Woot Woot 2012!!

I could not be more pumped that 2012 is here.  I thought long and hard about what I was going to put down for my 2012 Resolutions and this is what I came up with. 

• Motivation gets me started, habit keeps me going
• 2012 is the year of "me"

That's it...simply stated but it means a lot to me this year.  One of the reasons I am so bad at sticking with a resolution and completely ditched the effort by mid-March is because it becomes "work."  I am, obviously, not off'ed by work but when it becomes overwhelming with everything else going on in my life, I let the extra efforts slide by the wayside.  One of the things I really wanted to focus on early was getting super organized and making it cake to stay organized.  In the last 2 days, I have started a couple different projects (not enough time in the day to get them to completion yet, but am really close) and have wrapped up 1 minor and 1 major project.  Today at Target, I picked up some stuff to help and this is what I have come up with.

These are some of the necklaces I had bunched up in a small sterilite bin in my closet.  I would never actually wear a necklace because by the time I was trying to throw one on and get out the door, it would have taken too long to untangle the mess of chains.  This was the easiest 10-minute project I have ever done!!  It is 2 M-Hooks ($3.49) , a dowel from Michael's ($0.69), and 3 packs of S-shaped shower curtains hangers from Bed, Bath and Beyond ($2.99 each).  Piece of cake and it freed up 2 jewelry bins to rearrange some other pieces of jewelry that was overrun in other places.

My next project this morning was the pantry.  Oh my word...if you could have seen the state it was in pre-clean-up.  I wish I would have taken a picture, just for giggles at the disaster!  I had a couple different goals in mind.  I wanted things to be easy to locate so I would stop purchasing multiple packets of taco seasoning because we already had 6 packets buried in a corner and I wanted some organization in terms of snacks, both for Connor and myself.

The finished product.  All in all, it took less than 1 hour to get this whipped into shape.

The pockets on the door hanger are all neatly labeled

Connor's snack bin is green, mine is white and Alaina has a huge box on the floor of the pantry for her snack stuff.



2012 is also the year of "me."  Without being selfish and self-centered, I am committed to myself this year.  I am committed to being diligent about going to the gym and getting super healthy again with zero excuses holding me back.  I am devoted to finding time to daily pray and praise my Lord.  To re-connect through a few Bible Studies that have been sitting collecting dust in my spare room.  I am adamant about taking a little time to myself each week out of the house to get away from the responsibilities of the home and kids and re-center myself.  I want to focus on my little world (this world includes my husband and children) and be less concerned about the external stuff.  I want to try and shut off the computer after 5pm. and give my all to my family during the time when we are all together. 

This is MY year to to be the best I can be and I have never been more thrilled, excited and ready!

It's my perogative

Okay so the title has nothing to do with my post, really.  I know I mentioned a few weeks back about desginating certain days for certain topics....bump that.  I can't keep up with it and I am most certainly not creative enough to come up with new and cute things every week.  So it's back to me.  Just me.  If something strikes my fancy, I'll let you know.  Otherwise, it's the excitement, complains, joys, headaches of being a mom of 2, the wife of a servicemember, and anything else going on.

And of course, at this exact moment, I have absolutely nothing to say ;)

Oh the Choices We Make

Welcome back to Weight Loss Wednesday.  Big hooray in my house...actually within my wardrobe.  I am still wearing (*gulp...I can't believe I am admitting this) maternity jeans.  Picture me hanging my head in shame, because that is pretty much what I am doing right now.  HOWEVER, there is a light at the end of the pregnancy nightmare tunnel- I am starting to get "diaper butt" in my maternity jeans!!!  Only mommas who have worn maternity jeans know what I am talking about.  When the maternity jeans start getting too big in the waist and hips and thus the butt starts getting super loose and a little on the baggy side.  I am not quite into my non-maternity pants yet, but am oh so close!!!!  YAY!  Just in time for the holidays....

Which is kind of what my post is about today...the choices we make.  I typically like to follow the rules.  I follow the rules of the road (except for the slight tendency for lead foot on the gas), I don't cheat or lie on anything.  What I am really, really bad at sometimes, is making good personal choices.  I don't mean the choices that get me into all kinds of trouble and I end up arrested, but the choices to decide between one piece of pie or two on Thanksgiving.  The choices about sampling every goodie I am baking this holiday season.  In the past I have used excuses like, "It's been a tough day, I am going to treat myself to a kit kat,"  "Oh my goodness, Connor has been a challenge, I need some ice cream," "I only enjoy the holidays once a year...I owe it to myself to enjoy them."  Excuses that put my immediate needs in front of my long term wants.  This holiday season my challenge to myself is to enjoy the holidays without overly enjoying them. What I mean is trying really hard to put my long term goals of personal health and fitness in front of the instant gratification all those extra sugary sweets create.  Now, please don't misunderstand, I will be scooping up yummy cookies, buckeyes (my personal favorite) and desserts along the way, but in moderation.  I will make the choice this holiday season to remember I have a far-reaching longer term goal than just the few weeks we celebrate Christmas.

Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's that time of year....again.  Christmas is such a mixed bag of emotions.  The excitement and anticipation of the holidays but the overwhelming-ness of the holidays.  It feels like from the week before Halloween until after New Years (and this year until February because of A.'s birthday) we are non-stop.  Baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, activities....

As I started thinking about and planning Christmas for this year, I had a huge change of heart in terms of how I parent during the holidays.  A. and C. will never remember what gifts they got for their 4th and 1st Christmas', even though they may eventually.  What I can give them in memories will be better than any other purchased gift I could ever think of buying.  I was really dead set on an Advent calendar this year.  The ones I really wanted were too expensive and the ones in my "price range" weren't what I was looking for but I knew I could make one that fit what I needed. 

So here it is...

Now, don't ask me to hang pictures in your house.  I can hang neither straight nor level, but with a little creativity and time, I made the Countdown to Christmas I am really excited about.  So these are six 12 x 12 pieces of scrapbook paper and on each piece of paper are 4 envelopes.  The envelopes came from a very nice employee at Target who gave me 24 of their gift card envelopes.  I bought a package of 5 x 7 Christmas paper so all the 24 envelopes are a little different but coordinating.  Attached Christmas stickers and hung them together with gren ribbon.  All in all, I think the entire project cost me less than $20.  Here is a close up of the envelopes.

My most favorite part of all....the cards inside!!  It took planning and some thinking, but here is our Countdown to Christmas 2011:
-set up Nativity and read the story of the birth of Jesus
-make and hang snowflakes
-decorate the Christmas tree and drink eggnog
-enjoy a special treat and watch a Christmas movie together
-prepare hot cocoa jars
-St. Nicholas Day
-write letters to Santa
-Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens
-baking with Mommy
-family game night
-visit Santa Claus
-special treat
-deliver cards to neighbors
-wrap Christmas gifts
-school Christmas party
-Polar Express movie night with hot cocoa
-drive around to see Christmas lights
-ice skating
-pick a special treat
-Imagine Art Studio
-edible gift for the birds outside
-baking cookies for Santa
-read Twas the Night Before Christmas