Things I am Grateful for...

1. My Japanese Chin, Hunter, who loves me so much he cuddles with me all of the time and is obsessed with giving kisses. He brings such great joy and love to my life. Everyday he teaches me to love a little more fuller just like his unconditional love.
2. The fingers that I am using to type this blog
3. Ryan David Watson, the man that I love to the depths of my soul. He is the only one that I can honestly say that I love like this. I am also thankful for the love he gives me back.
4. Melissa Day- my best friend and who I call my soul sister. I am so thankful for or relationship because she is my confidant and because she is so much like me she understands me more than anyone else in my life. It is simply amazing that we can be this connected
5. My Dad and Step Mom Leona for all of the love and guidance that they have given. The countless custody battles and money spent to make sure that I got the best care that only their love and support could give. Even as of last weekend they were still giving my 27 year old butt advice to live by.
6. My health- I am the product of perfect health.
7. My cat Moka who I thought we rescued but turns out she rescued me from myself when I had miscarried. She was something I loved and took care of which pulled me out my rut. Plus she is totally beautiful and has such an independent personality she makes me just laugh.
8. The ability to have the knowledge available to me on any subject and position so that I can research and make my own decisions which are entwined in my beliefs
9. My career at Action Packaging for many reasons. The leadership position that I have there helps me mold and teach minds. It helps me learn from other managers so I can be better. It gives me great pay to do the things in life I enjoy and help give.
10. The legs that I have to enjoy walks with my dog and best friend
11. The eyes I have to read a book or email...or to look deep into anothers eyes and see in their soul
12. Our washer and dryer to wash our clothing here at our convenience.
13. My honda crv and the smooth ride it gives me while be economical on gas. Chloe is loved and a part of me. it gets me where I need to go with every stop in between.
14. The dyson vacuum that my parents gave us when they replaced their dyson. I am just grateful for this as it is the best vacuum on the market and should last a life time when taken care of. It is just plain cool :)
15. My ambition and drive for DIY projects whether it be cooking, baking, or fixing things. I updated a microwave cart that was bought a flea market and decided to start grooming Hunter myself just a few.
16. The savings account that I have started! The money is accumulating faster than I could have expected.
17. The sunshine and how the sunrays in my window or on my face while walking my pup makes me smile and lifts my soul
18. living in the USA where we have democracy and the process to vote our leaders into place. I have been watching all of the dictatorships in the middle east
19. clean water for drinking and showers
20. All natural and organic products and how their purity does great things for the body.
21. nice cold beer on a hot day
22. giving someone the most perfect gift
23. my mac computer and how fast it still is after all of these years and how safe and secure it is with my identity
24. hopes and dreams that inspire me to achieve more
25. smell of cotton or fabric softener
26. moose
27. I love all dogs and cats and I am so grateful that I have extra money to donate to animals that need the love that we can give
28. Our apartment at Cornfield apartments. It is a town house style at a great price with nice landscaping and neighbors. It safe and quiet and everything that a home should be before the purchase of a house
29. My skin color. It is the perfect shade so I never have to tan.
30. Butter leather furniture and how it feels like you are sitting on cloud. That is how it feels sitting on my parents furniture
31. Ocean air while the sun is kissing your skin while laying in the sand. Oh yeah with Banana Boat sunscreen
32. I love cameras and how they capture some of the most important memories of our lives
33. fleece socks
34. flip flops
35. scarves and hats
36. the beauty and excitement of the first snow

I have asked....

So I am onto reading The Secret the second time. It is such a great book. I will continue to keep saying it until everyone in the world has read this book.  On Sunday I also made my list of things that I wanted. I have mediating over what it is like to have these things:

Below is the how I am receiving and feeling the things that I asked for

For a while I have been working for a 720 credit score and I am there. Yes it feels great and accomplished to hit this number. I am triumphant. I called my credit card companies and lowered my interest rate :) Yahooo. And I filled out my mortgage loan application. Now I get to go find the house of my dreams. While I look around I know I am going to start another vision board.  Ryan and I need to find the perfect home for us.

