Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

September Beginnings

September 2, 2023

September can be like another new year – it’s a fresh start for kids in school or college and it can be a fresh start for a mom whose kids are in school full time and she can do some things for herself too. For me, with no kids in school and a half empty nest, it’s a time to reassess and get going again on goals. Summertime can be downright lazy and when it’s hot out even lazier and I often lose sight of what I want to do with my life. So, I’ve outlined a couple of goals for the month. It’s time to stop making excuses and get strong!

No Buy September – I’ve been going to the store for groceries way too much because I’ve not been on top of menu planning or keeping up on what’s in the pantry/fridge/freezer. That needs to stop because I’m really wasting time and money so it’s time to reign it in. Then when I was crunching numbers with bills and balances I realized that we need to make some changes for the rest of the year. That’s when i remembered a book I read called “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders and a little download about having a shopping ban and decided it was time to implement a strategy to save money and stop the financial bleedout. So I’m going to have a no-buy September.

No buy for me means no books, no makeup, no skincare, and no “just because” items. If I actually run out of something in those departments then I can buy what I need, but otherwise it’s a no go. That said, my makeup and skincare stash is pretty good right now and I also have shelves of books and a library at my disposal so that’s not an issue either. And it definitely means not going to the store anymore than twice a week for groceries and sticking to the menu plan and shopping list. I am leaving wiggle room for special things like cookies for our library day tea parties, and Starbucks when I’m spending a day out with a kid, but none of this, “Oh that’s so (insert adjective) – it’s coming home with me”. No it’s not – you’re going to be more intentional about spending money and what you spend it on, lady.

SNEW September – I thought about a no sugar September but I think it would be easier to add in instead of take out at this point. If you don’t know, SNEW means Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, and Water from the “M.O.M. Operating Manual” book for kids (actually it’s for the mom). It’s the basics for a mom to take care of herself so she can take care of everyone else in the family. I’ve talked about this book many times and it’s critical for moms to take care of themselves. For me, I tried to be better at SNEW but always fell short. It’s mandatory now because I’m certainly not as healthy as I need to be and my stress level is back again in a big way.

The plan here is to set small daily and weekly goals that are easy to meet. Like maybe starting at a cup of vegetables and at least two fruits each day, a glass of water every hour or at least every other hour, and exercise for 10 min each day. Small goals that should be easy to meet.

As I get a better taste for the healthier foods, it will hopefully crowd out the bad crap I don’t need but tend to rely on for emotional support. Yeah, you heard me right – cookies, candy, etc. are my best friends. What I really need is an actual friend but as that is highly unlikely, I’m going to need to rely on myself to keep moving forward. It’s not going to be easy, but I need to find that strength that I know is there.

So, just those two biggish goals for the month but I think they’re very doable as well. Nothing ventured is nothing gained. Or like in that quote in that Tinkerbell movie, “If I don’t do anything then nothing is going to happen, but if I do something then something might happen.” Or something like that (I can never find that one!) You get the idea.

Here’s to a new month and the second new year of 2023. Cheers!

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» September Beginnings » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

September Beginnings

September 2, 2023

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