Headaches and Housework

Monday, I battled with time...

Tuesday arrived....with a gigantic headache.

Actually, I have had one for the past week or so.

Most of them have been the kind I can get rid of in a few hours...after some major drugging, lots of hydrating, a hot bath, and food.

They don't go away completely...but they are manageable.

Tuesday's headache decided to just hang on.

And brought along with it just an all over feeling of yuck.

I have no time for yuck right now.

I have things to get done.

~

I decided I would just hop in the tub right away...and hopefully I would just feel better.

That didn't work at all.

Laying down wasn't an option.

This house had to be worked on...or I would, indeed, lose my mind.

I started picking away at it...and had some moments of feeling completely overwhelmed.

At one point, I just sat on the floor, and cried to the dogs about it.

They listened patiently...but offered no advice, or help, for that matter.

So, I carried on.

Each time I felt like I was going to keel over and die, I would grab my water bottle, sit for a minute...do the "head between the knees" thing if necessary, (I knew if I passed out, my dogs would be of absolutely no help, so that wasn't an option either.)

Eventually...HOURS later, I started making some progress.

Or at least...I could SEE the progress I was making.

Thank God, because I needed a calm space in this house, or I was going to lose my mind.

I haven't seen the top of the table for two weeks.

Now...if only I could solve my "work area" issue.

(There will be no pictures of that disaster today.)

Baby steps, right?

~

Isn't it interesting how feeling under the weather messes with your motivation mojo?

Speaking of weather....the big discussion in my house is the temperature for Wednesday.

And, of course....the big question:

"Do you think they will cancel school?!"

That was the one perk when we lived in Prairie du Chein.....we got lots of snow days!  (Yes, teachers love them as much as the kids do!)

Well, we did, anyway.

Then, we moved to the cities....where it could be -90, and there could be 20 feet of snow...and we would still have school.

That sucked.

~

I guess by the time I post this...we will have our answer.

I know I will have three very happy people in my house if it is a YES.

Lexie is currently in her bed feeling crappy too...so maybe a snow day wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I think we all need a recovery day from our Christmas break.

All I know is that if these people I live with are home today...they better not mess up what I spent all day cleaning....or they will really wish that they were in school.

~

Have a great Wednesday....and stay warm!

*And the update is in:  My home will indeed be invaded by a husband and two teenagers today.  I may lock myself in my disaster of a "craft/laundry" room and see if I can make some progress down there...where no one can find (bother) me. ;)

Stuck..but still stepping

Monday was a bust.

Don't you hate it when your plan doesn't pan out?

I didn't even self-sabatoage...which is typically why my Mondays go down in flames.

I stayed far away from my bed, and I never turned on the TV.

I even made a list...clipped coupons, and was well prepared before heading out to run errands.

My objective: to find a cute, yet functional file cabinet type thingy to put beside my desk, that would also serve as a shelf/table to set my printer on.

My desk is currently filled to capacity, both inside the drawers, as well as the space on top.

Since I am in my "get organized" phase, well, I'm trying to get organized...and make my work space look less cluttered.

~

So, I headed out into the frozen tundra, braving the cold and potential snow, on my quest for the perfect office furniture.

(I also needed other stuff...so I was on a mission.)

I recalled seeing some cute filing cabinets at TJMaxx not too long ago...so that is where I began.

I found a metal umbrella holder that will work beautifully as a wrapping paper container.

I found a faux fur throw that was on clearance, and makes my couch even MORE cozy.

I found truffles and my favorite mint chocolates on clearance (that I have no plans to tell anyone in my family about) that I can stash and have on hand for when chocolate emergencies may arise.

But I found NO filing cabinets, or anything that would work at all.

~

On to Target.

There HAD to be something at Target that would work.

There is ALWAYS something at Target.

I filled up my cart with cleaning supplies, and other various products we were out of, or things I had great coupons for that were worth stocking up on.

I found a couple bookshelves that could potentially work....but nothing that was perfect.

And I still needed to get groceries.

