rarest generic

27 before 27: #5, 6, 9, 11, & 24

2011-10-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while since I updated my 27 before 27 list—I figured I’d save them up so I could post a bunch at once. I have five new ones for today. :)

#5 visit the farmer’s market (07/23/11)

Back in July, Jonathan and I finally went to the farmer’s market with a couple of our friends. We discovered all sorts of new foods (like purple bell peppers)! :) I didn’t take many pictures, but here was one of some yummy-looking squash:

#6 travel to a new state (08/25/11)

Undoubtedly one of my favorite things to cross off my list! Jonathan, Nick, and I went to Seattle, WA for the Penny Arcade Expo (extreme geekery!)—it was SO much fun and an absolutely amazing trip. Here’s a photo of the three of us at the top of the Space Needle:

#9 send an unsolicited gift (?)

I don’t have a specific date for this, nor do I have a photo, nor do I want to tell you to whom I gave the gift! I feel like that would defeat the purpose. ;) But I accomplished this in September, I promise.

#11 paint the hallway (10/12/11)

So I didn’t actually paint the hallway myself—Jonathan did it. But I can still cross it off my list, because it was accomplished before my birthday. :P While he was at it, he got really motivated and also turned our hallway door into a Dutch door. I am so impressed with his fearlessness when diving into projects like this. He is amazing! :)

#24 celebrate 4-year graduationversary (05/15/11)

This one was tons of fun. We went to the UNA campus four years after our graduation (to celebrate having been graduated as long as we were in college). We toured the campus, went to eat at one of our favorite spots, and recreated some funny pictures we took while we were still in college. I loved visiting again and thinking about how far we’ve all come.

As for the rest of my 27 before 27 list, I don’t foresee finishing it this year. A lot of the goals that remain cost money (visiting a new hockey rink, going camping [we own zero camping gear], take a class, preserve my wedding dress), which is something not in great supply. But I’ll keep working on the goals that I can, and I won’t sweat the ones I can’t get done. After all, I made the list for myself, to be fun—getting uptight about not completing it would defeat the purpose.

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll do a 28 before 28 list similar to this one for next year, or if I’ll do a reading list instead, or if I’ll just pick one goal like a New Year’s resolution…what do you think?

27 before 27: #14, 26

2011-04-30T13:27:00.001-05:00

Over the past couple days I’ve completed two more things on my 27 before 27 list:

#14 – finish organizing / printing photos, completed on 04/30/11

It feels so good to finally have this done. I’m caught up through 2010, and I’ve even printed a few photos from 2011 (they’ll be stored in the adorable teal box until the end of the year when I know what size photo album I’m going to need).

#26 – read a non-fiction book, completed 04/29/11

I finished reading Heaven is for Real yesterday, currently #1 on the New York Times best-seller list in the non-fiction category. As a very short review, I’ll say that I enjoyed reading it, that I think some of it should be taken with a grain of salt, and that I don’t find it hard to believe that a good deal of it is true. I strongly encourage anyone who reads it to remember that Scripture is where we need to base our faith, not solely on a young boy’s story of going to Heaven. But it is an interesting story nonetheless, and I think it’s worth reading. :)

I still have a lot to do to accomplish all 27 things, but I’m getting there!

27 before 27: #4, 8, 10, 15, & 17

2011-03-19T21:58:00.001-05:00

It’s time for a mass update about my 27 before 27 list. I’ve completed 5 more things since my last post about it. Now that the weather’s getting warmer around here I should be able to tackle some of the outdoor stuff soon. In the meantime, here are the newest items I’ve crossed off the list:

#4 – start a garden (03/19/11)

I planted some herbs today. Jonathan and I were hoping to have a full-out vegetable garden this year but the time’s not quite right yet. Instead, I’ve planted some basil, chives, lavender, and rosemary in a small plot next to our garage. I’ve never planted any herbs before so I’m hoping they’ll turn out.

#8 – read a classic novel (01/30/11)

Since I have an English degree, I’m kind of ashamed that it wasn’t until this year that I finally read Fahrenheit 451. It was, however, worth the wait. I really enjoyed it!

#10 – meet a neighbor (03/19/11)

I met our neighbor today. Well, it’s kind of a shame, really—he’s not technically our neighbor. He’s renovating the house next door in order to sell it, so unfortunately he won’t be around for long. But he’s a nice guy anyway—Dale. No pictures though (thought that might be kind of awkward :P).

#15 – update my resume (01/16/11)

Finally got around to doing this back in January. I’m not in the market for a new job or anything, I just hadn’t updated my resume in about three years, so it was past time. It feels really good to have this crossed off the list.

#17 – buy some red high heels (03/05/11)

This is definitely my favorite update. I searched long and hard for these babies. The requirements were that the shoes 1) be high heels, 2) be red, 3) be sexy, and 4) make me feel gorgeous. They definitely succeed at all that.

Hope to have another update in another month or so with more stuff crossed off the list! :)

2010 resolutions update

2010-12-29T20:00:00.000-06:00

As we’re nearing the end of 2010, a lot of people are thinking about their new year’s resolutions for 2011. I very rarely participate in the new year’s resolution craze—this coming year I’m not going to have a new year’s goal considering I have a list of 27 things to do before I turn 27 next November that I haven’t yet put much of a dent in. But over this past year, on top of my weekly goal list, I made a lengthy resolutions list, and I thought I should update on how I did this year in making these things happen.

1) I will write more.

I feel like I accomplished this. I didn’t put any specific measurements to it, but I’ve been journaling consistently once a week this year, sometimes twice, with an occasional miss. I’ve also blogged some, so I’d call this a success. The next step is to get back to creative writing, my real desire, something I haven’t done in a long time and feel drawn to do.

2) I will read more.

This one is also a success. I did manage to squeeze in 12 books this year, one being the NCV Bible which I completed reading in November (it took me two and a half years to read the whole thing!). I re-read all the Harry Potter books in preparation for the movie last month, and I also established one night a week as reading night, which I’ve been able to stick to on most weeks.

3) I will honor the Sabbath.

Like I said in my original new year’s resolution post at this time last year, for me, this is Sunday. That may change—I’ve started reading the Bible over again and this time I’m studying it, not just reading, but for now, I’m trying to get into the habit of taking a day of rest. Obviously there were quite a few weekends when I didn’t succeed at this, especially because it’s a habit that I have to form, but I’d say more weekends than not I did take Sunday to rest, so I’d call this one a win, too.

4) I will find a home church.

