The Big One.

Throwback Thursday, 2009. Dancing in my apartment in my favorite jammies and favorite fuzzy hat. Somethings never change. 

Well y'all! It's hard to believe, but it's been one year since my semi-meltdown/rant and attempt at gaining more positivity in my life by starting this little blog. Exactly one year ago, I was dealing with a work situation that was toxic at BEST. I was paying too much in rent and making unhealthy choices. I was also 18 lbs. over where I was most comfortable with.

So much has changed and yet so little too! It's definitely a world away from where I was a mere 241 posts ago. For that, I'm super grateful. The hubs and I are healthier. We pay much less rent for our cute little tiny house too! The job situation has improved a bit and I even lost a few pounds too!

I try not to worry about the future as much as put forth the effort to ensure the utmost appreciation of it. That's my wish for this next year. To make the most of each and every single day so that when the future does arrive (as it tends to if we're lucky), the little chips I made in the stone will be revealing some pretty sparkly gems.

To you, lovely friends and loyal readers, thank you for joining me on this ride. It has definitely had its ups and downs. Format changes, ideas that never were realized and multitudes that have been. But I've had fun and I know y'all have too now and then.

I hope to keep you smiling and thinking positively in the next year as well!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

New Day

Hey y'all! First things first.

My apologies. I have been so busy with the new house, the KonMari "great purge"and subsequent yard sale, work-related stuff, and all-round feeling unorganized that I haven't given the blog as much attention as I would like. It's my sanctuary too, you know. And I know that if I pay more attention to it (i.e. my gut and heart and mind) then clarity comes forth and I feel better in all those above departments. Der. Easy to say, not always easy to do, amiright?

Anyway, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. In fact, I'm trudging through it all like I'm in a tough-mudder. And I promise more frequent posts and a Friday Happies this week too.

Hang in there with me, y'all.

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

The adventures of Lulu & the KonMari Method!

Progress, baby!

For those of you who read pretty regularly, you will remember that I have mentioned this book several times in the past. Well, funnily enough, my Mom bought it for herself and immediately became motivated to reduce her belongings.

Last week, she loaned me the book to read. I knew I would love it, because the book Scaling Down was a huge influence on me in the past and a motivator to do this tiny house experiment. I didn't realize how illuminating and special Marie's book would become to me (and funny too!). It has motivated me to try the "great purge" experiment, in order, and follow all the steps to find my "click point". That is the point in which you discard, donate, remove by identifying the items that "spark joy" instead of just throwing stuff out. By identifying the joyful items, "the getting rid of" becomes sooooo much easier and more rewarding and you find your personal level (click point) in which you are joyous by your home and belongings and don't feel the itch to acquire more. All I could think as I read that idea was... I want that.

I have been on the quest for balance and peace for years and most recently have made great strides in figuring out ways to make it happen for me. My favorite part of the read was where I am asked to envision the life you live in your head and solidify it. Descriptive and clear details as if you already have that life instead of dreaming of it. I did so (I won't share, as those kinds of things are kind of personal). But basically I kept finding a pattern in the words I used. Clean, peaceful, sanctuary, well-appointed, cosy, bright, happy. I felt so good reading over it that I wrote this down in my notebook: "May 12, begin the project by going through your clothing and loungewear. Be ruthless."

As the week dragged on and the book got better and better, I started becoming anxious and little kid- excited about pulling all of my clothing into one place, identifying whether it sparks joy or not then removing it if it doesn't (you also must thank each item you get rid of for teaching you something or fulfilling its duty- hokey but it totally works psychologically). Yesterday was the day (and my day off incidentally) and I happily took my hiney to the storage unit (my ultimate goal is to reduce that bad boy by 2/3 and get a smaller, less expensive unit this summer) and pulled out all of my clothes (not jewelry or shoes). I brought them to my little cabin and spread it all out on the front porch.

