Always the Planner

January Goal Update

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:12:00 +0000

My monthly goals in January were to practice yoga at least five times a week, mediate every day, begin to learn photoshop, reteach myself the flute and pick up another tutoring student.

I have to say I did not do well. I was well on my way to practicing yoga five times a week. However, what I forgot when I made that goal was that towards the end of the medications I ease back from exercise since my stomach region is a bit bloated. Plus after the retrieval I need about three days until the cramps go away. So, while I did not technically meet this goal I did meet the spirit of it. I wanted to develop a yoga practice and I did. I returned to yoga as soon as I could and I missed it dearly when I wasn't going.

I can happily say I mediated almost every day of January. I missed a few days towards the end of the month. It is really amazing. Emotionally I can tell when I haven't meditated for a few days. I am in a much better place when I give myself those 20 quiet minutes. I'm still doing the guided meditations, but hopefully one day I will be able to get to that place without the help.

Learn photoshop, the flute and tutoring were all fails. To be honest I didn't even try with photoshop - though I do really want to learn. I had a hard time finding good free videos with the flute and decided that if anything I want to relearn the piano. I did respond to a number of tutoring jobs, but sadly none of them cam through.

Even though I did not meet my months it was a good month. I had my best yet IVF, I felt really good, calm and healthy, and my volunteering picked up again. So far...2013 is already better than 2012.

Disappointment

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:08:00 +0000

Sometimes it is hard when a friend or family member gives birth. It isn't hard because I'm jealous, even though a small part of me always is. It isn't hard because I'm bitter, angry, or even sad.

It can be hard because I remember when I found out they were pregnant and I thought - oh by the time they have their babies I will be pregnant. And then, they have their babies and I'm still in the same position as before. It can be easy to ignore the time as the months go by. It is the births that remind me how long this process has been. Long and disappointing.

It is important to acknowledge your feelings and then let them go. So here I am, acknowledging my disappointment. And there I am, taking a deep breath, and letting it go. Onward and Upwards.

Book Review: A Better You by Tahnya Kristina

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:00:00 +0000

A Better You by Tahnya Kristina is a book about motivation. Each chapter tells a story about her life and gives suggestions on how you can change yours. It is about her own personal discovery of the need to change and how she goes about making those changes.

I like how the author doesn't pretend to have all the answers or to have reached all her goals. Instead, she explains that she is currently on her own path to creating "a better you." While she has made positive changes she needs to continue to grow and change in order to reach her goals.

I found A Better You to be a quick and very motivational read. Change can happen, you just need to start. Tahnya Kristina gives you a ton of tips on how to get started and how to stay motivated. Personally, I think staying motivated can be harder than getting started. So it is nice to have ideas and tips on how to continue moving towards your goals.

However, many of the chapters read like blog posts. Some will even start by saying "last night" or "last weekend" which is confusing. A blog type book has the benefit of making each chapter an easy and quick read, but the drawback is that the chapters do not always seem to flow together well and sometimes repeat themselves. Some of the chapters also have reader responses at the end. An unique addition to a book, which I can't tell if I like or not. I will say that it was interesting reading other people's comments on what was written. There were also a few times in the book where I wish the author had been more descriptive and less telling. Her life is fascinating, but we only get a glimpse of some of the things she has gone through.

The book covers career, family, friends, health, money and relationships. It is very motivational and a fun quick read.

Slowing Down

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

We live in a culture where the busier you are the better. You know exactly what I mean. How many days have you tried to get more done in less time. The more efficient we are the better. Busyness has somehow become a badge of armor.

by Daniel Morris

I used be proud of my busyness. I always had something else going on while working full time whether that be volunteering, marathon training, or going to school part time. Not only was I busy, but I would rush everywhere. Rush to work, run to get that bus home after work, and hurry to meet friends. I was busy and I moved fast. Having a lot going on is a sign of a good life, isn't it?

We have become so good at going fast, that we have a really hard time slowing down. I was recently forced to slow down when I got laid off. At first I freaked out, what was I supposed to do to make money? How would I fill my days? With the cost of the infertility treatments I was afraid of having enough money to pay for them. It was a scary time.

But slowly I began to find a routine in my days, spending a good deal of time job searching and applying. I also began my first full IVF with a new doctor. I found a naturopath that also does acupuncture and started practicing yoga on a regular basis. I began to slowly change my diet, got enough sleep and started to feel better. I picked up some tutoring, joined a volunteer organization, and kept exploring jobs. My days were no longer busy. I had things to do, but I had the time and the freedom to work on them on a schedule I created. I began to feel okay with not being busy. And, as I began to meditate and cook more I began to love my flexible schedule.

