January 2015

My New Year's Resolutions

I do best with accountability & patterns. 

I do best with accountability & patterns. 

I have never once kept a New Year's Resolution. But then again, I've never really made them. Every year, I half-hearted set goals that I then toss aside when real life kicks in; in that lofty space between Christmas and January, life feels as full of possibilities as I feel of cookies. I indulge and I want to change, but then once the time-travel feel of the last week of December wears off, I forget about that and go back to what I always do. 

Not this year. I say that with conviction and, despite my doubts, I intend for 2015 to be the year where I toss out my bad habits and replace them with at least decent ones. Here are my resolutions:

  • Complete the Beach Body Guide by Kayla Itsines. You can check Kayla out here or on Instagram. I've been hearing about Kayla for a few months, but didn't put a lot of stock in her guide. However, after following her on Instagram and seeing some of the insane before & after photos (posted by real people on real Instagram accounts!!), I have to admit I wanted it for myself. My goal, instead of having a goal to work out or lose weight or whatever, is to finish the first 12 weeks of Kayla's BBG.
     
  • Eat healthier, smaller meals. I have an unfortunate habit of not eating throughout the day (when you sit in front of a computer for 8 hours straight, it's difficult to actually feel hungry) and then going crazy in the evenings. I eat healthier than I used to, but my portion sizes are still a little messed up. I want to focus on eating more protein, less empty carbs, and drinking more water! 
     
  • Start, and finish, a project. I have half-finished scrapbooks all over the place. Half-started stories everywhere. Blog ideas scribbled down on post-it notes and hastily shoved into a drawer under my desk. It's time to finish a project, self, at least one. C'mon. 
     
  • Read at least one book a week. And not just fiction! As I read the Romanov Sisters, I am reminded of how much I love history books. I read a lot and I want to continue that trend this year. 
     
  • Make date nights a thing. Danny and I both have very short attention spans. Sometimes, we will dedicate a Friday night to watching a movie -- but I'll often end up reading during it or just going upstairs to write. I want to dedicate at least one day a week to doing an activity with Danny -- whether that is cooking dinner, baking something, going to a movie, or working out. 


Thanks for the Memories, 2014!

2014 wasn't the greatest year for me. Or, really, anyone it seems. 2014 seemed to suck for everyone. I take a little bit of comfort in knowing that on January 1, I won't be the only person realized to see 2014 in the review mirror. That being said, sometimes it's easy to let all the negative overwhelm the positive. So here's everything that happened to me in 2014: 

  • I finished moving into my just completed home & started paying a mortgage.
  • I started reading Geneen Roth books and changing the way I view food (even if it didn't make me change until, oh, 10 months later.) 
  • I got really obsessed with nail stamping. 
  • Remember that time Mucho Gusto featured Danny and I on their social media? And called us hipsters? 
  • Oregon went through an intense cold snap -- and Danny & I survived 4 days without power without killing each other. 
  • I bought Danny his first iPhone for Valentine's Day & he sent me flowers for the first time ever. 
  • I left a job I hated. 
  • I was unemployed for three months. Looking back, I can't remember what I did for all those months. Painted my nails, watched tons of Bones, worked out a lot, went to interviews... basically. 
  • I started another job I hated... and quit after a week. Oops. 
  • I started another job -- and then was offered my dream job. 
  • For three months, I worked two jobs. It doesn't sound that exhausting, but it really, really was. 
  • I joined WeightWatchers. Twice. 
  • I made a lot of homemade lemonade during the summer. And iced tea. Two drinks I used to hate. 
  • Danny and I celebrated our first anniversary. 
  • I attended one of the best weddings ever -- Nate & Amy's!
  • Then Nate & Amy moved in with us for a few months. (And you aren't family until I back into your car. Be warned.) 
  • I fell in love with coffee. Another beverage I used to hate that I can't live without now...
  • I also fell in love with leggings as pants. 
  • I started scrapbooking again. 
  • I made a lot of cupcakes. A lot of cookies. And a lot of other baked goods. 
  • I got sick approximately 100 times. 
  • Danny & I dressed as robbers for Halloween -- with Remus as a bag of money. 
  • I officially quit lifestyle, fashion & beauty blogging. And stopped using Blogger. 
  • I bought & built my first website. 
  • I decorated for Christmas... the day after Halloween. (No shame.) 
  • I started a Fall blog on Tumblr and have almost 8,000 followers, which is somehow deeply embarrassing.
  • Danny & I survived our second trip to Disneyland together -- and I think this one was more fun than the first. 
  • I bought my third pair of Minnie Mouse ears. Oops. 
  • I took an embarrassing number of selfies. 
  • Things I perfected this year: pictures of Remus; filling my brows; winged eyeliner; lipstick. 
  • Danny & I went to see every Marvel movie (and any other superhero movie) this year. 
  • I turned 26 and almost immediately realized I was out of touch with the "youth" (although I still find myself shocked to not be included in teenage demographics...) 
  • I made lots of new friends & let some negative people slip out of my life.
  • I spent everyday with my best friend -- and realized that, through thick and thin, he's the love of my life.