So, my one goal list this year was about aspiration, and inspiration, rather than perspiration, and I think I achieved that!.....by not completing my list! :)
I have learned to give myself permission to not have to cross everything off my 'to-do' list and that is what I did.
As I wrote here a few months ago, I had so far accomplished 3 out of 5 goals, and I've progressed on my blog posts....just slightly :/ In all I'm only at 79 posts here but 122 on my photo blog, so I have far surpassed the 140 total last year, but it was 140 mostly non-picture posts last year.
What can I say though, it's been one of those years....where I don't have a lot to say. A lot of groaning or silent waiting and hoping.
I also had the goal of giving Sean a blessing a day for his Birthday week, which I did. But it was also an otherwise tumultous week so I did not take any pictures nor do I barely remember what I got him. I remember I got him Marley & Me, and Reese cups, and bacon.....and that's all I can remember :) lol! But I swear there were 7 days of gifts!
But as for the minimalization, the motivation stayed at zil to clean out the basement/craft room. Good news though is in the spirit of minimalization I have done my best to repurpose or recycle first when we had needs for the house, and I was able to do a lot of re-organizing with pieces from my craft room, so I've spent hardly any money on new junk/clutter/stuff! Yay! :)
So ya, no sweat.
I think I'm going to have the same goal next year ;)
Showing posts with label List. Show all posts
Showing posts with label List. Show all posts
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
In the Flow
In the flow is another way of referring to being led by the Spirit, but I also feel like I am just flowing along the strong currents of life, which thankfully feel led by the Spirit...but busy none the less! I have managed to find time for my 'Aspire, Not Perspire' challenge to myself and just thought I'd document how I'm doing:
1. The One Dress Project - well my version of the The October Dress Project - ODP, which can be found here, was in April and a big success I think, and a lot of fun. For someone who was tired of deciding between which outfit looked the least worst it was freeing. The focus behind this was to reduce consumerism, conformity, excess, vanity, and increase sustainability, contentment, simplicity, imagination. I immediately resonated with the tie in to more of God, less of me, "We must decrease so that HE can increase".
I found the lessons that stuck the most was non-conformity and imagination. During the actual ODP month I felt the other areas much more but a few months (and shopping sprees) later the consumerism has made a comeback. But the discontentment I had wearing any of my previous large closet has disappeared, which is actually more a testament to my work on turning my self-image over to God, but I think it started with the ODP.
2. Sew - sewing has been a passion that really grew throughout the ODP, I began to see the clothes I wasn't happy with in a new light and I wanted to salvage them and make something I would love from them. Which I have! I had this sweater to skirt project, I hemmed a double-lined skirt - leaving the outer sheer shell full length and hemming the black slip just above the knee, and also created 3 halter tops out of ill-fitting shirts (one pictured below), as well as making my own tube-top bra for underneath my new backless shirts.
3. Blog more - it is a good thing I started my photo blog because it is the only reason I'm surpassing last year's blog posts. Last year I had 140 total but this year I've already got 158, 104 of which are on my photo blog, so my posts here are just a little behind but that's been life this year. And it's only about to get busier as it does leading up and after to our CR relaunch back at Step 1 - in mid-September.
4. A blessing a day - this I still intend to do in October.
5. Project Minimalization - this has actually been the last on my list in motivation too. I've had a partially torn apart craftroom this entire year. I should just spread it out across the room and invite people in to make an offer on anything and everything. That was my main area of intention and haven't even thought of another place in the house to start. I guess I kind of keep waiting to see when I get pregnant, in case any of it can be repurposed in a nursery.
But 8 full months in and 3 out of 5 on the list I'm pretty pleased with my efforts despite my lack of laborious effort :)
1. The One Dress Project - well my version of the The October Dress Project - ODP, which can be found here, was in April and a big success I think, and a lot of fun. For someone who was tired of deciding between which outfit looked the least worst it was freeing. The focus behind this was to reduce consumerism, conformity, excess, vanity, and increase sustainability, contentment, simplicity, imagination. I immediately resonated with the tie in to more of God, less of me, "We must decrease so that HE can increase".
I found the lessons that stuck the most was non-conformity and imagination. During the actual ODP month I felt the other areas much more but a few months (and shopping sprees) later the consumerism has made a comeback. But the discontentment I had wearing any of my previous large closet has disappeared, which is actually more a testament to my work on turning my self-image over to God, but I think it started with the ODP.
2. Sew - sewing has been a passion that really grew throughout the ODP, I began to see the clothes I wasn't happy with in a new light and I wanted to salvage them and make something I would love from them. Which I have! I had this sweater to skirt project, I hemmed a double-lined skirt - leaving the outer sheer shell full length and hemming the black slip just above the knee, and also created 3 halter tops out of ill-fitting shirts (one pictured below), as well as making my own tube-top bra for underneath my new backless shirts.
3. Blog more - it is a good thing I started my photo blog because it is the only reason I'm surpassing last year's blog posts. Last year I had 140 total but this year I've already got 158, 104 of which are on my photo blog, so my posts here are just a little behind but that's been life this year. And it's only about to get busier as it does leading up and after to our CR relaunch back at Step 1 - in mid-September.
4. A blessing a day - this I still intend to do in October.
5. Project Minimalization - this has actually been the last on my list in motivation too. I've had a partially torn apart craftroom this entire year. I should just spread it out across the room and invite people in to make an offer on anything and everything. That was my main area of intention and haven't even thought of another place in the house to start. I guess I kind of keep waiting to see when I get pregnant, in case any of it can be repurposed in a nursery.
But 8 full months in and 3 out of 5 on the list I'm pretty pleased with my efforts despite my lack of laborious effort :)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Stewardship Saturday
For 2 years now I've been trying to focus on being a good steward of my God given assets, and that is how I intend to define my own personal priorities now that I'm ready to get back to goals and growing.
Therefore I have my own version of the 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days, it's my 40 Stewardship Steps for 2011. And here they are:
Stewardship of My Finances
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! -- Matthew 25:21
Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. -- 1 Corinthians 4:2
1. Before buying anything new first consider reusing/recycling something we already have.
2. Smarter money management, putting money towards highest interest $ (both paying off and savings).
3. Give more tithe than we already give.
4. Cap my Stampin’ Up! expenses to 50% of 2010 expenditures.
Stewardship of My Home
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies....She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family.....She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks..... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Psalm 31:10-27
5. Schedule a small Fly Lady tactic every day, to maintain a tidy & welcoming home without a LOT of effort.
6. Establish a list of at least 60 staple recipes and rotate in a 12 month menu, to make homemade meals easier, hubbies favorites more frequent, but with room to try new food.
7. Make as much food from scratch as possible to avoid unnecessary preservatives & packaging (i.e. broth, bread, soup, mac n’ cheese, pizza, ‘canning’). I feel the reason is best said by Mennonite Girls Can Cook "It is about taking God's Bounty, and co-creating the goodness from God's creation into something that we can bless our family and friends with, to help sustain our health and energy." (NTKOG)
8. Improve yard, and make more room for hosting, by installing brick patio, add BBQ pit & replace broken sidewalk.
9. Finish improvements to upstairs bathroom, making it more welcoming & user friendly.
Stewardship of My Body
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
10. Create a list of weekly weight loss motivators/challenges to last through year.
11. Lose 20lbs and maintain that weight.
12. Try a Zumba class to make being active enjoyable again.
13. Create/maintain a better daily hygiene routine, my body is not just percent of fat.
Stewardship of My Earth
Then God said, "Look! I have given you .... green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” Genesis 1:29-30
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21
14. Assist composting with making room in yard for bigger pile and get a kitchen caddy to store compost inside.
15. Grow my own vegetables, fruit, herbs or purchase from Farmer’s Market.
16. Have a 100 mile meal once a month.
17. Use organic/natural herbicides & pesticides.
18. Find 3 more ‘One Million Acts of Green’ I can try
Stewardship of My Talents/Purpose
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! -- Matthew 25:21
19. Blog truth insights I receive.
20. Start focusing on developing my other creative tendancies other than papercrafts (poems, jewellery, decor, crochet), making an attempt at one every other month.
21. Capture memories in scrapbooks (those already started) and photobooks (for those not already started), finishing at least one of each.
22. Continue at least one entry per journal per month (creative, gratitude, wisdom).
Stewardship of My Communities
Jesus went on through towns and villages...and the Twelve were with Him, and also some women .... who ministered to and provided for Him and them out of their property and personal belongings. Luke 8:1-3
He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:5
23. Set aside at least 2 hrs per week for quality time with Sean, not including date nights.
24. Donate blood at least once.
25. Volunteer to help someone with something they can’t do for themselves at least twice per year.
26. Babysit one or some of my nieces/nephew(s) at least once.
27. Organize/host at least one gathering of friends every other month.
28. Invite at least two couples from Church into our home for a meal.
29. Volunteer in mentorship opportunities at Church.
Stewardship of My Growth
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful..... No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. John 15:2-4
30. Step out of my comfort zone, and any time I get a case of ‘that’s not me’s’, attempt to try whatever it is anyway. (NTKOG)
31. Learn to play guitar. (NTKOG)
32. Read all non-fiction books on my shelf (6).
33. Improve my photography skills.
34. Media fast one day per month.
35. Keep up prayer journal and bible study blog.
Stewardship of Living My Life
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.... Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
36. Read to relax and be entertained in a healthy way.
37. Take a trip with hubby to Las Vegas, maximum fun for minimum bucks :).
38. Go to at least one Folklorama pavilion.
39. Go out on the town by myself (art gallery, symphony, ballet, spa, film) 3 times. (NTKOG)
40. Take at least 4 hours per month to pamper myself in some way (paint nails, bath, shop).
Therefore I have my own version of the 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days, it's my 40 Stewardship Steps for 2011. And here they are:
Stewardship of My Finances
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! -- Matthew 25:21
Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. -- 1 Corinthians 4:2
1. Before buying anything new first consider reusing/recycling something we already have.
2. Smarter money management, putting money towards highest interest $ (both paying off and savings).
3. Give more tithe than we already give.
4. Cap my Stampin’ Up! expenses to 50% of 2010 expenditures.
Stewardship of My Home
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies....She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family.....She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks..... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Psalm 31:10-27
5. Schedule a small Fly Lady tactic every day, to maintain a tidy & welcoming home without a LOT of effort.
6. Establish a list of at least 60 staple recipes and rotate in a 12 month menu, to make homemade meals easier, hubbies favorites more frequent, but with room to try new food.