I have all $40,440.70 in my savings account at First New England Credit union. This is my money for my down payment for our mortgage. I love this...It is also a great fund for any weather.  I feel so grateful to have this money and along the way I was able to donate to charities just like I wanted to do this year.  I feel an abundance of joy and I feel like I can buy anything. A new car (but I am keeping my Chloe CRV because we are going to 300,000 miles) The Mercedes G55 will be mine next though. I can buy all new suits for work, weekend and going out clothes. I can buy Hunter another play mate or any toys, treats and clothing. I can buy jewelry and shoes and coach bags! I can afford anything. We go out to dinner once a week and leave  a 20% tip. We have  a stocked kitchen and Ryan has many options for dinner this week.

I have to be thankful for my promotion to Label Department Manager for this money! I have hired Michael and he is 3rd CSR and Doug believes that I can manage them now on my own. I have shown continue improvement and responsibility when it comes to watching and making decisons for the company and my department. Truth be told this is another great feeling. I love the feeling of a monetary increase but there is pride in knowing that your work was recognized. It has been totally recognized and I am one step closer to my vision of being a partial owner of Action when Doug is ready to retire. I love the position of being able to coach the employees underneath and getting excited to build another one up to be my 2nd. To show my appreciation to Bill for his hard work to help raise me to level is great. We are going to lunch!!

I am loving all people which is nice. It rejuvenates me. I feel great just telling people how they are impacting my life in positive ways and making sure they know that  I am thankful for them. I am feeling thankful for everything now. I am even thinking of ways to change my sentences around in another way if there is any negation in there. My life is all about the tone and since I have been receiving these great rewards and additional great things...I know that I have an attraction level that is at an all time high with the Universe. It feels great and I feel ALIVE. I am enjoying every minute of every day. I am so thankful and I have faith. Faith in everything and everyone.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!

The Secret

So I have started reading the Secret this weekend and this book has already changed my life. Yes it is about being positive but it is more than that. It is the law of attraction from the positive and thankful thoughts that we have. I am a magnet and I am attracting only greatness for my life. I am attracting more love with the love that I have for others. I am attracting wealth by the wealth I have. I am giving to others and they are giving to me all of the time. I have everything that I need and am loving it. The Universe is my genie and I am giving it a list of my wishes.

So I started off reading this great book and I knew in 2011 I wanted to think positive. Well I am. I have mediated for about 5 minutes every morning to get my inner energies going. I think of those things I asked for and believe I have them and how I feel having them. I have a promotion and office at work. I have employees that are happy I am there supervisor and I am happy to help them and be their supervisor. I have customers that love me back as much as I love them and relationship we have. I have $44,000 in my savings account left over from all of the money I have left from buying the clothes I have, the necessities my pets need, the trips Ryan and I take because I can afford anything. We are prosperous and enjoy every breath and minute of every day. I am grateful for every breath that I take. I am grateful for all of the things I have, the people I know and love and the path my life is on. I am thankful for Michael who loaned me this book. It has put a never ending smile on my face. I am happy all of the time and it contagious. That is the magnet again.

So I am happy and I want you all to have this feeling too. I shared the basics of the secret with you and I hope you use it. One more important thing. You can never fear or doubt anything that you ask for. You need to believe to achieve :)
I love you all and good luck and godspeed to a great life :) Your friend! Natasha

Where there is Crisis there is opportunity

I started to write this blog a few days ago to vent. Ryan and I had faced a bunch of little problems this week, but when we were climbing that mountain it sure seemed like crisis after crisis after crisis. Truth be told I was not finding ANY opportunity that was one that could be positive.

Then yesterday it hit me. The opportunity was to think POSITIVELY about the situations...
See Ryan and my credit/debit card numbers got stolen. My credit card was used in England and Ryan's bank card was used in Brazil. My credit card company called and emailed me right away letting me know of the charge and making sure that it was mine. It was not so they automatically closed the account and removed the charges. They are starting me with a new account this week. Ryan didn't find out all of his money was gone until he went to get gas and card was rejected. His bank account was cleared out. He was able to dispute the charges and get this money reimbursed within 5 days. He is also getting a new debit card with a new number. At the time Ryan owed me some money to cover our rent but would not be able to give it to me until after the rent was due. This made me stress out!!! But then I realized we didn't have too. I started a savings account in September so we could buy a house. I have plenty of money in there to cover the rent. So nothing to feel bad about. We are fine because I no longer let us live paycheck to paycheck...and that feels great.

