Resolving to Do Better

So it's a new year...I always like to look back at the last year and see if I improved in any way...and check back on my previous resolutions and see if I actually accomplished any of them.  The verdict: some--yes; most--no.  I decided that's better than all no!

Here's some accountability from my 2011 goals:

"Scrapbook at least 1 page"--epic fail...I just hate it and I still haven't done any...
"Buy my last package of diapers"--success!!! (of course, I'm still buying Pull-Ups for bedtime and we're not accident-free yet, but no more diapers!!!)
"Write 50 journal entries"--success!!!  I just went and counted, and I had 51 in 2011.
"100 % Visiting Teaching"--fail--I hate to admit that...
"Visit the temple 2X a month"--fail--but in my defense, they closed the Boise Temple this summer, and Twin Falls is a long drive!
"Lose the baby weight--finally"--pass/fail--I technically lost it, then when we found out Tim was losing his job, I consoled myself with food (big surprise) and gained most of it back...but I still ended the year down 5 pounds.
"Wake up at 5am to work out"--fail--I'm just too freaking old for that now.
"Keep track of what I eat"--so-so--I did really well while on Weight Watchers, then not-so-well once I quit.
"No calories after 7pm"--fail--most of the time.
"Paint all white walls still in my house"--fail--but I came really close!
"Organize my recipe drawer"--fail--it's still pretty bad.
"Organize my bathroom cupboards"--success!!!--and they're still looking pretty good several months later!!!
"Go to bed at night w/ a clean kitchen and family room"--fail--I just really like hanging out w/ Tim once the kids are in bed instead of doing dishes which can always wait, in my opinion.
"See Brandon get his Eagle"--pass/fail--He didn't get his Eagle yet, but he got all of his Merit Badges.
"Only grocery shop every 2 weeks to cut down on grocery budget"--pass/fail--I still go every week, but I am doing much better at menu planning, so I have cut down on the grocery bill.
"Install crown molding in master"--fail--but it's still on my to-do list--and getting closer to the top!

Wow, I just wrote the word "FAIL" way too many times.  So for this year, I'm not making nearly as many resolutions so I don't have the possibility of failing so many times.  :)  Good solution, I know.

This year, I only have a few goals.  And they are pretty simple.

1. Learn how to better use my camera.
2. Learn a little bit about Photo Shop and how to use it.
3. Move more and eat less.  And re-lose that baby weight.
4. Craft more.
5. Paint more white walls. I hate them.

That's a maximum of 5 fails this time next year.  That sounds much better!

New Year, New Goals...

Well, a new year has come. Of course, I should be updating this blog with pictures from Christmas, etc. Later... But I wanted to first put down in "writing" some goals I've been thinking of for this new year. I hope to look back from time to time (or at least once later this year...) to check on how I'm doing. Some goals will be easy and some may just kill me...or never happen...whatever. But at least I'm going to try.

Easy goals:

• Scrapbook at least one page...this will be an improvement for me versus the last two years.
• Buy my last-ever package of diapers...potty training will also be involved (not-so-easy).

Spiritual goals:

• Write 50 journal entries this year...last year I got to 35, which I was pretty proud of.
• 100 % visiting teaching...no more excuses!
• Visit the temple twice a month.

Fitness goals: (ugggghh)

• FINALLY lose the baby weight from my 2-year-old...it's time, o.k. it's past time...
• Wake up at 5am on weekdays for my workouts...my days just go so much better when I start early!
• Actually keep track of what I eat.
• No calories after 7pm.

Goals involving my house:

• Paint all remaining white walls in my house.
• Organize my recipe "drawer"...it's so bad...
• Organize my master bathroom cupboards...also, soooo bad...
• Go to bed at night w/ a clean kitchen and family room, which will be a challenge for me, for sure...

Misc. goals/wish list:

• See Brandon get his Eagle scout.
• Trim my grocery shopping to every OTHER week in an attempt to cut back on spending.
• Install crown molding in master and master bath??