7. Make as much food from scratch as possible to avoid unnecessary preservatives & packaging (i.e. broth, bread, soup, mac n’ cheese, pizza, ‘canning’). I feel the reason is best said by Mennonite Girls Can Cook "It is about taking God's Bounty, and co-creating the goodness from God's creation into something that we can bless our family and friends with, to help sustain our health and energy." (NTKOG)
8. Improve yard, and make more room for hosting, by installing brick patio, add BBQ pit & replace broken sidewalk.
9. Finish improvements to upstairs bathroom, making it more welcoming & user friendly.
Stewardship of My Body
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
10. Create a list of weekly weight loss motivators/challenges to last through year.
11. Lose 20lbs and maintain that weight.
12. Try a Zumba class to make being active enjoyable again.
13. Create/maintain a better daily hygiene routine, my body is not just percent of fat.
Stewardship of My Earth
Then God said, "Look! I have given you .... green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” Genesis 1:29-30
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21
14. Assist composting with making room in yard for bigger pile and get a kitchen caddy to store compost inside.
15. Grow my own vegetables, fruit, herbs or purchase from Farmer’s Market.
16. Have a 100 mile meal once a month.
17. Use organic/natural herbicides & pesticides.
18. Find 3 more ‘One Million Acts of Green’ I can try
Stewardship of My Talents/Purpose
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! -- Matthew 25:21
19. Blog truth insights I receive.
20. Start focusing on developing my other creative tendancies other than papercrafts (poems, jewellery, decor, crochet), making an attempt at one every other month.
21. Capture memories in scrapbooks (those already started) and photobooks (for those not already started), finishing at least one of each.
22. Continue at least one entry per journal per month (creative, gratitude, wisdom).
Stewardship of My Communities
Jesus went on through towns and villages...and the Twelve were with Him, and also some women .... who ministered to and provided for Him and them out of their property and personal belongings. Luke 8:1-3
He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:5
23. Set aside at least 2 hrs per week for quality time with Sean, not including date nights.
24. Donate blood at least once.
25. Volunteer to help someone with something they can’t do for themselves at least twice per year.
26. Babysit one or some of my nieces/nephew(s) at least once.
27. Organize/host at least one gathering of friends every other month.
28. Invite at least two couples from Church into our home for a meal.
29. Volunteer in mentorship opportunities at Church.
Stewardship of My Growth
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful..... No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. John 15:2-4
30. Step out of my comfort zone, and any time I get a case of ‘that’s not me’s’, attempt to try whatever it is anyway. (NTKOG)
31. Learn to play guitar. (NTKOG)
32. Read all non-fiction books on my shelf (6).
33. Improve my photography skills.
34. Media fast one day per month.
35. Keep up prayer journal and bible study blog.
Stewardship of Living My Life
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.... Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
36. Read to relax and be entertained in a healthy way.
37. Take a trip with hubby to Las Vegas, maximum fun for minimum bucks :).
38. Go to at least one Folklorama pavilion.
39. Go out on the town by myself (art gallery, symphony, ballet, spa, film) 3 times. (NTKOG)
40. Take at least 4 hours per month to pamper myself in some way (paint nails, bath, shop).
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Last of My 101 List - Accomplished
I am done with my 101 List as of my break, but still managed to accomplish some things, or had some accomplished just before then. Here is what I was able to strike off the list, and a new and different kind of list will be posted shortly.
16. Get an iPhone
- done as of October
38. Sponser a child from our Church's African care points
- done as of November
71. Go to Red River Ex for day of games & evening of concerts
– Due to the concert available at the Portage Ex we decided to forgo the Red River Ex for that one, and saw Paul Brandt & High Valley!
99. Purchase energy efficient vehicle
– bought 2009 Dodge Journey, and although we paid more than we originally planned, we are paying less than the Jeep, we were able to include an amazing warranty (to save more $$) and a set of winter tires (again, save money on gas and lengthen life of both sets of tires). fuel efficiency is at least equal to the Jeep, maybe slightly better.
16. Get an iPhone
- done as of October
38. Sponser a child from our Church's African care points
- done as of November
71. Go to Red River Ex for day of games & evening of concerts
– Due to the concert available at the Portage Ex we decided to forgo the Red River Ex for that one, and saw Paul Brandt & High Valley!
81. Work at reducing expenditures, learn to live with less in order to be able to work less
– reduced hydro costs: efficiency changes, new furnace and appliances
– smarter money management, putting money towards highest interest $ (both paying off and savings)
87. Replace appliances with energy efficient appliances as we can afford
- new stove delivered July 29/10 - new fridge delivered July 23/10
88. Get energy efficient furnace
– replaced with 95% efficiency furnace July 16/10
– replaced with 95% efficiency furnace July 16/10
99. Purchase energy efficient vehicle
– bought 2009 Dodge Journey, and although we paid more than we originally planned, we are paying less than the Jeep, we were able to include an amazing warranty (to save more $$) and a set of winter tires (again, save money on gas and lengthen life of both sets of tires). fuel efficiency is at least equal to the Jeep, maybe slightly better.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A different kind of Christmas Letter
Normally the purpose of a Christmas letter, well, my previous Christmas letters anyway, is to recap for friends & family, and even myself, all that was notable over the last year, especially for those people who do not get to hear about your life regularly.
Honestly, I would rather not hash out this year again, in the frame of my mind I've been in lately, will quite frankly it would be like trying to reflect fondly on a hospital stay. So, instead I'm going to try something different. I'm going to make a Thankful For 2010 list. Positive spin :)
In 2010 we are thankful for:
1. Parents who are just as healthy or healthier than they were at the beginning of the year. There have been quite a few doctors visits and hospital stays this year but thankfully those issues are all behind us now, with a new appreciation for health and taking care of it.
2. Surrounded by family, who are increasing in numbers. To have family so close (even if Steinbach & Altona don't always FEEL close) is a huge blessing, quality time with them doesn't ever feel like enough. They are the people I could be around (and could be around me) 24/7....which we did for a week in August that was awesome! The laughter and the love we share is a joy. Even the little ones, getting to an age where our connection is much more, they are engaging us and interacting with us on a whole new level that is such a delight.
Every year that we have the family we love so much surrounding us is a blessing, so it is an even greater blessing if another person to love is added to the fold. This year my nephew became a much anticipated and much loved member of our family, and though the love of 8 adults is now 'split' between 4 children it feels like it's multiplied instead.
3. Financial security. In a year where most people spent recovering from, and maybe even still being hit by, an economic down swing, we have been very fortunate and blessed. We continue to have stable, well paying jobs that have provided us with; a great mortgage, the ability to maintain that home with renovations and outfit it with fiscally & environmentally responsible appliances, a 'new' 2009 Journey, and the ability to be generous to those not as financially fortunate as us.
4. Growing. Growing comes from two places, a desire to meet higher standards, or failure so significant you have to grow just to survive. Plenty of both have happened this year. Pursuit of our ideals, moving towards a life that we value and feel God leading us towards. Healing from choices and circumstances, this year, and years past. But growing, whether it's pursued or healing, is still growing, and we are thankful we are moving forward, whatever it requires of us.
5. Our Church. Although it was a hard decision to leave a Church we loved so much, Riverwood has grown into the community we've been wanting and needing. Partly because we took the initiative to be intentionally involved, partly because I believe God has orchestrated people from our past also coming to Riverwood. And he has blessed our efforts with some great new friends recently that have come to mean a lot to me.
6. Friendship. If there is one thing that makes growing pains easier it is having friends to bare the burdens with you. The friendships we have, whether from within our families, our work, our Church, and even our internet friends (hey, that's you!!), are so heartening! No matter where we turn, we have you by our side, you have our back, you lift us up, we are so thankful to have a life blessed by friends like you. You have helped more than you know these last few months.
7. Love. Most of all I think we are thankful that we still have so much love for each other. 10 years ago this season, an employee took a chance and asked his boss to dance. A Christ-loving young lady took a leap of faith dating a Fatherless young man. Two heart-broken people took a risk that they would find love in each other. They not only found love, they found healing in the love they shared and they continue to find healing by continuing to share love.
Thank you for sharing this year with us, in one form or another, and God bless us, everyone.
Honestly, I would rather not hash out this year again, in the frame of my mind I've been in lately, will quite frankly it would be like trying to reflect fondly on a hospital stay. So, instead I'm going to try something different. I'm going to make a Thankful For 2010 list. Positive spin :)
In 2010 we are thankful for:
1. Parents who are just as healthy or healthier than they were at the beginning of the year. There have been quite a few doctors visits and hospital stays this year but thankfully those issues are all behind us now, with a new appreciation for health and taking care of it.
2. Surrounded by family, who are increasing in numbers. To have family so close (even if Steinbach & Altona don't always FEEL close) is a huge blessing, quality time with them doesn't ever feel like enough. They are the people I could be around (and could be around me) 24/7....which we did for a week in August that was awesome! The laughter and the love we share is a joy. Even the little ones, getting to an age where our connection is much more, they are engaging us and interacting with us on a whole new level that is such a delight.
Every year that we have the family we love so much surrounding us is a blessing, so it is an even greater blessing if another person to love is added to the fold. This year my nephew became a much anticipated and much loved member of our family, and though the love of 8 adults is now 'split' between 4 children it feels like it's multiplied instead.
3. Financial security. In a year where most people spent recovering from, and maybe even still being hit by, an economic down swing, we have been very fortunate and blessed. We continue to have stable, well paying jobs that have provided us with; a great mortgage, the ability to maintain that home with renovations and outfit it with fiscally & environmentally responsible appliances, a 'new' 2009 Journey, and the ability to be generous to those not as financially fortunate as us.
4. Growing. Growing comes from two places, a desire to meet higher standards, or failure so significant you have to grow just to survive. Plenty of both have happened this year. Pursuit of our ideals, moving towards a life that we value and feel God leading us towards. Healing from choices and circumstances, this year, and years past. But growing, whether it's pursued or healing, is still growing, and we are thankful we are moving forward, whatever it requires of us.
5. Our Church. Although it was a hard decision to leave a Church we loved so much, Riverwood has grown into the community we've been wanting and needing. Partly because we took the initiative to be intentionally involved, partly because I believe God has orchestrated people from our past also coming to Riverwood. And he has blessed our efforts with some great new friends recently that have come to mean a lot to me.