Not to mention the fact that this was my day to tackle the housecleaning and laundry.

So...I headed home to drop off this stuff...and decide what to do next.

Should I clean, or should I shop?

(I always look for a reason to NOT grocery shop.)

Of course, knowing we were supposed to get snow, the thought of having no food in the house, and having to trudge through the cold AND snow

the next day sounded even less appealing than going now.

~

Then I looked at the time.

2:00.

How on earth was it already 2:00?!!

I opted to start cleaning, and would make Mark shop with me later.

(If you bring a shopping partner, you don't have to carry the groceries in alone!)

20 minutes into my cleaning, I get a text:

"Mom...can you pick us up after school?"

(It never fails.)

30 minutes later, I was back in the car...picking up my spoiled children who hate riding the bus.

Since we were driving by the grocery store anyway...we stopped, and got that mess out of the way.

$300 later (AGH!) we were on our way home.

I should NEVER take them with me.  The bill is always at least $50 more when they come along.

I realize this when I start unpacking horrendous things like those nasty orange circus peanuts, and fruit roll ups, and weird cereals.  Obviously, while I am off getting what we need...they are adding what they want to the cart.

Circus peanuts?!  Gross.

~

The point:

My house is still a disaster...only now there is even more stuff in it.

But, on the bright side, we have food.

Including those disgusting circus peanuts.

~

Rather than use my free evening to catch up on the housework I didn't get done during the day, I opted to watch TV instead.

This didn't exactly work to my advantage, because I wound up falling asleep on the couch at 7:00.

Taking at nap at 7pm is never a good idea.

Especially if your plan is to "get a good night's sleep, and start fresh again tomorrow!"

So, here I am, once again sitting at the computer at midnight, wondering if there will ever come a day when I get my #$*^ figured out.

Considering the fact that I am 42 years old, and I haven't 

done so yet, I'm guessing that the answer is 

"no, not likely."

But...I can accept my fate.

I will continue to plug along...and maybe one of these days, something will click.

Until then, the "self-help book" industry will continue to make a mint off of me,

and my sleep schedule will continue to be erratic.

~

However, those baby steps I'm taking keep moving forward, not backward...

so every step is a step in the right direction.

Somedays I may only walk a few steps....but today...I might run.

Have a great Tuesday!

In the "Now"

Here we go!!

Are you ready for Monday?

I love Mondays.

I love being able to love Mondays.

It's really nice, considering I endured 33 years, give or take, of hating Mondays.

It's so nice to have such a good relationship with this day now.

After a weekend (or in this case, nearly two weeks) filled with noise and all of the joys that teenagers bring...I finally have my house to myself again.

This is the one day of the week that I have carved out for getting things done.

(Or, if need be, to stay in bed all day.)

This is not an option today. (It really isn't an option most Mondays...but it still does occur on occasion.)

I have been working on my "to-do" list for the past few days.

It is slightly overwhelming...but also a little exciting.

I have a bunch of new projects in the works.

I have been staring at my current disaster of a house, plotting some furniture rearranging, and doing some organizational brainstorming.

My house would be perfect if it only had one more room.

Apparently, there was another room in the original plan...but the contractor screwed something up.

The story I heard was that he threw in the cherry hardwood floors, and the granite in the kitchen as a trade for the "oops...sorry I forgot to put that four season room on your house" mistake.

I do love the floors and the countertops...but I could really use that extra room!

Oh well. 

I guess I will continue to be challenged when it comes to furniture arrangement in this wacky house.

But don't you worry....I can handle it.

~

I had a moment yesterday.

Liturgically speaking, yesterday was the Feast of the Epiphany.

(aka:  The Kings finally showed up in Bethlehem. )

It also marked the end of the "Christmas Season."

So, of course, we had to finish with a bang (or really, more of a heavenly sigh) so we once again sang our new favorite song (the one that I shared with you a couple of weeks ago.)

It was magical when we sang it Saturday night for Mass...so I needed to recreate that magic for our final hurrah on Sunday.

