I Know It, But I Can’t Feel It

This week started off a little rough.  On Monday I got an email from a customer saying that I sent her the wrong colored blocks.  I was working on two similar sets and happened to swap the colors.  This meant that now I had 2 customers that wouldn’t be getting what they ordered.  When I realized this my stomach was immediately in knots.  I am a bit of a perfectionist and don’t like to make mistakes.  Although I triple check all of my orders before they get mailed, regrettably I still have a small percentage that are made incorrectly.

Although I was upset with myself, there was no point in panicking.  I contacted both customers and luckily they were very understanding…thank goodness!  BUT I continued to experience a lot of anxiety over what happened.  Even though I was CONSTANTLY telling myself that this sort of thing is going to happen from time to time, the feeling in my stomach never got better.

We may know something is right in our mind but it takes our body a while to catch up with our thoughts.   My mind knew this was not worth worrying about but my stomach felt otherwise.   To minimize my anxiety I continually told myself, “Everyone is human.  Everyone makes mistakes. No one is perfect. You rarely make errors in your business …” and sure enough the next morning my stomach had finally listened.  Sometimes it only takes a few minutes and other times it can take days. Unfortunately you have to wait out the storm until your feelings become balanced with your thoughts.

~Lara

(*This picture was taken from our backdoor last week)

“Broke” Was My Goal

After I graduated from college I had difficulty finding a job so I did what most college graduates do, I got a job in a completely unrelated field than my major.  In my case, it was waiting tables.  I remember my first day on the job thinking, “I got a college degree and now I am going to be a waitress for the rest of my life!”  This was a discouraging and disappointing time in my life.  To make matters worse I had three maxed credit cards, student loans that were coming due and was barely scraping by each month.  I remember having no money at all except maybe a little change in my apron from work.  When I needed to mail a bill I would have to go to the post office to BuY oNe StAmP for that bill because I could not afford the $5 or so to buy a book of stamps.   

Needless to say, I had tremendous financial pressure.  It felt like a belt was around my neck and cinched so tight I could hardly breathe.  Who would have thought that being broke could have been a GoaL?  At that point I would have been thrilled to have no money and no debt.  But instead I was thousands of dollars in debt.

Fast forward to a few years later when I landed my first teaching job.  It was at this point that I made the conscious effort to be a GoOd StEwArD of my money and get out of debt.  At first that belt around my neck was still cinched tight, but with every step I took towards financial freedom I found that belt loosening.  It took year after year of making wise financial decisions before I saw significant changes in my finances, but with my commitment and diligence I made continual progress.

How did I whittle down my debt?  Here’s what I did:

1.) I ReFuSeD tO qUiT regardless how small the changes were.

As a teacher, I received a paycheck once a month.  I would pay my bills at one sitting and whatever was left in my checking account was what I had to spend for the entire month.  This amount for me usually was around $75-$100.  Out of this money I had to buy food, gas, oil changes, toiletries, clothes, etc.  I remember once having two luxury items I really wanted but could not afford to buy immediately:  a $20 candle and a $20 garden hose holder.  Both of these items I had to wait to buy until I had money saved up.  I didn’t just live like this for a few months or a year or so.  It was a few years, but I refused to be discouraged and give up.

2.) I was a GeNeRoUs GiVeR. 

The Bible says that whatever you sow you reap and with the measure you give to others it will be given to you.  The first portion of my paycheck (tithe) I gave to my church.  I also gave money to good causes.  As a result I saw God blessed me richly.  Someone gave me a lawnmower. I bought a piano for $100. Good deals and bargains seemed to find me.  Speaking of this . . .    

3.) I became a BaRgAiN sHoPpEr. 

I shopped at stores such as Marshalls and T.J. Max’s where I would find brand name clothes at a fraction of the cost.

4.) I WoRkEd My TaiL Off!!!

My school district would give teachers opportunities to work on projects during the school year and during the summer which I would sign up for.   I also taught night school, gave up my planning period to teach at our alternative school, coached, wrote curriculum, and taught summer school.