And then something great happened, I had two job interviews. In both interviews I was asked to move on to the second step. Things look positive. Life looked up. And then, my gut kicked in. I got nervous and anxious. Eventually I realized that I had to make a decision. Return to a fast-paced busy life, or continue on the healthy and spiritual path I had embarked on after losing my job.

I choose to drop out of both job searches. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right decision. Having just gone through my best IVF yet, I know this is true. I can't live this life forever and I miss working. But, right now my priority is preparing my body and mind for a baby. I have learned a lot in this process. Learning to slow down may be one of the most important lessons.

One day my life will become busy again. It is inevitable. But I have learned that it is okay to slow down. In fact it is important to have moments of quiet everyday, even if only for ten minutes.

The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I turned on the TV to find that the Friends episode The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant was on. This is the episode where Rachel, Phoebe and Joey decide to confront the other three friends about splitting the bill. It all comes down to the fact that some make more money than others.

We have all been in these situations before. It is the end of the month, you are low on funds and you have a birthday dinner to go to. You decide to eat before you go, buy a small entree and only have one drink. But, when the bill comes it gets split, and you end up paying way more than you food and alcohol you enjoyed. No one wants to be seen as that cheap person who asks to split the bill by what you eat, but sometimes that dinner can take a huge bite out of your budget. So what to do?

If you are going out with good friends it may make sense to say something to them before you order. Letting them know that funds are tight at the moment so you won't be able to split the bill evenly, but you will pay for what you order, plus tax and tip. As long as you tell them first I've found that most people are fine with splitting the bill by what you eat.

You can also say no. You don't have to go to every outing. If it is a birthday dinner you can always tell your friend that you will take them out for coffee later. It is okay to say no sometimes.

There is always the option to plan for the big outings and dinners. Cut back on other things so you can enjoy that night out. For years now this is always the option I choose. If my budget is tight than I say no, but if I go then I plan. That way I can enjoy my food and drinks and only concern myself with the great company and hopefully good food!

Monica, Chandler and Ross decide to buy them the Hootie and the Blowfish tickets without realizing that it will feel like charity. The episode ends when Monica loses her job for bringing home five steaks and an eggplant. I don't know which episode comes next so I don't know if they ever come back to this issue.

But in real life, you always have options.

And the Process Continues

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 11:00:00 +0000

by Einahpets32

As much as I would like to be writing that my recent IVF resulted in a transfer and a pregnancy it did not. However, there were a few hopeful surprises along the way. During my previous IVFs the most follicles I developed were four. Early on in this IVF there were six. For someone like me, with diminished ovarian reserve who does not respond well to stimulation six is really great!

Then came the retrieval. My previous IVF resulted in two empty follicles so my hope and my focus was to get six eggs from the six follicles. Imagine my surprise when the doctor told me they got eight! There were two more on my left side which must have grown after my last sonogram.

While we waited to find out how many fertilized the husband and I had to decide whether we would freeze in order to bank or transfer. With my issue there is a likelihood that a few years from now I won't be able to have a natural child. Therefore, our doctor recommends that we freeze some embryos for future use so we can have more than one child. This makes sense, so the question is really how many do we want to freeze? According to my doctor one possible two in every 10 embryos results in a live birth. It seems like a no brainer, right? We should freeze 10. However, with my issue that could take a year.

So, we decided to freeze whatever we got and transfer in the next cycle no matter how many we froze in this one.

The final number - three. Three IVFs later we know have four frozen embryos.

I won't lie, it is incredibly difficult to go through these IVFs knowing that we are not transferring so don't even have the chance of pregnancy. Even when we finally get to transfer there is no guarantee that I'll become pregnant. The only thing to do is take it one day at a time.

Learning to Let Go

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:30:00 +0000

One of the hardest lessons to learn is how to let go.

We all have expectations of our life. After marrying my husband I thought that within six months I would be pregnant. I expected to be a working mother, continuing to live my busy but wonderful life. I also thought we would continue to live in NYC for a few years. Instead, I am on my fifth IVF, unemployed, living in the suburbs, and the husband and I trying to move abroad in August.

Life is not where I expected it to be. But that is okay.

by admitchell08

It is no secret that 2012 was a rough year for the husband and I - fertility issues, getting laid off, plus a few other things I have chosen not to blog about. But, there is hope in every struggle and good can come out of every situation. In particular, 2012 taught me to let go of my expectations. My life doesn't need to be where I expected it to be in order to be a good life. Letting go is hard. It doesn't happen in a day, week or even in a month. It is a process of learning to be present and embracing the life you have now. It took me almost all of 2012 to let go and be in the place that I am in now.

