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Hi Dolls,
I truly intended to get this post out yesterday but life came up. In a good way. I enjoyed breakfast with Lorena, my former library assistant, a forever friend. It was a Bon voyage breakfast because she is leaving for Idaho tomorrow to begin a brand-new chapter of her life.
Lorena first walked into my life when she came to volunteer at crazy Moye, the elementary school where I was a librarian. I was able to get her into a program through the Institute for Museum and Library Services so she would be paid for helping me in the library and then our former principal hired Lorena full-time to work as my assistant. Her position was dissolved by the district in fall 2013; I retired that December and she resigned in January 2014. We have stayed in touch and enjoyed breakfast about once a month ever since. Lorena introduced me to The Mustard Seed where she began volunteering after leaving Moye. I have joined her there a couple of times. Read more about The Mustard Seed here.
I will miss Lorena very much but I know we will see each other again.
Love you, Lorena!!
Turns out that Deena at From Shoes to Shiraz is doing her numbers blog post for May and invited the Style Me Bloggers to link-up with her tomorrow. So, it is a good thing that life kept me from getting this post out yesterday. I would have missed the opportunity to link up with the gals.
Let’s do some blog math!
In May, Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After had:
- 2,003 page views
- 1,396 unique visits
- 1,076 first time visits
- 320 return visits
As I predicted in April, my numbers are down this month. Dad gum it. You can take a look at last month’s numbers here. The Style Me Bloggers had a give-away in April which gave my numbers a great boost. Thank goodness, we have another give-away planned for June. Hope my numbers will rally.
Now how did I do toward meeting my Rediscover ME goals this month? I am not sure myself. Let’s take a peek.
Quality of Life goals:
1. I read two books this month. Even that number is down from last month.
I read The Lecture by Randy Pausch. It was the poignant memoir of a professor at Carnegie Mellon University written in the last months of his life after receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The book is co-authored by Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey Fox and is based on Pausch’s last lecture at Carnegie Mellon given on September 18, 2007 entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. I’ll save my review of the book for a Title Talk blog post. I just realized how behind I am in writing book reviews so will concentrate on catching up on them over the next week or two.
My second book was a beautiful version of the Cinderella fairy tale, Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Julie Paschkis. I discovered this book while subbing at a high school, YUP, a high school! Yay, El Paso High librarians for having a wonderful collection of folktales in the 398.2 section of their nonfiction collection. For now, let me just say delicious.
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2. I did write almost everyday.
Most of my writing was in the form of blog posts, seventeen this month. Finally, a category where the number is higher than last month. YES!
I also wrote in my prayer/grateful journal. Albeit only once.
3. Tried very hard to continue enjoying devotional time at least five days a week.
I enjoyed looking up the Bible verses referenced for each day in Jesus Calling on the website Bible Gateway. You can check it out here. It provides Scripture in a large number of translations and languages.
4. I participated in life more and Internet-ed less.
I worked nine days. Which translates into a little over $500. Granted, I am not going to get rich working as a sub but I enjoy it. I worked in two high schools, one middle school, and two elementary schools. Here are pictures from each of those schools.
I have taken lots of pictures of the faculty bathrooms at the various campuses where I have subbed but at the last school where I worked, I wasn’t sure where the teachers’ bathroom was. When I posted this last picture above from Lee Elementary, my buddy Dolores asked where the picture was from the Lee faculty bathroom. I had to confess that I didn’t know where the faculty bathroom was at Lee! But I found out the next day.
We had a very nice Memorial Day weekend with a quick trip up the road to Las Cruces, New Mexico for the Southern New Mexico wine fest.
Hiked the Soledad Canyon area for a total of 8,000+ steps (got off the trail and meandered up the mountain blazing our own trail), pool time at Staybridge Suites, Italian for dinner, wine fest on Sunday.
5. Save $20 from each paycheck and my allotted amount for my Christmas fund.
I was really doing great on this but overspent during May and dipped into my savings. I have repaid it back now, I promise!
Will try to control my spending a little better this month.
Bare in mind, though, that the shopping list for the Summer 2015 Style Me Challenge will be released on Friday. Enough said.
We needed cash a couple of times during the month, so I borrowed from my Christmas fund. Paying it back now.
Self-Care/Appearance goals: (I did better in May)
1. Exercise 4-5 times a week, 30-45 minutes each, using weights twice a week.
I found a two running challenges and have been doing the 30-Day Beginner’s Running Challenge at our neighborhood park. I got up through Day 8 and then had my colonoscopy and kind of fell off track. Starting up again tonight.
I have also been doing 10-minute ab and arm workouts through Fitness Blender.
And using my FitBit to try to walk 10,000 steps every day. (The day of our Memorial Weekend hike, I walked/wandered/meandered 16,000 steps)
PC and I have been going to the gym in the morning before work. We get there by 6:30 am and leave shortly after 7:00 am for a quick 30-minute workout.
2. Get one mani/pedi a month.
Had a pedi that lasted all month!
3. Get one facial/massage a month.
Had a facial and wrote about it here.
4. Whiten teeth.
Eh, not so much. Maybe twice?
5. Swim 3 times a month for 45 minutes.
I only swam one time, unless dunking my head in the hot tub counts as swimming. Will do better now that school is (almost) out.
Healthy Living/Wellness goals: (Better than April but not great)
1. Drink 64 ounces of water, take vitamins everyday, walk 10,000 steps.
Yup, yup and yup…most days.
2. Drink less alcohol.
Before you get the wrong idea, I don’t drink much at all. But I want to drink less. It is sooo high in empty calories! And not too good for you, I know. So limiting myself to maybe one beer or glass of wine a week.
3. Sweets on Saturday.
Did well at this. The only real sweets I have had are chocolate kisses and the occasional cookie.