Communion started with the glorious "Gabriel's Oboe" (performed on piano and oboe) and after the congregation joined in singing "What Child Is This" we began.

All was well...until the moment when I dug into to the two "walking chords" that moved into the second section of the piece.  My hands must have wandered off course...because those two chords were WRONG!  So very wrong.

Everything was fine from that point on...but it was too late.

The moment was ruined for me.

I wasn't embarrassed or sad....I was MAD.

All I wanted was for my soul to be filled one last time until next year when we could resurrect this beautiful song...but no! It wasn't flawless and perfect.

And it NEEDED TO BE!

Jaine even said (afterward) "Your face turned red...and it wasn't a blushing red....it was a MAD red!"

So, I did what any drama queen would do.

Once people had cleared out, the three of us gathered around the piano, and sang it again.

This time, it was perfect. (Jaine even cried.)

That is exactly how it was supposed to be.

I got my moment...and it was good.  So good.

~

This is how I am approaching this new year.

In moments.

In GOOD moments.

I am not going to overwhelm myself in unattainable goals.

I am not going to beat myself up if I only achieve one thing in a day.

I am going to do things that excite me, or at least find ways to make the things I have to do more enjoyable.

~

Here is the funny thing.

Every goal I have is something that, when I actually achieve it, I feel SO MUCH BETTER.

In a nutshell, my overall goal is really to feel good, and to have more energy.

Guess what helps me to achieve that?

1. An uncluttered space.

2. Regular exercise.

3. A healthy diet.

4. Feeling "financially fit" (so I don't have to worry about money)

Hmmm....look at that.  All of the things I am working on lead to my all-encompassing goal.

Shocking.

Every single day....more baby steps.

(We met with a finical advisor yesterday, and are starting to get all of that fun stuff in order....more and more baby steps!!)

I like this "living in the moment" stuff.

It's good to continue to plan for the future as well...but you still need to live in the now.  I have spent way too much of my life living in the past, or waiting for something to happen in the future.  It's sad to think of all the moments I have missed because I wasn't paying attention to what was going on at the time.

Everything in the past is done, and the future is out of our control.  

It's interesting how different life looks when you change your perspective.

I find I'm a lot less disappointed when I just remain in the present.

When I would constantly look to the future, I would find that I always anticipated exciting things to come, but would be let down when it rarely turned out the way I had hoped.

Living in the moment allows you to enjoy things as they come.

Isn't that what life is all about?

If we have everything planned out ahead of time, we have taken all of the spontaneity and excitement out of living.

I think it's time that we start spicing things up again, move outside of our "safety zones" and enjoy this adventure we are on.

If we only get one ride on this roller coaster, we might as well enjoy it, right?!

Enjoy your Monday!! 

Okay...even if your Mondays aren't as blissful as mine....just think,

some of our favorite shows are finally coming back from their "winter breaks" this week! :)

Have a great day!

A step in the right direction..

I love this color.

In case you were wondering.

So, here we are....the last day before reality hits again.

(At least that is the case for those of us with kids who were on Christmas break, or those who are teachers, or who live with teachers, or whoever else likes to refer to Monday as reality!)

For me, the routine starts back up, and the lessons I teach resume.

I have to admit, I have LOVED having two weeks with nothing but my church job to worry about.

Especially since many of the Masses I played for involved singing some of the gorgeous Christmas music I have been working on with my daughter and a good friend.  (I'm getting as much mileage out of our new "greatest hits" as I possibly can!!)

Last night, the three of us sang together again....and I must have really been needing some soul filling, because it really did that for me.

Apparently it did the same for some people listening too.

I had a gentleman come up to me afterward and tell me how much my music means to him.

Now, I will often have people swing by the piano and say "I loved that song you did tonight," or "you girls sounded great!" but this was different.

He didn't just drop a nice compliment and run...he really poured out his heart to me.  It was one of those situations where I was both so touched by everything he was saying, but also embarrassed, because I am horrible at taking compliments, and when a person goes on and on with one, I'm not sure how to act.  (I just stood there and said "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!")