And despite everything, I do have a really good life. Infertility has brought me a very strong relationship with my husband and a reminder of how great and supportive my family and friends are. It has given me the chance to prepare for motherhood in a way that I hope one day I will cherish. The sacrifices that I have already made to try and become pregnant have prepared me for the many sacrifices I am sure we will make once the husband and I are parents. Even the simple things like expanding my cooking abilities, my yoga practice and learning to be grateful will help me be a better mother.

The struggle with my job and getting laid off has also given me something. I have learned what field I want to be in and what matters to me in a job. It has taught me that work does not have to be the most important thing. Sometimes it is okay to take time when you need it. Taking the job I got laid off from has also given the husband and I an opportunity to move abroad for a few years. If I were in a great job I would not want to leave and take that big of a professional risk. I also learned that saving for an emergency and caring about personal finance was worth it. I would not be able to take this time if I did not have an emergency fund. Don't get me wrong, I miss working and I will go back into the workforce (hopefully sooner than later), but right now focusing on my health is the right decision.

I am not where I expected to be at this point in my life, but that is okay because I let that expectation go. And, I can be okay with where I am now, knowing that one day I will be where I want to be, and I will be thankful for what this time has given me.

Letting go is hard, but it is worth the struggle.

Are you planning your future wisely?

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000

picture by Philip Taylor PT

With today’s troubled times and people looking to beat the ever rising costs of living, many don’t have the thought of retirement on their mind. Between a rent or mortgage, rising monthly bills, and everyday costs, it makes it hard for most to save and plan for the future. People view the thought of retirement as intimidating and are always worried that they might not be able to save for their futures.

The thing that scares many people when it comes to retiring is that they do not plan accordingly. By that most assume that they need a savings account and they should put most of what they want to save into it. Having a plan and being aware of what you need to do to achieve your goals is a huge first step. Some things that are necessary to figure out first are: What age do I want to retire, how much money do I need to comfortably retire, and also what will be a reliable sources of income for me?

What age do I want to retire? This is an important question for all retirement plans. The age a person wants to retire is 100% up to them.   The thing that people need to consider is how much money they will have and by what age will they have it. If you feel that you can maintain the life you want with whatever money you have, then why not retire whenever you want.

How much money is needed to retire comfortably? Once again, this is for the individual to decide as there is no set amount of money that is needed to be saved before you can retire. Assuming most people will start to save for retirement around the age of 25, and 65 is a good age to consider retirement, so you would have been saving for 40 years or so. A good amount to have saved into a 401k would be roughly $750,000. That amount is solely an idea of what might be needed to retire in comfort. Based on the person, this number could be less or more depending on lifestyle and needs. One major thing that people looking to retire need to factor is medical bills and expenses. As you get older you will have medical bills and they can sometimes be quite costly. People need to set aside a nice amount to be able to pay for things such as this as well as “end of life” expenses.

What are reliable sources of income? Unless you plan on retiring with a pension, you will need to figure out where your income will be coming from. For most retirees, their 401k or other types of savings plans will be their main sources of income. Many who retire will keep part-time jobs as a source of income. The money they make doing this will not pay all the bills, but it will help out immensely.

When it comes to savings and figuring out what works best for you and your goals, you need to figure out which method you would like to go with, as there are different options to consider. The options for saving all have their pros and cons, so you would have to decide what would be the best route for you to take.

401k- This is the savings plan that most companies have for their employees that allows them to save for retirement. The money put into this type of account would be withdrawn from the employee’s paycheck before taxes. The good thing about a 401k is that the employer will contribute half or even an equal amount to what you put into it. There are some restrictions however, such as if you would like to take money out before the age of 59 and 1/2, then you will be taxed on ALL of the money by the IRS, and pay a 10% early withdraw fee.

Traditional IRA- This IRA is an account that is exempt from deductions at the point of deposit. The downside of this however is that when withdrawn, you will have to pay a federal income tax on the IRA. These types of IRAs will allow you to build interest on your deposits and will receive tax benefits.

Roth Ira- A Roth Ira is similar to the Traditional IRA except that you cannot receive a tax break. Unlike Traditional IRAs, a Roth allows for a tax break at the time of withdrawal and you are not required to make at least one monthly withdrawal, unlike other accounts like the 401k.

Planning for retirement can be a daunting task, but with the proper planning and decision making, the average person can have a great life when the time comes that they decide to stop working. Knowing little things such as the age you plan on retiring at, how much money you think you’ll need to have saved, and how you will be getting your new found income are important to a successful retirement plan.