I'd better stop before this list gets too long. I'm just so ready to make some changes and improvements in several areas. I really love the new year and the chance to reassess where I'm at and where I want to be. This list is going on my fridge. I know probably EVERYTHING won't happen, but for today, I'm motivated...that counts for something, right??

My new BFF

Isn't she beautiful?!?! She's called a Silhouette, and Santa delivered her to my door last week. I'll wrap her back up on Christmas Eve and be super-excited on Christmas morning, and even pretend to be shocked and surprised. But until then, I am going to play. :) This is the very first thing I made with her. It took maybe 3 minutes. I changed out the plates on the plate rack in my kitchen with red ones (they were less than $2 each) and printed out JOY and stuck on the vinyl...it was real hard, haha! I love how it turned out, and once Christmas is over, I'm going to put EAT on plates to match my kitchen for the rest of the year. I'm thinking I could do BOO or EEK for Halloween...so many ideas spinning in my head... This pic totally reminds me of how tired I am of my mustard-colored walls, though. They will be changing REAL soon.

Project #2...I cut out snowflakes from white vinyl and stuck them on the glass panes of the office French doors. Again, so easy and so fast. It would have been even easier if I had make one huge snowflake for each door, though. Next year...

This picture is a craft I did before I had a new BFF. It's just an idea I saw online and decided to try. It's a coffee filter wreath, and cost me about $4. I still can't decide where I want to put it, so for now it's on the inside of the front door, but I think it will move to the entryway once I get it repainted...soon!

Project #3 with the Silhouette...new Christmas throw pillows. I only used my machine to cut out the template for my Heat and Bond, but that helped a lot! It was more work than I thought it would be, since I had to sew around each snowflake once I ironed them on to make sure they'll last, but I'm so happy with the results, it was worth it. Especially since I can reuse them year after year.

Here are two pillows on one of the couches. I made 4 total, and I love them. And yet more walls that need painting...I can't believe I was this boring when we built our house...

I have so many more ideas spinning in my head to make with my new BFF, but I also still have wrapping, baking, and last-minute Christmas stuff to do, so I don't know that I'll get to have any more fun with her til after Christmas.

And whoever says happiness doesn't come from a store, they're right...the UPS man brings it to you! Just kidding! Well...mostly, anyway. :)

New calling...

On Sunday our ward Primary presidency was released, including me, the old secretary...what a great calling that was! Partly because I didn't really have that much to do, and partly because I absolutely love the ladies I had the pleasure of serving with, and partly because I got to be IN Primary without having to PREPARE much for Primary...pretty sweet. But the only thing constant is change, so whatever...

The good news is that I'll be staying in Primary. I'm the new chorister. It's been over a decade since I've had that calling, so I feel a little rusty, but not completely overwhelmed (I was pregnant w/ Ryan last time I had this calling...). I'm excited to stay in Primary and work w/ a whole new group of ladies in the new presidency...hooray for a new adventure!

I did it!

So I finished the Book of Mormon this afternoon. All in one month. I still almost can't believe I did it! My mother probably can't believe it, either. If there's one thing I don't like doing, it's reading. But I did it! Wait, did I say that already? Who cares, I'm pretty proud of myself! And more importantly than proving to myself that I could do it, or not having to be ashamed on this little blog that I gave up...more important than that--I really enjoyed it most of the time and was reminded of what I already know. It's true. The whole thing. And it made so much more sense since I read it all so quickly and didn't have time to forget who was who, etc.

I hope that now reading for 15 minutes a day will seem much easier now and my scripture reading habits in general will have improved. I learned a few things in case you ever want to do this yourself.

1. Missing a day is really hard to make up!!!
2. Pick a month with 31 days to give yourself the best chances!
3. You CAN do it!

