Perking up again…er, PICKING up again

Sleeping baby + sleeping toddler = mama bliss

So I’m snuggling on my couch under a Christmas-y blanket officially boycotting Black Friday…and feeling a twinge of guilt that I haven’t posted anything for two weeks.

My record of going latte-less was ABYSMAL last time I posted, and I have to say I thought about quitting this project.  I had a week of headaches (my barista friend informed me about “caffeine withdrawal”–whaaaa??), I thought about lattes with extra foam and sprinkles of nutmeg CONSTANTLY, and—cruelest of all—they have installed a Peet’s Coffee inside my friendly neighborhood Fred Meyer store.

Who are “they”?  Obviously Fred Meyer has employed a bevy of store designers just cackling with glee at the thought of sabotaging me.  Out with the old, grungy coffee counter–in with the sparkling new Peet’s and the 99-cent introductory lattes.  99-CENTS!  I kid you not.  And if you buy 5, you get one free.  Yes, I bit.  Bought.  Imbibed.

So I’m jumping back on the wagon, and realizing that for this Year of No Lattes to succeed, I’m going to have to give myself some grace.  A Year of LESS Lattes is better than nothing; and there’s always mochas.  (Kidding!)

Because it’s not about the lattes–not really.  If it was, I would just go buy myself an espresso maker.  The lattes are a symptom of what my life has become—taking on too much, sleeping too little, spending money I don’t have, relying on something external to perk me up instead of changing my bedtime. The latte has been my treasured companion when both girls fall asleep in the car in the afternoon–my siesta buddy in a paper cup.

I’m tired of being tired.  I’m done with frittering my money away $3 at a time.  I’m scared of getting to the end of my (privileged, free, Western) life and realizing there were people I could have helped–but I was too busy watching Dancing With the Stars and running to Target to do anything about it.

Here’s to another week; I’ll talk to you again on Friday.  I’m going to go dish myself up some leftover turkey, mushy cranberries, and a generous ladle-ful of GRACE.