March Goals Revisited

I have no idea where March went. For a month with 31 days, multiple snow storms and working a lot of weekend over time it flew by! Which means it's time to revisit my March Goals and see how I fared. (Spoiler Alert: Not well)

Stars = In progress

Squiggly Line = Accomplished

Blank = Nope.

10 minutes of pen & paper... I didn't do this every day, but I definitely got out my sketch book, notebook, pens & paper more often than I have been. I think on average I intentionally put pen to paper 2-3 times a week. The good news is every time I did it was much longer than 10 minutes. Still something I'm going to work on because I would like to make this a daily habit.

Do yoga once a week... The closest I got to this was stretching first thing in the morning when I got out of bed. Far from formal yoga. 

Read 2 books... I'm a little ashamed to say I didn't even pick up a book this month. I have three that I'm saving for my trip but I also have a stack hanging out on my to read table. This goal is going to get taken a lot more seriously once my work contract is over. 

Start trip preparations... This is a clear win! I got travel assurance, approved for a credit card so that I won't have to carry a ton of cash and picked up a few things like sunglasses, a new bathing suit and a comfy but cute plane outfit!

Get enough sleep... Nope. I did not get enough sleep. 

Eliminate 2 bags of clutter...  I totally emptied my closet last weekend and forced myself to try everything on and the only things that went back into my closet are clothes that I liked, fit me well and I could see myself wearing at some sort of event. It was so helpful! I didn't follow the "Toss it if you haven't worn it in 3 months" rule because I have some dresses in my closet that I haven't worn in over a year, but they still fit and would be appropriate to wear to a wedding or something like that so I kept them. The dress that was really a size too big got tossed even though I wore it last month. I did the same thing with all of my dressers and decluttered a lot of clothing. Next up is to go through my desk and scrapbooking supplies. Anything that I'm not using and can't see myself using will get taken to camp for the office or arts & crafts room. 

Update planner daily... Again, I didn't do this every day. I also didn't just do it on Sundays either. It was more of a twice weekly thing. I definitely want to keep improving on this. 

Follow meal plans... An improvement over constantly scrambling to grab things to eat at work while I'm on the way out the door. Still not as diligent and organized as I want, but most days I knew what I was taking with me and had everything packed first thing in the morning. 

Overall I made progress, which I think is really important with goals. It's hard for me as a perfectionist not to accomplish everything exactly as I envisioned it but the reality is it takes time to get into new habits and modify goals so that they fit my lifestyle. Check back tomorrow when I share my April Goals! 

Low Key Weekending

This weekend seemed to revolve around eating and sleeping. Which I really have no complaints about.

Saturday I worked over time from 8:00-4:00. I was exhausted and a little annoyed that because another co-worker changed their plans at the last minute I didn't get to do the work I had planned to finish. I did treat myself to coffee and a salted caramel donut though so all was not lost. Plus, J. brought me a coffee earlier in the day and I finally won on my roll up the rim! I don't buy coffee every day. It's more of a once a week treat, so I don't feel as entitled to win as the folks who buy multiple coffees a day. It's still nice to win a bonus coffee though. 

(Please excuse the wacky photo edit in the corner. I realized there were files peeking out of a shelf and I'd rather publish a strange looking photo than risk any sort of break in client confidentiality.)

After work I headed to J.'s parents for supper. We had BBQ steak, baked potato, mushrooms and corn and it was delicious. I visited for about an hour after supper and then went home where I promptly showered and got ready for bed. I ended up watching the first three episodes of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

I LOVE Tina Fey. The verdict is still out on how I feel about this show though. I'm trying not to compare it to 30 Rock, but it's hard. The show is sort of growing on me and I'll definitely finish the first season. I'm not sure that I'll ever love it as much as 30 Rock though, mainly because I don't find Kimmy easy to relate to whereas Liz Lemon was/is my spirit animal. Has anyone else watched the show? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Sunday I turned down overtime because I definitely needed a day off. I let myself sleep in a little got up and did some light spring cleaning and then, because I could, I crawled back into my bed and took a Sunday afternoon nap. J. & I had dinner with my parents Sunday night he visited for a bit and went home earlier than usual because I had a long over due Skype date with H. & R.. Our schedules have all been crazy lately and three different time zones makes the crazy schedules even crazier so it's been almost a month since the three of us were able to designate the same free evening for Skype. We talk everyday via group message but there's just somethings that need to be discussed aloud. 

I'm in the earliest time zone so by the time we were done Skype it was past my bedtime. I definitely didn't do anything super exciting or unique this weekend but the focus was definitely on family & friends which are always important.

Linking up with B Loved Boston to share my weekend!

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!

Winter Weekend

My weekend was a very satisfying mix of adventure & relaxing. Saturday I slept in far later than I intended. When I did wake up I spent the first few hours of my day watching The Pioneer Woman, sipping coffee and reading blogs. Once I motived myself enough to shower I headed to town and ran some errands. I went to Wal-Mart and was deeply disappointed when I couldn't find a single thing I went there to get, once of those things was a new set of dishtowels. Not an item I would expect to have difficulty finding, alas there was none to be found. 

When I was finished my errands I headed to J.'s and then to a hockey game. We chose a good game to go to since our team ended up winning in a shoot out which made for an exciting game to watch. Afterwards we went out to Boston Pizza with J.'s parents. By the time I got home it was after midnight and I was thrilled to climb into bed. 

Sunday I didn't leave the house or put on a drop of make up all day and it was glorious. I don't remember the last time I truly had the whole day to myself and it wasn't because I was sick and felt miserable. I watched Oprah and drank coffee, did meal prep for the week, made myself a delicious lunch, changed my sheets and did a load of laundry. Followed by finally clearing off my old laptop so I can pass it on to my cousin and organizing my planner for the week. All that was done by supper time which allowed me to do the unthinkable and spend the evening working on blog posts for the week while I snacked on chips & dip. By the time 10:30 rolled around I was ready for bed, enjoying my freshly washed sheets and absorbing information from a Netflix documentary. 