It was a great experience, but I am glad it's over and I can have a little more time to blog and craft now. Almost any extra time this month went to reading...so unlike me... So Mom, hopefully you can look forward to many more posts in November than I was able to fit into October. :)

Time Out for ME!!!

Last weekend, I put myself in time out. I highly recommend it! I went to Boise with several friends and attended Time Out For Women, an uplifting, super-enjoyable women's conference. We had so much fun! We left Friday afternoon, got dinner at Pita Pit, went to 3 hours of amazing-ness, then went hot-tubbing at our hotel til they kicked us outta there at 11:15. Then we ate goodies and chatted til the wee hours of the morning. Nice.

Then Saturday morning, we got breakfast and went back to the conference for more awesome-ness. We got awesome tote bags while waiting in line, and had lunch along 8th Street in downtown Boise. There was a street fair going on, and we shared some yummy freshly-fried doughnuts after lunch. Pretty perfect.

Then it was back for the remaining session of the conference. It was just so great. I especially loved listening to the live music from Jericho Road and Mercy River. Gonna put their cd's on my Christmas wish-list. Once it was over, we left for home refreshed and recommitted to be ever better mommies and wives.

I'm so glad I was able to go and so glad Tim took care of everything while I was gone. He's basically fantastic.

Thanks, Kim, Raquel, Deidre, Pam, and Chantelle for an awesome time!

P.S. This pic shows me just how badly my hair needs a trim...

Apparently I have allergies...

So for the past 3 weeks or so, I've been a mess. Sneezing, runny nose, crazy-itchy, red, watery eyes. Not to mention feeling like crap! After speaking with some friends, they all thought I was suffering from allergies. WHAT??? I've never had a problem with them, and I'm 35. Isn't it a little too late in life for me to just figure this out?

So, first I tried some Claritin--for about a week--no change. Then I tried Benadryl for several days. It helped a little, but wiped me out. And when you have an almost-two-year-old, you really should try and stay conscious. :) So then I tried Zyrtec--again no change. And frustration mounting by the minute. Seriously wanting my mojo back...

So yesterday I finally drug myself to a clinic and got a Rx for Allegra. Today was my first day on it, and so far, it looks like this might just be the magic pill I've been looking for. I still have a little bit of a runny nose, but everything else is WAY better. Hallelujah!! I'm just afraid that today will turn out to be a fluke and tomorrow will be crappy again. Saying a little prayer that won't be the case, though...

So if indeed I do feel better tomorrow again, I can get back to blogging. I know you're all excited about that! I just haven't had the energy to do the dishes lately, let alone blog. But I'm so ready to be myself again...here's hoping this good feeling lasts.

Ending the drought...

So last month I was this crazy-good blogger and had a ton of posts. Now that July has arrived (o.k., almost ended, for that matter...it's whatever...),

NOTHING.

I think the time has come to play catch-up and end the drought. So hopefully by the end of the week, I will be ready for August. Since it's coming, whether I'm ready or not.

I remember being so busy during the school year and being so excited to get this long list of things done once summer came...painting rooms/redecorating, scrap booking, blogging, crafting. What a joke!

Don't get me wrong--it's been a really fun summer--perhaps the first one in a long time that I didn't dread coming. The kids are old enough now that it's not quite as hard to have them out of school as it used to be. It just takes a lot of time and energy keeping them busy and entertained and still keeping up with the housework, etc.

We have done a lot of fun stuff the last month or so, and I hope to post something each day for the rest of this week and catch up...that's the goal, at least...

Vacuum Treasures

I love my central vacuum. Really. What I don't love is that Jake loves to stuff things in the wall-suction-socket-thingy. I've caught him more than once trying to do that. Obviously, though, I haven't caught him in time sometimes. Last week, my vacuum wasn't sucking so well. I kept hoping it would get better on its own, since I just had to have a new garage door opener installed and get my satellite TV repaired. I wasn't exactly anxious to pay yet a third person to come fix something. But alas, I couldn't take the dirty carpet anymore, so we had a guy come out this morning. Here is the collection of things he found:

THREE (yes, 3!!!) mini glasses that go to Sydney's old tea set
One huge rock
A toy hay bale
A toy rake
A bouncy ball
A child's-sized spoon (it's about 4 inches long...)