There are numerous ways to go about saving for retirement, decide which is best for you.

Mark Scheets is a writer for the Total Mortgage Services . Be sure to take a look at our “Total Guide”

Budgeting Sucks

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

It is true, as much as I love budgeting I also hate it. Having to track every penny is annoying. Trying to stay within budgeted categories stresses me out. But I also love budgeting. Without it I would spend endlessly. I also like to be able to look back and see how much money I spent in any one category.

It has taken me a long time to create a budget that works for me and it has a few essential components.

I don't care about categories as long as I stay within my total budget.
Savings will always be a part of my expenses, as if it is a regular bill.
I can categorize something as cash and then I don't have to worry about how I spend it.
I use my budget as my checkbook/credit card tracker. It keeps me organized and I know when I've paid things off.
I keep track of how much money I have left per day. This gives me a sense on how well I'm budgeting out the month.

Below is an example of my budget. On the top I keep track of my net worth every month. Then comes my fixed expenses - from cell phone bill to savings. Finally, I live on whatever money is left over. I can spend it however I want as long as I stay in budget. Some months I spend a lot on food, others on yoga. On the right side I do have a place to categorize my expenses. But I categorize them after I spend not before. In my example I would have $870 left for the rest of the month.

Do you believe in budgets? If so, how do you budget?

Book Review - The 5 Money Personalities by The Money Couple

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I recently sat down and read The 5 Money Personalities by Scott and Bethany Palmer. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I thought it would be interesting to learn about these money personalities and see how I fit into them.

The book description states:

The hidden key to a healthy relationship is not just managing money but understanding how the other approaches money.

My husband and are very open about finances and we always have been. It is great that we can openly talk about our money, and it especially helps when we disagree. I've written before about how we keep some of our finances separate and how we budget every month. It works for us, but I don't assume it will work for everyone.

The goal of this book is to help repair relationships where money is the center of disputes. They make a good point, money is the foundation of everything, from the food we make to that coffee we get in the morning, and so many fights have money as the underlying issue. In fact, just like we all have many types of relationships we have money relationships "the daily decisions you make as a couple in which money is involved."

According to the Palmer's there are five money personalities that influence our money relationships. Saver, Spender, Risk Taker, Security Seeker and Flyer. They believe we each have a primary and secondary money personality. This is where I don't completely agree with them. I see parts of myself in four of the money personalities. Since the husband and I are also open about money our fights are rarely about money. We make our big financial decisions together and then respect and trust that we are each managing our monthly budgets effectively. In fact, we talk about our our monthly budget is doing all the time. We may be one of those couples who would probably be okay talking about money less.

Having said that, I think this book is a great tool if you are having money issues with your relationship. The 5 Money Personalities pushes you to talk about the underlying issues that cause you think about money the way you do. It comes with exercises to get you moving forward and with suggestions on understanding how your partner may think.

It was an interesting read and I imagine quite helpful to those who may be looking for better ways to talk about money in their relationships.

Calm, Hope and Relaxation

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I had my first follow up appointment after starting the IVF meds on Friday. This is the first check-in to see what, if anything the follicles are doing. As I watched the sonogram I was thrilled to see that on one side I had four and the other two. For most women this wouldn't be much, but for someone with diminished ovarian reserve this is great! It is the most that I have had at this point in the process. A lot can happen between now and retrieval, but we are at a good starting point.

picture by ronsho ©

My goal for this week is to stay calm, hopeful and relaxed. Hopefully this time we will be able to actually do a transfer.

Experimenting in the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:37:00 +0000

Food has been my obsession since I started this new diet. I have been experimenting in the kitchen and I have discovered some new, delicious, healthy recipes.

I started with a simple salmon. It was good, but next time I'm adding lemon.

As a side I made green beans with garlic, walnuts and balsamic vinegar. They were delicious!

My other success of the week were these chicken burgers with pineapple. They were so good I ate one while cooking the others! I made them with these crash hot sweet potatoes. Definitely one of my better meals of the week.

I actually experimented with snacks this week. I am a snacker and I love crunchy things. Chips used to be my downfall. So in my attempt to replace them with something else I tried out a few different things. First zucchini chips. Not bad, but not as good as I hoped.

I also made these cucumber snacks. A great way to add flavor to cucumbers!

I also made some apple chips. These were really good, but didn't turn out as well as I hoped. It is hard to slice the apple evenly! I added cinnamon to them. I will be making these again.

Today I decided to try to make kale chips. My sister suggested that I may like them. I have to say they are amazing! I think I found my chips replacement. If you have never made them I suggest giving it a try. Super easy and so delicious.

