Lent

Hello, hello again, everyone! Can you believe it’s already March?! Is it just me who feels like 2017 is moving ahead at lightning speed?

Anyway, I was originally planning on making this a March goals sort of post, but to be honest I haven’t had time to set any goals because I’ve been too busy eating birthday cake. Lol. It sounds funny but it’s true.

mrspcuyugan birthday — A thoughtful surprise on the morning of my birthday, a fun day spent watching movies at home, dimsum all you can, two birthday cakes, and crinkles and brownies from Becky’s Kitchen. I could not ask for more on my 34th birthday.

So anyway, I find it serendipitous, that the first of March and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day. And so all of a sudden I know what I need to do.

I usually give up some sort of food item during Lent because, well, I love to eat. But this year, I want to do something different. I’ve been learning to live more intentionally, and be more mindful about how I spend my time, the things I have, and the things I do.

I know for sure that this benefits me, and my household, too. It’s helped us learn to enjoy the little things, and each others’ company. It has helped keep clutter at bay at home (though we honestly still have a long way to go as far as managing clutter is concerned). It allows us to waste less, and also spend less, which is always a good thing.

Mindfulness means understanding that the best things in life really are free. Like this super thoughtful gift that I received from a good friend a decade ago – A book she cherished, passed on to me.

So, for March and for Lent, I feel like I have the opportunity to take the whole mindfulness idea a step further by making this a no-spend month. This basically means that I won’t be spending on anything unnecessary or luxurious.

It means no buying of junk food or takeout meals. It means no shopping for things we don’t really need. It means finding ways for us to spend quality time together as a family without spending anything. It sounds like a real challenge, but it also sounds like a potentially fun undertaking.

I don’t know how big of a sacrifice this whole idea of not spending really is, truth be told. But I do know that it presents a good learning opportunity, not just for me but also for my family. I’m excited to discover how we will choose to spend our time together, and how I will choose to spend my own personal time as well.

I’m up for the challenge of making do with what we have, too. I plan on only spending for what is necessary – food, gasoline, our house payments, credit card payments, and tuition – for a month and a half, until Lent is over. And maybe even beyond that, who knows?

Take note, I am assuming MrC will be on-board with the while thing, because he is usually supportive of me and my crazy ideas. Lol.

Oh, I do have one exception. I have yet to go and buy my parents’ birthday gift to me (I have the money and I know what I want, I just need to go and do it,) and won’t get to do that until this weekend. It could count as something necessary, technically, because it involves our drinking water, but I’ll count it as an exception either way. I’m excited for this, and can’t wait to write about it once it’s here.

Something Blue. Once a week we have drinking water delivered in these blue plastic bottles. Eventually, I hope that we will be able to have a filtration system installed at home so we can stop getting water from the store. I can’t help but worry sometimes about how clean the bottles and the water actually are, though fortunately we’ve never had a problem with this supplier. Do you guys order water? Where from? If you have a filtration system at home, how is that working out for you? #kwentooftheday #fmsphotoaday #fmspad #fms_somethingblue #photoaday #picoftheday #aquabest #athomewithmrsc

A post shared by Patricia 🌸 At Home With MrsC (@mrspcuyugan) on Mar 1, 2017 at 12:59am PST

And that’s what’s up ahead for me this March, and for Lent. Wish me luck? And follow along on Instagram to see what I’m up to? 🙂

So make me kwento. What are your goals for March? And what are you giving up for Lent?

Yes, people of the world, you read that one right. I made a bet with my grandmother. It happened over lunch at her house on my birthday. We were joking about my weight, like we always do, with her telling me that I’m pretty but unfortunately I’m chunky, and me saying that, well, it would be difficult if I were perfect, in response. This is a dialogue that she and I have each time we see each other, without fail. I think she’s been on my case about my chubby bunny-ness for over a decade now.

Here’s a 2010 photo I took of my lola with my equally beautiful mom

Now, just so you know, my grandmother had movie star looks when she was younger. Even now, when you see her, you’d say she’s really pretty for an old lady. She’s one of those people who really takes care to look her best, and I suppose that’s why she bugs me about the way I look. I think maybe she feels that I’ve let go after having a kid and getting married.

The bet.

I honestly can’t remember how our kidding led to this bet. All I remember was her saying that she doesn’t think I can lose the weight any more, and me asking if she’d like to bet on it. Much to my surprise, she said yes. I asked what she’d give me if I won and she said anything I want. Of course, I said a house. An she laughed and said she’s confident enough to say okay coz she’s pretty sure I can no longer go back to being my thinner self. Note that I said “my thinner self” and not “thin”, because I never was thin. I was born chunky, and that’s why I don’t really have extreme insecurities as far as my weight goes.

Amid a lot of laughter, we decided that this bet was on. I know I won’t really be asking her for a house if I make it. But that little competitive side of me won’t stop bugging me to go for it just to show her that I can do it. I suppose I’d like to show myself that I can too, even just a little bit.

Diet? What diet?

Funny how, as I was telling MrC this story, he told me that I never really took any of these diet or exercise commitments I’ve made seriously. I never saw it as that. But of course, now that I’m looking back, I do see the halfheartedness that led to countless weight loss and wellness goals that remain unfulfilled. I’m talking about this and this and this and this and this and this. And those are just the ones that I blogged about, so you get what I mean when I say countless, right? Ugh. I think I might have too much self-love for my own good sometimes. How am I ever going to win this bet?

The good news is I actually have an instant jump start now that Lent is here. Yes, my Lenten sacrifices often involve food,simply because food is something I love. So each year, I try to go the whole 40 days without a certain something. A couple of years ago I gave up coffee. Most of the time I give up meat with feet. This year’s Lenten commitment for me is no white rice, no white bread, and no meat with feet. And I have to do it for a month and a week, so that should be enough time for me to get used to the switch.

For good.

I am actually planning to permanently shift to wheat bread and brown rice. This is something that’s easy enough for me to manage without affecting the meal planning for the rest of our household, whose members only eat the white stuff. As for giving up meat with feet completely, I don’t think I can or want to do that just yet. But let’s see. I read somewhere that the reason why Jared Leto‘s hair is so fab is because he’s vegan, and believe me, I want fab hair like his too. But right now, life without ever having a steak again doesn’t sound to me like a very happy life. But still, let’s see. Oh and yes, I really had to mention Jared Leto, who was my Mr Dream Boy during his My So Called Life days, was resurrected as my Mr Dream Boy when I first discovered 30 Seconds to Mars, and is now officially my Mr Dream Boy forever after this year’s awards show season. *Insert dreamy sigh here*

Guys, seriously, I want to win this bet. Cheer me on, send me some tips, or whatever, in the comments. I can do this. Yes, I can.

No Spend March

I Made A Bet With My Grandmother

The bet.

Diet? What diet?

For good.