SERIOUSLY?!?!? Nice!

So, after paying the nice man $73.24 (could that amount be any more random?), I now have a vacuum that is in tip-top shape. :)

Guess what I'll be doing the rest of the day...

New 'do--times two

So I've really been needing a new look, and Sydney has been begging me to let her cut her hair like her friend, Jessie's. As in, right at her shoulders... I kept hoping she would change her mind, but no luck, so I asked her like 100 times if she was sure, and she said yes, so we had a little girls' hair-date today and got new 'dos. Before the haircuts, we went to the dollar store (her favorite place) so she could spend some of her money, and I found some cute luau stuff for her birthday party next month.

Anyway, I'm proud that I was willing/able to let go of control of her hair and let her do what she wanted to with it. If there's one thing I've always said, it's that ,"It's just hair...it will grow back." Heaven knows I've had like every hairdo in the book. I think it'll be fun for the summer. And I guess it will take less time to do her hair now, which is a big plus. :)
My new look. I've been trying to grow out my bangs for a couple months, and now they actually look like they are part of my style. :) My brown-eyed girl.
I. LOVE. HER.

MILE stone

So today I ran 4 miles.

Seriously.

And I didn't die.

I have been amazed at what my pathetic, 35-year-old body is capable of if I really, really push it. I'm not a particularly fast runner, per se, but I didn't stop the entire time. All 47 minutes and 4 miles of it. I guess I just needed to brag a bit. :)

I still have no plans of doing a half marathon or anything. It's more just about proving to myself that I CAN do more than I think I can. And having a fitness/endurance goal, rather than a "number on the scale" goal.

I did three runs this week--3 miles twice, then 4 miles today. Wow! I should be to 5 miles in a couple weeks. O.K. I'm done bragging. Thanks for listening. :)

Little Miracles

So I have never been a runner--NEVER! But I've kind-of always wished I could be. I know most people who are runners are in great shape. But running has always been this thing that I thought only other people could do--not me. It made me gasp for air in the past and cramp really bad.

Well, I have a few friends who are going to do a 1/2 marathon in a few months. Don't be crazy--I'm not doing that! But it has inspired me to push the envelope with what I can do and what I can MAKE myself do.

In the past, the most I had ever run continuously was 2 miles, and I think I only did that twice. The last little while I have been doing Biggest Loser DVDs for my workouts, too, since I was tired of the treadmill, so I hadn't really run for a couple of months. But last night I set a goal (which I really didn't think I would meet) to run 3 miles straight...pretty much a GINORMOUS deal for me. And.....I totally did it! I can't even put into words how freakin' proud I was! Seriously, it felt like a miracle.

It wasn't really EASY, but it wasn't awful either. Thanks goes out to Whitney Houston for her awesome 80's hits that kept me going. I don't know how anyone could run without an MP3 player...

I'm pretty excited to try it again tonight and make sure it wasn't just a fluke. I'm hoping to work my way up to 5 miles--eventually.

In other news, my "leprosy" is finally under control. Since moving to Idaho years ago, my soft, supple skin of my childhood days in Texas has left me. Sniff, sniff... In its place dry, itchy, red, sometimes flaky skin has come. Thanks, Idaho, for your low humidity. By December of last year, it was really bad and I finally called the dermatologist to try and get it fixed. Sadly, it took almost 2 months to get in to see him, but after a month and a few hundred dollars (money well-spent, in my opinion) in office visits and prescription lotions and potions, I'm on the mend. I no longer feel "unclean." So I'll send a shout-out to Dr. Powell for working a little miracle on my psoriasis.