The other minor situations are Ryan's truck broke down but he has a friend with an extra vehicle that let him borrow it for as long as he needs it. What great friends/family. And my cell phone battery crapped the bed. It will no longer hold a charge. I can talk when it is plugged in to a charger but that is all. That will get me through the week and I will buy a new one on Wednesday. No worries. So there...the opportunities became positive thinking and great friends and family.

We had no penalties and I will be able to replace the money that I took out of our savings :) Yeah!! Happy 2011...It will keep happening...


Because I had to take money out of the account it also made me really dive into all of the bills we have. I started an itemized spreadsheet and I will keep track of this through out the year. Last year I started budgeting to save money. This year I am taking it one step further by documenting everything :)

Thanksgiving weekend-the kick off of Christmas

There is always something to be happy about!! Even more so there is always something to be Thankful for. 

Here is my list of thanks...

1. Family and that we were all able to spend Thanksgiving with Justin and Kaitlyn

2. Ryan and how he always comes through for me 

3. Hunter and Moka because they love me unconditionally

4. my job, that although stressful at time, because the paycheck helps put food on the table, a roof over our head, gives me a car to drive, presents to buy at this time of the year and still allows me to save for our dreams

5. Christmas trees and the beauty these things add to life

6. My friends and how we can spend time with each other doing nothing and just laughing..or watching Charlie Brown on Youtube :)

7. Setting goals and keeping them. This year I am super thankful for new years resolutions

8. This year I am thankful for learning how to budget

9. The spirit of Christmas

10. my health and my family and friends Health

11. Helping those in need no matter how small

12. Being able to end my facebook addiction. No farmville this year

13. Living a "greener" life

There are so many more but these are the recent and bigger ones. I am thankful for many more things.

I am also hoping to start blogging a bit more. Maybe on Santa Claus, the meaning of Christmas and spirits!!

Frugal and Green

Yup...I have been green for a quite a few months now. I only dry 50% of our clothes in the dryer. The other 50% hang dry. I grew my own tomatoes and basil this year and today I actually made a homemade sauce. We have the cable box plugged into a power strip and turn off the power strip when not in use as to not use phantom electricity to run the time and light on the television. All of our other appliances that keep time...like the coffee maker and microwave are unplugged when not in use. That is the way to roll. 50% of the time I use reusable bags at the supermarket (50% because I need bags to empty the cat box). I also recycle like a maniac. Next year my plan is to an electric bike for Spring-fall and to save on emissions and gas. I will do it. So this being green stuff is frugal...why? A lower electric bill and a lower grocery bill. I also clip coupons to save money...not green but frugal.

I did another FRUGAL thing today. I watched an infomercial for WEN a $30.00 hair care product per month. There is a blog that teaches me how to make it from scratch saving you $400.00 a year. And when I run out of my next product I am so going to. I am going to to look great on dimes :)

I have been so good at keeping my goals this year for 2010. I cannot to build on them for 2011. My debt will be paid off by the end of this year as I had planned. Ryan and I had a talk and we are saving for a house. So the money that was spent in debt last year will be put into a new smartypig account for our down payment on a house. When I look back on this blog wow how I have matured :)

WOW! Do you know what you are worth???

When I get frustrated with my job I go on career builder and monster.com and search for other jobs that are available in my field. Last night after work was one of those nights. I stumbled upon a correlating job in my field. The starting base salary with same experience that that I have was $32,000 more than I make at my job. I am certain that I am one of the best in our industry. I decided to go on salary.com and fill out the survey for my job. I was more than honest about my education, my work history etc and I am being paid the lowest possible salary in the 10th percentile for what I do. 

So Tuesday I am pulling all of the emails that I have received with compliments from the accounts that I manage. Get a time line of goals my department has set and broken in the last year. Make a bulleted list and  give boss the job description for my position vs what I actually do. 

 I don't need to get a $32,000 raise but I am not going to take a another $.75/hour raise this year.