It was exactly the weekend I needed. Enough doing to make me feel social and enough just being to ensure I feel refreshed for the week ahead. Balancing those two things is about to become more of a priority in my life because I can really feel the difference it makes!

Linking up my weekend with B Loved Boston!

February Currently

I want to be more intentional about blogging, which has got me thinking about the reasons why I blog. I turn to blogging as a way to process my thoughts, to connect with others, to preserve memories and as an outlet for my introverted tendencies. I was staring at my planner the other day trying to be proactive and plan out a few post ideas for the month when I had a revelation. So often blogging gurus advise to write posts that readers will want to read, and if you're blogging to attract a million followers, gain sponsorship opportunities and make money blogging that advice makes sense. Except, that's not why I blog, I blog for me. I want to write posts that I will find interesting months or years from now. And hopefully by writing about those things I'll make those connections in the blogging community who are in the same stage of life or who have been where I am and can offer their wisdom.

All that to say I've decided the first Saturday of each month will be a 'currently' post. I did a quick Pinterest search for 'Currently' questions and combined a bunch of questions I thought I'd be interested in knowing and might connect me with others who happen to be reading this. 

Making: Valentine's Day Cards/Packages to mail to friends. I never did get around to sending Christmas cards so I'm making Valentine's Day happen. 

Cooking: My work schedule really limits my cooking and I hate that. I'm itching to cook a batch of mac & cheese and some homemade pizzas. 

Eating: My go to meal is chicken breast with cajun seasoning and rice. I make a dipping sauce for the chicken that's just ranch dressing & hot sauce mixed together but it's delicious. 

Drinking:  A lot of water since I've been sick. And treating myself to the occasional glass of pop.

Reading: Not enough. I don't have any books started at the moment all my reading has been online with blogs and various news articles. 

Wishing: The office would close when bad weather starts. I'm tired of driving home in snowstorms. 

Appreciating: Me Time. The past few weeks I've become acutely aware of just how much of an introvert I am and how much I need time by myself to recharge.  

Waiting: I don't feel like I'm waiting for anything in particular right now. I'm definitely waiting for the snow to melt, but that's not something I have much control over. 

Enjoying: Saturday mornings when I can enjoy a cup of coffee, catch up on blogs and watch the Food Network. 

Wondering: What I'm going to get my mom for her birthday. And J. for Valentine's Day. 

Loving: The names Lila/Lilah and Layla. Totally random I know, but I recently had the name 'Lillian' ruined on me so I needed a replacement girl name to love. 

Hoping: The worst of the winter weather is over and the sun will start shining again!

Needing: To make time for me. Not just on weekend mornings but a specific time during the day to be alone. I would love to get back into the habit of reading my Bible and journalling everyday, that may be a goal for March. 

Smelling: I got a great candle in my stocking that smells like currants. I forget the exact name of it, I know mom bought it at Winner's and it was a great find. 

Wearing: My go to work outfit is jeans, a top and a cardigan. 

Following: World events/local news. I used to watch the news every night and then I got out of the habit but I'm getting back into it. I think it's important to know what's going on in the world. 

Noticing: I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but how important me time is to my well being.

Knowing: I need to balance pre-camp preparations with my current job and not letting myself get burnt out. 

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

Feeling Anxious About: Lately I've been managing my anxiety pretty well, but I've had some bad days where I feel overwhelmed because I have a lot of stuff to do and I feel like I don't have enough time to do it all. 

Watching: I reinstated my Netflix this month so I've been watching lots of Friends and documentaries.

Listening to: Podcasts! Specifically Grown Ups Read Stuff They Wrote As Kids and Vinyl Cafe. 

Obsessing: The first thing that came to mind was Peyton. She really is an awesome cat. 

Celebrating: Valentine's Day! 

Shopping for: I need to buy an external hard drive. 

Learning: I've been learning a lot about people lately. I was reading up on Julia Child's life, I've been watching The Book of Negroes and learning about people in that time period.  

Talking About: A lot of camp related stuff. 

Praying: More than anything I've been praying for peace and calmness in my life and in the lives of those around me. 

Working on: Doing more praying, noticing & appreciating the peaceful moments. 

Looking forward to: Summer!

Where I've Been

This isn't going to be a post full of breathtaking photos or wild tales of adventure explaining why I haven't blogged a single thing in close to two months.

So where exactly have I been?

Well...

I've been busy working, saving money and getting myself more financially stable.
I've been trying really hard to eat healthy & meal plan.
I've been limited my time spend on social media.
I've been thinking about my long term goals.
I've been working on staying in the moment, managing my anxiety and trusting God.
I've been photographing, writing, doodling and scrapbooking.
I've been hating on cold weather, winter driving, snow and everything related to winter.
I've been figuring out more of my passions in life and how I can make pursuing them a priority.
I've been falling in love.

I've been missing blogging.

I'm not prepared to make any sort of blog everyday for the rest of the year declarations, I do want to make blogging more of a priority. The last month I haven't even been reading blogs. And I so miss my morning ritual of coffee, blogging and interacting with so many ladies all around the world who I can share with and learn from.

I've been waiting for the right time to start back blogging except I have no idea what the right time is and there's no time like the present, so here we are. That boy I've been falling in love with is away for the next two weeks so I've got a little more free time on my hands than I've had in the past month. I plan on using that free time to catch up on the 500+ unread posts on my bloglovin' feed and trying to reconnect with the bloggers who I used to interact with on a daily basis.