Month: July 2013

Today is My Birthday

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

young
Look at how cute of a kid I was!

Happy Birthday to me, happy Birthday to me!

Today I turned 27 years old young.

When I was a little kid I hated having a summer birthday.  Mainly because I could never have a party at school.  All the other students got to have an entire afternoon dedicated to them and we got to eat cupcakes in honor of their birthday.  I didn’t get any of that!  Teachers always said that they would host an end of the year birthday celebration for the kids with summer birthdays, but that never happened.  Ever.

As I’ve mentioned, I also always thought that the fireworks on the 4th of July were just for me.

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Fast forward fifteen years and my birthday was filled with booze, short dresses, and staying up all night.

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Fast forward five more years and I’m happy with a quiet night at home with J.   We spent the night at home, together with the dogs.  It was perfect.

This birthday was like any other day.  It started early with having to take Maggie to the groomers and Tiny to the vet for her “lady” surgery.  Then I headed into work.  The best part of it is that I took off work for tomorrow… the day after my birthday.

You know you’re growing up when you are responsible on your birthday and take the next day off work to care for your pup.

I am working on 27 things to do before I turn 28… that’ll be posted in the next few days.  It’s time to set some goals.

Oh and just one more time, Happy Birthday to me!

Cheers!

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A Night In My Hometown

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

A Night in my Hometown

I live in a small town outside of my college town and some times when I venture into town I see things/people that I don’t like or understand, but it’s my hometown.

 I’m going to tell you a story of my Friday night, well part of it that it is.  It all started when I tried to be a good fiance to J who had already clocked a 14 hour day with no end it sight.  So, I thought food.  That’s the way to any man’s heart, right?  I mean that’s what I was always told by family and it always seem to work.  It’s funny because the way to my heart is chocolate and that’s technically food, so I guess that’s the way to anyone’s heart – their favorite food.  

Anyway back to my hometown story…

My hometown doesn’t offer too many options for good food, so, I ordered some wings for J at a local pizza joint.  I went to pick them up and they weren’t ready so I grabbed a seat to wait.  In walks this man, I instantly got a weird vibe from him and hoped that he wouldn’t sit next to me to wait for his order.  Now, let me say that I am never that person.  I really can talk to anyone, but some people give me the creeps and this man was no exception.

He sat down and said hello.  I said hello back.  Then he starts making fun of one of the workers.  I wasn’t a fan of that so I just sat there nodding, which I guess that opened the door to more free conversation.  The next topic he decided to talk about was boobs.  Other women’s boobs …for about five minutes.  All I kept thinking was really, seriously?

Seriously?!?  Do I look like I am open to that type of conversation?  I don’t want to hear about how five years ago you got to see a girl who was probably 15 at the time that had ginormous boobs.

I just sat there with my fingers crossed and hoped that my order would be up and I could hear that magically words, “Meredith To Go.”  I may or may not have jumped up so fast that I almost face planted into the counter.

Oh it’s just another night in my hometown.  Got to love it!

Cheers!

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It is the 4th of July

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

happy4th

Hope everyone has a joyous 4th of July.

This holiday is my favorite. Possibly because my birthday is only 5 days away and when I was little I thought the fireworks were just for me. Self-absorbed much? Probably, but I’m okay with it.  Secretly I still think the fireworks on the 4th of July are just for me!

J and I have plans of grilling some food and drinking some beer in the backyard because that’s what we do! Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July!

Cheers!

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A tough subject: My Weight Loss

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

beforeandafter

As I sit here with my fingers on the keyboard the only thing I can is let out a heavy sigh, my weight loss is a tough subject for me.

  The subject of my weight is really, really difficult for me.  I’m sure it is for a lot of people and I hope that someone out there can relate.  Truthfully, I am scared to write this post, I need to set aside this fear that I have building in me with every keystroke and get down to it.  Enough stalling already.

My weight loss and weight gain is a sore subject.  I have never been this super fit girl, I was not athletic in school, and I love sweets.  Actually, I have an unhealthy relationship with sweets.  People laugh at me, but if I see sweets or know they are nearby it’s ALL I can think about.  The thought of a cookie in the kitchen will consume my mind.

Let me preface this with – I was never heavy in high school.  I maintained a good balance between running around with friends and having a Mom prepare dinner for me.  Then when I moved to college and started living in a place where I had a choice that is when the weight gain started.  I could choose between dorm food, the Taco Bell that was in walking distance or ordering a $5 large pizza; let’s face it, those are not good choices.  So, the weight gain started.  On May 4, 2010 I was the heaviest I had ever been and I had enough.  It was time to focus on my weight loss.  I stopped complaining and I stopped feeding my sadness with more bad food.  I joined Weight Watchers.  It just clicked and I loved the Weight Watchers program from the start!

In the next year I lost over 50 pounds.  50 pounds!  That’s crazy people!  Then the best thing happened I got offered a job to be a leader for Weight Watchers.  I was ecstatic about this opportunity to share my story with others and help them along their weight loss journey.  All was going great for a year and then I started slipping and the weight started creeping back on.  I finally quit my job at Weight Watchers convincing everyone that it was because of a new full-time job and I could not simply take off for 2 hours every Tuesday to lead my meeting.  In reality though it was because I had gained weight and was no longer at my goal.  I was/am ashamed about that fact, but I just could not stop the landslide.  I could not find the drive or motivation to track, get in my healthy guidelines or be active on a regular basis.  I do not know why my motivation was gone.

