe that I made it.  It was hard and not hard at the same time.  I think the thing that most stands out to me is the amazing support that I received today from this blog to Youtube to my co-workers.  I am so grateful to everyone who took the time to give me an encouraging word or a nudge back in the right direction when I was struggling.

One thing that I noticed a lot today is that my brain is seriously trained to smoke at specific times.  I could literally set my watch by my cravings!  It really creeps me out to really think about it.  I am truly an addict and I will always be in recovery from cigarettes.

I have decided that I am going to do a video journal about quitting so that I don’t bog the blog down with quitting updates, but I will keep you all informed on here from time to time as I reach milestones as well.  This is my first entry.

Just so you know, I did call my job and pick up for tomorrow.  So I am in for 8 days in a row but it’s worth it to get paid to not smoke right?  LOL I’m just glad there is enough work for me to be able to pick up a shift.  As far as this evening is going, I must say that I haven’t been having that much difficulty.  I am about to fix dinner now so we’ll see how I feel afterward, but right now, I find myself on a pleasantly even keel.  I’m going to try to ride this one out till bedtime.  Wish me luck! LOL

I’m Quitting Smoking Today!

Well I think that today is the day.  The day that I quit smoking!  Not sure how I feel about it really.  I was just thinking how I am tired of having to “save” money during my tight times to buy cigarettes.  Then last night I watched this video on YT about the total Money Makeover.

It honestly got me to thinking.  Seriously, if I quit smoking and stopped having lunch at work everyday, I could save $250 a month right there.  Then I started thinking about all the other ways I could add to the pot.  I could make a menu plan and stick to it.  That eliminates two people  going out to eat 3-5 nights a week.  I consider myself a recovering compulsive shopper.  Right now, I am NOT in shopping mode.  I even passed up the WEN sale on QVC this weekend!  LOL  Honestly though that was just because I was saving money for smokes this week…pathetic I know.

So anyway, I am really really nervous and not looking forward at all to the cravings and the mood swings.  I just have to remember that I can’t treat people like crap just because I’m having a nicotene fit!  Anyone who works with me, please feel to remind me of that tomorrow and the next few days in the most loving and caring way you can imagine (insert smile here.)

Now I gotta get into the gym and see what this 38-year old machine called my body can really do!  The nerd in me wishes I could have a full pulmonary function test done now and in 6 months from now to see how I have changed.  I just don’t want to have to pay for them! LOL

So I am reaching out to you all for support!  Please help me hold myself accountable.  I know I can do it, it’s just really hard in the beginning.

2011 Financial Goals

I posted another video today on Youtube.  This time it is about my financial goals for 2011.  Now like I always say, I fully expect that this list of goals will be dynamic.  Perhaps I’ll accomplish some things sooner or later than expected or some new opportunity will pop up.  Who knows?  All I know is that as I expose myself to new atmospheres, I will become privy to new perspectives and ideas.

My Healthy Hair Journey

Day to day hair style with mini twists

I decided that the first thing you should know about me is about my hair.  Vain much? I don’t think so, you’ll get it in a minute…

So I have talked about having a 12 year old girl at home with me.  Well she is natural.  I have never put perm in her hair.  When she was little, I taught my self how to do the Venus Williams type braids in her hair and it worked well for us. She was an easy kid to do hair on, unlike her mother who used to have to get tied to a chair to get her hair combed.  She grew up with long hair down her back.  Once she hit about 9 years old, it just got to be too much for me to manage and I found myself having to make a choice.  Either relax it or figure something else out.