These fruit thins are only 150 calories for 3 cookies, or one Weight Watcher point each.
4. Floss.
Not sure why this is a problem for me but it is. I just don’t think to do it. I brush my teeth at least twice a day but can’t remember to floss.
No excuses, just forgetful.
5. Portion control, no seconds.
Beginning to do better here. Ate only half of my burrito at Casita Linda’s last Saturday night. Ate the other half on Sunday.
Personal Growth/Relationships goals:
1. Make PC my focus, my numero uno.
I think this is coming along nicely. I am trying hard to keep from talking on the phone when he is home. Have attended at least one of his baseball games each month.
2. Listen to Bren and Lauren.
Tough one. I want to always offer my two cents worth of advice. I need to get better at just listening.
3. Skype with Cady Coo.
Didn’t Skype at all with that angel. Zip. Zero. Nunca.
The kids’ lives are kind of upside-down right now.
Hope things settle down for them soon and hope I can start doing this regularly in June.
(That rhymes!)
4. Plan dates and be more spontaneous with PC.
At my suggestion, we attended the opening of the “Reflections of Generosity” art exhibit at the Chamizal National Monument art gallery. Reflections of Generosity is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping soldiers and veterans deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and acclimate to society after deployment. Visit the RoG Facebook page here and check out some photos I took at a face-casting party for a coming display. You can read more about the gallery here.
Oh, and I planned the trip over Memorial Day weekend. Have some plans in the works for June, too.
Other numbers for the month of May include the views to my Pinterest pins and boards.
Impressions from Last 30 days : the views your Pins get on Pinterest.
Avg. daily impressions
14,444
+5.68%
Avg. daily viewers
10,330
+2.72%
AND
As of May 31, I had 179 likes to the blog’s Facebook page. Would love for you to like my page, too! Click here.
AND
As of May 31, there are 64 folks following my blog on Bloglovin’. You can, too. Just click here.
Overall, I think May’s number were better than April’s. I am movin’ on up! But all of those numbers are making me dizzy again. Time to set this aside before I fry my little brain.
Hope you will follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin‘, Polyvore, and Goodreads. Please leave me a comment below just to let me know you stopped by. So glad you did!
Hugs and kisses,
Sarah @ Foxy's Domestic Side
Oh my gosh, I love this post! So much to comment on I have to scroll back to remember what I thought when I read it. The floss thing, just do it! Keep the floss out by your toothbrush, if you do it for a month straight it starts to feel weird when you don’t do it. Baby is crying, have to go, but I’ll end with, I love seeing you post picture of where you’re working or at. Love it! Keep posting them.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Sweet Sarah, thank you for this message. You will be proud to know that I moved the floss out of the drawer and next to my toothbrush container and guess what? Miracle of miracles, I have flossed three days in a row. My teeth and gums have never been cleaner! I need a graphic tee with a picture of a container of mint flavored floss and the words “Just Do It!” Thank you for commenting on the pics from the schools where I work. One of my friend’s here in El Paso, Dolores, loves the faculty bathroom shots. Guess I will start up again with those pics when school begins in the fall. XO
Carrie
Leslie, you are also detailed and I find out so much about you with each post. I really love that about your blog!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Carrie. It might be that I am detailed or it might be that I don’t know when to be quiet!! Can’t wait to see what you, Lana and Deena post about your time together.
deena
I could repeat what carrie and sarah just said. I’m bad with the floss too….it’s a struggle every single night.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I have flossed for three days in a row. Three days. It is going to snow! Miracles never cease. Thank you for your encouragement.
Sharon
Busy Bee friend! You are forever my hero! Love you!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You are my hero, amazing Minnie! Hope you continue to be able to help and enjoy those little ones. I know J and A are thankful for YOU! Love you!
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Goodness, you work out A LOT! I was being so good about it, doing 3-4 runs a week and then I worked out my upper body 2 days a week… but, the last 2 weeks have been so busy and I haven’t gotten my usual 17 miles in per week. Oh well, I have plans to start back up next week. It is just hard when there is so much going on at school right before the kids get out. I love this post, so detailed! I also have a prayer journal and I try to write in it Mon.-Fri. I also love how you share your blog #’s. I keep mine on my advertising page for potential companies wanting to collaborate and I try to update it once a month, but sometimes I forget and it only gets updated every 2-3 months! :O But, I need to keep track of it each month to see if it grows or doesn’t grow, I haven’t done that.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Carrie, join in when we do the numbers, month in review at the beginning of July, want to? Would love to have you join us. I need to write in my prayer journal/gratitude journal more often because I think it can be one of the best devotional exercises a person can do. Thank you for getting back to me in an email about doing a link-up on working out, running, tips, activewear this fall. Let’s plan on it! So glad to have found you and your blog.
Cathy crandall
Hello-so enjoying your posts-keep up the great work!!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, you sweet thing, to leave me a message. So glad you are coming by the blog and finding something you enjoy among my ramblings. I assume from your email address that you like to scrap book, possibly? Do you blog, too? Please tell me more about you. Maybe we can figure out something to do together around scrapbooking. Thank you for your support.
Cathy crandall
Hello! Thanks for responding! I’m so pleasantly surprised. Yes I do enjoy scrapbooking for a hobby but to be honest with you since I got my iPad mini about 18 months ago I really haven’t been doing it nearly as much as I used to. I would love to have my own blog but for now I just got started in the blogging world this past week. I responded to a blog called the oatmeal artist.com and on Monday night I became the enthusiast for this month! It was so exciting to be on her blog!!! Wish I could have visited with you a couple weeks ago when I went to TX for my first time but it was for my hubby’s iron man competition so not much time for anything else. I love what your former job was! I really enjoy your monthly goals cuz a lot of them are my same ones too! So glad to have found u!! Bye, Cathy C.