~~~ Sew, we’re debt FREEEEEEEE!!! And headed to DLP! ~~~ Spring 2018

DMGeurts

Never open texts with the "Hand Sewn Button" attac
Joined
Feb 25, 2008


Welcome! For those of you that don’t know me – I am Dorine - but I go by "D~" on The Dis... I subsidize all of our trips to Disney with my sewing of custom items, I love what I do, and I love that I am able to add magic to our trips!

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Most of my days are spent here - in my sewing room... Everything I make and do is done by vintage machine - the newest sewing machine I own is from 1963... I am very adamant about keeping all of my items One Of A Kind (OOAK).
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My girls and I are well known for our “girls trips” to Disney. Much of their childhood is chronicled here on The Dis. I am very proud of both of them for the wonderful adults that they have become. I enjoy spending my time with them, and I believe it shows in every post I write and every photo we take. They are my entire world, their smiles and laughter brighten every single day, I am so very lucky!

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My DH is Josh… He normally doesn’t play a role in our trips, other than me finding ways to get his blessing for another girls trip… For once – he might play an unknown (and active) roll in one of my PTRs. :lmao: Sort of. :scratchin


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Then there is Max… Often referred to in my TRs/PTRs as “MM” which stands for many things… Maxy-Moo-Moo, Maxy-Moose, or Maxy-Moosie… He comes to all of those names – which is sad and sometimes funny. He is a “crazy man” – he is often told, and has definitely earned that title… He does some of the craziest things! But we all love him, and our family wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without him in it.


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And the newest addition to our family - Cooper... Or Sooper Cooper, if you prefer. When a friend of mine from HS had a litter of puppies in the Spring of 2015, I jumped on it and begged her to let us have one of them... She chose us to be one of the lucky new puppy parents. Our family waited anxiously for Cooper Adam to grow up enough so we could take him home - stalking my friend on FB for any and all puppy pictures we could find. It was a LONG 8 weeks! But, finally, Cooper came home to live with us. He loves his big brother and picks on him constantly... His big brother loves him and allows him to do this. It's been wonderful for our family to add Cooper... and he is just the most adorable boy. :lovestruc


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D~​
 
As you may have noticed the title for this PTR… We’re debt free!!!!! Well, not quite. Yet. Though we are working on it, and working hard!


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We’ve begun our Debt Free journey several times… We’d follow Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps for a while, and then just stray little bits, then a lot bits, then wander off the path… Eventually off the cliff. No, no, no… Not really… Ok – maybe? :scratchin


Finally – this last Christmas season… We were DONE! We were sick and tired of being sick and tired. We made too much money to have to be this broke. Something had to give. It was us – we had to give. It was time to be adults.


We tightened our belts… We poured over our budget… We cut everything… Yes, that means Target, Starbucks and Disney - gone. ::yes:: We cut our dining out budget to almost nothing. We cut our entertainment budget to nothing. We cut EVERYTHING – if it wasn’t a need, a true need, we didn’t buy it. Period.


Allison even joined us for a 9 week round of Financial Peace University this spring…


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We started with Baby Step #1… Save $1000 in a Baby Emergency Fund…


Currently, we are on Baby Step #2… Pay off debt… Ahhh – this is a long and grueling process. For us, it will be roughly a 16 month process. We are just approaching our half-way mark, coming into our 8th month. Believe me – we see a very bright light at the end of the tunnel (and it isn’t a train).


Don’t get me wrong – this hasn’t been an easy thing. It’s hard, very hard, to have to tell yourself “no” for the greater good of your financial lives and future… It’s no fun to give up Target, or Starbucks, or Disney (Disney was the hardest for me).


Our zero based budget is key… A zero based budget doesn’t mean that you have zero dollars left at the end of the month, it means that every dollar is given a name and a place to go. If it’s not on our budget – it doesn’t happen.


Here is what our budget looks like… I will tell you all now – this is NOT our real budget… It is NOT our true income; it is NOT our true spending amounts… Though the line items are accurate, and these are our budget categories.


I will also confess… I am the “nerd” of the family… Every single one of our dollars has a name through the end of year 2020. ::yes:: I know, weird.


