Things have started to get crazy! Not only is Thanksgiving a week away (yikes!), but I got a new job, and have had some big projects to finish for school. But I am pleased to report that I love my new job, got a 100 on the 12 page research paper and website that I had to do for my English class, and have managed to lose a couple pounds while at it! I am definitely staying busy, but still finding a way to fit everything important in!
I have been so busy that Thanksgiving has really crept up on me this year. I love the holidays. Hate the cold, but Thanksgiving and Christmas make it worth it (ask me in January and I might tell you something different). I am so ready for holiday cooking (and eating!). It's a good thing that it's only a small part of the year or I might look like a stuffed turkey year round!
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for everything that we have! I know that sometimes we get so caught up in the food and Black Friday, but I wanted to take a moment to list a few of the many things that I am so thankful for.
A wonderful family
A mom and dad who support me and love me, big brothers and a big sister who are such great examples to me, a little brother who keeps us all smiling, and my little sister, who is my best friend.
My mother in law, father in law, and sister in law, who support us in everything we do.
My wonderful husband, who puts up with me at my best and my worst.
My 3 pups and 1 cat (and the 15 fosters we've had through the year).
I'm grateful to own a home with a big backyard that keeps us warm and dry.
I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to get an education.
I'm grateful for my 2 jobs and the opportunity to own my own business.
I'm grateful for a car.
I'm grateful for food to eat and clothes to wear.
I'm grateful for friends.
I'm grateful for my Savior and that he died for me.
I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father and the blessings that he continues to shower down on me.
I could go on and on all day!
I challenge you to keep the true spirit of Thanksgiving in your lives year round!
What are YOU Thankful for??
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
3 of the Scariest but Most Rewarding Things I Have Done
I am not a risk taker. I am about the farthest thing from it. I always play it safe and new things scare me. I am afraid to fail and afraid of things that I am not good at. I am starting a new job next week and while excited, have been reflecting on the past two years. In the past two years, I have done three things that scared me, or were very new experiences, but I could not be happier that I made the decision to jump in headfirst.
1. Marrying my wonderful husband. We have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, there's nobody who I would rather spend my time with (and tell my HILARIOUS jokes to). Thanks for putting up with me babe :)
2. Fostering cats, and an occasional puppy. I didn't tell my husband that I was bringing home a kitten that day, luckily he loved that first kitten. Since then, we have fostered 13 cats and 2 puppies. It is not easy. We have lost 4 kittens along the way, but we gave them their best chance at life. We have saved them from living and dying in a shelter, and have helped them find homes. If you have ever thought of fostering I would say definitely go for it! It is SO great!
3. Starting my own business. I am not an outgoing person. I have never sold things in my life. However, Shelf Reliance has helped me become more self-reliant. It has pushed me to become better. I have learned so much about myself. No, I am not a millionaire (yet!!) but I have no regret!
So there you have it. Not much today. Just some things that were on my mind.
Happy November! (Can I put up my Christmas tree yet?)
1. Marrying my wonderful husband. We have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, there's nobody who I would rather spend my time with (and tell my HILARIOUS jokes to). Thanks for putting up with me babe :)
2. Fostering cats, and an occasional puppy. I didn't tell my husband that I was bringing home a kitten that day, luckily he loved that first kitten. Since then, we have fostered 13 cats and 2 puppies. It is not easy. We have lost 4 kittens along the way, but we gave them their best chance at life. We have saved them from living and dying in a shelter, and have helped them find homes. If you have ever thought of fostering I would say definitely go for it! It is SO great!
3. Starting my own business. I am not an outgoing person. I have never sold things in my life. However, Shelf Reliance has helped me become more self-reliant. It has pushed me to become better. I have learned so much about myself. No, I am not a millionaire (yet!!) but I have no regret!
So there you have it. Not much today. Just some things that were on my mind.
Happy November! (Can I put up my Christmas tree yet?)
