Moving Backward: from owning to renting

We had been dreaming about moving back to the country for years.  Looking at houses and waiting for one to come on the market.  Less houses mean less go on the market.  What did come up in our price range either needed a complete remodel or went so quickly we didn’t have a chance. 

I changed jobs and had a 30 minute commute to and from work.  My commute was nice.  It was the opposite direction as traffic and I got to watch the fields grow on my daily commute.  It also gave my an hour a day to listen to an audio book or sing along to the radio. 

A year and a half later, Michael changed jobs which came with way less stress but also less pay.  His job was now very close to mine and although his commute was now 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes to an hour is was still long. 

His new boss asked him is we wanted to rent out his old house.  Michael was sold instantly – I was not. 

How could we go backward?  We OWN our house, why would we go back to renting? 

Then we sat down and mapped out this potential move.  We discovered we would save about half on our housing expenses (mortgage, insurance, and utilities) and the saving on our gas – no, sorry, FUEL (we have a diesel truck and car) was going to be significant too.  We also priced out rentals in our area and discovered we could rent our current house for enough to cover the mortgage.

Ok, that sounds good but still – renting is throwing your money down the drain, right?  Kind of yes but also no.  You are trading your money for a place to live.  That’s not a bad thing at all. 

Then there was the difference in the houses.  Our house has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, brand new windows, new flooring, a new master bathroom, a 3 car garage, a decent sized backyard, and we could modify it as we pleased.  It is situated on a cul-de-sac in the suburbs.  The potential rental is a modular – a trailer without wheels, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, awkward layout, mismatched floors, a pond behind the house, and literally 5 minutes from my work.  It is in the country close to the land Michael was going to farm and close to his dad and grandma’s house.   

Yeah, you read that right my husband wanted me to move from a house to a trailer and the crazy part – we did it!  Even crazier – we couldn’t be happier about our choice! 

We moved when I was 7 months pregnant, spent the 8th and 9th month of my pregnancy getting our old house ready to rent out while getting settled in our new place.  It was crazy but looking back it was all worth it. 

I have been writing this blog post in my head for over a year now.  I still have conflicting thoughts about it!  Sometimes I feel like we took a huge step back and might not ever live in a house we own again.  I long for the days when I can tackle projects to improve the house again.  Other times I know this is the best thing for our family right now.  We get more time together since we are spending less time commuting and we live in a much more peaceful area. 

I just did the math and I spend 11.5 DAYS (24 hour periods) on the road in my year and a half commuting to and from work.  When you look at it like that – WOW!

Maybe we did move backward, but as odd as it sounds sometimes you have to move back to move forward.  (At least that is what I am telling myself!)

A New Normal …

Life changes all the time and sometimes it takes a little while to get used to the new normal.  It seems like this is my new normal:

Can you believe that little baby made that mountain of laundry?

At least she’s happy!  It might be a better reflection of my new normal if she were covered in spit up and/or crying.  And it may or may not include me covered in her spit up and crying – lol!

She’s actually a pretty good baby – especially when she’s sleeping!

In all seriousness – I think we lucked out in the baby department!  She is a good little girl!  Of course she has her bad days and is by no means a perfectly behaved baby, but she is still cute when she cries! 

What is your normal looking like these days?

We Moved!

We moved and every corner now looks like this:

Ok, fine … the corners AND the middle pretty much every room look like that!

We have tons of unpacking to do and it is going pretty slow since I am about the size of an SUV but that’s ok with me. 

Resolutions and Goals

Let me start by saying that I don’t believe in resolutions. Resolutions are basically dreams and dreams are a good thing, but saying I want to lose weight this year is usually where a resolution stops. I’ve read that 25 percent of people break their New Year’s Resolutions within a week. That’s just a week – imagine after a month!

Dreams with a deadline are called goals. I am a huge believer in goals. A goal gives you something to work toward something you want to work toward. A good goal is measurable and attainable. A good goal makes the goal setter reach but not too far to give up hope. As a teacher, I set goals for my students on a daily basis – in education we call them objectives. My students reach those objectives daily and by the end of the year they reach their year-long goals and are ready for the next grade.

I read a lot. Not as much as I would like to though. I love books – especially finance and self help books. Weird … I know. But, I have read my share of goal setting books. It has been too long for me to remember the title or the author of these books. I’ll tell you what I’ve taken from these books and how I’ve changed it to work for me. I would suggest you search for goal setting books at your local library to read also.