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Now, for the Disney trip part… When Allison graduated high school in 2016, she spent her summer in Europe – her uncle Brian took her to DLP!


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Victoria graduated high school this last summer – 2017 – and she is also (currently) spending her summer in Europe… Myrthe took V to DLP this time!


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2018 – now it’s our turn!!! I am super excited!!! Josh and I will be going to Europe to celebrate being “Debt FREEEEEE” – and to spend time with Brian (Josh’s brother), Myrthe (his wife), Thomas and Lara (their children) – aka: BMTL. It just so happens that DLP is a 4 hour drive from their house – so we will be taking a side trip there… We, as in, Myrthe and I, I think… Pretty sure Josh isn’t going, yet.


I know nothing about DLP – nothing. So, this should be interesting to plan… LOL Thanks to Victoria – I know they have Dole Whips… So, that’s good. I also know that they DON’T have Mickey Waffles (booooo). Regardless, it should be interesting.


We also have plans to take a few side trips while we are in Europe… We are planning a day at De Efteling – or better known as “Dutch Disney” – and in some ways (gasp!), it’s better than a Disney park.


We will spend a day or two in Amsterdam… A day in Rotterdam… I am also hoping for a day or two at Normandy, France… And possibly a day or two in Berlin, Germany. Ahhh – BIG dreams here folks. I want to see and do it all! So, it should be a fantastic trip all around. 17 days – all paid for with cash!


So, please join me on my next adventure as we celebrate this huge milestone in our lives… I cannot wait to reconnect with all of my Dis friends, whom I’ve missed so much over these last months!


D~
 
Healthy living updates…


Ahhh – it just wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t talk about the food I eat and the work outs I do… ::yes::


This has been such a long and winding path for me. I am not going to go through it all with you – as I know that most of you have already read it (and heard me agonize over it) a bazillion times over. I will give a brief synopsis though, for any new readers I may have… If you really want an in-depth look, you can read the links in my siggy.


In March of 2012, I had just returned from our first girls Disney trip… I was miserable that entire trip – none of my clothes fit me, and I could barely walk the necessary steps needed to tackle the parks. I knew something needed to change, and I gave it my all for several months – eventually giving up and gaining back more than I had lost.

It wasn’t until Spring of 2013, right after I’d had my gallbladder removed, and my recovery was terrible. I knew this was solely due to my lethargic lifestyle, and my terrible diet. Once again, in my life, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired… and this time was different. I concentrated on one change at a time, working hard – though never over working myself… Slowing giving up things in my life that were bad for me, and eventually evolving into a Paleo (and occasionally dipping into Primal) lifestyle… It felt good. I felt good. Suddenly – all of my ailments, things I just assumed were due to age, were just gone. And my health was the best it had ever been – including when I was in my teens and 20’s! It was shocking! Also, in the fall of 2013, I started my Olympic weight lifting – which I still do to this day.

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Last year… Life got the best of me. Everything I had worked so hard for just wasn’t as important as it once was. Suddenly, I found myself in the midst of a kitchen remodel… My oldest child was graduating and leaving home for 10 weeks abroad… My youngest child was starting her Senior year of high school… And many other things were going on – most of which are too personal to share here. What this resulted in is me taking a back seat to life… And even though I continued to “try” – the oomph wasn’t there… My heart wasn’t in it… And I was tired. And I felt like a failure – as all of the size I had lost came creeping back. Plain and simple, I was lost.

Finally – May 2017 – The mirror and I had a “come to Jesus moment”… Oh yah – we had it out. Like, it was brutal. And I won.


I told myself that I just needed to start over… I had to stop looking at how far I had come – which resulted in me looking at how far I had slid. Instead – I ignored the path I had once followed and just started from where I was. I committed to changing one thing at a time… No cheating myself… Again – I tend to be a perfectionist, an “all or nothing” type person – sometimes I am chomping so hard at the bitt, I just have to breathe and slow myself down – this is often harder than the actual task at hand. One thing at a time – not as slowly as I had done it before – but still, just one change every few days… And here I am, 3 months later – very close to my smallest size. Had you asked me, 4 months ago, I never would have imagined that I could start this journey again. I had almost, almost given up. For any of you who know me – you know that this is not me. I don’t give up.