5.) I began SaViNg for my ReTiRmEnT.

To be perfectly honest, the amount of money I was saving up was very insignificant, but it was the best I could do and so I did it. 

When I finally got married after six years of teaching I had for the most part paid off all three credit cards and my car!!  It was such a great sense of accomplishment.

Yes, those days were lean, but they also developed much character in me.  I learned a lot of lessons about life.  One lesson I learned was being content.  I learned that I could absolutely love my life and yet not have many material possessions.  I was truly happy and I felt blessed.

If you are where I was at in my days of financial chaos and have a belt cinched tight around your neck, take one step towards financial freedom.  I promise as you do, your belt will loosen and little by little you will move toward financial freedom as well. 

~Robynn

P.S.  Want to read more about Financial Peace?  Check out DaVe RaMsEy’S book “Total Money Make Over”.

Biggest Bang For Your Buck — BE the BARBER

One of my best investments was a $25-$30 haircut kit from Target.  I bought it shortly after my husband and I got married 5 ½ years ago and I’ve cut his hair ever since!  Owning a hair clipper has not only  saved us money, but it also SAVES my husband a lot of TIME if we can cut it in the evenings or weekends instead of having to schedule an appointment or wait in line at a barber shop. Now that we have a son we can save money on his haircuts as well!  

I’m obviously not comfortable cutting my own hair (although there was about 6 months that I had my husband cut mine!), so my daughter and I get ours professionally cut.  Keep in mind that there are many salons that give you cheaper rates if you come with your hair already washed and wet.  It SAVES them time and MONEY if they don’t have to wash and style it for you.  The women in your family can save a few dollars too!

Does the thought of cutting a guy’s hair make you cringe?  Don’t worry! It is not as hard as it looks. There are haircut kits that come with an instructional DVD which can be helpful. My best AdvicE is to always start with the thickest blade guard and then go down from there (until you get the hang of it).  Even if you do make a mistake (which I have made a time or two), it isn’t the end of the world.  The guys just get a shorter-than-normal hair style for the next 4 weeks  Ü

~Lara

“Refuse To Quit. Period.” – The Challenge (Wk 6)

20.2. . .

. . .miles down and only 6 more miles to go.  (sigh)  

A week ago I ran in the Oklahoma City Marathon and if I had to describe my experience in one word, it would be BRUTAL!!  I won’t go into details, but you’ll get the picture with these descriptive words:  lightning, thunder, rain, hail, wind, cold temps . . . 

When training for my first marathon I remember reading that the last 6 miles of a marathon were the toughest.  I think I would have to agree.   By the 20-MiLe mArK, my muscles were cramping, I was tired, and the thought of another six miles was exhausting.  However, I had come too far, I cOuLDn’t qUiT.

This probably sounds really cliché, but life is like that MaRatHoN.  You find yourself too far in to turn back, but still with a ways to go and with the FiNiSh LiNe nowhere in sight.  If you find yourself at the 20.2 mark in some area of your life here are some tips that might help you finish your “marathon”.   

  1. Get a cHeEriNg section.  The first marathon I ran was a small one with a course that wove around the countryside.  As a result, there was really no one cheering us on until we got to the outskirts of town which was basically about six miles from the finish line.  It was at this point that we began to see spectators and finally had people ChEeRiNg us on.  If you don’t have people cheering you on, get some.  Find some friends that you can share YoRr rAcE with and enlist as a cheering section.  Make sure you are willing to do the same for them.  What you sow you reap.
  2.  Keep your FoCuS on the finish line, not the pain.
  3. FuEL Up!  When running longer races, runners take enery with them.  A couple of things I have used are Gu’s and Shot Bloks – little PaCkEtS of eNerGy.  I pack them in a running pouch and every so often I take them to fuel my body.  In your race, you will need to fuel up.  This may be different for everyone.  Find out what fuels you – spending time with fReNds, a good book, a long wALk, a drive in the countryside.  Don’t forget to stay plugged in to PrAyEr and the Bible, the best energy boosts of all!
  4. Let your CoMmiTMeNt dictate your life, not your feelings.  Keep praying even if it FeEls like the prayers don’t make it further than the ceiling.  Keep reading the BiBLe even if it feels futile.   Refuse to quit, PeRiOd. 