Finally I made these oatmeal breakfast muffins. They are super healthy and made with bananas, blueberries, oatmeal, almond milk, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder. They were good, but I felt like they were missing something. Next time I am going to add cinnamon.

My Financial Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Instead of creating a financial plan for 2013 I decided it would be more productive to develop my financial philosophy. With so much in the air it is hard to make a plan to save X amount.

So without further ado:

I believe that personal finance is extremely personal.

I believe in spending less than I earn.

I believe in planning for retirement and having an emergency fund.

I believe that personal finance is about your priorities.

I don't believe money makes you happy, but the security it brings helps you do the things that do.

I don't believe you have to make a lot of money to be financially sound.

I save and plan in order to do the things that are important to me: family, friends, travel, running, yoga and good food.

photo by Keoki Seu

Hope - IVF #3

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

After taking a month off I started my IVF injections on Monday night. This will be my fifth IVF, third full one (the other two were mini versions). I am very hopeful and excited for this IVF. I'm feeling healthy, calm and strong. I am engaging in guided meditations after each injection (morning and night). I am going to yoga to help stay present and calm. I am eating well and I am doing things I enjoy. We go back for our next appointment on Friday. My hope is that we will have eggs that look like they are on their way to maturation.

I will accept whatever happens, but I hope that when all is done we have at least two mature embryos and we can do a transfer.

picture by aaocarroll

Self Storage or Attic

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:18:00 +0000

We don't yet know whether or not we will be moving abroad this summer. If we are lucky enough to go we will have to decide what to do with our stuff. In the past, whenever I was faced with a big move I would just sell everything. And by everything I mean my furniture. It is amazing how much of your life you can fit in a car when you don't have furniture.

I'm at a point in my life now where it no longer makes sense to sell my furniture if we go abroad. The husband and I now have a few nice pieces we want to keep. We would also limit the number of items that we would bring so we would have to figure out what to do with our books, items from the kitchen, pictures on the wall, as well as everything else.

So our only option is to find a place for self storage. There are quite a few options nearby. The benefits of self storage is that your stuff is in a climate controlled room. The major drawback is the cost. We have been offered another option. There is an empty attic that we can store our stuff in. The obvious benefit is cost as it would be free. The drawbacks are taking up space that the owner could use themselves and that our stuff would not be stored in a climate controlled area. We would have to pack things carefully and find another place to store anything we might be worried about. The attic is insulated and I believe there is such a thing as furniture wrap that we can find an use. If we end up moving abroad we will have to decide whether to go with self storage or the attic. In the meantime, it is nice to have options.

photo by grafixtek

The Costs of Eating Organic

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:36:00 +0000

My dietary changes include eating as much organic as possible. 80% of my diet is the suggested amount. While I doubt that I am at 80% I have increased the amount or organic produce and meats that I purchase. When I can I also try to buy organic items such as honey, tea and maple syrup.

As well as eating organically I have cut out processed foods, dairy, wheat, caffeine and alcohol.

I started 2013 by going to the grocery store to stock up on items I needed for my new diet. This included quite a few "start up" items - such as rice flour, pancake mix without wheat and spices. Lots of spices. Now that I cook every day my spices get quite a workout.

Between the start up costs and the added expense of buying organic my grocery spending has been incredibly high this month. It is only the middle of the month and I have already spent $366 on food. I have been to the grocery store at least 5 times and that number doesn't include the $100-$150 the husband has spent.

I won't lie, it hurts to send this much money on food. However, my personal finance philosophy is that it is up to us to choose our priorities and how we spend our money. Right now my priority is my health. And, now that I am almost three weeks in I can honestly say that have been feeling healthier. I normally have issues with my stomach at least once a week. The only time I have had issues since starting this diet was the day I cheated and ordered pizza (I won't be doing that again anytime soon.)

I don't know if I could afford to eat like this forever, but I am going to continue to do it as long as I can. We take in a lot of extra chemicals that mess with our hormones through the food we eat. This diet has made me realize how much I already feel better eating organically. I can't wait to see how I feel after a three months!

photo by Moyan_Brenn_be_back_on_Jan_20th

PPI: The Lowdown

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:22:00 +0000

PPI, or Payment Protection Insurance, has made quite a kerfuffle over the past couple of years, or should that be – the UK banks who supplied the insurance in the first place. You should be aware of PPI, and not only the advantages but also the disadvantages of the product, and where you stand with regards to past finance agreements.

Last year, the Financial Services Authority took the initiative to contact UK banks and high street providers, and instruct them to contact victims of mis-sold PPI, in order to make them aware of their eligibility to apply for a PPI refund. The scandal has been at the forefront of financial news for some time now, with banks already paying out £1.9billion last year to claimants. With a total redress almost constantly increasing, banks have to put aside more and more to cater for the number of consumers claiming against the poor practice.