6. Friendship. If there is one thing that makes growing pains easier it is having friends to bare the burdens with you. The friendships we have, whether from within our families, our work, our Church, and even our internet friends (hey, that's you!!), are so heartening! No matter where we turn, we have you by our side, you have our back, you lift us up, we are so thankful to have a life blessed by friends like you. You have helped more than you know these last few months.
7. Love. Most of all I think we are thankful that we still have so much love for each other. 10 years ago this season, an employee took a chance and asked his boss to dance. A Christ-loving young lady took a leap of faith dating a Fatherless young man. Two heart-broken people took a risk that they would find love in each other. They not only found love, they found healing in the love they shared and they continue to find healing by continuing to share love.
Thank you for sharing this year with us, in one form or another, and God bless us, everyone.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Top Ten Thursdays
I have a real sense of impatience these days, for EVERYTHING it seems! Waiting has never been my strong suit, but usually it's because I'm waiting for a trip, or a gift, or a gathering, all good stuff. These days I'm impatiently waiting to get beyond just surviving! Taking a break from goals couldn't have been timed better because I'm barely keeping up with life.
Therefore I'm impatient for:
1. Work to slow down! In addition to my usual duties, I've got to help prep for 2 external Health & Safety audits, 1 internal project management audit, and assist with part of a 2-person project that has turned into a 8-person project (we only have 12 in our office, only 2 in the appropriate dept.), and more! Being barely able to breathe has been a far too common theme in my life lately, as I mentioned in early fall I burdened myself too much with personal goals, then with similar/other issues got hit with another anxiety attack (the kind where I literally have trouble breathing), and now I can't catch my breath at work either. I'd like just one area in my life that gives significant reprieve.
2. Emotional healing so I can get on with my life! I put all goal-oriented activities on hold in early fall, as already mentioned, but I'm getting really antsy over all the things I want to but 'can't' do. It's obviously for the best, considering number 1, and considering the lack of breathing impairs energy too, I know it's for the best, but I feel my emotional healing is stunting my physical, spiritual and intellectual health. Long term, I'm not very good at being content with complacency and couch-potato-ness.
3. As usual, answers to the question(s) of motherhood, as this seems to be the initial domino to fall and bringing others down with it.
4. The end of the recovery group I facilitate once per week. Don't get me wrong, I love it, I feel like I'm meant to be there and that I'm getting so much out of it and am so blessed to see people healing, but I likely would waited until next session had I been asked just a month or two later. Not only because I'm already exhausted and didn't need one more commitment, but it's also emotionally draining hearing about the difficult emotional injuries my new friends have had to recover from. I love it but I'm looking forward to only 2 more weeks of it until the next session in spring, when hopefully I'll be much more emotionally able to handle it.
5. Kid therapy!! If there is one thing that can heal AND distract, it's my nieces and nephews. Winter is the time of year that holds sparsely sprinkled holidays that gather families and so seeing my precious little ones requires more effort, so I miss them even more this time of year. I miss them even more since I was able to spend a whole week with them all in August, and I got addicted to each one of them even more, if that was possible. I was looking through pictures of them the other day just to get a 'fix' and really need to make that effort to go see them before Christmas.
6. Puppy therapy!! Like pregnant bellies and babies seem to be everywhere when you want a baby, puppies are coming at me from all directions! Two people I know have fostered/adopted rescued puppies recently and it's making me very impatient to find that perfect puppy for us to rescue!
7. Vacation therapy. Considering I just had a vacation a month ago, this won't be happening until Christmas holidays, but I'm just about counting down the days!
8. A few gatherings that will provide some friend and family therapy before Christmas holidays :)
9. Since I haven't got ready access to my therapies, then distractions will have to do. I'm impatient for Voyage of the Dawn Treader, coming in December! Waiting for that one for ages it feels!!
10. Waiting for the one night of the week that I have 4 hour long shows and 2 half hour shows that actually make it easy to be a couch-potato for once.....oh wait that's tonight!! :)
Therefore I'm impatient for:
1. Work to slow down! In addition to my usual duties, I've got to help prep for 2 external Health & Safety audits, 1 internal project management audit, and assist with part of a 2-person project that has turned into a 8-person project (we only have 12 in our office, only 2 in the appropriate dept.), and more! Being barely able to breathe has been a far too common theme in my life lately, as I mentioned in early fall I burdened myself too much with personal goals, then with similar/other issues got hit with another anxiety attack (the kind where I literally have trouble breathing), and now I can't catch my breath at work either. I'd like just one area in my life that gives significant reprieve.
2. Emotional healing so I can get on with my life! I put all goal-oriented activities on hold in early fall, as already mentioned, but I'm getting really antsy over all the things I want to but 'can't' do. It's obviously for the best, considering number 1, and considering the lack of breathing impairs energy too, I know it's for the best, but I feel my emotional healing is stunting my physical, spiritual and intellectual health. Long term, I'm not very good at being content with complacency and couch-potato-ness.
3. As usual, answers to the question(s) of motherhood, as this seems to be the initial domino to fall and bringing others down with it.
4. The end of the recovery group I facilitate once per week. Don't get me wrong, I love it, I feel like I'm meant to be there and that I'm getting so much out of it and am so blessed to see people healing, but I likely would waited until next session had I been asked just a month or two later. Not only because I'm already exhausted and didn't need one more commitment, but it's also emotionally draining hearing about the difficult emotional injuries my new friends have had to recover from. I love it but I'm looking forward to only 2 more weeks of it until the next session in spring, when hopefully I'll be much more emotionally able to handle it.
5. Kid therapy!! If there is one thing that can heal AND distract, it's my nieces and nephews. Winter is the time of year that holds sparsely sprinkled holidays that gather families and so seeing my precious little ones requires more effort, so I miss them even more this time of year. I miss them even more since I was able to spend a whole week with them all in August, and I got addicted to each one of them even more, if that was possible. I was looking through pictures of them the other day just to get a 'fix' and really need to make that effort to go see them before Christmas.
6. Puppy therapy!! Like pregnant bellies and babies seem to be everywhere when you want a baby, puppies are coming at me from all directions! Two people I know have fostered/adopted rescued puppies recently and it's making me very impatient to find that perfect puppy for us to rescue!
7. Vacation therapy. Considering I just had a vacation a month ago, this won't be happening until Christmas holidays, but I'm just about counting down the days!
8. A few gatherings that will provide some friend and family therapy before Christmas holidays :)
9. Since I haven't got ready access to my therapies, then distractions will have to do. I'm impatient for Voyage of the Dawn Treader, coming in December! Waiting for that one for ages it feels!!
10. Waiting for the one night of the week that I have 4 hour long shows and 2 half hour shows that actually make it easy to be a couch-potato for once.....oh wait that's tonight!! :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Top Ten Thursdays
I'm trying to psyche myself up for winter, especially now that it's November, an official winter month in Winterpeg (no matter what the solstice says). I don't like being cold, layering clothes, heavy coats and boots and socks, sitting in cold vehicles waiting for both of us to warm-up, I could go on, but that would defeat the purpose of this post :) Here are my top ten reasons I actually do love winter (in doses :)
1. Gingerbread and Eggnog lattes from Starbucks, yum!
2. Whatever it is in the cold air that makes sunrises and sunsets more amazingly breathtaking than any other time of year.
3. Hoarfrost, self explanatory
4. My new crocheted toque, handmade by my talented sister Tami, who is selling them by the way, hint hint ;) This isn't mine, this is hers, but it will be like this, only brown.
6. Hopefully getting in a photoshoot in some freshly fallen snow, underneath some picturesque crystallized snow, painted on some overhanging branches.
7. Making pretty Christmas cards and hanging pretty Christmas decorations
8. Christmas carols, fa lalala la
9. My office practically shuts down for a week over the holidays, another reason I love my job.
10. Christmas gatherings with familyOk, so apparently Christmas is one of the only reasons I can get through our long winters, but it is my fav holiday for a reason!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Top Ten Thursdays
So I'm doing fairly well on my break, most urges to do stuff I quell successfully :) A few exceptions for some important things, but I'm happy to report a top ten list of things I am doing that are NOT goal oriented :)
1. A week long stay-cation that accomplished just about nothing.
5. Lots of time with friends during the whirlwind engagement/marriage of a friend....in last 2 months went to her social, shower, stagette, wedding, and then one last girl's night out with the gang while an out of town friend was still around from the festivities. Fun, fun, fun!!
1. A week long stay-cation that accomplished just about nothing.
2. Christmas shopping, gotta LOVE an excuse to go shopping!
3. Playing with mindless (but fun!) applications on my new iPhone.
4. Babysitting my teeniest nephew, yay!
6. A FABULOUS fall foto-shoot with a great photographer! Who can complain about a beautiful autumn day saunter, cuddlin' and smoochin' all the way and then some awesome pics to show for it!
7. Taking majestic sky photos that are just so awe-inspiring, I can't help myself, especially since my phone can take the pics and upload them to share every where I go!
8. Reading blogs, and resisting temptation to write them (until yesterday that was :)
9. Starting to plan a vacation to Las Vegas next year!
10. Creating the perfect butt groove on my couch ;)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Another 101 Update - Greening and Growing
Well, I seem to be updating my list in themes, the last one being food related, this one is going to be related to being green, both sustainably speaking and biologically speaking, since I likely won't have much to add to this area of my list until next year.
I must say, for my first time gardening and composting, pretty much allowing myself a 'test season', I think I did pretty good!
83. Grow my own food; vegetables, fruit, herbs (NTKOG)
First I should probably explain why I labelled this a NTKOG list item. It's not that I didn't love the idea of a vegetable garden, we grew up renting a house in Edmonton where the owner had corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, and raspberries growing behind the garage and I loved it! Not just the yummy fresh food but I just loved being in the garden, the smells, the fascination of growing food, etc. Then after moving to Steinbach I discovered my grandma's large garden that I also loved picking from, and getting the canned goods that came from it as well that were so delicious. Trouble is, with my first planting experience, with just some small house plants, I seemed to just keep killing them, I was pretty sure I had a black thumb! So I just resigned myself to never being able to keep plants alive. That is until I actually started desiring a simpler and greener life and figured, what they hey, I will try again. First of all, outdoor plants aren't a solo job, and I figured I'd test it out at least once.