I was most worried about this one, but I did it! Fortunately for me I mentioned my church hunting woes at work one day and a lot of co-workers had some great suggestions, and I found a church as a result of that conversation. I really love it—I love the music, the atmosphere, and the teaching. It’s been really great.

5) I will take better care of my body.

This goal has definitely been my biggest challenge this year. I still haven’t successfully found a workout routine, but I haven’t given up. I have, however, made a lot of good choices when it comes to the food that I eat, so at least I’ve made some progress there! Hopefully into 2011 I can really tackle this.

6) I will be more loving.

This goal happens to be the least quantifiable, but I think I met my own expectations of what I wanted to do. My goal was to train myself to think more about others and less about myself—I’ve made a lot of progress in this and it’s something that I’ll continue to work on as life goes on. There’s always room for improvement here, especially because people are generally selfish by nature, including myself.

All in all I’m really happy with my progress over the last year, and I’m determined to carry the good habits and thoughts into 2011.

Happy new year! :)

27 before 27: #27 add to Disney movie collection

2010-12-29T18:47:00.001-06:00

I hadn’t planned on completing this goal so soon (#27 on my 27 before 27 list: add another classic to our Disney movie collection), but my mom and dad are apparently looking out for me, because they bought us Beauty and the Beast for Christmas! :)

I definitely plan on adding many more to our collection, but this is a start and enough to cross off another goal!

27 before 27: #16 attend a rock concert

2010-12-19T20:41:00.001-06:00

On December 12th, I completed #16 on my 27 before 27 list: attend a rock concert. On a whim, JB and I decided to go see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! :) We went to see them two Christmases ago, but we enjoyed the show all the same! And if you don’t think TSO counts as rock…then you have never heard their really good stuff. ;) Here are some pictures chronicling the evening—enjoy!

27 before 27: #1 make a dessert from scratch

2010-12-12T14:10:00.001-06:00

Cookies and I have a love-hate relationship…I love them, but they hate me. Okay, the cookies probably don’t hate me, but I am notoriously terrible at making cookies unless I buy that pre-made cookie dough that’s already cut into perfect little disks. Hence why I chose sugar cookies for #1 on my 27 before 27 list: make a dessert from scratch.

Step 1 – make a mess of the kitchen

Step 2 – mix, roll, and cut

Step 3 – make an overdone batch

Step 4 – make an underdone batch

Step 5 – make a batch that’s juuuust right!

Mission #1 complete (12/07/2010). :)

27 before 27

2010-11-12T22:06:00.000-06:00

For the past two years, I have created a weekly goal planner for the new year—I started with a yearly calendar in Excel and thought of a goal for every week of the year. After two years of doing this, I feel really satisfied with the things I’ve accomplished by this exercise, but as I approach the end of year 2, I feel like it’s time for something different—something a little more fun and a little more flexible.

Enter the “27 before 27” list. I had this idea a while ago and I’ve been working on this list for a couple months now. I’ve been eager to start but I thought it was too early. Now that I’m about 1 week from my 26th birthday, I feel like I can get started. :)

Some of these things are looming tasks that I never get around to; some are simply fun little things to remind myself to relax once in a while. In any case, here is my 27 before 27 list:

1) make a dessert from scratch

2) visit a new hockey rink

3) take a class

4) start a garden

5) visit the farmer’s market

6) travel to a new state

7) sew something

8) read a classic novel

9) send an unsolicited gift

10) meet a neighbor

11) paint the hallway

12) donate blood

13) preserve wedding dress

14) finish organizing/printing photos

15) update résumé

16) attend a rock concert

17) buy some red high heels

18) go camping

19) walk or run for a purpose

20) go to a museum

21) go canoeing

22) have a 100% “me” day

23) buy a bicycle

24) celebrate 4-year graduationversary

25) color an entire coloring book

26) read a non-fiction book

27) add to Disney movie collection

What do you think?

Saturday SOS—blender cleanup

2010-08-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Smoothies and milkshakes are the best in the summer…cool, refreshing, and depending on how you make them, they can even be healthy. They’re way cheaper made at home than purchased at a restaurant, and they’re fun to make. But blenders…blenders are not fun to clean.

Taking all the little pieces apart and trying not to impale yourself as you wash them is a pain and takes a long time, so I wanted to share with you how we clean our blender at home. It’s so easy!

Once you’ve made your delicious cold beverage of choice, empty the blender of its contents right away into glasses. Now, before you enjoy said drink, fill the blender with warm water and add a bit of dish soap (fill it to the same height as the previous contents). Now, put the pitcher back on the stand, put the top on, and blend away. The soapy water will get into all the same nooks and crannies as the drink you just made. It’s important to do this right away so nothing gets dry and sticky.

Now just rinse and set on a towel or in the dish rack to dry! Easy! :)

Do you have any cleanup tips for the kitchen?

Saturday SOS—organizing your to-do list

2010-08-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

So there’s a daunting list of tasks on your list and you have no idea where to begin. Sometimes you just pick a task at random and go. Sometimes you don’t start on your to-do list at all just because it looks so scary. Well, the first thing on your to-do list should be “organize my to-do list.”

If you want to get through that list, you need to put things in order. It’s possible to waste lots of time figuring out what to do next, and it’s also possible to over think it so much that you just give up. You can avoid both of those problems by sorting your list before you begin. I organize my to-do list using the following 4 categories:

1) Quick. Any task that will take me less than 5 minutes comes up to the top of the list. At home, that can be something as simple as “feed the cats” or “add orange juice to the shopping list.” At work, usually it’s sending a follow up email, or searching for a blue pen in the filing cabinet. It’s important to do the tasks that take the least time first for two reasons. Firstly, it boosts your energy. If you can cross off multiple things in the span of 10 minutes, you’ll feel totally productive and energized to do more. Secondly, if someone is waiting on you for a quick answer, you will boost their productivity by getting the answer to them as quickly as possible.

2) Urgent. Anything that must be done by a certain time or by the end of the day should be next on your list. At home, this might include paying the electric bill or making an important phone call. At work, it could be finalizing a presentation or finishing a spreadsheet. Either way, get those things that are very urgent out of the way next. You’ll feel a lot of relief when those tasks are over!

3) Important. Next, tackle the things that are important but might not have a strict deadline. This could be clipping coupons for shopping on the weekend, or setting up a meeting that isn’t until next week. These are things that need to be done but aren’t as time-sensitive as the tasks mentioned above.

