Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

Thanks to everyone who commented on yesterday's Free Soda post...I'm glad Shaun and I aren't the only ones who thought this was just a little strange. And no, we did not drink the soda.

It's so fitting that I woke up this morning to dreary rain. It's like Mother Nature's way of saying that summer is over....move on! Especially since it hardly rained at all this summer. Today, as if on cue, it's dark out and fairly miserable looking!

Today I feel both excited and slightly daunted. So many things I've been putting off until after Labor Day. Organizing the mess under my bathroom sink? I'll get to it after Labor Day. Cleaning out my closet of clothing I haven't worn in 2+ years? After Labor Day. Those 10 pounds I've been trying to lose? Definitely after Labor Day. And now the time has come to get it all done! Here's what's on my list to get back into the swing of things.

Get back on track to healthy eating.

The summer has meant essentially eating whatever I've wanted over the last couple of months and I've got the tight clothes to prove it. Post-Labor day means back to salads, lots of veggie packed meals and snacks and light dinners...with less cupcakes.

Get back to cutting down on our grocery bill.

Since I've been eating whatever I've wanted over the last bunch of months, I've also been doing less meal planning and therefore less money saving at the grocery store. It's time to get back on track. Healthy eating + meal planning = more money in my pocket.

Start saving some money.

It's been an expensive bunch of months for us. We've traveled like it's nobody's business. We've had weddings, birthdays, parties, dinners out. I've thought nothing of buying breakfast every single morning for the last few weeks (remember those 10 pounds?). With holidays approaching and in the interest of building our savings account, it's time to go a little back to basics with less spending. It's been fun.

Spending more time at home.

During the summer, we're all over the place. Even on weeknights, you can find me Zumba'ing, having lots of dinners and drinks with friends and attending all sorts of other things. I end up exhausted before the busy weekend even starts. Add in blogging and I end up with 6 hours of sleep per night, which is simply not enough for me. Not to mention my lack of gym time. It's time to cut back. This also falls into the losing weight and saving money categories. Of course, I still want to see all of my friends (and I will) but I just won't be out multiple nights during the week for a while.

Getting back to the gym.

Ack, I hate this one. I've let myself get so out of shape that the thought of returning to the gym is truly a daunting thought. Where do I even begin? In the spring, I ran 2 5K's and was so proud of myself. I need to get back to that place. More time at home also equals more time for the gym - a necessary point in my life right now.

Getting organized around the house.

My living room inspiration

I've mentioned that I'm working on decorating our apartment. Yesterday, Shaun and I got our new mattress and picked up paint swatches. Lighting shopping didn't go as well as planned but I at least got some ideas. Now that summer is passed, we have no excuse not to get our place done and decorated. And I'm excited about it! I also want to organize things, like my clothes, shoes and my under the bathroom cabinet mess. I'm ready to tackle it all.

So that's where my head's at this morning. I'm excited, slightly daunted, but ready to press on. Fall, here I come!

Questions of the Day:

How are you feeling on the first post-Summer day? I know it's not officially post-summer, but it feels like it to me!

Are you implementing any changes in your life this Fall?

How was your Labor Day weekend?

Comments

[Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean]

i need to get back on track with menu planning also! i definitely fell off the boat!

[Kimberly]

i'm thinking I have post labor day, pre-holiday resolutions! just like the new year, I have things, i need to tackle before, ahem, the new year.

[emily (a nutritionist eats)]

I love the transition from summer to fall - summer is way to hectic and busy for me and I feel like a crazy woman. :)
Fall means more down time, more crock-pot cooking/football afternoons and this fall in particularly, some pretty big life changes - I'm ready!

[Lauren]

Yeah, it's amazing what a little planning can do for your wallet! And, good for you for doing 2-5k's! It won't take you long to get up to that distance again!

[sophia]

Urgh, I've spent so much money too eating out and just buying unnecessary groceries. Definitely need to cut back on the groceries, though I kind of need to eat out often for my newspaper column. I can't wait for the weather to cool down a bit too, so that I can start running again. Best of luck with your goals though!

[Lauren at Keep It Sweet]

I also need to get back to meal planning and my normal healthy eating! I've been eating out way too much and not as balanced as I'd like. I like that Labor Day is an excuse to start fresh, even if I'm not going back to school anymore:-)