So, with a yard that actually had some room for a garden, and some tips, courtesy of Google, on growing the few items I wanted to try, I started some seedlings inside this last April. It was recommended I should plant them outdoors May long, which I was going to do but we started getting really heavy rains all the way through to the first weekend in June, when I finally planted them outside, but even then, just a few days later we got another really heavy rain storm and strong winds.
83. Grow my own food; vegetables, fruit, herbs (NTKOG)
First I should probably explain why I labelled this a NTKOG list item. It's not that I didn't love the idea of a vegetable garden, we grew up renting a house in Edmonton where the owner had corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, and raspberries growing behind the garage and I loved it! Not just the yummy fresh food but I just loved being in the garden, the smells, the fascination of growing food, etc. Then after moving to Steinbach I discovered my grandma's large garden that I also loved picking from, and getting the canned goods that came from it as well that were so delicious. Trouble is, with my first planting experience, with just some small house plants, I seemed to just keep killing them, I was pretty sure I had a black thumb! So I just resigned myself to never being able to keep plants alive. That is until I actually started desiring a simpler and greener life and figured, what they hey, I will try again. First of all, outdoor plants aren't a solo job, and I figured I'd test it out at least once.
So, with a yard that actually had some room for a garden, and some tips, courtesy of Google, on growing the few items I wanted to try, I started some seedlings inside this last April. It was recommended I should plant them outdoors May long, which I was going to do but we started getting really heavy rains all the way through to the first weekend in June, when I finally planted them outside, but even then, just a few days later we got another really heavy rain storm and strong winds.
These poor little tomato and cucumber seedlings I had grown so lovingly inside were about 3 inches high when I planted them outside June 2, but after that rain they disappeared and never returned! My potatoes planted this same weekend did last, in this pic they are on the left, underground.
Then July 1st we went to our first Farmer's Market in St. Norbert and tomato plants were only $1.39-2 each! So I bought 3 beefseak plants and 3 Manitoba tomato plants, here they are, a little wilted, at the top left and right of the pic, planted on July 4th. I also found oregano, the one with purple flowers near the middle, and my potatoes are at the very bottom of the picture.
I've always loved the idea of a herb garden as well, cutting little clippings to flavor each meal with the taste of fresh spices. I also found basil, chives, and parsley at the Farmer's Market, and planted that as well, they are in the front milk carton, so I could take it inside during bad weather. In the tall milk carton was a clove of garlic I also planted. That one didn't do so well, the dirt kept growing mould so I composted it after a few weeks.
Here's my flourishing, and blooming, garden the last week in July-ish.
Here's my first produce, a tomato and small potato, from the first week in August.
This is half my potato crop that I harvested last night! And I've picked 3 other tomatoes, and have about 7 more still growing. I'm very excited about my produce and can't wait to try more next year! I've learned a lot this year that should make it easier next year, especially with wanting to add more veggies, like carrots and cucumbers and peas!
20. 100 mile meal once a month
Well, considering the hours of Farmer's Markets are not all that convenient, and my test garden has only recently started mass producing the two whole veggie varieties I have, I haven't done this as much this summer as I had hoped. My hope when I made this list item was that that I would have more vegetables in my garden and then my produce would provide half of the 100 mile meal (potatoes, veggies, and spices) and then I'd just have to find local meat, and maybe a local made sauce or two. I hope to get one more visit into a local market and stock up a bunch of local food, and then freeze them to acheive some more 100 mile meals between now and next summer, but we'll see. I also found an actual store that proclaims all local produce, so we'll see what they have during the winter. Oh, and Fude, my new favorite Wpg restaurant uses all Manitoba grown/made food, so my birthday dinner there totally counts for my 100 mile meal in July, haha!
For now, my potato harvest will be a good chunk of our crock pot meal tonight, as well as some Canadian carrots, gotta start somewhere, right? :)
For now, my potato harvest will be a good chunk of our crock pot meal tonight, as well as some Canadian carrots, gotta start somewhere, right? :)
84. Start composting, get a kitchen compost caddy (NTKOG)
Honestly, 5 years ago I thought of myself as mostly a city girl, country living was a romantic notion for me, a fantasy that I just wasn't sure would ever happen. Especially not the down and dirty country living, like real homesteading, or the 'hippie' commune type living, the kind of worlds were composting seemed to belong. Then I became part of an environmental company, and made friends who made it seem a lot more feasible to have this lifestyle I idealized. Composting all of a sudden was an easy thing I could try, even currently being a 'city' girl.
So far, I haven't bought a compost caddy yet for the kitchen, but I have re-used some large containers and started building up some compostable scraps in the beginning of May for the compost hole I was going to dig in my back yard. I ended up digging my compost hole up when I was going to originally plant my garden, May long, and have been adding scraps to it ever since. Boy has it made for some really great soil to add to my garden!! It actually decomposes pretty quick and I've been able to move compost soil to my garden 3 times as of last night. I also added the last of scraps to my compost pile since I'm not sure if I'll be able to add to the pile again before it's too cold, and I don't want scraps stinking up my kitchen from now till next thaw.
And boy, my wormie friends are really loving my compost, I think when I first dug the hole I found about 4-5 worms, then the next time it was probably closer to 10, this time I couldn't stick my little spade in without pulling up 2 each time! Probably had 30-40 in there! Now to remove the annoying bush (#85) from my compost pile (actually it's a dirt bed for this bush, but I'd rather have the compost than the bush) so that I can actually have a big pile instead of a small 1 1/2 ft cubed hole. By next year I will have such good soil! How exciting for my future veggies!
And boy, my wormie friends are really loving my compost, I think when I first dug the hole I found about 4-5 worms, then the next time it was probably closer to 10, this time I couldn't stick my little spade in without pulling up 2 each time! Probably had 30-40 in there! Now to remove the annoying bush (#85) from my compost pile (actually it's a dirt bed for this bush, but I'd rather have the compost than the bush) so that I can actually have a big pile instead of a small 1 1/2 ft cubed hole. By next year I will have such good soil! How exciting for my future veggies!
89. Lawn care without pesticide/herbicide use
Part of my simpler and greener living was to treat my living things with simpler, greener and healthier solutions. I tried a vinegar, detergent, salt and water mixture I read up about but by the time I was able to spray it on our weeds (due to all that rain again) there were too many and they were too strong, for this mixture. I tried it twice but they just kept growing stronger than ever. To be fair, there were a lot more weeds than normal this year, and my neighbors who would rather spend their free time at the cabin didn't exactly stop theirs from spreading more to our yard. I don't think I caught them early enough either, so I will try again next year, having the mixture on hand and ready for the first sign of weeds to be trounced.
Same with pesticide for my garden. By the time I realized I had bugs I couldn't afford to take the time to make an organic pesticide. I'll be much better prepared next year and then I can better judge if it's something I'll be able to continue or need to modify again.
Same with pesticide for my garden. By the time I realized I had bugs I couldn't afford to take the time to make an organic pesticide. I'll be much better prepared next year and then I can better judge if it's something I'll be able to continue or need to modify again.
Overall, I'm very happy with my growing and greening in the few short months I've been working at it, and am already very excited for next spring summer, only 8 months to go...haha.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Fruits of the Lori
Health. This month I have been trying to add new exercises to switch things up and keep things interesting, which has worked for the most part, although I'm going to keep that up so that in a few weeks I'm not bored of this new stuff :) As for food, I've been doing much better until my birthday weeks that is. Yes, my birthday weeks, as it starts with some people the week before, then there is my celebration with hubby, celebration with family, and then a few people who weren't able to celebrate until the week after. Talk about SELF-indulgence, haha. More on self-discipline to come.
Self Discovery. I've been concentrating on being grateful for what I have and making the most of what I have ever since my pity party. I can't help but see, when I take a moment to look at other people's lives (not even 'third world countries' lives, I mean the lives of some friends and family), how I am blessed on so many levels. I have the love of my life, to share life with. I have a husband who shares the priorities that are the most important to me. I have a job and co-workers I love and the benefits are just gravy. I have really great family and friends who are so supportive. I have the ability to take care of our needs and wants and be generous while still being financially responsible. I have a great Church and I'm so excited for the opportunity I will have to use my gifts there. I'm one lucky lady no matter how I look at it.
Self Discipline. The difference between busyness and laziness is that I can justify my lack of self-discipline when it comes to food and exercise if I'm busy. I've been really great on the days I have a lot of time but not so much on the busy days. Hopefully that will dissapate now that my birthday celebrations are over, and I'm not trying to fit in as much as possible into my schedule. I've decided to step up the motivation though and not rely soley on SD. It worked when I first started so I'm going to reward myself with money again, $1 per day per goal and I can't spend the money on food! It was a great way to save up to buy new clothes when I hit a new size...double motivation!
Consideration. I've been reading a book lately about relationships, it's actually part of a course I'll be a volunteer facilitator with through Church, and it really helps me see people in a new light and encourage them in a new way, but it's also helped me be more considerate towards their struggles. Especially a few people who have been particularily negative and/or a bit of an emotional burden consistently. It's really renewed my love for them as fellow humans, many who are hurting more than me, who have human coping mechanisms and I find myself being considerate to serve them instead of just to be a 'good' friend.
Self Discovery. I've been concentrating on being grateful for what I have and making the most of what I have ever since my pity party. I can't help but see, when I take a moment to look at other people's lives (not even 'third world countries' lives, I mean the lives of some friends and family), how I am blessed on so many levels. I have the love of my life, to share life with. I have a husband who shares the priorities that are the most important to me. I have a job and co-workers I love and the benefits are just gravy. I have really great family and friends who are so supportive. I have the ability to take care of our needs and wants and be generous while still being financially responsible. I have a great Church and I'm so excited for the opportunity I will have to use my gifts there. I'm one lucky lady no matter how I look at it.
Self Discipline. The difference between busyness and laziness is that I can justify my lack of self-discipline when it comes to food and exercise if I'm busy. I've been really great on the days I have a lot of time but not so much on the busy days. Hopefully that will dissapate now that my birthday celebrations are over, and I'm not trying to fit in as much as possible into my schedule. I've decided to step up the motivation though and not rely soley on SD. It worked when I first started so I'm going to reward myself with money again, $1 per day per goal and I can't spend the money on food! It was a great way to save up to buy new clothes when I hit a new size...double motivation!
