Checking in on my vitality

January - Vitality

• Go to the gym at least 3x per week  - I'd much rather go to Pop Physique with Helya, but the regular gym will have to do.

• Floss 3x/week - Yeah, I suck at this one, but my dentist does NOT wanna know how much of an improvement even THIS is!

• Drink 1 glass of water per day - I haven't been tracking this, mostly because I already know my graph will look like this:

For some reason I really resist drinking water. When I am pouring myself a glass of milk with dinner, I think "you should just have some water right now" and then another voice chimes in, WATER SUCKS! Yes, in all caps, and font size 16!

• Go to sleep earlier - Two things keep me up: an assortment of good tv on my DVR and pillow talk with Steve.

• Toss, restore, organize (use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without) - I already went through my closet. This weekend we have plans to go through our books and organize the office.

• 1 minute rule - don't postpone any task that can be done in less than one minute - LOVE this rule. I shared this useful idea with Steve last night and he said he already does a lot of tidying up every morning while he flosses his teeth one-handed. He said this as I was picking up a wine glass, a water glass, and some of his candy wrappers from the living room from the night before. ARGH!

• Tackle a nagging task (finish CD project, cancel magazine subscriptions!) - Oh my gosh, this CD project is the bane of my existence.

• Act more energetic - I'm about a 7 on the energetic scale. I will tell you when I am NOT energetic: when I am changing into my gym clothes and when I am horizontal on the couch. I will tell you when I am MOST energetic: when I realize it is Bachelor Monday and when I've already met my gym quota for the week!

Snazz

If you ever visit San Francisco, I highly recommend staying at the lovely Joie de vivre property, Hotel Carlton. It is quaint by all accounts. The front desk clerk is hilarious, the decor is eclectically gorgeous, the restaurant Saha is aboslutely divine (crab stuffed artichoke hearts!) and the best part - the happy hour every evening with free wine and live music. The wine social is hands down the reason we stay here. One of the front desk employees sets up his keyboard, throws on some shades, and jams on that keyboard like it is his reason for waking up in the morning. After each applause he looks up with a giant grin and that's when you sink a little bit further into the cozy couch next to the crackling fire, glass of wine in hand, loved ones nearby, and you realize that you are HAPPY.

January - Vitality!

I've now posted my Happiness page linked above! Each month, I will let you know how it's going. Since it is already mid-January, here's my first update:

• Gym: on target!
• Floss: behind schedule!
• Water: oopsy, it's probably been 1 glass every other day
• Sleep: check!
• Organize: cleaned out my closet yesterday and have a giant trash bag for goodwill (STILL throwing out clothes from 10 years ago), a giant trash bag for the garbage (LOTS of holey socks), and a stack of old shoeboxes (why do I keep those?!). 
• 1 Minute Rule: Everyday when we get home, I make it a point to tidy up. Shoes go to closet, mail goes to office, lunch bags get put away, gym clothes go in hamper. 
• Tackle a nagging task: still nagging
• Act more energetic: Need to work more on this one. I think being cold makes me feel less energetic and I just want to curl up and snuggle. (Personal commandment: Identify the problem!) So, now I've been wearing my new fingerless gloves to work so I can get things done while staying warm. Also, COFFEE! We didn't have coffee yesterday morning and I felt lethargic all day. I realized it was probably because I didn't have the coffee that I am used to! I only drink a cup a day, but it makes a difference in my energy level!

And so it begins

Christmas Party at the Madonna Inn

Photos by Moore Photography

Happiness 101

I just finished reading The Happiness Project which really inspired me to make a difference in my life this year. There are many things I want to take directly from this book like not only making resolutions but holding myself accountable to them. The book really reached me because it was formatted in the same way my brain works. Tasks organized in categories, monthly resolution themes, and repeating messages that are helpful year round. 

My favorite part of the book was the Secrets of Adulthood, where the author, Gretchen Rubin, came up with a list of truths that she has learned over her adult life. I put together my own list of secrets (and stole some from her). Wonder what they are? Well, you're in luck because I am going to create another page with a link up top with my own goals for 2012, personal commandments, and secrets of adulthood. I hope you can look at my lists and think about them for your life, and I encourage you all to leave comments sharing your own little truths. Stay tuned for that later this week!