What is PPI?

PPI, or Payment Protection Insurance, is an optional add on that is offered when a consumer takes out a credit agreement – whether that’s a loan, mortgage, credit card or even a store card. The aim of the insurance policy is to protect the individual, should their circumstance change. OK, so you have a career at the moment and are earning a pretty penny, but what happens if the work dries up and you are made redundant? Redundancy levels may have dropped in the last quarter of 2012, but that doesn’t mean it’s could never happen. What then?

That is where PPI comes in. The policy will pay out a monthly repayment to cover your finance agreement, so that you don’t fall into arrears. The policy will do so until you are working again or the specified time frame comes to an end – whichever is soonest.

It’s also there in case you should suffer from a debilitating illness or disability that prevents you from working. In this eventuality, it will cover the transition period, so that you can find alternative help.

So, why the scandal?

The problem is, that although the policies can be useful, not everybody needs them, and unfortunately for many, PPI had been added to finance agreements by banks without their say-so. In these cases, PPI will have either been added to the contract or debited from the nominated account on a monthly basis. Over the course of a few years, this would add up to a substantial amount, which is why people are fighting back against the fraudulence, with the help of specialists such as iSmart Solutions, and claiming money that is rightfully theirs.

Since the FSA have got involved, the banks are expecting to write up to 12 million letters to those who they believe have been affected. The issue here is many individuals would have fallen through the cracks and won’t have been recognised as having been victim to mis-sold PPI.

This is why the managing director of the FSA, Martin Wheatley, urges people to check their paperwork and be absolutely sure that they knew what they were signing. If in doubt, make a claim – you may have a right to money that is yours, too.

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Dreaming of Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:05:00 +0000

I have been thinking a lot about traveling lately. The husband and I did not get to go anyway adventurous in 2012. In 2010 I went to India and Sri Lanka while the husband had a trip through Europe. In 2011 we traveled down the west coast of the U.S. starting in Alaska and ending in San Diego. In 2012 we got a weekend in Chicago and then went local for our vacations. They were fun, but it was no 2010 or 2011.

My favorite place to go in Europe is London. I've been luckily enough to have been multiple times. Since I was little we always stopped in London for a few days before going anywhere else. I am lucky to have family and family friends who live in the London area so there is always a place to stay and people to catch up with.

Needless to say I've done all the touristy things, from the London Eye to a Harry Potter walking tour. What I haven't done is experience the London nightlife. I was happy to come across this site of things to do in London. In particular because it has a section on deals. The site also lists top restaurants and bars. In a city as expensive as London any discount is greatly appreciated.

As we look to move abroad London is not on our list of places to live. However, it is on our list of places to visit. Hopefully I'll see you again soon London.

photo by _dChris

Why I Love Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:21:00 +0000

I took my first yoga class as a graduate student in 2005 and continued to practice haphazardly in the following years. Two months ago I began to practice on a regular basis. Going to 3 or 4 classes a week and practicing at home with a dvd. Over the past two months I've felt myself get stronger and my knowledge of poses has increased. I'm am now practicing almost 6 days a week, 4 times in a class and 2 days at home.

I have come to love yoga.

I love the way the heat rises slowly in my body as I begin my practice. I am aware of the rising heat in a way that I am not when I run. I love that focusing on my breath as I move towards the poses keeps me present and aware. I love that I am learning to listen and respect where my body is at that moment. Some days I flow into poses with ease and other days I need to respect my limitations. I love that there is no (or very little) judgement in yoga classes. It is not competitive. I love that I can choose from different types depending on how I feel. Some days I may prefer vinyasa flow, while others a gentle or restorative class is the right decision.

But the reason I really love yoga is that it is a constant reminder to be present and thankful. At the end of each class I am thankful for my imperfect body and what it can do. I am thankful that yoga teaches me how to be present. I am thankful for all the gifts I have in this life. At a time when it is easy to focus on my struggles. Yoga teaches me gratitude and for that I love it.

picture by Augusto Mia Battaglia photography

Trying to Plan

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 21:05:00 +0000

I have been putting off creating a financial plan for 2013. It is so hard to know what this year will entail. In my dreams I'll get pregnant and the husband and I will be moving to another country to begin a two year adventure. But many other scenarios could take place. I'm also still unemployed, which makes it hard to gage how much to make my savings goals.