Consideration. I've been reading a book lately about relationships, it's actually part of a course I'll be a volunteer facilitator with through Church, and it really helps me see people in a new light and encourage them in a new way, but it's also helped me be more considerate towards their struggles. Especially a few people who have been particularily negative and/or a bit of an emotional burden consistently. It's really renewed my love for them as fellow humans, many who are hurting more than me, who have human coping mechanisms and I find myself being considerate to serve them instead of just to be a 'good' friend.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Fruits of the Lori
Health. Well, with my emotional eating kicking in this last month I'm lucky that I haven't gained back weight but I have gained back 2% on the fat monitor. I do think I'm turning some of that junk food calories into muscle though because I at least have made the effort to keep exercising even though I just felt like sitting on the couch and munching, and how else did all that cake NOT make me gain 10 lbs! And now that my emotions are back under my control, I'm back to eating for fuel not feelings, and after all that sugar, home grown carrots and peas taste SO good, which I'm very glad for!
Self Discovery. I've discovered lately that I'm definitely human, a human who gets selfish and petty and can't practice what she preaches. I've discovered God will let me have my temper tantrums, but I've also discovered how quickly the peace that passes understanding leaves when you don't keep focus on what is praiseworthy. And I've discovered that I learn a lot quicker than I used to, one of the good things about aging is the wisdom that usually accompanies that.
Self Discipline. Part of feeling sorry for yourself is avoiding people and things that will tell you to snap out of it, including God, so in other words I was very disciplined in NOT reading my Bible. I've fallen quite a bit behind now because of that. However, I do give myself some credit because I'm still farther along than I have been in years, and I was avoiding for reasons other than disintrest in fact I've had a renewed interest lately and am looking forward to diving back into His Word.
I also didn't talk to Him very much, not only about my situation but I didn't feel like praying for other people's problems either. I attempted to start a prayer journal, as I mentioned last time I wanted to, but didn't get very far. Once again though I have friends who's need for prayer is greater than my need to be self-absorbed....and I think I'm over it now....so on with it I get.
SD with food and sugar, ha. Nuf said.
Consideration. I'd consiously decided not to let my internal become external, I didn't want to burden anyone or have anyone get the wrong impression, an exercise of consideration in and of itself I guess. Of course I was also getting quite inconsiderate, in my mind only, of other people's problems and maybe missed some opportunities to be a considerate friend. Luckily no one has told me that's actually true, and those who have needed my friendship continue to come to me as a friend they can count on. Just so happens I finally get over myself and my prayers and advice are needed again, good timing to get my focus off myself again :)
I feel like I've done a 'one (or even two) steps back' this month but it's only made me that much more determined to gain that ground back and more!
Self Discovery. I've discovered lately that I'm definitely human, a human who gets selfish and petty and can't practice what she preaches. I've discovered God will let me have my temper tantrums, but I've also discovered how quickly the peace that passes understanding leaves when you don't keep focus on what is praiseworthy. And I've discovered that I learn a lot quicker than I used to, one of the good things about aging is the wisdom that usually accompanies that.
Self Discipline. Part of feeling sorry for yourself is avoiding people and things that will tell you to snap out of it, including God, so in other words I was very disciplined in NOT reading my Bible. I've fallen quite a bit behind now because of that. However, I do give myself some credit because I'm still farther along than I have been in years, and I was avoiding for reasons other than disintrest in fact I've had a renewed interest lately and am looking forward to diving back into His Word.
I also didn't talk to Him very much, not only about my situation but I didn't feel like praying for other people's problems either. I attempted to start a prayer journal, as I mentioned last time I wanted to, but didn't get very far. Once again though I have friends who's need for prayer is greater than my need to be self-absorbed....and I think I'm over it now....so on with it I get.
SD with food and sugar, ha. Nuf said.
Consideration. I'd consiously decided not to let my internal become external, I didn't want to burden anyone or have anyone get the wrong impression, an exercise of consideration in and of itself I guess. Of course I was also getting quite inconsiderate, in my mind only, of other people's problems and maybe missed some opportunities to be a considerate friend. Luckily no one has told me that's actually true, and those who have needed my friendship continue to come to me as a friend they can count on. Just so happens I finally get over myself and my prayers and advice are needed again, good timing to get my focus off myself again :)
I feel like I've done a 'one (or even two) steps back' this month but it's only made me that much more determined to gain that ground back and more!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Fruits of the Lori
Progress Report time again. Boy, I missed last month's reminder for focus re-alignment :) Hope I didn't get too off track.
Health. So, I was pretty tired of my lacidasical attitude towards food, giving myself way too much leeway and letting my 'hunger' pangs rule the roost. As you read in my One-oh-One post I went on a 5 day protein-shake bender, lol, which I hoped would help whip my self-restraint into shape, as well as train my stomach to be satisfied with a certain amount of calories/food. I think it was a great success! Having neglected to weigh myself before this started I'm not entirely sure how much I lost because I was anywhere between 2-6 lbs heavier than I am today, and most of that was from my stomach area (YES! *fist pump*) but the most important part is that I haven't found myself hungry in the evenings like I was, and even if I am I now have the restraint to stick to a schedule of calories.
Also, I've done some looking into the best foods to keep my energy up while also being key in reducing actual fat not just weight. I bought a new scale that has a fat % calculator and I did not like what I saw after the weight flashed by! Part of that is due to my exercise, I've been considering being 'active' (like gardening) as exercise and I need to be both, so more aerobics and weights for me! Good news is the changes in my nutrition have really boosted my energy to do that! I've been able to find the energy and motivation to workout more, and ended up gaining 2 lbs back...IN MUSCLE. How do I know that? Because my fat % went down 4 %! YAY!
Self Discovery. In the last 2 months I have done a lot of self-discovery, mostly NOT through journalling. I've had a revelation that I will not be a natural mother, but I can still be a supernatural mother! I've taken a course on spiritual gifts and discovered SO much about how God has created me and all the seemingly random wiring has all been for a reason! It's been really good to see myself more as God sees me and it makes we wish this kind of clarity for everyone.
Some of my SD journalling has come through my new 101 list, especially having gone through life avoiding things or being afraid to try things, and now it's exciting to think of all the things I might LOVE but have been missing out on because I thought I was NTKOG. I also finally finished that huge entry in my creative journal, it was a manifesto of sorts, laying out exactly what I believe about God and why. Man was it long! :) 4 pages typed! But it was affirming to see it all in writing and to know I have no doubts how awesome my God is.
Self Discipline. Still making ok progress on my daily Bible reading, I'm also now finished Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua and half way through Psalms, Proverbs, Luke, and just starting Judges.
SD with food and sugar, well, kinda covered that already, so thumbs up! SD with prayer is something I've been needing more of though. Seems when things are going well my thoughts are consumed with things I like to do (my zillions of hobbies!), and when things are not going well my thoughts are consumed with the struggles so I pray out of that consumption. I really need to discipline myself to pray even during the good times. Good times afterall are not perfect times, there are still people who are struggling, usually it's with complacency which is a bit less thought provoking than negativity. I have a few prayers in particular that are weighing on me and I would love to be that pesky woman knocking on that judges door and who gets an answer just because of her persistance....and faith. I want to start a prayer journal again I just need to step up the SD and just do it!
Consideration. I did get to perform a random act of consideration in May, my cuz needed a pick-me-up so I brought her some homemade goodies :) I've had a few people who've really needed a listening ear and some insightful words of encouragement lately, which I'm not sure was my intuition picking up on it or they are just that open with me, but it felt good to make them feel heard and understood and valued. Turns out I've actually been on the receiving end of some insightful consideration myself lately and thanks to all the wonderful ladies in my life who know when I need some words of love and encouragement, you inspire me to be that for others!
Health. So, I was pretty tired of my lacidasical attitude towards food, giving myself way too much leeway and letting my 'hunger' pangs rule the roost. As you read in my One-oh-One post I went on a 5 day protein-shake bender, lol, which I hoped would help whip my self-restraint into shape, as well as train my stomach to be satisfied with a certain amount of calories/food. I think it was a great success! Having neglected to weigh myself before this started I'm not entirely sure how much I lost because I was anywhere between 2-6 lbs heavier than I am today, and most of that was from my stomach area (YES! *fist pump*) but the most important part is that I haven't found myself hungry in the evenings like I was, and even if I am I now have the restraint to stick to a schedule of calories.
Also, I've done some looking into the best foods to keep my energy up while also being key in reducing actual fat not just weight. I bought a new scale that has a fat % calculator and I did not like what I saw after the weight flashed by! Part of that is due to my exercise, I've been considering being 'active' (like gardening) as exercise and I need to be both, so more aerobics and weights for me! Good news is the changes in my nutrition have really boosted my energy to do that! I've been able to find the energy and motivation to workout more, and ended up gaining 2 lbs back...IN MUSCLE. How do I know that? Because my fat % went down 4 %! YAY!
Self Discovery. In the last 2 months I have done a lot of self-discovery, mostly NOT through journalling. I've had a revelation that I will not be a natural mother, but I can still be a supernatural mother! I've taken a course on spiritual gifts and discovered SO much about how God has created me and all the seemingly random wiring has all been for a reason! It's been really good to see myself more as God sees me and it makes we wish this kind of clarity for everyone.
Some of my SD journalling has come through my new 101 list, especially having gone through life avoiding things or being afraid to try things, and now it's exciting to think of all the things I might LOVE but have been missing out on because I thought I was NTKOG. I also finally finished that huge entry in my creative journal, it was a manifesto of sorts, laying out exactly what I believe about God and why. Man was it long! :) 4 pages typed! But it was affirming to see it all in writing and to know I have no doubts how awesome my God is.
Self Discipline. Still making ok progress on my daily Bible reading, I'm also now finished Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua and half way through Psalms, Proverbs, Luke, and just starting Judges.
SD with food and sugar, well, kinda covered that already, so thumbs up! SD with prayer is something I've been needing more of though. Seems when things are going well my thoughts are consumed with things I like to do (my zillions of hobbies!), and when things are not going well my thoughts are consumed with the struggles so I pray out of that consumption. I really need to discipline myself to pray even during the good times. Good times afterall are not perfect times, there are still people who are struggling, usually it's with complacency which is a bit less thought provoking than negativity. I have a few prayers in particular that are weighing on me and I would love to be that pesky woman knocking on that judges door and who gets an answer just because of her persistance....and faith. I want to start a prayer journal again I just need to step up the SD and just do it!