Finally, I just said "Let me give you a hug!" for lack of knowing what else to do!

What meant the most to me was when he said "every time I come here and here you play, my spirit is lifted."

~

Why am I telling you about this?

Because I found his words so interesting....for every time I play, my spirit is lifted.

Some days, it is just really nice to be reminded that you really are doing what you were meant to do. 

I have made it my purpose over the past couple of years to focus on streamlining my life.  To let go of the things that were weighing me down, and only take on things that I enjoyed or that fed my soul.

I have written about this quite a bit.

This is an ongoing process, and something I continue to work toward.

~

Since I am on my big "New Year's Evolution" kick, I have decided to shift gears a little bit, and widen my focus.

I have really tried to pay attention to my mental and emotional health...but I always seem to leave my physical health by the wayside.

Pretty dumb idea, since I'm not going to be much use to anyone if I'm in terrible physical shape.

So, that's going to start to play into the picture this year.

I need to find a "Mind/Body/Spirit" balance.

I think that is the one thing I have been lacking.

~

I lose weight, and feel great about myself physically, but I am an emotional wreck.

I get it together emotionally, and work through old demons that have plagued me in the past, but I gain back all that weight, and feel awful physically.

Or the worst:

I gain the weight, am an emotional wreck, and fall into depression, and am mentally ready to throw in the bag.

~

I would like to have all three working on my side for once!

A crazy thing happened yesterday.

If you recall, I usually waste my Saturdays.

It looked like it was going to be yet another wasted day....especially since I somehow managed to sleep in until 11am.

However, I decided to take my three new books with me to the bathtub.

I started with the book on "tidying up."  (The author is Japanese...I think it is so cute that she always uses the word "tidy" rather than "clean.")  Then I paged through the book about finding your "spark" and being creative.  Both got me feeling a little motivated.  

I got ready, and then started making lists.  Long term projects, and things that needed to get done this week.

And suddenly, I found myself putting all the Christmas decorations away, and cleaning up the house.  (This usually doesn't happen until around Valentines Day, when it's just gotten to the point where having a Christmas tree is beyond ridiculous.)

Now that is taken care of, and I can get a good start on Monday, without having to bother with any of that.

I am not sure who this person is who has taken over my body...

but I think I like her.

Have a great Sunday!

flAB to fABulous

I am going to start with another confession.  

(Because I am a good Catholic....well, maybe not all that good.  This is as close to a confessional as I care to get.  I know the Sacrament of Reconciliation is supposed to rid you of all your sins and all of that, but quite honestly, sitting in a little room with my boss, telling him every bad thing I've done over the past several years just doesn't sound appealing to me.

I have to admit I really liked it when I worked in the Lutheran church, and the Pastor would get up in front of the congregation and say "I absolve you of all your sins" to us.  We didn't have to have a face to face evaluation with him...he just wiped them all away.

(Well, I actually did have to have a face to face evaluation...but I worked there, so that was a whole other matter.)

Crap.  What the heck was I going to confess???

I have no idea.  

I need to quit going off on tangents all the time, because I never get to the point...and when I do, I forget what it was.

~

By the way....my house smells a lot like lefse right now.

This is strange, because there certainly isn't any on the premises....unless my kids have gotten in touch with their Norwegian heritage, and taught themselves the art of lefse making...which is highly unlikely.

~

Okay, so yesterday was an interesting day.

We celebrated Christmas with my sisters and their families.  

Though, I'm not really sure you would call it "celebrating Christmas."  

We no longer have the kids exchange gifts, because, quite frankly...there are just too many of them.

I have two kids, Kris has four and Emily has six.

I could handle buying two gifts...but when you are the one having to buy six...well, it starts to get a little spendy.

So, we sisters usually give each other a little something (socks, soaps, lipgloss, etc) and then a treat or two for mom.

We did something we've never done before this year....we left the dads in charge, and the three girls went out to get some business taken care of.

I wish it had been some fun business...but it was real business business.

We spent some time at the Department of Aging, and discussed resources that were available, and future plans for mom.

