Another Year Gone

The close of one year inevitably opens the door to all the possibilities of a new year. A clean slate. A fresh start. An undeniable urge to do better, work smarter, and accomplish more than the years gone by.
With the dawn of a new year, a list of resolutions is always forthcoming. I want to spend more time with my children. Work less, live more. Only, the financial aspect of doing that gets in the way. More money, more problems, Biggie was right.
I want to pay off my credit card and my car this year. I want to lose weight and complete a Half Marathon. I want to take a few college courses so that I feel like I'm actually learning something in life. But all those things take time away from my children, my family, and my friends. I don't want to miss my kids growing up. I want to experience all the fun things kids do when they learn and grow. I want to take time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. My life has been one hurricane after another, I need to slow down. Not be sedentary, just not moving in a million directions at once. That's my most important resolution.

New Endeavors

As I embark on, yet another meaningful chapter of my life, I find that I need something more form my day-to-day activities. Something I can be passionate about and really get excited to participate in. I finally found that something with this new company, Stella & Dot. A jewelry company that allows me to be creative, social, and earn some extra cash. I'm so excited to learn all I can, and so eager to start this new business!

San Jose Livestrong Challenge 2009

A few pictures from this year's Livestrong Challenge...

New Year

This year HAS to be better than last year, right? Well, just to make sure, I have done the ever-cheesy thing of making a New Year's Resolution to myself. I WILL lose the last 8 lbs. of baby weight and (hopefully) a few more on top of that. I'm aiming for 18 pounds by August 28, which is my best friend's wedding. I refuse to be the token fat bridesmaid in another wedding, and this time I'm the maid of honor, so you KNOW I have to look good!

I've enlisted a few friends as my support system in this endeavor and hopefully, by summer time I will be well on my way to my goal!

Good luck to all in the new year!

FLYlady

http://www.flylady.net

This amazing website has changed my life. I'm finally getting my house in order and clearing the clutter that has followed me. Take a look and come FLY with me, you'll be glad you did!

Gratitude - November 15

• I am grateful that I was able to get some overtime today, even if it meant getting up at 3:30 a.m. on a Saturday!
• I am grateful that I bought two 32 ounce Camelback water bottles so I can gauge how much water I'm drinking in a day!
• I am grateful for my friends who are always patient with me and love me unconditionally. Thanks boys and girls!

What are you grateful for? I've recently learned to look at my life and find three things to be grateful for each day. It took a class assignment in an on-line class to get me to see the optimistic side of life for a change, but I'm glad I finally have!

Plastic Bags

I was recently sent this link to a slide show created by a newspaper in Stroudsberg, PA called the Pocono Record. It really touched me so I though I would pass on the link to any and all interested.

I'm no bleeding heart, but I think this is a pretty important cause. I purchased a few re-usable bags my self in the past few months and just earlier today downloaded a pattern to sew tote bags that can be re-used. I plan on making these and giving them as Christmas presents to friends and family. I'm pretty broke this year, so at least it's something better than a cheesy card or something!

Take a look at the slide show and see if you're willing to make a change in your shopping habit. Even if you just bring ONE re-usable bag into the grocery store, it makes a difference. I now have 4 of them. It helps when bringing in the groceries, too. The baggers at the store tend to over-stuff the sturdier reusable version. This means less trips to the car! Hooray!

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - October

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is a wide array of things you can buy to help support the cause. My favorite fitness-based product is the pink kettleballs from Kettleball Inc. (http://kettlebellinc.com/products/index.php) Not only do these offer a whole new way to work out with weights, they support a great cause, and $2 from each sale goes to the Susan B. Komen Foundation in Dallas, Texas.

October is also National Domestic Violence Awareness month. The color for this cause is purple. I would love to see Kettleball Inc come out with purple Kettleballs and support an equally great organization.

The Kettleball, Inc. website offers routines on using the kettleballs for fitness and the kettleballs can also be used in the Crossfit workouts http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html#KBs and can be incorporated into your daily workout routine just as dumbbell workouts can!

Gratitude

I'm required by my Women's Health professor to write down three things that I'm grateful for every day. I chose this assignment instead of the "Daily Serenity Time" because I'm not really into that new-age hippy holistic stuff. I do think the Gratitude Journal is a great idea, however, and I'm actually looking forward to keeping this journal!

My first entries in the journal are:

• I'm grateful for my daughter's laughter. It can brighten even the darkest of days and moments. It has become my absolute favorite noise of all time!
• I'm grateful that I have a job. It may not be the exact job that I love or want right now, but it helps me to provide for my daughter and allows time for me to go to school to figure out what I want to be when I grow up :)
• I'm grateful for the positive role models in my life. From my mom to my Bible study group, to my closest friends, I have learned so much from each of these amazing mentors and continue to learn each day.

So, what are you grateful for today? I have found that when I have trouble finding something to be grateful for, I can be grateful that I am alive and breathing. Able to enjoy another day on the planet that God made for us!

What's the deal?

I'm getting a little bit irritated with this whole election business. Why is it that people keep saying Sarah Palin won't be able to handle herself with Vladamir Putin? Seriously? we're going to downplay the VICE Presidential candidate for not being able to "go toe-to-toe" with a Russian Prime Minister? It's not like she's going to be boxing him for the title of biggest world power or something. And the fact that she's the VICE Presidential candidate hasn't even been taken into consideration? Wow, we've already theoretically killed off John McCain and put Palin in the presidential slot and now she's battling Putin for the World Title, huh? Yowzah! Looks like we're in trouble.
I personally like Sarah Palin because I think she is a great speaker. Her very first speech was performed from memory, or at least appeared to be, while McCain kept looking at his notes before introducing her. Since the press keeps battling Palin and Obama anyway, lets make her the candidate instead of McCain. Sounds great - a Palin/McCain ticket!