~Robynn

Convenient Memories

Are there MOMENTS in your life that you wish you could remember better?  So many great things happen in our lives but often get forgotten due to the inconvenience of writing it all down.  After my first daughter was born I wanted to cAptUre every second of her growth but always waited until I had the PerFecT time to scrapbook or document it.  The perfect moment never happened or when it did I could never remember all the details.

My solution to this problem? I scrapped the idea of feeling like I had to jot down thoughts and events in perfect handwriting or on paper that didn’t have a wrinkle Ü .  I went out and bought blank notebooks, wrote each kid’s name on the front and placed them in an area of our home that is easy to access.  Nowadays when the kids say or do something memorable, my husband or I grab it right away, sCribbLe in what happened and sign and date each entry.  Yes, the books have already been drawn in by the kids or smudged with their little fingerprints due to being in such a convenient location, but these little imperfections just add to its sentimental value.  As time goes on I’m realizing that these books will be cherished more than the preserved scrapbooks I spent hours completing.  Sometimes the easiest solutions are the ones you’ll TREASURE the most!

~L

HGBV (Home & Garden Blog Video) CONTEST

WiN a $50 Gift Card to HoMe DePoT in our HGBV CoNteSt!!

Contest Details:

  1. Contest begins on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 and ends at midnight on Friday, June 3, 2011.
  2. Submit a DIY (Do It Yourself) before and after picture of a space (indoor or outdoor) you have transformed.  Submit your pictures via email to suedesofa@yahoo.com   
  3. Give a brief description on why we should chose your transformation (for example, “I transformed my space on less than $100!”,  “All the furniture came from garage sales.” , “I transformed the uglest room ever!”)
  4. Participants may submit more than one entry.
  5. We will announce the five finalists on Monday, June 6, 2011.  “Before and After” pictures of each finalist’s space will be posted on the Suede•Sofa blog.  Readers can cast their vote by midnight on Friday, June 10, 2011.
  6. The winner will be announced on Saturday, June 11, 2011 and will receive a $50 Home Depot gift card.

Mr. Apple and Mrs. Orange

Mrs. Orange and Mr. Apple L O V E each other.  They make a good couple for numerous reasons.  Mrs. Orange appreciates that fact that Mr. Apple puts up with her never-ending eMoTioNs, supports her in wanting to try new things and listens to her even when she’s talking in circles.  Mr. Apple loves Mrs. Orange because she laughs at all his jokes, has a PaTienT personality, is a great mother to their kids, and enjoys helping him work in the yard.  Even though they are very complementary together, they are also very different.

Mr. Apple is very predictable.  Like all apples, when you peel back the first layer, there’s nothing but the same fruit underneath. What you see is what you get, pretty much to the core.  It’s as simple as that.  Mrs. Orange loves that about Mr. Apple.

Mrs. Orange is very COMPLEX.  When you peel back the first layer of her exterior BeAUtY, there isn’t just more fruit underneath, but MANY different slices of fruit!  There’s the slice that feels she could be a better housekeeper, the slice that’s striving to be a better mother, a slice for improving her figure, and of course the slice that feels intimidated by other oranges.  There are just a lot of sections of “stuff” under her orange peel, and to be HonEsT, mostly stuff that Mr. Apple doesn’t understand!  Mrs. Orange knows that sometimes it is easier on both her and Mr. Apple if she just calls up her friends and works through some of her more troubling segments.  Mr. Apple isn’t bothered by this fact, and takes CoMfORT in knowing God intended it to be that way.

Even though Mr. Apple and Mrs. Orange think and feel completely different, they serve a UniQUe purpose in their well-balanced relationship.  They acknowledge their differences, and because of that, make a GreAt Pair when sharing their fruit basket!

Ü  ~L