My first thought when I decided I wanted to work was just to have a little more money to not always be strapped at Christmas time. I started with subbing in schools, mostly as an Educational Assistant, and I had to take open jobs that still let me pick up my disabled dd (all 3 kids were still in school that year; 2 graduated at the end of it). So this was not very many hours for not very much money!! But the hundreds in each paycheck did indeed help fund Christmas. And it helped me to see that I wanted regular employment. Next job was in the district as an EA, not a sub. Benefits included, but still really low pay. But an opportunity to do what I love (help kids with math) and to re-learn teaching in a much more high-tech era. After 3 years of that, I moved up to a teaching position and my salary more than doubled. And I can contribute the way I want to contribute to our family needs. Dh has always done a good job with long term goals like college and retirement. But I can sock away money to help dds launch, like savings for a first (used) car. And I have a lot more satisfaction with my life than if I was home doing nothing. So I would say not to worry or even think about the tax part of it. You don't make enough to have to pay tax--it's your dh's income that requires tax payments! And just think of it instead as an opportunity for YOU to learn and grow and make a contribution to the world.

I'm enjoying my 3-day weekend. Got the full 30 min on the treadmill yesterday (plus some walking around while Christmas shopping--no school). Today I did a 25-min yoga with Kassandra and it was good. I think I like her as much as Adriene.

In our town, we pay for trash service and we can choose what size "landfill" container we have. We've always managed with the smallest landfill container. I think all of the recycling and yard waste bins are the same size (bigger than the landfill container). But anyway, anything we put out on the curb has to be in one of those containers--not loose. We have managed to cut up old fence boards or broken sprinkler pipes and dispose of them that way, sometimes slowly over several weeks. You can also pay more for a one-time drop-off of a dumpster if you're doing a huge clean-up project. Trash is put out the night before per our neighborhood CCR's. If you put it out too early or leave it out you get a nasty gram.

15 min dumbbell arm workout this morning.

Just 15 min on treadmill this morning. Did not sleep well in the middle of the night so I didn't wake up until my alarm.

Bodyweight circuit x2 and a Kassandra 10 min yoga stretch for hips and low back. Maybe a short walk with dd this afternoon if I can get there before dark (time change effect).

Praying for him and for you.

I got my Covid booster Friday afternoon and spent Saturday in serial naps on the sofa feeling pretty much the same as a light flu. Better on Sunday. No exercise this weekend. 30 min on the treadmill this morning and I've lost two pounds gained from stress eating after 1 week of deliberately eating 5 servings of fruits/veggies each day and almost a week of no sweets.

I think I'm mostly hitting. my easier goal of 5 servings a day. It is definitely taking some thought and planning in the morning and I've had a couple of 9:00pm "snacks" of salad or apple. But now I'm out of grapes and that's one of my reliable servings! I think I'll try to hit Trader Joe's after work.

I would explain right now that real live penguins need to live in Antarctica.

You're actually the second case I've heard of with someone recently re-vaccinated who came down with Covid. My bookclub friend I think was only a week or two post-booster, but she had also had Covid in May (and now 3 times in 13 months).

@DawnM When is your expected move-in date for the new house?

We finally had vaccine in town on a Friday! Dh, dd, and I all got shots yesterday afternoon. During the night my arm started getting sore and I had chills. Expecting to spend today mostly on the sofa. The other two aren't up yet.

30 min on treadmill this morning. Covid shot this afternoon--planning on getting my Saturday chores done today (no school--conference recovery day). Planning to lie feverish on the sofa tomorrow. Maybe this time will be different...

I ended up eating my salad at about 9:00 last night (5th and final serving for the day). Today I have parent/teacher conferences and parent association provides our lunch. I'll have fruit in my oatmeal this morning and I'll bring grapes and an apple for snacks during the day. Will have a taco salad for dinner, so I think I'm fine if parents bring some kind of salad or something as one of the choices for lunch.

20 min fitbymik dumbbell workout. Long day of conferences today--hopefully I'll get enough moving around to close the exercise ring. Last night was easy. Between the heavy rain, soccer playoff game, and choir concert, there weren't that many people there. I mostly had parents of students who were doing fine--easy conversations. We'll see what today brings. Oh, and I was able to find appointments for Covid shots in town on Friday (I have the day off and can recover from the shot by Monday). I made appointments for me and dd for the afternoon and I cancelled the appointments I had made in another town.

I definitely do the house lights sometime in November as I have more days off from school. Veteran's Day works well. But I don't start turning them on yet. This year I'm planning to buy a new artificial tree sometime this month and I will just set it up when I get it and probably decorate it before T-day. This is the first year one of our dds won't be home for Christmas day (but will be here several days later I think), so I don't mind having a little Christmas stuff out early. And she can help with the decorating over T-day weekend.

Usually 1 drink--my morning mocha which is 1.25 cups heated milk with a Starbuck's Via instant coffee mixed in and a scant 2 Tbs Torani sugar free dark chocolate sauce. It is good for my mental health for sure! There will be days when there is a cup of tea in the afternoon or evening, but not many.

Thanks for getting us started Laura. Well, I need some eating goals for November. The stress eating must stop. I'm trying the 800g challenge but modifying it to just be 5 servings a day of fruits/veggies. I've probably been getting about 3 most days. It helps just to have a goal and think at the beginning of the day: how do I get 5 today? What do I pack for lunch? Also I am planning to do no sweets between now and Thanksgiving, but that's only 3 weeks. No more ice cream in the house. Today is the start of parent conferences. We work 4:00-8:00 tonight for the after-work parents and the rest of the day is ours to manage (but of course another 4 hours of prep/grading in there). Then daytime conferences tomorrow. I'm having a nice slow morning and will go into work around noon. So I got my full 30 minutes of treadmill this morning--I do need to work on getting the full 30 min each day.

Just 15 min on treadmill yesterday, but full workout this morning: bodyweight circuit x2 and 10 min yoga stretch with Kassandra. She's a good fit for Tuesday morning 10 min yoga session.

I know I need to do more veggies, but fruit is easier for lunch. My yogurt parfait will be more fruit than yogurt--I'm bringing both peaches and blueberries from the freezer. Apple for snack after school, 1 serving fruit in oatmeal this morning and enough lettuce and tomatoes on my tostada tonight to count for the 5th. And I do see how focusing on getting more of what I need helps me eat less of the comfort food I've been reaching for in high stress times.

Sour Patch Kids and Skittles will be gone first--they seem to be most popular with the kids. I'm hoping for leftover Snickers for myself.

Two slices or two pies?

I took the time to make a nice salad for lunch. I'm going for 5 servings fruits and veggies and count that as two--one for the romaine, one for the tomatoes/red pepper/cucumber. And I have an apple too--probably afternoon snack. Breakfast is always good for one serving fruit since I make my baked oatmeal with enough blueberries, apple, and applesauce to count for a fruit serving every day. That leaves just one serving for dinner which I should be able to hit even though I don't know what dinner is yet.

I'll join but modify to eating 5 servings daily. I would love to just hit this goal as I'm not right now, and I don't want to stress about getting more than that.