Consideration. I did get to perform a random act of consideration in May, my cuz needed a pick-me-up so I brought her some homemade goodies :) I've had a few people who've really needed a listening ear and some insightful words of encouragement lately, which I'm not sure was my intuition picking up on it or they are just that open with me, but it felt good to make them feel heard and understood and valued. Turns out I've actually been on the receiving end of some insightful consideration myself lately and thanks to all the wonderful ladies in my life who know when I need some words of love and encouragement, you inspire me to be that for others!
Monday, June 7, 2010
More One-Oh-One's Done
Here are some more scratches off my 101 to do list, all food related!
19. Cut out meat, carbs, sugar and caffeine from my diet for at least one week every 3 months
Lately I've been really fed up with my lack of discipline in the food area, making little allowances here and there and just knowing that's why I've creeped back up 5-9 lbs since my 29 lb drop Sept. 2008. I've been fluctuating between those 5-9 lbs for almost 2 years, and part of it's also been exercise but I just hasn't been as important to me as when I needed to lose 40-45 lbs. So much more was at stake then, I feel better about my body now, but deep down I know I should still lose 20 more lbs. So, I decided I'm going to recondition my body's idea of real hunger and self-restraint. I put myself on a meal-replacement diet this last whole week, Monday through to Friday, no meat, no carbs, and almost no sugar, but because I had caffeine I had to have sugar :) Don't worry, it's healthy, I've been getting my protein, fibre and vitamins through the shake I've been eating every meal for 5 days, adding plenty of fruit and dairy as well. And while calories were reduced, it's mostly because I wasn't snacking not because the shake lacked calories, I got more than the minimum per day (1200/day is said to be the lowest we should go before body thinks we're starving and slows metabolism). I created my shakes to get exactly the calories I wanted per day so snacking would have to be out of the question, and I could figure out if I was really hungry or not, and learned that half the time the growls go away when I know I'm not going to give into them. And I didn't lack any energy, probably had more, I slept fine and maybe even better, I felt good about myself that I CAN have self-restraint, and I lost a few pounds! This week has really re-fuelled my desire and motivation to lose that last 20 lbs (probably less lbs now ;) and I've already come up with a bunch of things I can do to boost my fat burning, keep a healthy but calorie limited diet, and exercise more. And I happened to accomplish most of my #19 for May-July!
23. Create another homemade soup recipe
It's been so rainy and therefore chilly (A/Cs are still running because technically it feels like it's in the 20s!) so I decided to try this goal before winter. Wanted a thick, creamy soup but obviously low in calories, for some reason a soup with white beans in it seemed like a good start and searched out http://www.recipezaar.com/ for some white bean soups. Decided I liked the sounds of some pretty interesting combinations, white beans with artichokes, white beans with cauliflower, white beans with potato's and cream....came up with my own combination of the ingredients (minus the potatoes, unnecessary fibre/starch/calories) including a low-fat way to make it creamy and it's pretty good! I'm still adjusting the spices a little to make it a tad more flavorful, but I'll post the recipe for my Creamy Veggie Chowder once I've got it down pat!
19. Cut out meat, carbs, sugar and caffeine from my diet for at least one week every 3 months
Lately I've been really fed up with my lack of discipline in the food area, making little allowances here and there and just knowing that's why I've creeped back up 5-9 lbs since my 29 lb drop Sept. 2008. I've been fluctuating between those 5-9 lbs for almost 2 years, and part of it's also been exercise but I just hasn't been as important to me as when I needed to lose 40-45 lbs. So much more was at stake then, I feel better about my body now, but deep down I know I should still lose 20 more lbs. So, I decided I'm going to recondition my body's idea of real hunger and self-restraint. I put myself on a meal-replacement diet this last whole week, Monday through to Friday, no meat, no carbs, and almost no sugar, but because I had caffeine I had to have sugar :) Don't worry, it's healthy, I've been getting my protein, fibre and vitamins through the shake I've been eating every meal for 5 days, adding plenty of fruit and dairy as well. And while calories were reduced, it's mostly because I wasn't snacking not because the shake lacked calories, I got more than the minimum per day (1200/day is said to be the lowest we should go before body thinks we're starving and slows metabolism). I created my shakes to get exactly the calories I wanted per day so snacking would have to be out of the question, and I could figure out if I was really hungry or not, and learned that half the time the growls go away when I know I'm not going to give into them. And I didn't lack any energy, probably had more, I slept fine and maybe even better, I felt good about myself that I CAN have self-restraint, and I lost a few pounds! This week has really re-fuelled my desire and motivation to lose that last 20 lbs (probably less lbs now ;) and I've already come up with a bunch of things I can do to boost my fat burning, keep a healthy but calorie limited diet, and exercise more. And I happened to accomplish most of my #19 for May-July!
23. Create another homemade soup recipe
It's been so rainy and therefore chilly (A/Cs are still running because technically it feels like it's in the 20s!) so I decided to try this goal before winter. Wanted a thick, creamy soup but obviously low in calories, for some reason a soup with white beans in it seemed like a good start and searched out http://www.recipezaar.com/ for some white bean soups. Decided I liked the sounds of some pretty interesting combinations, white beans with artichokes, white beans with cauliflower, white beans with potato's and cream....came up with my own combination of the ingredients (minus the potatoes, unnecessary fibre/starch/calories) including a low-fat way to make it creamy and it's pretty good! I'm still adjusting the spices a little to make it a tad more flavorful, but I'll post the recipe for my Creamy Veggie Chowder once I've got it down pat!
27. Try infusing flavours into vodka for cooking (NTKOG)
Thanks to a cool Smirnoff recipe book (freebie from hubby's work) I fell in love with the idea of adding vodka to my recipes. I've never been much of a fan of wasting money on booze just to cook with it, it's probably the most expensive ingredient out there!
Thanks to a cool Smirnoff recipe book (freebie from hubby's work) I fell in love with the idea of adding vodka to my recipes. I've never been much of a fan of wasting money on booze just to cook with it, it's probably the most expensive ingredient out there!
I'm NTKOG who wastes good money on just one cooking ingredient, however, some of these recipes just were WAY too tempting not to try. Then it had a section in the back it had how to infuse flavors into vodka yourself so you don't have to buy a bottle of each flavor the recipes ask for, and I thought, brilliant! Now, that's my kind of do-it-yourself, cheaper version, I like getting into! So, I did, and I picked the flavors in most of the recipes I liked, vanilla, lemon, apple, basil, and garlic. You can see my next accomplished goal is part of the results :)
28. Try a new recipe at least once per month
Well, when hubby came home with the vodka recipe book, he already had one flagged for me to try, of course :) So dutiful wife that I am I tried a delicious pork roast with bacon, soaked in an apple vodka mix and then baked in a basil vodka mustard gravy, with a side of mashed apple sweet potato's, made with apple vodka and apples.
28. Try a new recipe at least once per month
Well, when hubby came home with the vodka recipe book, he already had one flagged for me to try, of course :) So dutiful wife that I am I tried a delicious pork roast with bacon, soaked in an apple vodka mix and then baked in a basil vodka mustard gravy, with a side of mashed apple sweet potato's, made with apple vodka and apples.
Then I used the leftover sauce from the roast and used it on another recipe I found that was similar except it called for white wine instead of vodka, so I made basa fillets wrapped around asparagus and smoked Gouda wrapped in prosciutto, in this the same mustard gravy, yummy! Here's some pics, courtesy of the recipe books, of the 3 very tasty new recipes I tried in May.
30. Find ways to eliminate buying any food with unnecessary preservatives and packaging
Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite foods, that KD yummy cheesiness! However, I do realize that cheese (and most everything) that comes in powder former is highly processed and has LOTS of preservatives, so I've been avoiding the KD. AND been trying to create a suitable substitute. I haven't come close to a clone, but I did get a pretty delish cheese sauce from mixing cheddar cheese soup with low-fat milk and low-fat mayo! Cheese from a can probably isn't a whole lot better, but I'm making improvements! I'm going to keep experimenting, but if you know any great homemade mac n' cheez recipeez feel free to share!
30. Find ways to eliminate buying any food with unnecessary preservatives and packaging
Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite foods, that KD yummy cheesiness! However, I do realize that cheese (and most everything) that comes in powder former is highly processed and has LOTS of preservatives, so I've been avoiding the KD. AND been trying to create a suitable substitute. I haven't come close to a clone, but I did get a pretty delish cheese sauce from mixing cheddar cheese soup with low-fat milk and low-fat mayo! Cheese from a can probably isn't a whole lot better, but I'm making improvements! I'm going to keep experimenting, but if you know any great homemade mac n' cheez recipeez feel free to share!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Gotta Have Faith
Number Thirty-Nine
Take a course to find out my spiritual gifts
Our Church offered a course to find out our spiritual gifts over the last month and I've been really blessed by the information I've been learning about how God has built me and how I can be the part of the Body I am meant to be. Thanks to all of you who helped me out by doing my 'assignment', it really affirmed what I learned and I am so excited to talk to someone at the Church next week about ministries I can be a part of that suit my giftings!
I wasn't really surprised by what I found out, it has made me understand why I have leaned towards the goals I have had, and it confirms that this IS who I was made to be :) One gift that was maybe not surprising but unexpected though was the gift of Faith. You can read more about my recent history and lessons in Faith on my other blog, but I just thought this was very interesting considering I got this 4 months ago.
It means Faith. Faith has been increasingly important to me over the last year and a half, but I hadn't realized I had grown in it so much it was now a gift!
Take a course to find out my spiritual gifts
Our Church offered a course to find out our spiritual gifts over the last month and I've been really blessed by the information I've been learning about how God has built me and how I can be the part of the Body I am meant to be. Thanks to all of you who helped me out by doing my 'assignment', it really affirmed what I learned and I am so excited to talk to someone at the Church next week about ministries I can be a part of that suit my giftings!
I wasn't really surprised by what I found out, it has made me understand why I have leaned towards the goals I have had, and it confirms that this IS who I was made to be :) One gift that was maybe not surprising but unexpected though was the gift of Faith. You can read more about my recent history and lessons in Faith on my other blog, but I just thought this was very interesting considering I got this 4 months ago.