Then, we went to the funeral home.

Planning your mother's funeral while she is still alive is an interesting process.

Especially when she isn't there to give you any input.

We wanted to get everything in place and paid for now, so it is one thing we don't need to worry about in the future.

I figured we would be choosing a casket and outlining the service.  I didn't expect to be deciding what kind of flowers we preferred, or if we wanted a hairstylist or not, nor was I expecting the ridiculous cost of running an obituary in the paper.

Death is one lucrative business.

When it came to the music portion of the worksheet...we simply said "we will handle it."

At least that is one area where we will feel like we know what is going on, and can be assured it will be just what mom would have wanted.

~

When we finally finished up our "business" we joined the troops back home.

And what a house full of crazy it was.

Fourteen kids ages 16 and under, and seven adults.  It wasn't so bad until the pizza arrived.  Having that many people in one kitchen was, well, chaotic.

As much as I love my nieces and nephews, our family gatherings are always a good reminder of why I have only two children.

My house is SOOOO quiet.

~

Needless to say, a big family pizza party did not get me any closer to starting my New Year's Evolutions.  However, when I arrived home, there was a package waiting at the front door.

My three new books had arrived. 

(Honestly...there is nothing more exciting to me than getting new books!!)

I think that these books will address exactly what my goals are geared toward.

Here are the titles:

1.  the life-changing magic of tidying up

the Japanese are of decluttering and organizing

2. Spent

Break the Buying Obsession and Discover Your True Worth

3. The Little Spark

30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity

Now, obviously the only thing missing is something to address my goals involving weight-loss and getting healthy.

However, we have some Christmas money that we have decided to put toward creating a work-out room in our house.  Everyone seems to be on board and excited about it, so that will be in the works asap.

I have products on their way for my 24-Day Advocare Challenge, so hopefully that will be a good jump-start for the weight loss factor.

~

I'm still moving in baby steps...but the biggest thing right now is motivation.

I am soooo tired of feeling tired.

I'm sick of having headaches and feeling achey and lethargic.

And more than anything....I am sick of trying to hide my balloon tummy under baggy clothes.

It's impossible to hide a big roll of flab.

So, it's time for that flab to GO!

^^^2014^^^

I'm thinking that 2015 will be the year of the bikini.

I'm thinking...6-8 weeks?  No problem.

Well....maybe I'll give myself until June.

OMG.

Excuse me.  I need to go work on my abs.

Have a great Saturday!

Bring Home the Bacon

I have a confession to make.

When it is nearing midnight, and I haven't gotten around to writing my post for the next day....nor have I gotten around to thinking about what I'm even going to write about....well, I face the task somewhat begrudgingly.

I could get up and do it in the morning...but that is as likely as me getting up to exercise, so it's best that I stay honest with myself.

So, here I am, nearing the midnight hour, fighting a headache after two glasses of wine...never a good idea.  (I think my husband may have been trying to get me drunk.) 

Speaking of him....while he was putzing around with his lake home in the garage today, he managed to prove to us all that he is indeed getting old, and pulled a muscle in his back.  (This will happen when trying to lift a lake home single handedly.)  So, now he is walking around much like a woman in labor.  I believe I have commented on his behavior when he gets sick. (The world stops turning....etc.) Well, the same thing happens when he is in pain.

This is why women give birth.

End of story.

~

So, how did Day 1 of your "New Year's Resolutions/Evolutions" go?

Remember those baby steps I'm taking.

Yeah...they are teeny tiny baby steps.

Actually....I am starting to go through withdrawal.  I already am feeling that "The End Is Near" anxiety...and I hate that.

(The "End" as in...real life starts again on Monday...and I'm not ready.)

I have had a decent chunk of time to actually get some stuff done around here, but I have completely squandered it.

I could have put Mark and the kids to work, and tackled some projects around the house...but I chose to just be a bum instead.

Now...I'm almost out of time.

Today is our Westby family Christmas...so we will be busy with that.

