Unresolved in 2014

New Year's Day is THE day. The day that so many of us resolve to change our lives and our selves for the better. If I were to actually list all of the things that I need to change, we'd be here for days. No lie. Maybe weeks. Like much of the world population (only 8% according to Forbes magazine), I have never been good at keeping or achieving resolutions. So this year, I am not making any. Resolutions, that is. Changes, on the other hand, I would definitely like to see. Like being a better, more consistent blogger. 

Some of the areas that I want to see a shift in, and that I plan to blog more about, are (in no specific order)...

• my body (and body image), of course
• with the help of Plexus Slim
• hitting up the gym more consistently
• productivity
• accomplishing things at all times...even when sitting still (crafts, blogging, school work)
• FINISHING what I start
• my relationship with God
• has been non-existent, and I am ready for that to change
• myself in my marriage
• hard to explain...it's a blogpost in itself
• my savings account!
• myself in my profession
• TESS
• self-fulfillment
• if I am better at what I do, my students are better at what they do, right?
• socialization
• I have no life
• I need to get a life
• being more organized
• streamlining my household
• a more organized classroom (oh, that closet of mine)
• being a better parent

And the list could go on and on, but I will cease and desist with those. The first bloggy change you may notice is that I hope to do a Sunday Strategy every week. This weekly post will help me stay on track with a plan for each week. I already spend Sunday evenings doing school planning, why not add an hour devoted to 'life' planning? 

If you have resolutions, what are they? Are you a resolution keeper or a resolution breaker?

Oh, and 

Happy New Year 2014!!!

Beginnings

With January comes a new year. A chance to do things differently; a sense of renewal; a burst of determination and energy to apply towards many goals. I am hoping that for me it is a new beginning.

As I blogged in my last post, I have not felt right for a long time. I should have recognized what was going on, and I honestly probably did, but was in severe denial about it. I have started taking an anti-depressant again after stopping taking them cold-turkey nine years ago. I thought I was doing okay without them, but now I realize that a lot of my body aches and joint pains were a symptom of the depression that was creeping back into my psyche. It has been three weeks since I began the medication, and already I am feeling better. Granted, I still have bad days, but nowhere near what they were. My body feels better than it has in years, particularly my back, which was badly injured in a car accident a few years ago. I am finding it easier to smile without having to force it. I don't feel like I am watching my life through a fog anymore. So far, January has brought me the beginning of a life without constant pain.

Feeling better has given me a lot more energy. I don't want to just sit anymore. I want to be up and doing something...to be busy. On the same day that I began my medicine, I met with a trainer at the local fitness center. I have gone about 3 - 4 times each week since then, doing a combination of weight training and cardio. I have lost four pounds and two inches from my belly. It's not much, but it's a start...a new beginning.

Over the Christmas holiday, I found that I have a knack for making wreaths. I already knew that I enjoyed creating floral decor and centerpieces, so the wreath-making shouldn't have surprised me. What did surprise me was the hubby's suggestion that I try to sell them. So...another beginning. 'J's Jingle Jangles' was born. Look it up on Facebook! I don't know where it will go...if anywhere...but I am anxious to see what happens with it. It is a 'slow season' for things like wreaths, so I may not have much luck until the fall. Until then, I will have fun creating!

What new beginnings has January brought to you?

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year! 2010 is coming to a close, and it was one of the best years of my life. In 2010, I worked on my master's degree, married my best friend, added two beautiful children to my family, and continued to watch my babies grow into gorgeous young ladies. I can only imagine that 2011 will be amazing and bring fantastic new things for me and the fam.

Christmas was bittersweet for me...on December 22 I had my annual gyno exams and was given potentially devastating news. As I was leaving the exam room, my doctor informed me that she had observed a 'spot' on my cervix. She described it as swollen and discolored, possibly simply a cyst, but her eyes seemed to say otherwise. She told me that we would talk more about it when the results of my Pap smear came in. Needless to say, I went home in tears and was extremely nervous about what those results might be. Having the worry of what it might be hanging over my head made Christmas an emotional day for me. I kept thinking that it might be the last healthy one I'd have, or the last one even...and what would my children remember of our last Christmas together? Many moments I fought tears, I certainly caught myself buying more gifts than I should've, and underneath it all I couldn't stop thinking about how blessed I am to have such a precious family. Today I got the results from my test...everything is normal...no cancer cells present...and when I told my husband, the look on his face told me how much I mean to him. He has been holding his breath, just as I have, in nervous anticipation of what might be. I am beyond thankful to have the opportunity to love him and our family for another year...hopefully many years.

So, I enter 2011 with a full heart and an eagerness to embrace life with my husband. It will be a year of new beginnings with my daughters as well, as I have determined to be a better listener...to truly listen instead of just hearing what they say...and to give them more time. I am horrible about getting bogged down in 'getting things done' rather than spending quality time doing things that really matter. Those are my 'resolutions;' essentially, remembering and focusing on the important things...my family.