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So, any of you who followed my journey before – you know that I never officially made it to my goal. I was very close – but just didn’t get there. This time… Well – as I said above, I don’t give up.

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September 10, 2017

I thought I would do a quick little healthy living update...

I haven't changed my routine at all over the last month... I am still doing 30DS 2-3x weekly, I am still heavy lifting 2x weekly, and usually on my Target days - I throw in a WATP/Abs session, just because I get so many steps in while I am working there. I try to deliberately go for a walk at some point on the weekends, and I also take one day off on the weekend as a rest day - though my walks really wouldn't be considered heavy cardio at all - just an enjoyment thing.

Food - which is where I struggled all of last year - is still going very well. Labor Day weekend was a bit tough for me, as we spent it traveling around and staying at various places + camping. I didn't have a plan, as I normally do, and I did end up having 2 non-compliant meals over the course of that weekend... While they were non-compliant, I still did the best I could within those meals. I was a bit nervous coming back home and going back to my Paleo eating, as the last time something similar to this happened, it spiraled me out of control... So far, so good and I have resumed my 100% compliance without an issue. :lovestruc

I continue to go down in size, though my weight is VERY slow to come off these days - as it seems this is my pattern once I get to this bracket... It's just incredibly slow, which is sometimes very disheartening to me. I am trying hard not to focus on that and just continue to do what I know is best for me.

A couple of weeks ago, I went and had lunch with Josh at work - as it so happened - there was a large table of his co-workers sitting near us in the cafeteria... Last week, a few of them asked which of his daughters came to see him recently... Bahahaha... If that didn't give me an ego boost! :lmao: ::yes::

Now that some cooler temps have settled in, I've had to dig out my jeans... It was a nice surprise to try them all on, and they all fit comfortably. These are all jr. size 9/10 - and all last season, I was busting out of them - I honestly should have not worn them then, but I refused to buy new bigger sizes - and I am glad I persevered. I am a little worried that some may become too big for me, but for the moment, they are perfect. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I am looking forward to wearing my fall wardrobe, which includes many colors of vests and lots of scarves... I purchased a black vest 2 years ago from Old Navy, and I loved it so much, that I purchased all of the other available colors last year... I love these vests because they aren't bulky under jackets in the winter time.

I also have a few new jackets I can wear this season, and during the coming winter... I am pretty excited about them actually... 2 of them were purchased 2 years ago, at the end of that season and I never had the opportunity to wear them while they fit... Now they fit. ::yes:: I hate winter - I detest winter - and the only thing that makes it somewhat bearable is a cute and warm winter jacket. ::yes:: Yet, I hate layering, because I cannot stand all of the bulk inside a jacket... Ahhhh... The woes of a cold climate.

Anyways... Just one picture - from yesterday...

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D~​
 
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I'm here. Let's see how long I stay here. Would be super helpful if you send me a link every time you post ;) Luv ya!
 
Marking my place! It's almost time to go home from work so I will have to come back and read at a later time.
 


Ok I actually logged in to the Dis to follow along. Lets see if I can get myself subscribed to this post so I can keep up with it.
 
Yay! I am so excited for you guys ✨
I haven't been on the Dis much but I will be now!!!

Monica
 
I'm here! So excited for your European Vacation! The girls got to go, so I'm glad you and Josh will also! I really would love to go back to Europe. We lived in Germany twice for a total of 6 years. My youngest was born in Heidelberg. I would love to go back for a visit!
 
Hi! I'm so excited to see you back on the DIS writing a trip report. Your trip to Europe is going to be awesome, and paying for it in cash is going to make it that much better. I can't wait to read more.

This is Louise by the way. I wasn't sure if you would be able to put my DIS name with my FB name.
 
I am VERY excited!! Can't wait to hear about your planning and then following along with your adventures! It should be so fun for you to go to DLP - Disney but with a different twist. So happy to read that your healthy lifestyle is all falling back into place. I know you're an inspiration to many people - me included. Almost debt free - woohoo! Seems like you've been able to pay it down pretty quickly once you set your minds to it. Also anxious to hear how your Dad is handling the big move - maybe you'll work that into your updates. Rene'
 

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