Then there is the weekend...which for me is never a good time to get much done, because I am working.

This is where some changes definitely need to happen. 

And they need to happen IN MY HEAD!

~

I have wrapped my mind around the thought that my Saturdays are pretty much a bust, because whatever project I start...I always have to stop around 3 or 4 to get ready and head off to church.  By the time I get back and have dinner, it's after 7, and I always make it an early night because I'm up early again the next day.

So, in other words...I waste the day.

(I should write a book about wasting days.  I am SO GOOD AT IT!!!)

~

I have the book (a real book...not just one of the 500 books I should write...)

"52 Ways to Live A Kick-Ass Life" sitting on my desk.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book/author.  

The author has "over come an eating disorder, alcoholism and divorce..." and she dwells on these things a little too much for my liking.  It's great she has overcome them...yeah her! but I don't need to be reminded of it over and over again.  That being said, she does have some great ideas in the book.

Since it is a new year, I figure why not throw out some of her ideas that are good, and maybe you will like them too!

(especially good for late nights when I'm not sure what to write about!)

Week 1:

Take Responsibility for Your Life and Your Choices.

~

I like this.

I have been a guest at my own pity parties...and have definitely (and unfortunately) spent more time that I would have liked at the pity parties of others.  It is pretty easy to blame everyone around you for your unhappy circumstances.  It's also easy to think "don't they know how hard things are for me?" or "how can they treat me like that after all I have been through!"

I think we have all played the victim at some point in life.

The goal is to move out of that role, take all those negative "poor me" thoughts and turn them into positive ones.  

I could sit here all day and blame my age, my genetics, my depression, my migraines, my dogs for my weight gain....but the truth is...I bought a cupcake recipe book, and went nuts 18 months ago.  That set off my super sugar addiction, and I didn't stop.  I also didn't exercise.  My dogs are fat too...(but they didn't eat any cupcakes.) I could blame that damn cookbook (but OMG....it is SOOO good!) but the book didn't force that stuff down my throat.

~

She makes an interesting point in the book by saying this:

"Take a belief you have that you think is a fact.  Not a circumstance, (such as being in debt), but a belief.  For example, "I can never get out of this debt."  Ask yourself, "What if it was different?"  You don't have to completely say the opposite to yourself, or repeat any far-reaching affirmation- just get curious about the idea that it could be different.  What if it was possible to get out of debt?  Just consider it."

~

I think we often forget that EVERYTHING is a choice.

Okay...we don't choose for bad things to happen...but we DO choose how we react to it.  

That is probably the best lesson we can learn in life.  How to be able to not react....just listen, then absorb, then think it through (rationally, of course) and THEN choose how to react or feel about it.

We create our own drama.  Some of us create LOTS of drama.  (I, of course, have never created any, but I have heard that lots of people do this.)

I often wonder how things in my life would be different if I had figured this stuff out like 25 years ago....because I was the QUEEN of emotional reacting.

It never would have occurred to me to take the time to stop and think through an upsetting situation, and then deal with it.  Or, God forbid, sleep on it, and then approach it in the morning.  NO...I had to dive in head first, and solve whatever the problem was immediately....and while in a complete state of emotional turmoil.  As you can imagine, that always had a fantastic outcome!

Ugh.  

Honestly....where were the helpful magazine articles, and self-help books back then when crazy, hormonal, artsy, manic, pisces girls like me needed them?!!

All we got were "Yellow Mascara!  It's What's Hot!" (And I actually wore it a couple times, because that looked pretty with dark hair.) :-o

Or, "Drive the Boys Crazy With Love's Baby Soft."  That, or we were told that if we wore the right fragrance, we could not only bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan...but we could also make sure we never let our husbands forget he was a man...because apparently all of us were dreaming of not only supporting our families financially, but also doing all of the cooking, making sure we remained hot little sexpots, AND smelled good! (Well, not really good....I thought that Enjoli was a little rancid.) (And yes...I included the commercial for your enjoyment....click on the link.)