I set up yearly goals in three categories:

Finance – money

Finance goals have to do with debt, saving, retirement, income, budgeting, or anything else you can think of relating to money. Do you have debt? Want to chisel away at it? Have you set up a budget? Where do you want to be financially in a year?

Personal

Personal goals are about you. How do you want to grow as a person? Do you want a better relationship with your spouse? Are you constantly sick and want to get healthier? Are you unorganized and want to organize your house?

Professional

Professional goals are about your occupation. How do you want to grow in your career? A goal in this category could be getting a new job or getting a promotion in your current job. It could even be starting your own business. Maybe taking a class or joining a professional organization.

Since I am for some reason obsessed with the number three, I set three goals in each category. But, for some reason this year I couldn’t narrow my personal goals down to 3 – oh well, this is going to be a big year! J

How to set a goal

Think about what you want for the future. Let’s talk personal – there are so many people each year that make a resolution to lose weight. That is the start of a great goal but remember how I said that a goal needs to be measurable? I want to lose weight is not a goal – it is a wish. Set a number or a size. A goal needs to be measurable.

Now if I were to say I want to be a size 2, that goal would be unattainable. I have never been nor will I probably ever be a size 2. A goal needs to be attainable – something that you have to work for, but if you keep working hard you will accomplish it. A good goal would be become a size 8 or lose 45 pounds. I’m not the best at wording goals, so you can play with the wording if you are particular about it.

It is also important to share your goals. My sister puts them in her office which is a fantastic idea. I put my goals in a frame in my craft room. This year my plan is to put them in a pretty frame and put them in the office or in our room somewhere. Post your most important goal on facebook and get encouragement from friends! Tell your spouse or kids and they can help you attain it. Write your goals down and share them!

Notice that I didn’t write how I am going to lose those 45 pounds? That’s the next step – set up a plan of attack!

Make a Plan

A goal is not like a crock pot roast – you can’t set it and forget it. You have to work for a goal. You won’t be able to accomplish it in a weekend or even a week. Your plan of attack will be like mini goals (like lesson objectives for teachers) that help you reach your yearly goals.

Goals can be set at any time during the year and can be adjusted to work for you.

Here are my goals for this year:

2014 Goals

Financial

- Fully fund our IRA accounts

- Research and start (?) a college fund for baby

- Live on one income for 2 months (and bank the other)

Personal

- Give birth to a healthy baby

- Lose the baby weight plus 5

- Blog 8 times or more per month

- Read 1 book a month

- Decorate and organize baby’s room and keep it that way!

Professional

- Take 1 class (3 units) before the next school year

- Help 4 people do a 180 and share their story

- Plant and harvest our first crop!

Do you set goals? If not, you should start! Start with one or two for the year and work your butt off to accomplish them. What are your goals? I would love for you to share on Facebook or right here in the comments!

My 10 Fall Essentials

I LOVE Fall!  The crisp air, the colorful leaves, and the warm delicious food.  Of course there are a few things that I don’t like.  The dry flaky skin and the daylight only long enough for me to go to work and come home. But, let’s make this a positive post. 

There are products that I can’t live without during the fall and here are my top 10:

1. Carmex – Everyone has their lip product of choice and mine in Carmex.  I love it year round, but my lips seems to get chapped more often during the Fall and Winter, so I especially love it now.  I keep about 5 in my makeup drawer, 1 at school, and 1 in my purse that way I have them where ever I am!

2. Omega Guard – This is my first Fall with this amazing pill and my skin is so much better than it has even been.  I wasn’t positive this was helping … until I ran out.  My skin got drier and flaky.  But, within days of starting back up, my skin was much better.  I will never be without this again.  No fish burps from this either! 

3. Eucerin – A dermatologist recommended this lotion years ago.  I have eczema and this in the only lotion I’ve tried that will not make my hands breakout.  It’s a little greasy when you put it on but it dries in about 20 minutes and I love it!

4. Scarves – My favorite accessory!  I have a ton of scarves but I am always looking for another.  They are like shoes, you can never have too many.  Add a colorful scarf to a plain outfit and you’ve added warmth and style. 

5. Enfuselle Skin Line – I’ve always had problematic skin, but I can now say this skin care line has changed that for me.  I am actually happy with my skin.  I have very few breakouts, my skin is soft (even now when it is usually super dry), and the red spots on my face are gone.  I am very happy with these products!  I use …. the Hydrating Cleansing Lotion to wash my face daily (I use wipes at night because I am lazy), Refining Polisher once a week (this stuff is amazing and makes my skin feel like butter), Purifying Toner after I wash twice a day, Time Repair AM in the morning, Acne Clarifying Complex as a spot treatment or during stressful times when I am more prone to breakouts (back to school, grading, etc.), and Hydrating Moisturizer nightly.  I also use C+E Repair PM around my eyes when I remember – I have a good routine with everything else, but am slacking with this. 