I may have to rethink how I create my plan this year and focus more on life goals than financial ones. For someone who has been so focused on creating financial secutrity, not being able to make a plan is a difficult place to be in.

picture by haydnseek

A Few New Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:29:00 +0000

I experienced with a few new recipes this week and had some success. The more I am playing around with cooking the more I am really starting to enjoy it. I find snacks to be difficult when I can no longer just buy granola bars off the self. So I decided to try to make my own fruit leather. While it takes a lot of time it is actually an easy recipe. The only ingredient is the fruit!

First you stew the strawberries.

Then blend them up really well.

Onto a plastic-lined cookie sheet. And bake on 170 for hours.

Done! It was pretty good. Next time I am going to try it with strawberries and use a smaller cookies sheet to make it a little thicker.

For dinner I made sweet potato and bean burgers. I used different spices since I did not have everything in the recipe. I also decided to use panko bread crumbs even though I'm not really supposed to have them.

They were so good I ate half of one before I remembered to take a picture. I think it was the avocado that made them so delicious.

Staying away from dairy and bread makes breakfast really hard. I used to have cereal or eggs with toast. I'm still enjoying eggs but I am experimenting with ways to replace the toast. The other morning I tried using a corn tortilla. It was pretty good, but no replacement. Next time I'll go without.

I also made my first green shake. I decided to go fruity with my first one and used an orange with the spinach.

This morning I used a recipe I found on pinterest - 1 banana plus 2 eggs to make pancakes. They were pretty good. More like banana crepes. Definitely good enough to make again.

I have become quite a chef in my unemployment!

Well Said John Stewart

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:30:00 +0000

!!!!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Scapegoat Hunter - Gun Control

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

I couldn't have said it better.

Emotions and Dealing with Infertility

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:05:00 +0000

The husband and I have been trying to conceive for over two years now. Dealing with fertility issues has been as much an emotional journey as a physical one. In many ways the emotional journey has been more difficult than the physical one. Yes my body has gone through two mini-IVFs and two full ones, which isn't easy. But the physical discomforts are nothing compared to the emotional roller coaster of over two years of trying.

During a process like this taking care of your emotional health is as important as being physically healthy. Everyday I'm learning a little bit more how to support my emotional well being. So, in an attempt to help others who may be going through the same thing this is what I have learned so far:

Prioritize your relationship with your partner. This is a difficult and heart-wrenching process. You will respond to things differently than your significant other. That is why it becomes so important to communicate about your feelings. I had to learn how to open up more and the husband had to learn to let me be sad when I need to be sad.

Have a strong support system. We did not tell anyone we were trying or struggling for a while. Looking back that may have made things even harder. Now that a few select family members and friends know I do feel like when we need it we have support. Every person will need support in a different way. Personally, I want to be able to talk about what is going on when I need too, but not be asked about it all the time. It is a difficult line for my friends and family to straddle. Know if you tell people who you trust well hopefully they will respect your needs.

Allow yourself to feel your emotions. With so much going on it can tempting to swallow your emotions, especially those weeks when you feel like crying everyday. Resist that instinct. Instead allow yourself to feel your emotion, whether it is sadness, jealously, disappointment, anger or hope. Feel it, experience it, and if you need to let it go. If you don't acknowledge your emotions they will end up balled up in your body restricting you. This is something I struggle with and I am actively trying to get better at acknowledging where I am rather than burying it deep.

Explore alternative therapies. That could be yoga, meditation, visualizations, acupuncture, and/or group therapy. At a time when having low stress levels are vital, the experiences you are going through cause stress to skyrocket. That is why it is so important to find a way to deal with your stress. Many alternative therapies have been proven to aid in fertility as well. I engage in yoga, meditation & visualizations, and acupuncture. I also just had a session of Reiki which I found incredibly powerful. I find that they help me keep my stress low and be more in tuned with my body and my emotional health.

Trust that this process is making you a better parent and person. It can be hard to deal with fertility issues when it seems like everyone around you is getting pregnant. You need to let yourself trust that what you are going through will make you a better parent and person. Let me be clear, I am not saying that those who do not have to struggle with fertility are not good parents. I'm saying that I need to trust that this process is teaching me how to be a better parent than I would have been when my turn finally comes. Life is about the process and I choose to trust in this process.

Do something to make yourself happy everyday. This is so important. Do something not related to fertility that makes you happy. It is too easy to get consumed by fertility. It is important to have other things in your life. You may go crazy if all you think about is the time when you will finally get pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby. Life continues to happen as you work towards that goal so be sure to spend time enjoying each day as it comes.