~

At least we are all wise and well-adjusted now, and perhaps our children have a chance at getting through their young adulthood with a little less trauma and turmoil than we did! (Or maybe I should just speak for myself here, because everyone else actually did already know all this stuff, and I was alone in my drama making, victim playing ways.)

~

At any rate, I'm glad that part has improved in my life.

Now...to work on the rest of it.

Like the "quit watching old episodes of "Castle" and actually do something productive."

One day at a time.

Baby steps.

Enjoy your Friday!!

A Fresh Start

Happy New Year!!!

2015

What will this year bring???

I think the first question is "How are you choosing to approach your new year?"

When I read the box above....I find myself taking it two ways.

1. A lot can happen in a year.....so I better enjoy each day.  You never know when disaster might strike. 

(That would be my not-so-optimistic view.)

or

2. Just think of all of the amazing changes I can make over the course of this year.

(I'm thinking this one has a much less morbid feel to it.)

There is a part of me that asks: Which option represents reality?

Probably both.

I do think we need to live each day to the fullest, because we don't know what the next day might bring...or if there even will be a next day.

I also think we need to set goals for ourselves...give ourselves something to strive for, things to look forward to (that is a big one for me) something to work toward.

I know that I always need to have a positive goal...something that motivates me, and gets me excited.

~

I have to admit, I haven't completed my New Year's Evolution list yet.

Nor have I crafted any big plans for how implement the things I know I want to do.

Now....on a typical year, this would mean failure.

If I didn't have this stuff wrapped up and ready to go on January 1...well, how on earth did I expect to start the year off right?

Obviously, I had ruined my chance, and would have to wait until next year.

(Oh darn.  I guess I can go have a candy bar, since the diet is off.)

~

Well, this year I have decided to approach my "goals" gently.

Yes....losing weight is on the list...OF COURSE.

However, it is not going to be a drastic "all or nothing" endeavor.

It is going to be about gradual changes....rather than my typical approach.

I have also decided that I am going to give up my attempt at mental telepathy.

I have been trying to get my husband to read my mind for the past 19 years....and after my failed attempt at an anniversary that involved, well, anything....I have decided that I will just have to start actually spelling things out for the guy. (Apparently my skills have not increased, or perhaps, ever existed.)

I will be voicing ideas like "You need to actually take some initiative and plan something...because it would be SO nice if I didn't always have to be the one who did it."  Or "those hints I keep dropping....yes, they are REAL hints."

Things like that.

Ugh.

Moving on.

~

It has come to my attention that my butt spends way too much time in contact with fluffy surfaces. (i.e.: the couch, the chair, my bed, etc.) 

No wonder it is flat.

I will never have a J.Lo butt if I keep sitting on it.

This is going on my list.

~

You know how it's so easy to give in to your dog when he is looking up at you with those big eyes, looking so sad and pathetic, and making little whimpering noises....and all he wants is just a little taste of your burger (or whatever.)

Well....I am a sucker for my dogs...but also for myself.

I am a total pushover when it comes to that voice in my head.

I can justify ANYTHING.

This involves food, (I'm eating cheesecake as I type this) shopping, getting out of exercising, being lazy in general, procrastinating, not leaving my house, etc.

This needs to change.

I am currently researching "ways to murder that damn voice inside your head."

I am pretty sure they can't convict you for killing something that no one else can see....or hear....??

~

Okay. 

I have decided my word for the year is going to be:

Baby Steps.

Yeah, yeah...I know that is two words.

However, this will be really good for me.

I typically am an "all or nothing" girl.

Today, I will start to train myself how to work progressively.

My house didn't become a disaster overnight....

I didn't become a bloated chunky monkey overnight (even though it seems like it)

Everything takes time...and it is a process.

I am going to allow myself to actually work through that process, and not get frustrated, or discouraged.

I have a feeling I will find SO much more success by approaching things this way.

~

SO there you have it.  My plan.

What is YOUR plan?

I would love to know!!

~

I love this quote....and it is my wish for all of you!!

Sending many happy thoughts and wishes for a very blessed 2015!!