It just was.

weightloss2011

Now fast forward a few months and I am further away from my goal weight and my wedding is just 4 months away.  I’m sickened by my actions and my ability to let myself lose what I had worked so hard to gain.  Or is it gain what I had worked so hard to lose.

It’s time I do something about it… again.  I figured posting on here with pictures would really help my motivation.  I can do this again.   I know I can.  I know I can.

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So, here we go.  I will commit to tracking my food – all of it, every day.  I will attend Crossfit 3x a week because I really do love it and feel so good after I am done, I will stop saying the words “I’m fat” because that is doing absolutely nothing for my self-esteem.  I will replace those words with “I’m learning” and “I will be healthy.”  Finally, I will commit to a weekly roundup on le blog of what was successful and was not successful.

If you want to join me then please do.  I would love the company and we can support one another.  I know that I will not reach my goal within 4 months, but I will look damn good in my wedding dress.

I will not let tomorrow’s holiday or a weekend at the lake break my confidence or give me an excuse to slide a bit.  It’s going to be a good week and I will be proud of my accomplishments.

Cheers!

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DIY Repellent Spray for Flies

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

How would you like a DIY repellent spray for your outdoor space?

J and I are determined to use our backyard to the fullest this summer.  We love that it is fenced in, the patio is covered, and we especially love our new patio set.  That’s the icing on the cake!

Last week I talked about repelling flies in our backyard here. J and I have worked on another home DIY treatment to rid our backyard of flies.  A repellent spray for our patio furniture was what we were looking for.

Ingredients:

1) Pine-sol
2) Water
3) White Vinegar

In a spray bottle you want to mix 1 part Vinegar with 2 parts Pine-sol and 2 parts Water.  Spray this mixture onto the patio furniture.  I could instantly see how this spray was working.  And I liked it!

DIY Repellent Spray for Flies
DIY Repellent Spray for Flies

Then I got a little carried away … I started spraying the siding of our house.  It worked!  One downfall of using this spray is the smell.  It can be a bit overwhelming.  Mainly smells like pine-sol, but that’s not a smell that I want lingering around for a long time.

But overall I love, love, love this repellent spray!  I’m thinking that I will keep a bottle mixed and ready to go.

What products do you use around your home to repel flies?

Cheers!

[hupso]

What Being in a Sorority Taught Me

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

SororityLife

It always surprises me when people look at me astonished and blurt out some gibberish to the effect “You were a Sorority girl? No way!” and I respond nicely, but also grinding my teeth, “Yeah, I was a damn good sorority girl.”  When I’m shooting fireballs though my eyes at them.

I was a Sorority girl and if I want to get technical – I am still a Sorority girl.  I’m an Alumna of a Sorority and will always consider myself a Sorority girl.   I wasn’t the typical college student.  I started at a community college that was less than 5 minutes from my parents’ house.  I worked at a local office supply store and thought that my life was so hard.

After my freshman year I decided it was time to move on.  I applied, got accepted and moved to Springfield to attend Missouri State University.  My parents only had one rule – join a sorority.  It didn’t matter which sorority, I just had to find one that I clicked with.  So, I did.  I found one, I joined, and never looked back.

MySororityLife

People think I’m crazy when I say that my parents made me become a Sorority girl, but they had their reasons, which I’ll get to in a bit.  I learned some pretty great things during those years.  For instance:

–       I learned the ability to hold a conversation with just about anyone and not sound like a moron.  Through recruitment, social gatherings, and …. I learned how to talk to people that weren’t from a small town in Southeast Missouri.

–       I learned how to dress like an adult.  When you live with 60 other women there is going to be a time when you walk out of your room and someone goes “No, no way.  Turn back and try again.”  The first time it happened I was a little stunned, but in all honesty – she was right.

–       One of the most important things I learned, which is why my parents wanted me to join a Sorority was how not to be so awkward.  That’s right, yours truly was one awkward, introverted girl.  I was shy.  Painfully shy.  The kind of shy that the thought of talking to another living being that I didn’t know since the age of six made me sweat.

–       I learned some serious networking skills.

–       Learned how to live with all different types of people.  Literally living with them.  It was an adjustment, but it was a great lesson.  Let’s face it, we all work with, live with, and have to deal with people every single day.  If I can live in a house with 60 other girls and still be friends with them at the end of it then I can handle any other environment.

–       I learned how to have fun while being successful.  At my college the Greek student body had a higher cumulative GPA then the remaining student body.  At the end of the day there was someone in that house that had taken the class, had a friend that took the class, or was currently in the class.  It made studying so much more beneficial.

Sorority is not for everyone.  I’m not saying that it is.  I have a lot of friends in my life that were not in a Sorority and they are successful. It’s hard to imagine what type of adult I would be without the years I spent in college traipsing around Missouri State with letters on my clothes.  These lessons are my own.