It was quite the ride to hold each item in my hands and find the joy (or not). It felt good to grow the pile of donations piece by piece as well. In the end I counted that I owned 154 items (scarves, belts, tops, bottoms, dresses, lingerie, layering pieces, coats etc.). Here are the stats (now be aware that I have much less than I did a year ago as I have been getting rid of stuff actively since then but even after all that, I was still shocked by the excess):

Tops: 43

Bottoms (pants, skirts): 13

Layering pieces: 15

Scarves, Hats & Belts: 24

Lingerie: 17

Dresses: 11

Coats: 3

Swimsuit/Robes: 4

The halfway point!

After I took a good look at everything, I added a few more things to the donate pile and threw a few things away too. In total, I ended up giving away 40 clothing items (and three hangers) and throwing away 21 for a total of 64 items removed from my house/storage. I kept 93 items (three of which I can only keep if I get them repaired).

I have a feeling I'll get rid of even more as the process goes on. But still! 40% of my wardrobe has been removed (in an hour and a half) and I don't feel like I am missing a single thing. Seriously! There isn't one thing I miss or have thought about since and I'm a sentimental fool, y'all! I also know every single item by heart that is in storage (fall/winter) and anything I forget about will get tossed or donated as I come across it throughout this process.

All in all, this feels incredible and I am so excited about going through more and making space for my life to blossom to new potentials (can one pluralize 'potential' I wonder?). I'll post more about it as it goes along!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

200!!

Spring sunrise at the lake by my house.

Hey friends! Today is my 200th post on P&PPS! That's so bananas, because it feels like just yesterday I was writing the first, then the 100th! I'm so grateful to y'all out there who read this and have been hanging out with me on my pursuit of balance, peace and positivity! A big kiss on the forehead to all y'all!

Things have been pretty hectic on my end with a wedding, Easter, work stuff and moving into a new house. However, I'm here to post an update on the "Paleo" experiment (and apologize for no Friday post last week, after I teased it and everything! Mea culpa mea culpa!). I promise to have one whiz-bang doozy of a Friday Happies this week to make it up to ya.

To the update!

I thought last week was going to be more challenging than it was, I really did. The first three days were the easiest. The challenges came in trying to eat out or grabbing something quick from a store when my blood sugar plummeted while moving. I did okay, but it sure seems like EVERYTHING has added sugar in it these days. Geesh.

I made Pineapple Pulled Pork in the crock pot earlier in the week and it really was a lifesaver. The hubs ate it on bread and I devoured it as is for my lunches at work. I also made this Enchilada Stew which satiated both our appetites and was completely on track to boot! Daily smoothies and non-dairy, crustless mini quiches kept me going in the early parts of the day as did having an avocado or banana with honey for snacks in that weird between time before dinner. Carrots (being my favorite snack) and a Paleo'd version of these Pumpkin "Cookies" were my go-to for sweet treats, which surprisingly really did the trick!

The 4th was my cousin's wedding and I stayed true all day until the dinner reception in which there was nary a Paleo option to be found. It wasn't one of the days I had planned on loosening the reigns, but it was okay. Flexibility and a positive outlook are super important in a life change such as this. I had a champagne toast, a couple beers and a Southern-style dinner topped off with one bite of each wedding cake. All in all, not too bad (and zero guilt).

The 5th was Easter and was my total fun day. I stayed on point until I got to my Mom's (which was my plan), and the meal they had planned was like 80% on my track anyway (handy for me!), so other than deviled eggs, wine and dessert, that day was nailed and thoroughly enjoyed.

Then the 6th day came. I had no trouble with sugar or cold beer cravings until this day. I guess because the sugar was still in my system, my body went into HEROIN mode. The wigged out cells in my body kept telling my brain that I wanted- nay, NEEDED sugar when I really didn't. I found myself craving the weirdest, sugariest stuff that I haven't had in years! I didn't give in (though the cravings were intense, needless to say) because inside I knew it wasn't real. However, that really made me pay attention to the shock my body goes through whenever I eat/imbibe processed foods/sugars.