4) Can wait. These are the tasks that are just kind of floating—we know we need to do them at some point but they really can wait. At home this could be hemming a pair of pants you don’t wear very often. At work it could be reorganizing your filing cabinet.

To-do lists come in all shapes and sizes. There’s really no one way to make a to-do list—just find what works best for you, whether that’s on a piece of notebook paper, on your iPhone, in a planner, or on a bunch of post-its. I keep my work to-do list in an old-school paper planner. I keep my “at home” to-do list on TeuxDeux.com.

Depending on what you use to record your to-do list, you’ll have to figure out how to organize it. For instance, when prioritizing my work to-do list, since it’s on paper, I use highlighters. (Pink for “quick,” orange for “urgent,” yellow for “important,” and green for “can wait.”) On TeuxDeux.com, I just drag and drop the tasks into the appropriate order based on the 4 categories above. Do whatever you find increases your productivity the most.

How do you organize your to-do list?

images via Flickr (To-do list book. by koalazymonkey) (So much to do in the back by boboroshi)

recipe share: black bean & mango tostadas

2010-07-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Check out this amazing recipe I discovered in a recent issue of AllYou magazine—black bean and mango tostadas. Inexpensive, fast, healthy, and delicious…what more could you want in a meal? When JB and I make it, sometimes we substitute pineapple for the mango, and last time we doubled the black beans and turned it into four burritos (lunch leftovers!). Whatever works for you! But trust me, you want to try this. It’s awesome.

via myrecipes

inspire me Monday: living

2010-07-19T07:34:00.001-05:00

via Dweebist

In the midst of the busy life, the new house, preparing for an anniversary trip, much insanity at work, and new health problems arising in my little family, it’s easy to get busy doing things and forget to just “live.” This might sound abstract, but it really inspired me this morning. Hope it inspires you, too.

Saturday SOS—laundry tips

2010-06-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

We all have those chores that we loathe, that we put off until the last minute because we just hate to do them. For many people, laundry is one of those chores. Fortunately, I don’t mind it so much (don’t worry—I make up for it by hating to wash dishes). Here are a few tips from my own experiences that might help ease your laundering pain.

1) Wash all different colors together. I sort by type (towels with towels, jeans with jeans, bedding with bedding, etc.) rather than by color. Do keep in mind that this won’t work if you’re washing a brand new pair of jeans (they should probably be washed separately a few times) or anything else that might dye other clothing. But in all my years of doing laundry, I’ve always washed everything together (at least since the days of college and having to be very thrifty with my quarters) and have never ever had a color bleeding debacle.

2) Use cold water for everything. I know your mom told you that warm or hot water gets your clothes cleaner, but she was mistaken. Unless you have some serious stains to tackle, just use the cold/cold setting. You’ll save money by not using the extra electricity to heat the water, and you won’t have to worry about running the shower or the dishwasher while the laundry is on.

3) If you use liquid detergent, measure it out into your handy measuring cap and then throw the cap into the washing machine. This way you’re sure to get all the measured detergent into the wash, and you won’t have a sticky cap to deal with afterward. And even if you accidentally throw the cap into the dryer when you transfer the clothes, it should come out unscathed.

4) Don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets on towels. I know we all hate the static, but we also hate those towels that are all smooth and don’t absorb liquid! Especially when you buy a new set of towels and they don’t seem to dry well, wash them the first few times without any fabric softener…the same substance that takes away the static also coats the towels in a film that makes it difficult for them to absorb.

5) Easily de-wrinkle a load of dry clothes with a damp washcloth. If you’re like me, every once in a while you’ll forget you have dry clothes in the dryer and you’ll leave them there overnight. The result is a load of extremely wrinkled clothes when you finally remember them. Well, who has time to iron an entire load of clothing? (Not me!) Dampen a clean washcloth, throw it into the dryer with your clean clothes, and set it on a short cycle (10-20 minutes). The washcloth kind of steams your clothing and they come out de-wrinkled!

I hope these tips help you in your future laundry endeavors. Do you have any laundry tips to share?

weekly geekery: punctuation Etsy roundup

2010-06-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

If my love for all things English and grammar wasn’t already apparent…here’s an Etsy roundup of all things punctuation!

Little Sterling Silver Question Mark Studs, $15.00 at CatherineMarissa’s Etsy shop

Quotation Mark Earrings, $7.50 at nerdgoddess’ Etsy shop

Question Mark Vintage Typewriter Key Necklace, $15.00 at KeysAndMemories’ Etsy shop

Ampersand, $21.50 at silverlining11’s Etsy shop

via Etsy

craft share: paper doily garland

2010-06-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Seeing this precious paper doily garland on Nice Package makes me want to host a tea party or some other adorable type event.

tutorial here via Nice Package

If you try it out, I want to see pictures! :)

inspire me Monday: perfection

2010-05-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

via Dweebist

inspire me Monday: second chances

2010-03-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

There’s no point in wasting time feeling sorry for yourself because you made a mistake, did the wrong thing, or disappointed someone. I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way, as this attitude runs in my family. We’re human—we make mistakes! We fail sometimes. We disappoint others and ourselves. But every second is a second chance…we should stop worrying about what we did and worry about what we can do.

via Dweebist

Sunday Resolutions Update

2010-03-07T12:30:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are still interested in my resolutions updates (and by “for those of you” I mean “for me so I’ll get my butt in gear”), I’ll say up front I’ve not been doing well on most of my goals. There is a lot going on in my life right now…all the things that come with the end of the “fiscal year” at work, a huge project at work that I’m spearheading, and now house stuff.

Yes, indeed, Jonathan and I are looking to buy our first home. We’re pretty far along in the process…pending a home inspection and a loan approval (and closing, of course), we should be getting a house next month.

I’m very excited about it, but I do tend to slack on my resolutions when I have so much going on. I don’t think I’m going to be able to give 100% to my resolutions in the coming weeks. I have to give myself a break while I’m so busy. But I do think I can do better. And I will, starting today!

For those of you who are interested, here’s a picture of the house. Hopefully Jonathan and I will get out soon to take pictures of our own, but this picture on the listing is the best I can do for now.