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Blessings of Being Prepared
With everything that has happened on the east coast with Hurricane Sandy, I am SO GRATEFUL that I have peace of mind knowing that I am prepared for an emergency.
I became a consultant with Shelf Reliance in February of this year. I had been married just over one year then, and our food storage consisted of 2 cans of rice. While I know that 2 cans of rice is better than nothing, it was still unsettling. Since I became a consultant with Shelf Reliance, I have been able to not only build my own home storage, but help others build their food storage, and make money doing it! I have much more than rice now. I have freeze dried fruits, vegetables, meat, pasta, and baking essentials in my home store.
Before I learned about Shelf Reliance, I thought that food storage was expensive, and that we couldn't afford it. Now, I build my home store slowly, a month at a time, without breaking the bank. It has even saved me money, because I always have food on hand that doesn't spoil. It saves me worry and trips to the grocery store. It has been such a blessing to know that we are prepared. Even though I live in New Mexico, and we are not usually hit with natural disasters, it is comforting to know that if my husband becomes sick or loses his job, that we have a large amount of food to eat. I do not have to worry about ever going hungry.
I am so proud that I took the jump and began to build my home store. It has blessed me in ways that I never anticipated.
If you would like more information on building your own home store and being prepared for emergencies, leave me a comment or shoot me an email at claireotero@gmail.com.
I became a consultant with Shelf Reliance in February of this year. I had been married just over one year then, and our food storage consisted of 2 cans of rice. While I know that 2 cans of rice is better than nothing, it was still unsettling. Since I became a consultant with Shelf Reliance, I have been able to not only build my own home storage, but help others build their food storage, and make money doing it! I have much more than rice now. I have freeze dried fruits, vegetables, meat, pasta, and baking essentials in my home store.
Before I learned about Shelf Reliance, I thought that food storage was expensive, and that we couldn't afford it. Now, I build my home store slowly, a month at a time, without breaking the bank. It has even saved me money, because I always have food on hand that doesn't spoil. It saves me worry and trips to the grocery store. It has been such a blessing to know that we are prepared. Even though I live in New Mexico, and we are not usually hit with natural disasters, it is comforting to know that if my husband becomes sick or loses his job, that we have a large amount of food to eat. I do not have to worry about ever going hungry.
I am so proud that I took the jump and began to build my home store. It has blessed me in ways that I never anticipated.
If you would like more information on building your own home store and being prepared for emergencies, leave me a comment or shoot me an email at claireotero@gmail.com.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
New Recipe Week #2
Holy cow! Someone from France, and another person from Germany viewed my blog! Thanks guys! :)
So here's some updates on my 21 to 21 list.
Miles Ran: a whopping 2.5. I promise I'll add to that tonight.
Volunteer hours at the shelter: 13.5
and that's about all the progress I've made.
My new recipe last week was Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats. I consider it a success, because my picky bulldog ate them. My husband even tried them, and said that with sugar they would be great! That recipe can be found here. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-pumpkin-dog-treats/
This weeks recipe is another pumpkin one (can you tell I love this time of year?).
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/10/cream-cheese-pumpkin-muffins.html
I can't wait to get home and make these bad boys tonight after I go to the gym. I know....going to the gym and making muffins should not be in the same sentence, but they balance out right? At least that's what I'm telling myself.
In other news, I did my first official dog rescue. I pulled a dwarf german shepherd (result of bad breeding) from the shelter and drove him to Albuqerque. And I got a flat tire at 2am 50 miles from home. SO an unofficial addition to my 21 list is learn how to change a tire.
Cheers! (I so wish I could pull off saying that in real life)
So here's some updates on my 21 to 21 list.
Miles Ran: a whopping 2.5. I promise I'll add to that tonight.
Volunteer hours at the shelter: 13.5
and that's about all the progress I've made.