Yesterday was the 7th day and other than having had to fast for a blood test, my cravings were pretty much silent again. I did make the mistake of going to the grocery store hungry and without meaning too, my eyes grew wide at the sight of fried chicken; but I'm Southern. My eyes always do that because I was brought up right.

All of this is to say friends (and drum roll please)...I lost five and a half pounds in the first week, a half inch off my thighs and bum!!! Now, I'm no dummy. I've also been walking 20 minutes every morning and taking a 30-day yoga challenge every evening. But it's all added up to a pretty stupendous-feeling success!

I'm geared up for week number two! Care to join me?! I'd love to know!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day! Also, a HAPPY 54th BIRTHDAY to my B! I love you!

Gossip Fast Results!

Sorry about yesterday, guys! Sometimes a gal has just gotta sleep! The time change has thrown me off more than I expected and I spent two nights worrying about whether or not to rent an apartment the hubs and I looked at (we decided not to). However, yesterday I was supposed to fill y'all in on my Gossip Fast!

Well, I'd have to say I'd give myself a B. It's super hard to turn a conversation away from gossip when the people you are around 40 hours a week really want to gossip. A few even asked if I was feeling okay because I was trying so hard to skate around gossip. Ha! I guess that's a success! Anyway, here's my little breakdown (which I'm pretty sure no one but me cares about but hey! I read this every day too).

Thursday: A, I redirected someone gossiping at work to talk about nice things about that person instead, but it was more challenging than I thought!

Friday: C, This kinda fell within the parameters of "if they heard me, I would feel bad." It wasn't gossip, but opinions. However it still didn't feel good and there was no helpful reason for me to express those opinions.

Saturday: B, rocked it out at work and afterward. Minus one comment about someone a friend of mine was about to start working with.

Sunday: A, and it was a really nice day too.

Monday: B, did a good job but could have done better.

Tuesday: C, chatted with a friend and it snowballed a teeny bit and I sounded a bit gossipy. Also, made fun of an ex-boyfriend and felt bad about it immediately. I don't know why I try to make people laugh when I'm nervous. It's so frustrating!

Wednesday: A, did a good job! Didn't say anything I wouldn't have been embarrassed if someone overhead what I said and redirected gossip at work to positive stuff!

All in all, I need to work harder at it, but I made progress. It's incredible how gossip is so deeply woven into conversations. Multiple times a day at work I heard people saying something about other people. Even just passersby. It was a bit daunting to witness, and heaven knows what they say about me... The point is I want a more positive life and I will work hella harder to make my part of it more positive. What are you going to do?

Have a truly wonderful day!

Well...

Thoughts on Derailment

Stay on track!

I've said before that when I get going with big changes in my life that inevitably within a week or two something happens that I feel derails me. Well, last week there was an attempt of derailment and I'm weathering it pretty well. Not marvelously but well, and here are the reasons why I consider myself succeeding:

*I'm not giving up. That's the main thing. But also...

*Just because an incident throws me off-kilter doesn't mean that it's a total loss for the goals I'm working toward. Like realizing I'd not only gained back three of the pounds I'd lost in January but also gained three more! It made me work harder this week and make better choices instead.

*Going to bed when I'm tired instead of doing the things on my to-do list doesn't mean I've broken the cycle and can't get back on track the next day. I worked a few really exhausting shifts last week and partnered with the time change, my body just needed more rest. All the things on my to-do list are getting done (though it's at a slower rate) and I will not beat myself up for it. Though my subconscious mind did try to tell me I was being lazy, I knew that I just needed some self-care time.

*I did one small thing even when I felt like that dark wave I mentioned yesterday was creeping up. Instead of beating myself up, I did two minutes of sit-ups. I really did that! Instead of going to bed feeling like I'd failed because I didn't do the things on my to-do list, I tidied the bathroom counter after I brushed my teeth so when I woke up, it'd look nice.