Don't be too hard on yourself. This is probably the hardest recommendation. In general, I find that we all tend to be hardest on ourselves. Just as we practice forgiveness for others we have to practice it for ourselves. It is easy to feel like your body is failing you. Instead of focusing on the negative and being angry with your body be forgiving and then work towards getting your body and your emotional health where it needs to be. I strongly believe there is a strong connection between our mind and our body. Work to enhance that relationship for the better.

It is not easy, but it is worth trying. It is always worth trying.

photo by lednichenkoolga

Eating Well

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

One of my New Year's intentions is to be healthy. As part of this intention I am trying to practice yoga on a regular basis, mediate everyday and I am changing my diet. Not to lose weigh, but to support my fertility. The goal of a fertility diet is to nourish your body with whole foods and to cut out the foods that are difficult to digest. That way my body can focus on my fertility and not be distracted by the hard work of digestion.

I buy mostly whole foods and try to buy organic as much as I can. I am cutting out caffeine, alcohol, dairy, wheat, processed foods, extra sugar and limiting soy. Basically if I don't understand a word in the ingredients I don't buy it. I want to be successful so I am easing into this diet. In fact, I have been easing into it for months. Before the New Year I cut back my tea intake to one cup of green tea a day (big step for me), rarely imbibed in alcohol, cut back on the amount of bread I ate and I'm lactose intolerant so my dairy intake has always been low.

I decided to celebrate New Years Eve with an expensive glass of champagne (it was delicious!) and start full force on the 1st. So far it has been pretty good. I imagine it will take a few weeks before some of my cravings go away. Honestly, the only thing I'm craving is pizza, my favorite food. (Next time I go to the store I'm going to look for some wheat free crust and try to make a pizza that is just crust, sauce and toppings.)

I've decided not to be hard on myself if I fail every so often and in fact I did make some peanut butter cookies using both white and brown sugar yesterday. I have no doubt that easing myself into this diet is less tasking to my body then going all at once anyway.

Even if this diet doesn't help my fertility the upside is a healthier me who is a much better cook. The downside is that it is expensive. Between the organic meats, fruits, vegetables, and the wheat-free bread and snacks my money is not going as far, but so far it is worth it. Even before this I have tried to eat natural and organic when I can so I'm used to spending a little bit more at the grocery store anyway.

First let me start with the caveat that I'm not a big cook. My idea of cooking is something that can be done quickly. So this is a whole new world to me.

On Saturday I decided to make my first mariana sauce so that I could freeze it to use later. I used this recipe and started by browning some garlic and basil in some olive oil.

Then I added the crushed tomatoes.

The final product. I haven't had it over pasta (rice pasta for me) yet but it tasted mighty good!

After making the sauce I was craving peanut butter cookies. I'm not normally a sweet person, in fact I'm more likely to crave something salty than something sweet. But I do love peanut butter and had come across some recipes for cookies while looking online for options. I unfortunately did not save the recipe so I can't link to it. I do remember that the only ingredients were peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, 1 egg, and baking soda. I used natural peanut butter.

Midway through I decided to add some organic shredded coconut to the cookies.

They hit the spot. The extra bonus is that I now have leftovers for the week! I'm limiting myself to no more than 2 a day since they do have all that added sugar.

I forgot to take pictures while I was making dinner, but I do have the final products. Basmati rice, asparagus with spices and garlic (from my fertility cookbook) and some wild Alaskan cod that I got from TJs and has been in my freezer for a while. I decided to make lemon pepper cod using this recipe. It turned out really well, especially the asparagus.

On Sunday I decided it was crock pot chili day. I used an old receipe, but used organic beans and my homemade taco seasoning. I decided to use ground turkey and added kidney beans, black beans, chick peas, and corn. The picture below is right after I put it in the crock pot.

Midway through the day I decided to try and make these chips. I didn't have ground flaxseed so I left that out. I used corn tortillas and besides the flaxseed I followed the recipe. They came out okay. The husband likes them more than I do. I may eventually try again but just varying the spices.

I ended my Sunday enjoying the chili I had thrown in the crock pot that morning. Alas I left out the cheese and crackers that my husband added, but it was still delicious. And honestly, I didn't even miss the cheese or crackers.

All in all it was a good day. Who knew that I would one day enjoy cooking.

January Goals

noreply@blogger.com (asgreen) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:49:00 +0000

It has been a long time since I have posted any goals on this blog. Posting and evaluating my goals used to be a monthly occurrence for me, but over the years this practice has waned. I am happy to say that for once I actually have some monthly goals.

Practice yoga at least five times per week
Mediate every day for 10 minutes
Begin to learn Photoshop
Try to reteach myself the flute
Pick up another tutoring student

Five simple goals for the month of January. Wish me luck!

picture by GO INTERACTIVE WELLNESS