A couple things that I've had in my head since reading:

• One minute rule: Anything that takes a minute or less - DO IT NOW. (i.e. bring shoes to closet when I get home, put mail in office instead of leaving it on the counter, make the bed)
• What's fun for other people may not be fun for you, and vise versa.
• Most decisions don't require extensive research. 
• Be bold. 

And, just in time, I found some great tools from mightygirl.com to help me organize and keep my resolutions. My favorite is a website called 42 Goals. I've already started tracking mine here. Some of my goals are simple - make lunch 4 days per week, go to the gym three days a week, floss my teeth more, remember to thaw out freezer food, and spend less on daily expenses! I like this web app because it's easy to use quickly, and the nerd in me loves the graph capabilities to help visualize my progress (or lack thereof!)

The 2 hour Bachelor Monday nights are killing me! ;)

Anyway, I will be sharing more of my thoughts and progress as I make my way into this year! Glad you are here for the ride! And if you want to borrow my Happiness Project book, let me know!

2011 Heaven

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We've been busy bees getting ready for the holidays, but we made sure to stop and enjoy many sweet little moments sipping on egg nog and baileys, celebrating my 29th birthday, nibbling on festive treats, and visiting a local tree farm for our Christmas tree!

Hope this holiday brings joy, laughter, and happy memories to you and yours! 

Stay tuned for my annual slideshow at the end of the month!

Two trees! :)

Pink Cheeks

Really tall old man behind me at the post office: Excuse me, can you bend down a little so I can see over your head.

Me: ha! Good one!

Old Man: So how tall are you? Four foot somethin'?

Me: 5 foot even

Old Man: Wowee, ain't much taller than a country mouse, eh!

Me: *abashedley smiles*

Old Man bends down to my level and with the kindest eyes says: Well, I'll tell ya this...your face turns a nice shade of pink.

 :)

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving this year was extra special. Steve and I hosted my mom's side of the family at our house this year. TWENTY TWO people. Yes, I was in over my head. But, I must say, everything went off without a hitch and it was the most memorable Thanksgiving dinners ever. My mom arrived in town the Monday before Thanksgiving to help. We (she) bought all of the groceries, she helped me move ALL of our furniture for the carpet cleaner, we decorated the tables, and she was my main squeeze in the kitchen! By 2:00 on T-day, the house was packed with all of our family! 

The second my grandpa arrived, Steve was ready with an ice cold Keystone Light for him :)

 All of the grandkids

Fun with ladderball! 

 Super carver

Festive! 

My favorite part of our Thanksgiving celebration were the dinner games. This note was at the entryway table when everyone arrived. (Don't you love the beer can rim leftover??)

Then, I wrapped the slips of paper in foil, and put the foils into the rolls before baking. I baked the rolls and before dinner told everyone to grab a roll and open it up to find the foil. Once dinner got going, we took turns opening the slips of paper and reading aloud the "thankful" note. The person with that note had to guess who wrote it. This game was hilarious, sweet, and memorable. My favorite thank you's were "I'm thankful for the Green Door" - a joke played on my grandpa by my cousin. "I'm thankful for my mom who is looking down on us all today", a sweet message about my grandma Ladonna who I KNOW was there celebrating along with us, too. "I am thankful for waking up next to someone who smiles first thing every morning" - Steve's message about me! :) All of the thank you's were creative, lovely, and fun and I highly recommend this game!!! 

The next game was Turkey Word Blitz, where I got the idea from my friend Heather. Before Thursday, I wrote down Thanksgiving day themed words on pieces of paper and hid them under everyone's placemat. After we finished eating, I asked everyone to look under their plates to find their word, and one by one we went around the table describing or acting it out without saying the actual word. Some words were challenging and some were easy, but it was another good way to get a huge table all involved together. 

I am so thankful that everyone traveled from far away to be with us on Thanksgiving. I've always wanted to throw a huge dinner party, complete with fun decorations, good food, and lots of laughs and that's exactly what it was. I loved seeing my cousins and learning about what they're interested in (Justin Beiber!) I loved tap dancing with the little girls - putting on a show for everyone (complete with stage lights and a spot light, thanks, Steve!) and I loved being together in one place, talking about old times and dreaming about the future. 

It truly is a happy holiday season!