Friday Farewell

My bags are packed with bathing suits, books and lots of sunscreen and I am ready for some serious vacationing! I ultimately decided not to bring along my laptop or phone along with me. I'm going full out vacation mode and removing myself from social media and anything that could even remotely be considered work. 

I'll be back the end of the month with tales of my adventures!

March Currently

Making: Lots of lists! 

Cooking: Work is still interfering with a lot of cooking time, but I did get to make some mac & cheese and I did some experimenting with chicken alfredo pizza. 

Eating: I've been eating a lot of pasta lately. It's been so cold out that a belly full of hot pasta is exactly what I want. 

Drinking:  Still doing good getting my daily water in take. I've also been drinking a lot of chai tea, my daily cup of coffee and the occasional pop. 

Reading: Just blogs. I am looking for some recommendations though! I'm going to have lots of time to read while on vacation this month so I'm definitely packing some books. So far The Fringe Hours is my #1 reading priority but I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Wishing: The snow would hurry up and melt! It's been -25 here all week and I'm ready for sunshine & warmth!

Appreciating: Having a steady, well paying job. 

Waiting: To start packing for my trip!  

Enjoying: Sunday nights with J. watching Friends. Is there any better way to relax after working 7 days straight and preparing to work another 6 in a row?

Wondering: When I'm going to find time to get a hair cut and go to the mall to pick up a few things. 

Loving: Anything that involves the words "sea salt & caramel".

Hoping: The next 6 weeks will go by quickly!

Needing: I need to get a hair cut, buy a new pair of TOMS, clean my room, do laundry...I need to tackle some things on my to do list.

Smelling: Coffee. 

Wearing: Leggings, sweaters and Uggs. I can't wait to wear shoes that aren't my Uggs. The weather lately is making that totally impossible though. 

Following: Up with things! Checking in with someone once is good, checking in again is better. 

Noticing: The days are getting a little longer and the sky is a little less grey and a little more blue!

Knowing: Winter will end. (Just not soon enough.)

Thinking: The above balance is going to be hard to reach. 

Feeling Anxious About: I'm nervous about my trip. It's the biggest one I've ever gone on and although I'm really excited, there are also a lot of aspects that I find myself worrying about. 

Watching: I've been watching Full House on Netflix. I plan to watch the new season of Survivor and catch up with The Middle & Criminal Minds at some point this month. 

Listening to: Right the very second 'Oprah: Where Are They Now" but in general I've been listening to the radio a lot. 

Obsessing: My love for sea salt & carmel grows by the day. 

Celebrating: March is my grandfather's birthday! 

Shopping for: TOMS, flip flops, maybe another bathing suit.  

Learning: A lot about myself and the things I need!

Talking About: Still a lot of camp related stuff. Plus vacation plans. 

Praying: Balance. I just ordered The Fringe Hours and can't wait for it to get here. Before camp happens I need to get better at balancing me time and social time and work time.

Working on: Being more aware, choosing my words wisely, crossing things off to do lists...

Looking forward to: My trip! 

March Goals 2015

I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions. Or January goals. Or February goals. It's a trend I'm breaking for March. Time to be intentional about getting some things done and making myself make time for things I've been letting slide. 

Here's what I'm doing in March.

10 minutes of pen & paper... It doesn't matter if I journal about my day, write a poem, doodle hearts & stars, re-write the same word over and over and over again. I need to physically engage in being creative without technology. I love blogging, photography and all of that stuff but there is something extra healing about old fashion pen and paper. And I'm going to make it happen for at least 10 minutes each day.

Do yoga once a week... I'm not going to set myself up to fail and say I'm going to do this every day. I know I can throw on a yoga video at least once a week this month and give my muscles a good stretch.

Read 2 books... This is self-explanatory. By the end of the month I want to have two books started and completed.

Start trip preparations... Flights are all booked and accommodations are secured. All that's left is the fun part! Deciding what attractions to visit (and not visit). I get to make a packing list! Shop for a few warm weather necessities, get a hair cut...lots of fun preparations!

Get enough sleep... I've been working non stop. It's a make hay while the sun shines situation because once my contract ends in April I won't have the option of working over time, at the same time there's only so many hours in a day. Some of those hours need to be for sleep. I haven't been doing a great job of that lately but it's something that's going to change.

Eliminate 2 bags of clutter... I have a lot of "stuff". Clothes, hairbands, knickknacks, coffee mugs, shoes...and you know what, I don't need it (or in some cases use it), so I'm getting rid of some things. Our church has a flea market in the summer but I won't be around then so now is a good time to round up some donations. And make my drawers/closet a little easier to close.

Update planner daily... I always spend Sunday night updating my planner for the week, but I'm not great at adding to it during the week. I'll look at it but I don't necessarily update it, instead I'll wait until Sunday. Which is silly and I have no idea how I developed such a habit. Starting this month though it's going to be a part of daily life.

Follow meal plans...To be clear, I'm not embarking on any sort of Whole30, vegan, gluten-free, no salt, only eat foods that start with M diet plan. That's not the way I believe in eating. I do eat better when I plan out my meals in terms of knowing what I'm going to take to eat at work each day and prepare things in advance.

What are your goals for March?  I'm joining the #friendswithgoals link up to share my goals this months and see what other belongings are aiming to accomplish!