Thanks for keeping me accountable. I hope you’re all doing well with your goals!

book banter: Severance

2010-02-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

Severance

Robert Olen Butler

______________________

Severance is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. In fact, it’s a little creepy. The premise is based on two scientific theories: 1) that a person’s head remains conscious for one and a half minutes after decapitation and 2) that humans speak at the rate of 160 words per minute when they’re in a heightened state of emotion. These two theories indicate that a person who is decapitated might think 240 words before they’re completely dead. Based on this figure, Butler has written a series of short (240 words each, to be precise) monologues of decapitated people, fictional and non-fictional. These monologues are presented in chronological order, starting with Mud (“man, beheaded by saber-toothed tiger, circa 40,000 B.C.”) all the way through the author himself (“writer, decapitated on the job, 2008”). Fortunately, Robert Olen Butler was not decapitated in 2008—that would’ve just been too weird.

The book is interesting especially because of the glimpse it gives you into the lives of famous characters you’ll recognize: Medusa, John the Baptist, George (AND the dragon), the lady of the lake, Marie Antoinette, and so on. I’m mostly intrigued by the format of these monologues. I’ve never heard of a book quite like this and I’m always impressed with books that are out of the norm.

I doubt, however, that I’ll read the book again. It was entertaining and engaging, but not something I would gain insight from by reading it another time. I definitely think it’s an interesting read, but I’d suggest borrowing it from the library rather than buying it.

book banter: The Lightning Thief

2010-02-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

The Lightning Thief

Rick Riordan

______________________

I recently finished reading The Lightning Thief, the first book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. I would definitely say my favorite book genre is fantasy, and I would also say that I love young adult literature, but this book didn’t really do it for me.

I felt like the invention of this new world, this world that involves gods and monsters and magical weapons, seemed very forcibly created. I also felt disconnected from the characters for the same reason. Everything was very pushed. Rather than showing the reader that a character was experiencing something through that character’s actions, Riordan would outright tell the reader. I find that this makes this new universe pretty unbelievable and not very engaging.

I do think, however, that there are people who would find this book enjoyable. I also think the story has enough potential that the movie might be pretty awesome. :) But I’m disappointed to say that I have no interest in reading any more books in this series.

Sorry to write a bummer review. Hopefully the next book will be better!

Sunday Resolutions Update

2010-02-14T16:49:00.001-06:00

If you’re keeping up with these updates with any consistency, you might have noticed I didn’t post a resolutions update last week. Actually, I’ve done very well on all fronts, including the frequency of my workouts (the hardest part of all for me). Since I’ve done well, I didn’t feel the need to post last Sunday. I think it’s important that I keep on updating about my progress, but I think perhaps I don’t need to do it every week anymore. Everything is coming easier for me now that it’s been a few weeks and I’ve been holding myself accountable via this blog. So I’ll definitely keep updating, but probably on a bi-weekly basis for now until either 1) I start to lapse and need to update weekly again or 2) do even better and can further reduce the number of resolutions update posts (let’s hope for the latter)! :) Thanks for reading—keep holding me accountable!

I will write more.
I will read more.
I will honor the Sabbath.
I will find a home church.
I will take better care of my body.
I will be more loving.

I can do it!

Success is a fight between you and yourself. ~ Unknown

Happy Valentine’s Day—some LOST-themed valentines for you and your “other”

2010-02-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

via The Daily What

weekly geekery: Final Fantasy Creatures etsy roundup

2010-02-12T10:00:00.001-06:00

Here’s a little taste of what the Etsy world has to offer on Final Fantasy creatures:
Cactuar Gotta Go Hat, via peanutbutterhats
Moogle Fleece Hat, via animemom88
Chocobo Scarf, via michigami
Moomba Art, via zionfeather9
via Etsy

recipe share: peanut butter bars (with Super Bowl party variation)

2010-02-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

I love chocolate. I love peanut butter. And, let’s face it—I love powdered sugar and butter, too. This is probably one of the unhealthiest treats you could possibly make, but it is delicious. Readers, meet Betty Crocker’s peanut butter bars.

Ingredients:

Cookie Base
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Frosting
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir all Cookie Base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan using floured fingers. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In small bowl, beat all Filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cookie base.
4. In microwavable bowl, microwave all Frosting ingredients on High 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

Now I realize this is coming a bit late for this year’s Super Bowl, but you might want to reserve this idea for next year. You simply make the pb bars per the recipe above, then you get out your (AKA hurry to Hobby Lobby the night before to buy a) handy-dandy football-shaped cookie cutter, and cut the bars out (each batch will make 12 bars). Then just pipe on some white frosting in the shape of stitching and, voila—

peanut butter bar footballs!

These were a smashing success! Did you make any creative dishes for the Super Bowl festivities?

inspire me Monday: success

2010-02-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

via Dweebist

inspire me Monday: rainbow palette

2010-02-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

via Pink Sherbet Photography on Flickr

Sunday Resolutions Update / a Question for You

2010-01-31T12:30:00.001-06:00

This past week I did much better with all of my goals. I wrote quite a bit, I read quite a bit, I rested a lot this weekend and have churches lined up for every Sunday in February. I managed to focus more on others than myself at work which has been especially difficult given the struggles and stress there. I got plenty of sleep and ate well this week, too.

But what I can’t seem to get in the swing of things is exercising on a regular basis. I have tried and tried. My husband is a personal trainer and even that doesn’t get me working out as often as I should.

So my question to you is: how do you stay active? What are your tricks for making yourself exercise, especially when you don’t want to?

weekly geekery: “coexiist” gamer shirt

2010-01-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

Feast your eyes on this bumper-sticker-worthy gamer shirt I found over at Think Geek:

Can you name ‘em all?

$15.99-$17.99, Think Geek

blog share: words of wisdom about the tebow / CBS controversy

2010-01-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

I fully support what my co-worker Curt Harding has to say about the controversy involving the Focus-on-the-Family-purchased TV spot featuring Tebow that will air on CBS during the Superbowl. There’s no need for me to go into it—just read what Curt has to say.

Curt Harding – Super Controversy

craft share: printable pocket calendar

2010-01-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

Check out this adorable pocket calendar over at Creature Comforts.

This brings joy to every organizational and crafty bone in my body. Check it out!

inspire me Monday: a memo to yourself

2010-01-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

I found this Memo to Me over on Love. Obsess. Inspire. pretty thought-provoking! How often do we stop to absorb what’s happening around us rather than worrying about what’s happened or what’s going to happen?

Make it your goal today to live in the “now” and appreciate what’s going on at this very moment. Here are some quotes to keep you inspired throughout the week!

