Ringing in the New Year

It's hard to believe that one short year ago, I was sitting down to write a similar post to say hello to 2012. Somehow the days flew by once again and here I sit pondering another new year. It's amazing what can happen in 365 days if you open yourself to new possibilities.

Although I hoped, I never truly imagined that I would meet an amazing man (and his beautiful daughters) and fall in love with all 3 of them...and certainly didn't expect to be planning our wedding which is a short 5 months away! Stay tuned for a post in the next few days sharing how the plans are coming along. :)

I stayed faithful to my healthy living goals for about 6 months and then I sadly fell off the wagon. Tomorrow morning is judgement day as I will be weighing in (a scary way to start the new year, no?) and starting fresh with Weight Watchers Points Plus plan. I am going to do this on my own again - no meetings. I was using My Fitness Pal this year to stay in touch with my friends, Kayla and Angie, as we tracked calories this year (this was after I switched from over a year on WW)....hoping to find some others to be accountable to again!

I think this year, I am going to take a similar route as many of my friends and say that my New Year's resolutions are going to be simple. To be happy! hahahaha Just kidding! I do hope to be happy this coming year, but I also resolve myself to: live a healthy life, love the ones I'm with, strive to be debt free, and to enjoy all the ups and downs of life as a married woman! REALLY can't wait for that last one!

I hope all of you are celebrating the new year and wish you the best that life has to offer!

Day 276 - A Fresh Start

"...it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good..."



Happy 2012! When I ended my 2011 post, I said I'd conclude our festivities in this post...and so I shall. ha It was really rather uneventful when we got back to the hotel. This year I had the foresight to order us a pizza so we'd have "drunk food" when we got back from the bar. Usually we close down the bar and by that time, no restaurants are still open. Bummer, right? As you can see, this pizza didn't last long. We were staaaaaaaarrvin'!

We all slept...I slept blissfully unaware that the other 2 did not sleep so well. ha I am a heavy sleeper, so I did not notice mom's million trips to the potty or Jen's unsound sleeping. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day! I showered and got ready (I was even up BEFORE our alarm was set). We packed up the car and made a quick stop at Starbuck's for some morning sustenance. ;) Dropped Jen off at her place and made the journey home, with only one extra stop - groceries!

Since I've been home, I've unpacked my bag, done laundry, exercised, caught up on blogging, and am now preparing to do a little computer work while I do an ionic detox (it's seriously been waaaaaaay too long since my last one!).

As of today, I am back on the Weight Watchers Plus bandwagon. I have gained 17 pounds since I stopped tracking. I mean, UGH! I am more than a little disappointed in myself, but after 3 months of not tracking or exercising, Thanksgiving vacation, a family weekend full of food, Christmas, and New Year's binges...I am in need of some serious self-tough-love. Today I stocked up on some healthy foods. I completed Week 1 Day 1 of C25K. I was contemplating tracking how many miles I run/walk this year, but hadn't committed and now I see many friends going for 1,000 miles running (I will be doing a combo deal), so what the heck...I'm in too! ha I stepped on the scales and weighed myself so I would know just had far I had let myself go...although I pretty much knew after weighing myself right before Christmas and I added 4 pounds since then! EEK! My body is definitely feeling the hurt tonight as I completed C25K at a faster pace (one I usually have to work up to over a few weeks) and I thought I was gonna die! I survived though...we'll see how well I am moving tomorrow. haha And to finish the day, I witnessed a beautiful sunset of this first day of the year...

And now, I will share my 2012 Goals. I'm not going to call them resolutions, as I had a friend post on Facebook that resolutions are acceptable to be broken and Goals/Plans make you feel more accountable. That is quite true. People break their New Year's resolutions within days of making them (although I stuck with mine nearly all of 2011!) and this year I want them to stick all year, not nearly, ALL. Some of them are repeats, but I didn't exactly master them last year, so I feel they are important enough to stick with it again.

1. Be Healthy - A lifestyle change is what is necessary for me. Food has always been a problem, thus leading to weight issues. I'm not trying to be a skinny little thing (that would be unrealistic), but I want to get down to a healthy weight so I can be the best me. Exercise will become a happy habit.

2. Travel - Continue exploring new places and making time for one of my #1 passions!

3. Financial Freedom - Continue working towards being debt-free. Make conscientious spending decisions and make a deliberate effort to save money when/where I can.