My new recipe last week was Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats. I consider it a success, because my picky bulldog ate them. My husband even tried them, and said that with sugar they would be great! That recipe can be found here. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-pumpkin-dog-treats/
This weeks recipe is another pumpkin one (can you tell I love this time of year?).
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/10/cream-cheese-pumpkin-muffins.html
I can't wait to get home and make these bad boys tonight after I go to the gym. I know....going to the gym and making muffins should not be in the same sentence, but they balance out right? At least that's what I'm telling myself.
In other news, I did my first official dog rescue. I pulled a dwarf german shepherd (result of bad breeding) from the shelter and drove him to Albuqerque. And I got a flat tire at 2am 50 miles from home. SO an unofficial addition to my 21 list is learn how to change a tire.
Cheers! (I so wish I could pull off saying that in real life)
Thursday, October 11, 2012
21 to 21!
I recently turned 20 years old. And looking back and the last year, while I did a lot of good things, I want to be better. So I created a list of 21 things to do before I turn 21. These are things that I love doing and don't do enough, or have never done, and want to. Follow me on my journey to 21!
1. Volunteer 200 hours at the animal shelter.
2. Hike A Mountain 20 times.
3. Beat my 11:30 time in the Bataan Memorial March
4. Run 5 5k's.
5. Read 20 books (aka read all the books collecting dust on my bookshelf)
6. Try 5 new foods
7. Run 500 miles
8. Go to a pottery class
9. Learn more Spanish
10. Take dance lessons
11. Pay for a stranger's groceries/lunch/dinner
12. Learn to sew and sew one article of clothing
13. Try one new recipe a week
14. Take a cake decorating class
15. Run a half marathon.
16. Watch a foreign film.
17. Take a self-defense class.
18. Go camping at least 3 times.
19. Host at least two parties.
20. Read the entire Book of Mormon
21. Learn to drive a standard
I will keep you updated as I check things off my list!
1. Volunteer 200 hours at the animal shelter.
2. Hike A Mountain 20 times.
3. Beat my 11:30 time in the Bataan Memorial March
4. Run 5 5k's.
5. Read 20 books (aka read all the books collecting dust on my bookshelf)
6. Try 5 new foods
7. Run 500 miles
8. Go to a pottery class
9. Learn more Spanish
10. Take dance lessons
11. Pay for a stranger's groceries/lunch/dinner
12. Learn to sew and sew one article of clothing
13. Try one new recipe a week
14. Take a cake decorating class
15. Run a half marathon.
16. Watch a foreign film.
17. Take a self-defense class.
18. Go camping at least 3 times.
19. Host at least two parties.
20. Read the entire Book of Mormon
21. Learn to drive a standard
I will keep you updated as I check things off my list!
Introduction
My name is Claire. I live in the desert of New Mexico. I am a wife, full time student, "mom" to three dogs and two cats. I plan to go to Vet School after I graduate.
The title of this blog has a few meanings to me. First off, I firmly believe in improving myself and becoming better one day at a time. I want to thrive, and not just live. I am also a consultant for Shelf Reliance. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is a fabulous business. Our whole purpose is to help you to become prepared and self-reliant. We sell food, food shelves, and emergency supplies. I not only sell Shelf Reliance food, but I use it almost everyday in my life.
Through this blog, I plan to give you a look into my every day life. It's not always pretty, it's not always perfect, but I can promise that I give it my all. Come with me on my journey to bettering myself and thriving one day at a time!
The title of this blog has a few meanings to me. First off, I firmly believe in improving myself and becoming better one day at a time. I want to thrive, and not just live. I am also a consultant for Shelf Reliance. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is a fabulous business. Our whole purpose is to help you to become prepared and self-reliant. We sell food, food shelves, and emergency supplies. I not only sell Shelf Reliance food, but I use it almost everyday in my life.
Through this blog, I plan to give you a look into my every day life. It's not always pretty, it's not always perfect, but I can promise that I give it my all. Come with me on my journey to bettering myself and thriving one day at a time!
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