The living moment is everything.
D. H. Lawrence

We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.
John Newton

Forever is composed of nows.
Emily Dickinson

It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.
Margaret Bonnano

We are always getting ready to live but never living.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.
Albert Einstein

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday Resolutions Update

2010-01-24T14:08:00.001-06:00

Well, friends, I didn’t do too well this week with my resolutions. Honestly, I’ve felt sick all week. Not sick sick, but my-body-is-fighting-off-a-sickness-and-making-me-feel-awful sick. Like I-need-a-nap-every-day sick. Like I-can-barely-make-myself-go-to-work-every-day sick. So that has put a damper on my goals.

I am feeling better this afternoon though, which I hope is a sign that the rest I’ve been giving myself has defeated whatever it was that was trying to invade my health.

Here’s to a successful week. :)

inspire me Monday: in a word—2010

2010-01-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

A recent blog post on a favorite blog of mine, Tip Junkie, featured a “word of the year” giveaway (the giveaway has ended now—sorry!). The challenge was to pick one word that describes what you want out of 2010.

I found the idea intriguing. I thought perhaps that having a one-word mantra for the whole year might remind me of what I want to accomplish. I chose the word “commitment,” specifically commitment to myself and the goals I’ve always wanted to achieve. This is the year that I want to buckle down and do the things I’ve always wanted to do and never have.

What about you? If you had to choose one word to describe what you want out of this new year, what would it be?

Sunday Resolutions Update

2010-01-17T19:30:00.001-06:00

For this week’s resolution update, I’m going to rate myself on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 meaning I completely failed at meeting my goal this past week, and 10 meaning there is nothing I could’ve done better to meet my goal. I’ll just straight up say…I did not do well this week.

1) I will write more. 8 – I was consistent with my blogging and journaling.

2) I will read more. 8 – I read quite a bit this week, mostly my magazines.

3) I will honor the Sabbath. 7 – Despite having company over this weekend, I managed to do most of my chores on Saturday and rested most of the day today.

4) I will find a home church. 5 – I didn’t go to church this morning, but I did do some research to find a few more new churches to try in the coming weeks.

5) I will take better care of my body. 5 – I couldn’t get into working out this week. Really, there’s no excuse.

6) I will be more loving. 5 – I had an extremely frustrating week at work, and it’s during those stressful times that I get more caught up in myself and my own needs than I should. I need to be better at focusing on others.

Not a stellar week, but again, there’s always tomorrow.

“Doing your best means never stop trying.”

weekly geekery: puncontrollable

2010-01-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

Check out this Etsy shop featuring amazing wordsmithery—Puncontrollable. Hilarity + wordplay = a happy Misty. I mean, their slogan is “I like big puns.” See? You already agree with me and you haven’t even seen their stuff yet.

They have t-shirts, totes, kitchen towels, and more! Here are a few of my favorites:

via Puncontrollable on Etsy

inspire me Monday: cobalt palette

2010-01-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

via Flickr

Sunday Resolutions Update

2010-01-10T19:10:00.001-06:00

Another week has gone by…here are my updates on my resolutions:

1) I will write more. I’ve been blogging pretty consistently (as you can see). I didn’t, however, write in my journal last Wednesday like I was supposed to. I think I’ll be doing that tonight—I need to.

2) I will read more. I didn’t read on Thursday, my designated reading night. I talked to a friend instead, but I hadn’t talked to her in a while so it was worth it. I did read quite a bit during the rest of the week.

3) I will honor the Sabbath. I worked hard on Saturday to get my chores accomplished so I could rest today. We did have to go look at a house today (we’re in the market) but we couldn’t go and see it yesterday—the realtor was busy. I prepped dinner last night again so I wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

4) I will find a home church. I went to another church again this morning, and I’ve been praying for God to show me where He wants me to be!

5) I will take better care of my body. Confession—this is not going well. I’m stress eating. And I only worked out twice last week. But I have to remind myself that twice is more than zero, and I have to remember that this is a new week with new opportunities. I can do this!

6) I will be more loving. I haven’t done well this week to focus on what other people need rather than my own feelings. Work has been very stressful for me lately and I’m getting swept up in my stress rather than how I can be a servant for others. I need to improve on this.

Overall, not an excellent job, but blogging about this stuff is keeping me thinking about what I need to do. I think it’ll be better going forward!

Saturday SOS—menu planning

2010-01-09T11:22:00.001-06:00

Organizing is all about saving you something…saving time, saving space, saving money, and even saving your sanity. One easy way I’ve found to save myself all of these things is to menu plan.

The gist of it is that you make a list of meals you’re going to eat for a week (or until the next time you know you’re going to the store). I always go grocery shopping on Saturday, so I usually make my meal list on Friday or Saturday for the rest of the week. Then I generate my shopping list from my menu. Here’s an example from this past week’s menu:

Here are the reasons you, too, should start a weekly menu plan:

You will save time. While you’re in the store, you will have a grocery list made out specifically for the things you’re going to cook in the coming week. You’ll know exactly what you’re shopping for and you won’t have to waste time in every aisle trying to decide what you want. You’ll also save time every night at home. When you come home in the evening, you know exactly what’s for dinner. You won’t have to spend time thinking about what you’d like to cook. It’s already been determined.

You will save space. Since you have a shopping list based on a specific menu, you won’t be tempted to buy a bunch of food you don’t really need. You’ll only bring home ingredients you need for that week, thusly saving space in your fridge and cupboards.

You will save money. While you’re at the store, you’ll be less inclined to impulse-buy. If you really stick to your list, you’ll only put things in your cart that you really need. You’ll also save money at home. When you’re making out your weekly menu, take a look at what you already have on-hand. If you have 3 boxes of pasta, choose a pasta dish to make one night that week; that’s one fewer thing you have to buy to make a good meal.

You will save your sanity. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to come home and use my brain power on after work is, “What in the world am I going to make for dinner?” Already knowing is a huge burden off my shoulders. With a menu plan, you can also avoid those times when you were intending to cook hamburgers tonight, but you forgot to take the meat out of the freezer the day before. Since you have all your meals written out (preferably in a visible spot—we keep ours on the refrigerator door), you can check the night before if anything needs to be prepped for dinner the next day.

I got my magnetic meal planning notepad from a free giveaway from Betty Crocker—I’m not sure what I’ll do when it runs out! You could always make your own menu plan template to fit your needs, but here are a few printable options that might be of use to you:

1) Here’s a creative meal planner from futuregirl, complete with fun illustrations and including a column where you put reminders for the next day’s meal (“take the steaks of out the freezer”).