It means Faith. Faith has been increasingly important to me over the last year and a half, but I hadn't realized I had grown in it so much it was now a gift!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
New 101 Things to do in 1001 days
So despite my first reaction, one of horror that I would NOT finish my previous 101 list, I've come to accept this is one 'To Do' list that doesn't HAVE to get done and so I with eager anticipation started working on another 101 list of items I am already working on for the upcoming almost 3 years.
Here is my new list:
Personal Pastimes
1. Step out of my comfort zone, and any time I get a case of ‘that’s not me’s’, attempt to try whatever it is anyway (NTKOG)2. Spend time on more non-paper creations; crocheting, jewellery, a piece of decor for the house
3. Dance in public, as if no one is watching, without being completely surrounded by a group (NTKOG)4. Have a girly girl day; shopping, spa pampering, makeover (hair, makeup), night out on the town dressed to the nines
5. Operation Self Esteem –random acts of building self-esteem, cross between operationbeautiful.com and www.operationnice.com
6. Scan family photos/negatives
7. Write twice weekly in my various journals/blogs, no less than one entry in each per month
8. Don’t care what other people think about my appearance, try out whatever I like, ie. cute hats, wigs, hair colour, tattoos, etc. (NTKOG)9. Finish 3 scrapbook pages per month, at least to completion of the 3 scrapbooks I’ve started
10. Make stockpile of Thank you cards and Birthday cards, maintain stock of 10 cards each
11. Create some personal and family Blurb books
12. Write 3 new poems per year
13. Read at least one fiction book every 3 months
14. Recycle old/used clothes into new clothes or purses (NTKOG)
15. Create stock of paper-crafty items to sell at workshops, open houses, shows, etc.
16. Get an Iphone!
Health, Food & Fitness
17. Establish a menu of 20 staple recipes to rotate through
18. Make bread from scratch (or at least with a bread maker) (NTKOG)
19. Cut out meat, carbs, sugar and caffeine from my diet for at least one week every 3 months
20. 100 mile meal once a month
21. Buy as many groceries as I can at a Farmer’s Market
22. Make pizza from scratch (NTKOG)23. Create another homemade soup recipe
24. Lose 20 more lbs and maintain that weight, with healthy meals and regular exercise
25. Make health of all body parts, inside and out, a priority
26. Try a Zumba class (please someone do this with me!) (NTKOG)27. Try infusing flavours into vodka for cooking (NTKOG)
28. Try a new recipe at least once per month
29. Create another recipe
30. Find ways to eliminate buying any food with unnecessary preservatives and packaging
31. Try canning food and preserves/jams (NTKOG)
32. Make my own wine (NTKOG)
Spiritual
33. Post scripture around me to remind me of important verses to me
34. Make a worship song lyrics daily calendar (like a devotional calendar)
35. Finish reading the whole Bible, again
36. Listen to Christian radio during work commute
37. Increase volunteering through Church
38. Sponsor children from our Church’s African Care Points
39. Take a course to find out my spiritual gifts
40. Regularly write down prayer requests, people who are on my heart to pray for
41. Start Bible Studies based on topics I struggle with or am invested in
Community & Relationships
42. Organize a day of scrapbooking for crafty girls I know
43. Spend time with friends or family members (outside large gatherings) at least every other month
44. Donate blood (NTKOG)
45. Become more involved with Church community
46. 2 dates with Sean per month, one intentionally for talking only (no media)
47. 1 evening per week where Sean and I pick something to do together, no phone, no computers 48. Plan out a special 10 year anniversary celebration together
49. Work at honouring Sean in my every day, but also have a special way to honour him at least once per month (instead of month of July for HH Challenge)
50. Babysit one or some of "the kids" (my neices/nephew(s)) at least once per year
51. Volunteer to help someone with something they can’t do for themselves at least twice per year
52. Volunteer vacation, volunteer work in a foreign country (NTKOG)53. Random acts of kindness/consideration, making people feel special/important
54. Stand up for myself and others more, not be afraid to have confrontations if it’s what’s right
Travel & Entertainment
55. Have a classic picnic – basket, wine, cheese, bread, fruit (NTKOG)56. Go to an opera/symphony/ballet performance (NTKOG)
57. Hang out at the art gallery for a few hours (NTKOG)
58. Go camping in a tent, under the stars, cooking food over a campfire (NTKOG)
59. Have a completely media-free day at least twice a month
60. Take a trip to at least one Canadian province never been to
61. Take a trip to Las Vegas
62. Drive in a convertible, a road trip or on a trip
63. Sing karaoke (NTKOG)
64. Host a dinner party - Martha Stewart style (NTKOG)
65. Take a driving vacation to Alberta
66. Attend concerts of performers to support those who are ‘getting their start’ or are ‘uplifting’
67. Stay at a cabin with Sean, like our first vacay, no t.v., fireplace, hot tub, horseback riding
68. Girls only road trip/shopping trip
69. Try a food ethnicity never had before; ie. Vietnamese or Korean
70. Go to at least one Folklorama pavilion
71. Go to the Red River Ex for a day of rides and evening of concerts/entertainment
72. Try one new restaurant per year
Learning & Working
73. Read through my camera manual and actually learn what everything does
74. Try learning guitar (NTKOG)75. Take 3 Accounting Webinars at work
76. Read at least one non-fiction book I want to learn from every 6 months
77. Take 1 Project Admin/Coordination related course at work
78. Take a creative class; pottery, jewellery making, photography
79. Learn Billing position at work
80. Depending on profit, determine whether to continue with Stampin’ Up! business after 2010 tax year
81. Work at reducing expenditures, learn to live with less in order to be able to work less
82. Update manual for my position at work
Home & Yard
83. Grow my own food; vegetables, fruit, herbs (NTKOG)84. Start composting, get a kitchen compost caddy (NTKOG)85. Pull out two trees in backyard to allow for garden and composting pile
86. Start using rain barrels
87. Replace appliances with energy efficient appliances as we can afford
88. Get energy efficient furnace
89. Lawn care without pesticide/herbicide use
90. Build a brick patio and new sidewalks
91. Buy a BBQ pit
92. Apply a Fly Lady tactic at least once per week
93. Get a dog
94. Re-arrange basement so it is usable for gatherings, parties or workshops
95. Finish organizing craft room
96. Add doors to dangerous rooms in basement, to keep children/animals out
97. Recycle/refinish furniture instead of buying new furniture
98. Recycle bed sham into bedroom curtains
99. Purchase vehicle at end of lease, stick with fuel efficient vehicle
100. Buy some power tools so we can build/refinish furniture
101. On day 1001 (January 26, 2013) post a new 101/1001 list
Not That Kind of Girl
"I'm afraid I'm not cut out for all that," I said."Well, who cut you out?" she said. "Cut yourself out again."- Elizabeth McMracken, The Giant's House
I've slowly been challenging my perceptions about myself. For example, I've never enjoyed physical activity other than walking, leisure bike rides and swimming. When I realized exercise was the only path to necessary weight loss I had to make peace with it and was just prepared to suffer. I thought I was not the/that kind of girl (NTKOG) who would actually use a gym membership for more than a month or two, was most definitely NTKOG who would do weights, or NTKOG who would like running and sweating. Turns out I was wrong! I actually loved being that kind of girl! And if I hadn't decided to try something despite my pre-conceived notion of being NTKOG I would never have lost 25 lbs!
When I realized how wrong I was I had a paradigm shift, sometimes I think 'I wouldn't like that', or 'I don't feel comfortable doing that', and now I second guess that first instinct and ask myself why? Or, I think 'I would love to do that but _____ (fill in the blank)'. It's not just that I've thought I'm NTKOG because of preferences but I've made assumptions that I'm NTKOG because I don't have what it takes, for whatever reason. Now, I'm not the creator of "NTKOG", I actually stumbled on a blog of THE NTKOG and although her list of NTKOG moments may not even nearly all be the same as mine, I have been thoroughly inspired! I'm now determined I'm NTKOG who determines she's NTKOG before she even tries it! And that is now the number one item on my new 101 list of things to do in the next 1001 days!
1. Step out of my comfort zone and any time I get a case of the 'that's not me's' I at least ATTEMPT to try it anyway
The rest of my list is coming soon, along with my used-to-be-NTKOG highlighted for your benefit. I hope to blog about each of those experiences because there is a story behind most of them and the experience is likely to be very interesting!
I've slowly been challenging my perceptions about myself. For example, I've never enjoyed physical activity other than walking, leisure bike rides and swimming. When I realized exercise was the only path to necessary weight loss I had to make peace with it and was just prepared to suffer. I thought I was not the/that kind of girl (NTKOG) who would actually use a gym membership for more than a month or two, was most definitely NTKOG who would do weights, or NTKOG who would like running and sweating. Turns out I was wrong! I actually loved being that kind of girl! And if I hadn't decided to try something despite my pre-conceived notion of being NTKOG I would never have lost 25 lbs!
When I realized how wrong I was I had a paradigm shift, sometimes I think 'I wouldn't like that', or 'I don't feel comfortable doing that', and now I second guess that first instinct and ask myself why? Or, I think 'I would love to do that but _____ (fill in the blank)'. It's not just that I've thought I'm NTKOG because of preferences but I've made assumptions that I'm NTKOG because I don't have what it takes, for whatever reason. Now, I'm not the creator of "NTKOG", I actually stumbled on a blog of THE NTKOG and although her list of NTKOG moments may not even nearly all be the same as mine, I have been thoroughly inspired! I'm now determined I'm NTKOG who determines she's NTKOG before she even tries it! And that is now the number one item on my new 101 list of things to do in the next 1001 days!