And that's the thing. Progress isn't black and white. It isn't a staircase as much as it is a ramp. Just keep on truckin' y'all! Don't give up on your goals! You can do it, and so can I!

Have a wonderful and productive day!

My pal Vicky.

Celebrating victories one confetti sprinkle at a time!

I used to write about this regularly. I would share the little victories I accomplished over the week with y'all and ask for some to be shared with me. I stopped only because I felt like I was tooting my own horn too much and that it may be boring to read about!

However, it is super important to claim your victories, no matter how small. Especially if when you're right in the moment. Take the second it requires to look around you and realize you are in the middle of a victory! Whether it be that you ate more vegetables today than yesterday, subbed a glass of water for your fourth coffee. Perhaps you left for work an five minutes early so you missed that one long light that always makes you late; or you kept your mouth shut in a situation when you normally would have gossiped or said something snarky or judgmental.

So many things can be a victory and every victory adds up to big, beautiful changes. I know that is what I'm craving and working toward, so I thought I'd share it with y'all. It's just on my mind, you know?

What little victories have you had lately? I'd love to hear about them!

Two Week Check In!

DIY Rotating Goal List

Alright y'all, can you believe we're already two weeks in to the new year?! It's going by too fast already! So, how are your resolutions going? Whether it's weight loss, organizing that spare bedroom, learning a new craft or skill or getting through Julia Child's entire cookbook; before you give up on the goals you set for yourself, have you tried making an organized "goal at-a-glance" so you can keep track as you go along? I found this the other day and I thought it was a complete gem for a few reasons:

1. It's simple. You won't do it if it isn't simple!

2. It's manageable. It's small, no special supplies are needed other than a stack of post-it notes and a pen. However, six tasks seem so much more feasible when they are written in big lettering on small pieces of paper. And! It forces you to choose the six most important tasks instead of the dozens of minute ones that seem important but really aren't.

3. It's visual. Each task is assigned to a small square piece of brightly coloured paper. The at-a-glance benefits cannot be denied! Especially if you're really trying to get organized.

4. It's efficient! Each week you update it with the simple changing of a slip of paper. It minimizes the perceived workload to make each task achievable.

Alls ya gotta do is write your goal as your heading and six things you can do to move forward with that goal every week (oh and DO THEM)!

What do you think? Do you think you'll try it out? I think it's a peach of an idea to keep one motivated and in control of their goals (and plain ole to-do's too). We've gotta get going on our year's list, we're already 1/26th done with this year! Aaaaaaagh!! JK, fifty weeks is nothing to sneeze at!

Also, I'd love to know what works for you! I'm always game to try something new! Have a wonderfully organized and productive day!

Thoughts on 10 minutes...

The other day I saw something on a blog I read regularly (Yes & Yes) about the first ten minutes of anything you do. Something about it really stuck with me. Here's how it goes:

              "The first ten minutes of any part of your day - when you get up, when you get into work, 

               when you get home - often set the pace for the rest of it. Pay attention to your choices; 

               create a routine that serves you."

I love it! It's such a simple concept and it rings true (for me at least). My husband and I are pretty bad about getting on our respective computers as soon as we get home (for example). Yes, we have multiple online outlets that we utilize for business purposes and that's all well and good. I noticed, though, that when we come home and don't open the computers for a while, the vibe is generally better for the evening. Then we feed off each other's productivity. I noticed it just last night when I got home from work! 

So I'm going to make an effort to be better with all of my first ten minutes'. When I wake, when I get to work, when I take my lunch, when I get home from work etc. Even if those ten minute increments are the most productive of my whole day, that's a lot of minutes! It's a hell of a lot better than paying no attention to it at all; and I have a sneaking suspicion that productivity wouldn't stop with that first ten. Positive stuff is super contagious! 

Will you try it with me, y'all? Try to be mindful of the first ten minutes of all you do? It's so easy and it really shed a light on how we spend (and waste!) our time. 

