It's a new day

Good morning to you!

A week into January, I'm feeling motivated to make some big changes. I suppose I'm a new year band wagoner given my goals include, quitting smoking, a diet change toward a more paleo lifestyle, and saving money.

Saving money. *Actually* saving money. Making a conscious effort to spend less and put money away. My husband and I have both been working since were 18 years old and have not saved a dime. Granted I stopped working outside the home almost 4 years ago when I was pregnant with my son. Our goal is to get out of debt and/or buy a house within the next year. Some of our best friends bought their first home last year and it really put a fire in my heart to have that for myself. I'll go into my money saving plans in another post.

I received the Paleo for Beginners book a few days ago in the mail. It has a lot of good information about the lifestyle plus 150 recipes. I haven't read all the recipes yet, but so far I'm loving it. I started learning about the Paleo diet a few years ago from my sister-in-law who majored in dietetics.  I've always been prone to a more plant based diet, and this provides even more focus on that. I've got the veggie thing down, but I'm heading into a realm where processed foods don't exist in my kitchen. Grains, sugar, dairy. Dairy will be the hardest.  I love cheese, milk, butter,  sour cream, half and half in my coffee... Ahhhhh so delicious. Bread will be easier, I'm not a huge fan. My husband, on the other hand, crazy for bread. You can read more about the book and purchase it here.  

Smoking. I've been smoking on and off since I was a teenager. A long time. I'm writing this with my nicotine patch on my back. Kind of craving a cigarette.  I've had it on about an hour and a half. It itched and burned for the first 20 minutes or so, but that has subsided. I've used the gum before, but I think I need a steady stream of nicotine to keep my physical cravings in check. My main motivator for quitting is that house I'm dreaming of. It's a necessary financial cut.

We'll see how today goes...