Urge to Purge

Christmas was wonderful! I enjoyed the anticipation, the preparations, the traditions, and the day itself. But now that it is over, it is time to move on. I don't think I have ever been more ready for a new year! I think it must be because of impending change. In only 5 weeks we will be putting our house on the market, and I am filled with a sense of urgency...time to start getting the house ready. I have never in my life taken the tree down before January 1st, until this year. Today is December 29th, and the tree is down, the house is clean, and the purging, packing, and cleaning has begun. We invested in a bunch of large, Rubbermaid totes, and have already packed away the things we don't use regularly (linens, candles, most of the mugs, silver, etc.) Because I don't want to move a bunch of stuff we never use to Orlando with us, we have a corner of the garage designated the Garage Sale Corner. After just one room, that corner already has a bunch of stuff in it. Isn't it amazing how easy it is to accumulate stuff? It's just another reminder to me of how materialistic our culture is, and how I fall right into it. Ugh... I can't wait to get through with the whole house and have that garage sale! Whatever money we make at the sale will go toward paying off debt. We're less than a year from being debt-free, and I am SO glad!

 

I stepped on the scale this morning and discovered that my lack of self-control in the cookie eating department has caught up with me. All those cookies added an unfortunate 7 pounds to my waistline. I think the 7 pounds converts to 3 inches, because my pants have gotten very tight. I had originally planned on (starting in January) training for a half marathon. But due to my broken foot, that is not an option. In fact, most forms of exercise are out for me right now, considering that weight-bearing exercises are very painful. So Matt and I have decided to take drastic measures to change our lifestyle. His cholesterol is higher than it should be. I am plain ol' flabby. It is not uncommon for us to eat out twice each week--once on Wednesday night, and usually another time during the weekend. Wednesday night will still be an eat-out night, but we have committed to taking that other meal out of our budget, and reallocating the funds to a gym membership. Today we did some searching around, and found that the local YMCA fits nicely into the budget! So we bit the bullet and purchased a membership! Starting tomorrow, I'll be hitting the pool a minimum of 3 times per wekk. There is free childcare 3 mornings a week! Hooray for that! Once my foot heals, I'll be able to take advantage of the other fitness classes that are included in our membership. I am so excited, and so ready to shed the excess weight that has been plaguing me ever since my mom died. I've already come a long way, but I still have a ways to go.

 

So I guess you could call these New Year's resolutions, but I wouldn't really say that. It's more like enough is enough. Out with the clutter! Off with the flab! And here's a toast to simplicity and good health. I think I like the week after Christmas almost as much as Christmas! How about you?