2) Here’s a clean, easy-to-use menu planning template from one of my favorite blogs, I’m An Organizing Junkie. It even includes a spot for “recipe source” (which is always good for me to note so my husband doesn’t have trouble figuring out which cookbook the recipe is in when he’s trying to be sweet and start dinner without me).

3) There are some great meal and menu planners available at Vertex42—they have different formats to choose from (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.).

4) There’s a detailed menu plan template over at Unclutterer that has space to write in not only dinner but breakfast, lunch, and snacks as well.

I hope this helps you in your future cooking and shopping endeavors!

What do you do to save time, space, money, or even sanity when it comes to your meals?

weekly geekery: koopa troopa guitar

2010-01-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

While I can’t play the guitar, I’m pretty wicked awesome at Guitar Hero (you know it’s impressive), so any time I see a sweet guitar I get a little giddy. Well, this Koopa Troopa guitar is not only sweet but geekalicious as well. (Now somehow we need to get James Hetfield to use this baby in concert…)

via Joystiq

book banter: Lost in a Good Book

2010-01-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Lost in a Good Book

Jasper Fforde

______________________

Lost in a Good Book is the second in the Thursday Next series (Thursday Next is the name of the main character) by Jasper Fforde. I read the first book in the series, The Eyre Affair, when I was in college and just loved it. The series is full of literary references—you’re sure to notice tons of them, and probably miss a few, just because there are so many! In Lost in a Good Book, Thursday dabbles in Jurisfiction work, going in and out of literary works that many people will recognize (Great Expectations, “The Raven,” etc.). In this second book, there’s an unpublished play by Shakespeare in question, and Thursday gets to meet the Cheshire Cat. There’s also some time travel, a pet dodo, and even some zombies!

Everything about the way Fforde writes is engaging—he uses wordplay effectively, throws in so many literature references you can’t keep up with them, uses entertaining yet easy-to-follow dialog, and creates believable characters in whom you become immediately invested when you begin to read about them.

I would recommend this book to any English or literature student and anyone who has an appreciation for either of those things. I would, however recommend starting with The Eyre Affair. I enjoyed the first book in the series more than this one, and it also helped me understand a lot of what was going on at the start of this second novel. Definitely worth the read!

inspire me Monday: hope

2010-01-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

~Emily Dickinson

Sunday Resolutions Update

2010-01-03T14:59:00.003-06:00

It’s been one week since I posted about my goals for this new year, but I feel like I’ve already made strides to achieve all of them. Here are my updates:

1) I will write more. Well, for starters, I’ve written 7 blog posts already (not all have posted), including this one. I’d say that’s more than I was writing. I’ve also committed to writing at least 2 posts a week and have scheduled this writing time in my planner (Sunday and Monday). I scheduled time to write in my journal every Wednesday and I managed to accomplish that this past week. I also created a bookmark folder in Firefox for “things to post about” so when I see something online that makes me think of a post I can write, I have it saved. I’d say I met this goal this week.

2) I will read more. I finished reading my 9th book of 2009 just before the year was over (Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fford; book banter post to come). I’m already reading quite a few books (you can see the list of my current reads on the right side of this page), and I’ve started reading two more books this past week, Severance and The Big Over Easy. I’ve designated every Thursday as reading night, and I’ve been keeping up with reading all the blogs to which I’ve subscribed. I didn’t read this past Thursday (it was New Year’s Eve so I was busy), but I did read a lot this past week. I feel like I’ve accomplished this goal this week, too.

3) I will honor the Sabbath. I thought this would be a lot harder for me than it has been. I usually have a slew of chores to do on the weekend, so this week I wrote them all in my planner on Friday and Saturday, and that included prepping tonight’s dinner yesterday to minimize the work I’d have to do today. We’re having slow-cooker pot roast, so there’s minimal hands-on time anyway (I planned this on purpose). I’ve written all my recurring weekend chores on a post-it that I will stick on every Saturday so I make sure I get them done that day (laundry, grocery shopping, giving the house a quick tidying up, etc.). The only thing that some might consider “work” that I’ll be doing on Sunday is writing my resolutions update post, but I don’t consider that work. Writing (anything) is something I enjoy. I realize the day isn’t over yet, but I think I’ve succeeded this week at honoring the Sabbath.

4) I will find a home church. I’ve written it in my planner every Saturday to decide where I’m going to go to church the next day, that way I’ve committed before my alarm goes off the next morning that I have somewhere specific to be. I attended church this morning and I’m keeping a list of all the churches I’ve been to with some notes about my experience there to make it easier to track where I’ve been. This week, I’ve done as much as I can toward this goal. This one will just take time.

5) I will take better care of my body. Late last year there was a solid 5-week time period when I was working out every weekday, and I hope to get there again, but I’m not going to dive right into that just yet. This past week I only worked out once—I know I could’ve done better. This coming week I’m going to work out 3 days, and late in January I’m going to resume the 5-day routine. In the meantime, I’ve found some workout videos to stream on Netflix, and I’ve been writing out some small workouts I can do here in the house as well as some ideas about outdoor workouts so I can choose from a list what I’d like to do that night rather than get stuck in a rut like I usually do. I was also a lot more conscious this week about my food choices, trying to work in more vegetable servings (you’ll find in keeping up with this resolution that vegetables and I have a hate-hate relationship), and I’ve been consistent about getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night. All of these will prove more difficult this week as work is resuming tomorrow. I think I could’ve done a little better this past week, but I have made improvements and plans toward getting better, so I’d say I met this goal.

6) I will be more loving. This one is a little hard to track. I can think of many times this past week when I consciously stopped my thought process to insert positive thoughts of service—I had to make myself stop internally complaining and start volunteering my time and energy (especially to my coworkers) with a happy heart. This was hard for me last week because I had a specific set of tasks I wanted to accomplish and I didn’t because I was busy helping others. But it isn’t about me, it’s about other people. This will take some time too, but I feel like I accomplished this goal this past week.

To help me achieve all of these goals, I’ve put an extra piece of paper in my planner on every Sunday so I can jot in notes and keep track of my progress during the week. And perhaps the biggest stride I’ve taken to achieve all of these goals is adding them to my daily prayer list. “…With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

Overall, I’ve done well. Here’s to continued success!

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions so far?

Saturday SOS—an introduction

2010-01-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Saturday SOS (simple organizing solutions). I love organization; let’s just establish this now. I organize everything—my CDs, my craft supplies, my recipes, my to-dos—you name it, I organize it. I love organization for two reasons:

Organization is easy for me
Organization makes my life easier

I realize that not everyone has the blessing of that first bullet. I count myself very lucky to have the organizing gene. But I think everyone will agree with the second bullet—organization streamlines your day. It simplifies the mundane to leave you more time for the exciting parts of life. Instead of searching around for 15 minutes trying to find that recipe I wanted to try tonight, I know exactly where it is—I can find it and start cooking without wasting time!