4. Enjoy Life - Sounds simple enough, but to not let myself be the introvert that I so often tend to be. Take chances and DO things rather than think about doing things. You'll definitely see this goal come to life soon! ;)

5. Do Things Bigger - Wait, what?? ha I plan to give my best in everything I do this year. Dream bigger, work harder, play more, laugh louder...all part of enjoying life and becoming healthier! After reading my horoscope year overview (yes, I read it as a fun thing, but mine is always eerily true), I am even more determined to do more for myself and to not let opportunities pass me by. I truly believe big things are on the horizon for this year!

Happy New Year!

I'm sitting at home, in my pajamas...preparing to ring the new year in while the rest of the house sleeps and I'm watching tv. The year is definitely going out in a most undesired way. I still cannot eat anything more than soft foods/liquids, plus I'm on antibiotics which means no alcohol. I actually thought I might be out tonight...but since I'm in this sad state, it was a no go.

I started to think about New Year's Resolutions and how I rarely tend to stick to any! Here's a list of things I'm hoping to accomplish in 2011...

1. Be Healthy - Not just lose weight, but exercise because I enjoy it. Make better food choices. Drink more water. Pick up a dust rag more often and plug in the vacuum.

2. Simplify - It's time to downsize some of the chaos in my life (aka STUFF). I am an organizational nut and lately, my stuff has been completely out of order and it's driving me crazy. On top of needing to clear out my personal space, mom and I are going to attempt to reorganize the storage room upstairs again since we can no longer walk in the door.

3. Get More Sleep - I know it kind of goes along with being healthy, but whenever I start to skip sleep...I end up getting sick. Case in point, this past week. I should have known it was coming because my body tried to tell me by taking naps (which I never do), always being sleepy, but I ignored it and bam! I've been dealing with a cold on top of healing from wisdom teeth surgery.

4. Learn Something New - Not sure what this will be yet! haha Whether it's learning to knit or picking up some other useful skill or maybe honing my cooking skills. Suggestions appreciated.

5. Take More Pictures - Most people would say I already take too many pictures, but there are so many times that I regret not having pulled the camera out of my purse and snapped a photo! There are moments in life I just don't want to miss out on.

6. Look For Love - Or at least find some likes! ;) Since moving back to my hometown, I have not done a very good job of putting myself out there or being open to new possibilities. If someone invites me out to dinner, I'll go...who knows what will happen. Maybe nothing. But if a spark does occur, it wouldn't be a bad thing!

7. Travel - After getting my tax papers together (yes, I know...how sad is it that I'm already prepared for this?) I noticed how much money I spent on stuff that I didn't 100% enjoy. This year my goal is to spend more money on experiences I'll remember, whether it's traveling by myself again or finding others to go along. We're already looking at a family vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico or the Bahamas in early July...and I'm thinking another big trip (maybe one of the European countries?) may be in order next Christmas.

8. Enjoy Life - I'm a stresser. Naturally, I freak out about things I cannot control. This does not bode well for a stress-free life. I'm going to do my best not to let the little things bother me.

9. Continue to Build Financial Freedom - Being debt free was a huge step in 2009, continued into 2010. I want to continue doing what I can to save money and build a nest egg for the future. And in this mode, I will continue to work hard in everything that I do...whether it's at one of my professional jobs or one of the side jobs.

Happy New Year! Hope you hold firm in your resolutions for 2011! May it be your best year yet!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Another year older...I'm not so sure about the wiser part! A lot has happened in the past year. I thought my 25th year would be the best ever and while it had a few shiny spots, it also had many dull patches. I thought by now I'd have the answer to a lot of things in life, but I'm learning that I have the answers to nothing...maybe that is what we learn...that we just have to go day by day, month by month, and year by year.

I have lots of goals for myself in my 26th year... I know they always say, find someone to be accountable to and it will help you succeed. Well, I know my goals are the scary make you wanna throw up if you have to tell someone, but what the hell...you are my friends, and I may just need some encouragement from time to time!

1. Finish my degree - I'm taking my last course at Purdue this fall via the internet
2. Lose weight - I've never been one to really eat lots of unhealthy stuff, but I do need to work harder at the exercise thing. It's been tough since my elliptical got moved to my aunt and uncle's when I moved home since we don't have room for it here, but I have to find time to go, even if it means more driving (sad face due to gas prices!).
3. Earn a FREE MK car - My goal all along in Mary Kay has been to earn a free car and become a Sales Director. I know in my heart that it is what I need and should be doing in my life. Being a director will give me the opportunity to do the things that I have always wanted to do...public speaking on a greater platform!
4. Find a big girl job - Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for having friends/family who hired me when I didn't have any other options...but it's time for me to move on and do my own thing again. I love the country, but I miss the city! I am starting to feel trapped in this little town...

Okay, enough of my birthday ramblings for now... Hope everyone else is having a good year, no matter what year it is for you!