6. Tights – The perfect item to transition your summer dresses into fall.  I have many pairs, but my favorite are Spanx.  Yeah, the shapewear company also makes tights.  They stay put all day!  I can’t stand when tights roll down and you are constantly having to pull them up.  Some brands tend to squish all your fat up so you have a tights muffin top – not with Spanx! 

7. Soup (and really any hot Fallish food) – I LOVE soup.  I could eat it every crisp or cold day.  My favorite is a modified version of this – so yummy!! 

8. Boots –  I don’t have enough boots!  I could wear them every day of Fall and Winter and even into Spring.  I love how boots cover your feet AND keep your calf warm!  Dress them up with tights and a dress or throw on your trusty old boots to muck around in – boots are so versatile!  I just ordered the Baking Sota boots from Aerosoles – I’ve been drooling over them for a while now and they were such a great price I couldn’t pass them up! 

 

9. Vitamins – and Chewable Vitamin C for Michael to boost his immune system a bit.  I have been taking Shaklee’s vitamins since February and I have yet to be sick!  I take this multivitamin and this daily.  I also take a B-Complex and/or a Chewable Vita-C when my kiddos start acting sick (or sneeze on me).  I am a teacher, so I am surrounded by well meaning germy little ones with poor hygiene skills daily (not that there is anything wrong with my kids, but it takes time to learn to not sneeze into your hand then touch someone).  I expect to get sick.  It is amazing what a few good quality vitamins can do for your health!  

10. Cuddling – This list is in no particular order, but cuddling in my favorite.  I am a cuddler – I cuddle in my sleep, I cuddle during movies, and on the couch at night.  Fall is perfect for cuddling! 

There are my Fall essentials – I know Fall is almost over, but what are YOUR Fall essentials?

Summer Goal Accomplished!!

One of my personal goals this summer was to wear shorts … seems like a silly goal but I NEVER were shorts in public unless they are knee length.  I just feel like I weigh too much and I am not comfortable even buying normal length shorts.  Thanks to my protein smoothies and exercising I’ve lost about 20 pounds!  More exciting than that I went down 3 pant sizes!!  The shorts I bought at the beginning of the summer are too loose now!

Today is my last day of summer.  It flew by, but this school year should be amazing, so I am kind of excited to start back to work.  I decided to share these pictures on my last day of summer: 

 

I’m not wearing makeup, I didn’t brush my hair, my shirt looks all funky, and I am pale – but I LOVE these shorts!!! 

I went from one knee length pair of shorts to three normal short length shorts.  I’ve worn all three pairs in public and felt comfortable in them (even with my pale legs).  

As soon as Chance saw I was taking pictures in his spot, he ran over to claim it.  He is such a funny puppy!!

I still have a few pounds to shed to reach my ultimate goal, but I am happy, happy, happy that I reached my summer goal!! 

Did you have a summer goal?

Idaho Falls

The next stop on our Idaho road trip (see post 1, post 2, and post 3) was Idaho Falls.

We walked from our hotel to the falls and saw about a million Canada Geese. 

Idaho Falls is a hydroelectric project.   

The ducks got pretty close to the edge – there was one on the other side that was right on the edge. 

It was really pretty and I’m glad we took the time to walk down before we hit the road for the day. 

There were lots of unique park benches.  A fishing lure – this was my favorite. 

a tree bench

This horse bench is double sided.

There were a few of these Canada Geese benches. 

 

Next stop … Craters of the Moon …

Road Trip – Northern Nevada

Michael and I decided to road trip it to Idaho … we’d never been and one of us (not me) wants to move there.  Michael loves driving and exploring, so it was fun just to sit back and enjoy the ride.  Our first day we headed through Nevada.  We stayed at my mom’s condo in Truckee to get a jump start on our drive – which was a great idea because we got to sleep in! 

Neither of us have been much farther than Reno, so it was interesting to drive on 80 to Wells. 

Sagebrush, dirt, sand, rocks and a few mountains were pretty much all we saw. 

All of these pictures were taken through the window driving down the highway, so they are not the best. 