1. Step out of my comfort zone and any time I get a case of the 'that's not me's' I at least ATTEMPT to try it anyway
The rest of my list is coming soon, along with my used-to-be-NTKOG highlighted for your benefit. I hope to blog about each of those experiences because there is a story behind most of them and the experience is likely to be very interesting!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
2007-2010 101 in 1001 List Update
Well, yesterday was the last day of 1001 since I laid out my list of 101 (and then 110) items I wanted to accomplish. Here are the final results:
Out of 110 to dos ~ 72 Completed ~16 In Progress/Almost Completed ~ 22 No Can Dos/Didn’t Do – 6 of which because we moved houses
House & Home1. Finish curtains for living room on MIL's sewing machine - just bought new ones to stay with house, 2008
2. Buy new curtains for dining room - bought new ones, 2008
3. Find a better shoe shelf, to keep shoes off the floor – built in shoe rack at new house, 2008
4. Replace old light fixtures with same as ones already replaced - done by BIL!, 2008
5. Buy new couch and love seat, something smaller and cat hair resistant – bought new love seat, recliner and couch, chocolate brown microsuede, 2008
6. Buy a new coffee table with drawers and cubby holes to hide junk in – found a storage ottoman, can be a seat, foot stool, or the lid flips into a tray, and there is storage inside, 2008
7. Have or share a garage sale - block garage sale May 10/08
8. Continue working on growing grass in back yard - grass has fully grown in, 2008
9. Re-do sidewalk to garage - didn't get done at old house, planning for new house
10. Add step for garage entrance - didn't get done because of moving
11. Replace bedroom doors with doors with vents - didn't get done because of moving
12. Back up and reformat computer – done, new laptop 2009
13. Have Dutch Elm Diseased trees removed - all removed 2008
14. Childproof the house for babysitting – done, 2008, new house and furniture much more kid friendly, managed two occasions of babysitting with no incidents in 2009
15. - door blocking mudroom (with cat door) - didn't get done because of moving
16. - reorganize shelves close to the ground - done, 2008
17. Rebuild mudroom, with drywall and linoleum, and depending on money, a more energy efficient furnace and water tank (if we don't move first : ) - settled for replacing flooring because we're going to sell and move, BIL laid down plywood and we laid peel and stick tiles, 2008
18. Match siding on house to garage (if we don't move first) - done, been painted to match garage, 2008
19. Make a timeline for moving into a bigger house, if not actually move - house sold as of June 25th, 2008 and new house bought as of June 26th, 2008, moved in as of August 16th, 2008
20. Replace locks for the house/fix the front & back screen doors - didn’t end up needing to replace them, just fixed them, 2008
21. Replace broken drawers/cupboards in counter - BIL finished fixing, 2008
22. Make one BBQ usable - didn’t get done, decided we'll put in a BBQ pit with backyard improvements at new house
23. Clean off the deck and patio set, and protect from fall/winter weather – done and kept up every year since 2007
Organization
24. Scan negatives, as well as family members negatives – bought scanner but didn’t get started25. Go through clothes and make a pile to give to charity – done several times since 2007
26. Finish going through still packed items for 'keep' and 'garage sale' piles – done, had garage sale May 2008
27. Organize craft supplies so I can find what I am looking for – added back to list in new house, about 75% done craft room28. De-clutter shelves in living room, less décor, better storage – done, new house 2008
29. Burn back up DVDs of computer in more organized fashion – backed up on flash drives, 2009
Academics/Work
30. Finish on the job training – done, 2007
31. Take at least one Golder U course per year - 2- 07/08, 2 - 08/09, 0-09/10, avg 1.33 per year
32. Re-organize office library – done, 2009
33. Organize server room – done, 2008
34. Create a birthday list and start birthday celebrations - done
35. Create a better manual for my job responsibilities – finished for new admin hire, 2008
36. Aim to use less than 5 days of sick time per year - 07/08 =6.5/5 days, 08/09 = 4/5, 09/10 = 5/5
Travel/Entertainment
37. Renew passports - renewed in April for Sean's trip to Vegas and our trip to Nashville, 2009
38. Driving vacation through Saskatchewan & Alberta, Edmonton, Calgary,and Rockies – will get as far as Prince Albert, Sask. in August 2010
39. Attend a Big & Rich concert – on January 21st, 2008
40. Attend as many Paul Brandt concerts as we can – on November 19th, 2007
41. A long weekend with Sean in a major US city - went to Nashville for more than long weekend, June 5-11th, 200942. A long weekend with Sean at a cabin –didn’t get done
43. Go to a State or Province we've both never been before – went to Nashville 2009
44. Go horseback riding with Sean –didn’t get done
45. Girls only road trip/shopping trip–didn’t get done
46. Collect DVDs of favorite movies and t.v. shows –PVR instead, records shows to watch at our leisure instead of favourite shows becoming a leash, my ultimate goal, I'm technically done, 2008
47. Eat at Confusion Corner Grill, on the building top patio, April 2010
48. Eat at Café Inferno – ate there for my birthday, July 2008
49. Eat at the Tavern, on the building top patio–didn’t get done
50. Have a BBQ in our back yard with at least 2 other people over – don’t have useable BBQ
Family/Friends
51. Plan an amazing 5 year anniversary date! – had a wonderful 24 hours at the Inn at the Forks, in the Riverstone room, fireplace, waterfall, jacuzzi, bathroom as big as our bedroom!
52. A romantic stay somewhere in the mountains with a hot spring – didn’t get done
53. Once a month, not including date night, do something as a couple that will allow us to carry on a long conversation – did this all but a few months in 2008.
54. Continue dedicating each July to the Honoring Husband Challenge – did my third July of this challenge and it still is continuing to teach me more about being a great wife. 3/3 July's done.55. Go out for a one-on-one coffee/dinner/hangout with at least 6 family members each year – 15/16, so close!56. Organize a day of scrapbooking for the females in the Braun family – didn’t get done
57. Have a WOG friends get together - have hung out with 2 old WOG friend couples seperately, planning a get together with 3rd couple in May 2010
58. Have an ECC friends get together – only got to hang out with one friend December 2009
59. Go out for a coffee/dinner with at least one friend each month – 25/32
60. Babysit my neices or nephew - babysat Landon once overnight February 2009, and Brooklynn and Landon together overnight May 2009
61. Organize a 'paper crafting' club that will meet every other month - have a Stampin' Up! Card club in Steinbach meeting every other month
62. Become a mom (even though this one is a little out of my control) – went through so many Dr.s, kinds of tests, diet changes, health improvements, with no results.
Spiritual63. Join a small group/Bible study – attended a Connecting Course at Church, didn’t get matched with a small group yet, Jan/Feb 2010
64. Copy sermon notes from Church into my notebook - done
65. Make entries in a prayer journal at least once a week, including a weekly list of people to pray for – a sermon on prayer has changed my perspective on this and I am still journaling but without time constraints.66. Post scripture around me to remind me of important verses to me – still making a list of important scripture, not done yet
67. Make a song book (just lyrics) of my favorite worship songs – still compiling lyrics
68. Read the whole Bible – 20/66 books, currently reading 5 books, started new reading plan, on track to finish by end of 2010
Health/Fitness/etc.
69. Find and implement ways to reduce allergies (and therefore snoring) – have noticed an improvement, don't have anything to attribute it to
70. Follow 1200 calories per day meal plan (snacks incl) until I lose 30 lbs - re-adjusted to range of 1100-1700 calories, but trying not to exceed 1450 calories per day. Have lost 25 lbs
71. 30-60 minutes of walking & orbitrek each 3 times a week until I lose 40 lbs - working out 90-150 min. per week72. 30-60 minute bike ride once a week until I lose 30 lbs - part of above exercise plan
73. After reaching goal weight, maintain weight with 5 hrs weekly exercise and healthy meals – didn’t reach goal weight74. Drink 8 cups of water a day – been doing really well at this, averaged 1.5 litres a day
75. No more than 250 ml of a sugary drink per week (pop, Starbucks, slurpees) – on track
76. Start taking vitamins again – daily multi-vitamin, plus Omega 3-6-9 and vitamin C too
77. Get into the WPG Sleep Clinic – 2-5 year waiting list so will be talked to the specialist (#69) instead.
78. Start regular massage therapy – bookings are a regular
Purchases to make79. My second tattoo – done February 13, 2010
80. New cell phones and new cell phone plan - Sean gets a free phone through work now, I got a new Razr phone through new provider, 2007
81. Manicure & pedicure - got both 2008, pedicure again in 2009
82. Get fitted properly for a bra and then purchase some in correct size - I know my proper size now and have well fitted bras, 2008
83. At least 2 new casual-dressy tops for each season - did a mini-shopping trip because all clothes way too big, 2008 and 2009
84. At least 2 new casual-dressy bottoms for each season - did a mini-shopping trip because all clothes way too big, 2008 and 2009
85. Buy a new two piece swimsuit - got a new suit because the other one was falling off me, couldn't go swimming like that, 2009
86. Cheap/small digital camera for events I can't bring the big camera too – bought 200887. New video camera - using one on second camera, does decent videos for now
88. Upgrade computer to be able to upload and edit videos – have ability on new laptop, haven’t tried out software yet89. Stampin Spot ink pads from Stampin Up! – done thanks to my turn to host
90. At least 10 stamp sets from Stampin Up! - thanks to it being my turn to host, I now have more than 10!
Hobbies/Crafts91. Finish wedding album by our 5th year anniversary – 7/19 pages, didn't finish
92. Make a scrapbook for Brooklynn & Avery's first years - journaling my memories of them, didn’t start scrapbooks
93. Finish the Braun Family Wedding Album I started – didn’t make progress
94. Finish one digital design kit/month – decided to quit making these
95. Make at least 100 cards for at least 10 different occasions, to have ready on hand for each year's events – created 79/100 but didn’t make for 10 different occasions
96. Take different photos to test out camera capabilities in different modes – didn’t make progress
97. Read about one book/month – read 18/32, just a little over half
98. Finish the poems I have started but left incomplete – done, 2009
99. Make at least two journal entries per week, on blog or on paper - 284/284, done December 2009
100. Finish the memories book mom asked me to make her – turned this into a blog, which is much easier and adds to my journal entries each week!101. On day 1001 post a new 101/1001 list – won’t be posting exactly on day 1001…new list to come soon though
Added
102. Have the house reinsulated - didn't get done because of moving
103. Buy plastic garbage bin to alleviate cat in garbage worries – we bought one for the new house, 2008
104. Try ethnic foods I haven’t tried before; Japanese, Caribbean, French – tried all three, Japanese at Shogun, French at Inferno's Bistro, and Caribbean at the Forks.
105. Make guest room into craft room also – done at old house, new house has both craft and guest room, 2008
106. Get a computer armoire to hide computer in dining room – done, 2007
107. Buy new Tupperware, especially collapsible kind to save room in kitchen cupboards – done, 2008-2010
108. Buy kitchen organizing tools (racks, dividers, etc.) – done, 2008
109. Buy a smaller oven – didn't get done because of moving
110. Buy a portable island cupboard to replace microwave cart (for more counter space) - cancelled, had BIL build a pantry instead for more storage, and microwave cart would give more counter space we wanted, 2008.
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