Admittedly, just because I love organization and it comes naturally to me doesn’t mean every area of my life is organized. Organizing takes a lot of time, something I’m working on managing better and better each day. So to kick off my SOS posts, I decided to find 5 areas in my apartment that I wish were more organized:

My bedroom closet and dresser
Wedding leftovers
Spice cabinet
My desk
Holiday decorations

After I had identified the areas that needed a little SOS, I listed some ways I could organize each one.

My bedroom closet and dresser – get rid of shoes I never wear, get rid of the box of books I need to sell, get rid of clothing I never wear, re-organize the clothing to better utilize space; remove things from bedroom closet that belong somewhere else in the apartment
Wedding leftovers – reorganize the tote of keepsakes from the wedding, sell or donate the pile of supplies I’ll not need again (this will mean taking inventory of everything I have, researching how much money I can make for everything, taking pictures and posting on Craigslist)
Spice cabinet – take everything out and throw away expired stuff, organize into categories, find containers, label containers and put everything in its designated space, somehow make measuring cups more easily accessible (I haven’t figured out the solution to this yet)
My desk – de-clutter the corkboard, remove all paper clutter from desk surface, find a way to make the space more inviting, organize desk drawer
Holiday decorations – separate decorations into different holidays, get rid of any decorations that we don’t like, buy appropriate containers and store each holiday’s decorations in a separate container (right now they are all jammed into one huge box)

The next step will be to commit to a day to tackle each area, but you get the picture. The hardest part is deciding you need to organize something and then making the plan to do it.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

Are there any areas in your life that need organization (think outside the home, too)?

weekly geekery: hp & mp mugs

2010-01-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

Need to replenish your HP or MP (or both)? If you’ve been busy tanking Illidan and need a pick-me-up or are being chased by a vampire and really need to cast Holy, check out these awesome mugs from Split Reason. And they’re even the right colors! Is it too early for me to start my Christmas wish list for next year?

$10.95 each, Split Reason

book banter: Blue Like Jazz

2009-12-31T10:00:00.000-06:00

Blue Like Jazz

Donald Miller

______________________

I finished reading Blue Like Jazz last Sunday evening, and I’m pleased to say I loved it. I’d heard some pretty interesting criticism of this book (sorry, Don, if you’re reading this) that made me a little nervous. But the things I heard also made me excited to read it. People were talking about the controversial ideas, or about the author and his “strange” beliefs. Me? I’ve struggled with “Christianity” as a religion all my life. That’s not to say I haven’t been a Christian for years—I have. It’s not the faith I’ve toiled with, it’s the religion. So when I saw the subtitle of this book, “Nonreligious thoughts on Christian Spirituality,” I was immediately intrigued. This sounded fresh to me. I didn’t recognize any of the names on the back of the book singing Donald’s praises, nor did I understand the title. I didn’t get the cover imagery. And I wasn’t sure what these “nonreligious thoughts” would turn out to be. But something about it, about the things I’d heard and what I felt in that subtitle made me want to read it. So I did.

I was right—the perspective in Blue Like Jazz is fresh. It feels raw. It feels honest. It feels like all those questions you’ve always wanted to ask but were always afraid to, because you knew your parents or your pastor would question you questioning your religion. It feels like all those times when you were frustrated that you didn’t understand God or the way this world works. It feels like somebody looking at you in the eye and telling you that you aren’t the only one who has these thoughts.

Here are the three most important takeaways I got from this book:

1) I am worth loving, and I know this because Jesus loves me. I have believed in Jesus for years. I accepted a long time ago that He is God’s son, that He died on the cross for all sinners, and that I believe in Him. I asked Him years ago to come into my heart and save me, and He did. But it wasn’t until Sunday night, after finishing this book, when I went to pray and think on the things I’d just read, that God revealed to me that I am worth loving. No matter what mean things I might say or think, no matter what terrible things I might do, I am still worth loving, and Jesus is proof of this. I felt so relieved and joyful when I realized this.

2) Christianity’s history is pretty ugly, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. In Blue Like Jazz, Donald writes about how he and his fellow students set up a “confession booth” on their college campus, not to take confessions from others, but to apologize for all the wrongs that Christians have done to humanity, from the violence of the Crusaders to their own lack of caring and loving of their fellow students. I’ve always felt defensive in the past when someone would address the evils in Christianity’s past, and even in its present. But it never occurred to me to face these problems and let people know that Christianity isn’t and never will be perfect. After all, this is why we need Jesus in the first place.

3) It is not my responsibility to change people, just to love them unconditionally. I felt so free when I realized this (and it sounds like Don did, too). God has taken the responsibility of changing people off of my plate! I don’t know why I ever thought it was mine to begin with. I’m such a judgmental person. I get it from my father. I’ve always grappled with it and, frankly, never liked it about myself! I want to be someone who can have her opinions without judging people who don’t share them. Instead, I will just love people, and leave the changing up to God.

I realize not everyone who reads Blue Like Jazz will have the same revelations I’ve had. I realize that many people probably already had all this together. But reading a book that is honest and that addresses Christian issues is refreshing and empowering. Many thanks to Donald Miller for his candidness, and to God for dropping this book in my lap. It has changed me.

inspire me Monday: real wealth

2009-12-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

Wealth consists not in having great possessions,

but in having few wants.

Esther de Waal, Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict

___________________

My husband and I had a discussion last Wednesday about what we would do if we were ever to win the lottery. We were on our way home from a nice dinner out and saw a billboard for the Powerball which got our imaginations rolling. The chances of us winning the lottery are quite slim, especially considering we don’t even play it, but we thought it would be fun to daydream about it.

Of course we decided we would get rid of our student loans first, and probably the loans of our friends and family, too. Then we would design and build our dream home from scratch, and probably do the same for our parents. We’d put a great deal of money into savings, we’d give a great deal to charity, and we’d buy lots of video games.

But the longer we talked about our impossible plans for our impossible lottery winnings, the more I realized that I was bordering on want. I realized that day in the car as we were discussing that there is a fine line between daydreaming and want.

I’ve always had an issue with envy—it’s something I struggle with. I pray very frequently that God would help me have a sense of contentment with what I have, and that He would also show me daily the blessings that are around me that I so frequently miss.