I love agriculture and whenever I go anywhere, I like to see the commodities grown there.  Agriculturally speaking, Nevada seems to be a very desolate place.  We saw some hay and cattle, but that was it.  To learn more about agriculture in Nevada check this out.

This tunnel was pretty cool. 

Some awesome rock formations too. 

There is a Humboldt and a Beverly Hills – neither of which look anything like Humboldt or Beverly Hills in California. 

Beverly Hills

The clouds were just beautiful along our drive.  They were creating these huge shadows on the ground.  Michael and I were joking about the absence of trees and how they got shade from the clouds instead. 

Just before we left Nevada and entered Idaho, we saw a little slice of paradise. 

So, there you have it – our drive through Nevada.  Pretty uneventful and the scenery didn’t change much at all.  But, it was pretty in its own way.   

In the Middle of a Project

We are in the middle of a bathroom remodel … I am excited to get it finished, but I forgot how hot it gets in a room when you are painting!  Why is that?  Painting a small room with tall ceilings in the summer = no fun!

Look at this mess!  Can you believe that?  I am not a messy person – I swear!  But, our bathroom (and my closet but let’s not go there) is a total mess!

Have you ever gotten in the middle of a project and thought … “Why did I start this?” I am there right now!  But, when it is finished I will be very happy!  At least I hope I will!

See that foot stool?  I fell off it yesterday which is why I stopped painting – ok, it was part of the reason I stopped it was also HOT in that room.  Pretty funny now that I think about it – one of the legs fell down the drain while I was painting.  I guess I moved the stool just a little and then I was on the ground.  I once said painting was fun … I take that back for the moment. 

I need to get my butt in gear and finish up this bathroom this week! 

I hope to show it to you next week … or maybe the week after! 

Maybe you could leave me some encouragement?  I would love that! :)

A Little Slice of Paradise in Nevada

Michael and I just got back from a road trip!  We drove through Nevada and found this little slice of paradise in the desert right before the Idaho border (if I remember correctly). 

Pretty clouds!

The rocks, the vegetation, the stream, the beautiful blue sky – it was just beautiful!

At the rest area this was written among the other crap … sorry but it really was a bunch or random junk!

Made my day!

Goodbye 2012 ...

I am generally a pretty positive person, yes - I complain a lot, but I like to find the good in things.  Unless I am hungry or tired them I pretty much hate the world. 

 

2012 has been a wonderful and a horrible year.  The first 6 months went pretty smooth ... Farm Day at my school was great and the Young Farmers and Ranchers conference was amazing. 

I got to attend a social media training in San Fran where I learned A TON and got to meet some really amazing farmers from across the country.  It was a great experience and I am so glad I went!

 

But starting in August my world has been turning around and around.

 

In August, only 2 weeks before school started there was an opening in a rural school - I wasn't ready to apply but I went for it knowing that I would regret it if I didn't.  To my surprise I got the position.  I LOVE my school!  I feel like my teaching career has been refreshed - I love it again!  I had to start the first day of school at my old school then get the rest of my things packed up and start professional development the next day at my new school - it was crazy with all of the packing and moving and staring at my normal sized new classroom and getting used to a new school!

 

Once I got settled at my new school, my dad got into an accident on his 4-wheeler.  He had hip replacement surgery and was doing very well. 

 

Michael finally asked me to marry him and I finally said yes! 

I am so excited to marry him!!!!!1

 

My dad took a turn for the worst.  The crazy demands of his family and the lack of support of his choices were hard to deal with while trying to put on a happy face for dad.  We rushed up after work on a Wednesday and Thursday morning he passed away.  It was and still is a huge mess of emotions - I miss him but he was ready to go. 

 

After his death there was more drama from his family that I could ever explain.  Death really does bring out the worst in people.  Dad's memorial was an amazing celebration of his life and I am happy to report that it was drama free! 

 

I was honored to receive Ag in the Classroom's Literacy for Life Award.  I got to travel down to Pasadena and spend a day mingling with farmers.  Gosh I love farmers!! 

2012 was an eventful year and I am looking forward to what 2013 brings!

 

Now, on to 2012 in posts ... The top 2 posts in 2012 were:

 

  Pink and Zebra baby shower

I can see why this was so popular!  I love the combo of pink and zebra and think it works perfectly for a baby shower or a bridal shower or even a birthday party. 

 

Great Careers in Agriculture
This was a guest post by my sister Shannon.  It is a short and to the point post that defends careers in agriculture after ag degrees were reported as useless by Yahoo. 

What was your favorite post from 2012?  What should I do more posts about in 2013?