As soon as I began to feel negative emotions about not having this lottery money, I let the discussion trail off. It had become unconstructive—no—deconstructive. It’s okay to daydream, but it isn’t okay to dwell on things you don’t have.

What do you do to stay content with the blessings in your life? How do you stay on the daydreaming side of the line?

restart

2009-12-27T18:14:00.001-06:00

I know it’s a little early to even have thoughts of New Year’s resolutions, but something about tidying up after Christmas—putting the gifts away, throwing out all the crumpled wrapping paper, and doing all those dishes—makes me want to jump start the new me…or, the chance at a new me, anyway.

I’ve not really been serious about blogging before. I’ve always wanted to do it consistently but I’ve had two fears: 1) that I would neglect my daily journal, which I don’t want to ever give up and 2) that I wouldn’t find time to keep blogging and that I would quit and feel like a failure.

But I’ve realized that 1) I don’t have to give up my journal to blog. There are many things I would write in my journal that I would never post to the internet—and vice versa. And 2) being afraid of failure has stopped me many times in the past from doing things and I’ve got to get rid of that habit.

The beginnings of this blog will be based on this time of New Year’s, a time when so many people set new goals for themselves. They feel as though the slate has been wiped clean come January 1 and now they can actually do all those things they’ve been promising themselves they’d do for months now.

I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I’ve always been of the persuasion that there is no time like the present, and it’s silly to wait until January 1 to start exercising, quit smoking, write a novel, be a nicer person, or whatever the goal might be. If you realize there’s something you need to change in life, just change it. Stop waiting for January 1, or next Monday, or even tomorrow. Time isn’t going to wait on you.

This time last year I decided I would do something about changing myself and becoming a better person, despite my opinions about the “new year” being the time for it. But I had many things I wanted to accomplish this past year, like volunteering more, like finding a home church, like being more positive, like checking up on my Grandma more often. I didn’t feel like the massive list of goals could be tackled without a plan, and I’m a girl who loves a plan.

So I made what I call a “Weekly Goal Planner.” I made a giant calendar in Excel that shows every week of the year. I numbered each of those weeks, and I put one goal on every week. It’s easier to train yourself to pray every day or be a better listener if you give yourself an entire week to focus on that one goal. I found that by giving myself that entire week, things became much more habitual and I didn’t have to think about them as much (if anyone wants to see the Goal Planner, just let me know and I’ll post it). In the middle of the week, if I thought of something I’d like to do, like workout more frequently, instead of beating myself up about not doing it now, I assigned that goal to a week in the future and let myself forget about it for the time being.

Growth and change are just as difficult as they are important, so I found by breaking up my little goals, they were much more attainable and as a result of achieving them, I gained more confidence in myself. It’s a lovely little cycle.

I’ve already made my 2010 Weekly Goal Planner. Of course it isn’t completely filled out but, as the year progresses, I’ll think of more things to fill in the blanks. But it occurred to me today that there are some big goals, some long-term goals, that I want to accomplish, and I don’t think they can be contained on a weekly basis.

Since I’ve always wanted to blog, I’m going to do it. And since I’m going to do it, I’m going to use this blog for accountability. Every Sunday, I’m going to post a resolution update—I’m going to re-list my resolutions and give the world a status update on each one. This is the one thing I’ve never tried, and I’m a little scared to (there’s that fear of failing again), but I’m going to do it.

Here is my list:

1) I will write more. Whether in my journal, whether snippets of poetry, or whether I somehow start writing fiction again, I am going to write. I love writing—I’m just lazy. Playing video games is easier than writing. Doing the dishes is easier. I can come up with a million excuses and things to do instead of writing, but I’m not going to anymore. I am going to write.

2) I will read more. This year, I’ve read only 8 books (one of which I finished reading today). The year isn’t over, and there is at least one more book, possibly two, that I hope to finish by 2010, but my unspoken goal has always been at least 12 books per year. Now the goal is spoken. I will read at least 12 books in 2010.

3) I will honor the Sabbath. For me, that’s going to be Sunday. I realize there’s a lot of cross-denominational debate about what day of the week constitutes “the Sabbath,” but honestly, I don’t think that God’s going to be pointing fingers on judgment day saying, “Shame on you for honoring my day of rest on the wrong day of the week.” Seriously? Some cultures don’t even have days of the week. It’s all semantics. Anyway, I’m going to obey that commandment. All the others are obvious and easy (don’t steal, don’t cheat on your spouse, don’t murder, etc.) but for some reason, I’ve always neglected this one. I’m not sure what exactly this will mean, but I am going to honor the Sabbath.

4) I will find a home church. This was actually one of my goals this past year, and I failed. I certainly did try, but I could’ve done a much better job. I’m not going to let my discouragement keep me from continuing the hunt. I’m not a “churchy” girl, but I know I need a church family. God has a place for me, despite my pickiness, and I’m going to find a home church.

5) I will take better care of my body. I realize this is a loose goal. I don’t want to say, “I will work out X days a week” or “I will lose X pounds” or “I will eat more vegetables.” There was a time in my life, during college, when I was routinely working out, eating well, and getting plenty of sleep. I never quantified those things, but as soon as I was “healthy” I knew it. It’s physical and mental. When I’m finally taking care of myself again, I’ll know that I’m doing it right. At the moment, I’m not. I feel sluggish and disappointed in myself. I will take better care of my body.

6) I will be more loving. This isn’t to say that I don’t love people. I love my husband and do my best to take care of him. I love my parents and call to check on them frequently. I love my friends, my family, even strangers! But I’m talking about a conscious and quantifiable love. Conscious in that I want to do what’s best for others before I do what’s best for myself. I want to help others with the right spirit. I want to do my husband’s laundry without thinking the entire time about how it would be nice if he would help me more around the house. I want to check those proofreader marks for my coworker without thinking that I’m above the task and that they could do it themselves. And I want to shower people in love rather than judgment. That will be the hardest part for me, because I’m very judgmental. But I want to be more loving, with a pure heart, and I will.

All of these things require time, but mostly they just require time management. I’ve got to be smarter about managing my time so I can stay committed to the goals that are important to me.

Besides resolution updates, I hope to use this blog for other things, things I’ve always wanted to blog about but never have! I think the resolution updates are going to keep me coming back to the blog, and the rest of the posts (crafts, recipes, book reviews, etc.) will keep others coming back.

Happy 2010 everyone—may it be full of blessings!