And sometime or another, take a few moments to check out Yes & Yes. Her blog is quite enjoyable!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Better late than never!

Snapshots of Wellness.

What a day, y'all! You know that saying "when it rains, it pours"? That has been my Monday and it was a tough one (the reason this post is 15 hours tardy...or 9 hours early, whatever). The fridge broke down in the middle of the night. I salvaged what I could. My gracious family let me use their fridges and freezers for our holiday meal ingredients. I set out to move said groceries to their safe havens during the only torrential part of the non-stop rain all day long. My husband spent hours seeing if he could fix it before calling our landlord who will send over his not-so-handy handyman after Christmas.

Remember that crazy-maker situation? That came to a head today. Two others came out of the woodworks as well. I had a stupid long night shift at work (from which I'm plum tuckered out) and tomorrow I have a stupid long early morning shift with no other managerial help until 530 or 6 but I'm not thinking of that at the moment.

I have pretty major PMS and there isn't enough chocolate or soft jammies or baby goat/otter videos in the world to help me retain a semblance of normality. I haven't been drinking for the past two weeks (just because) and today I could have used one. I'm kind of a mess.

To top it all off, one of my favorite singers of all time, Joe Cocker, passed away today. Out of all the stress and absurdity today, that's the only thing that actually made me cry.

But you know what? I'm totally fine.

I'm cool, yo; and have been laughing at it (mostly) all day. There were a few moments of anger in regards to the crazy-makers that put a burr in my saddle, but you know what I did? I went to work. I worked ridiculously hard and fast and knocked out most of the tasks I would have to be doing tomorrow morning (hell yeah!). My sweet friend came to work and brought me a lovely and thoughtful holiday gift bag (that may have brought a tear to my eye too). I got a few laughs and some great hugs from him, both of which I needed. Oh! I also got a handsome new nephew, Mannee (pronounced Manny), today. He was born this afternoon and didn't even look like a squishy pink toe or a conehead (like I did)! Then... then I came home and when I saw my puppy's sweet face, I instantly felt better. My blood pressure went down big time.

I'm going off to bed very very soon. Every inch of my body aches. But I'm good. And I'll be even better tomorrow.

In case your holidays are making you insane, read this article. It's got some actual helpful advice on keeping your zen while everything seems out to intentionally be wonky and out of whack.

Love, friends. Here's some Joe to send us off. Rest in peace, Mr. Joe.

Here we go!

Rabbit Rabbit wishes you good luck for the whole month if you say it on the first day! Bunny in a hat.

Rabbit Rabbit! It's the first day of the month. Can you believe the year is almost over? It seems like it flew by- like January was three weeks ago or something. Anyway, I like to treat the first of each month like a little New Year. I make little goals for myself and my hopes for the end of December/end of 2014 is to be more organized. We've been doing great on the house, but we could still be doing better (especially since we're looking for a new, smaller place). So here is my list for the month:

*Donate two more boxes of "stuff" by the end of the month. We've steadily been taking at least a box a month all year. I'm thrilled with how much unnecessary stuff we've gotten out of the house. I can breathe better.

*Stick to the meal plan. It's there for a reason. I usually stick to it pretty well half of the month and the other half I'm derailed and ordering pizza I don't even like because I don't feel like cooking. It's the meal plan + a few fun nights = staying in the 2015 debt reduction plan!

*Finish my jewelry holders from this post. We're at 80%, and I can't wait to get them hung and to arrange then rearrange my jewelry ten times!

*Get all my holiday shopping done before the 15th, that includes shipping off the stuff that needs to be shipped off.

*Stay on top of my recycling. We don't have a service here at my apartment so we save it up and walk it over to the industrial recycling bin- in theory. We get kinda lazy about it. I'd like to remedy that so my kitchen can look pretty and doesn't look like the room where legends die.

Have you started thinking about your new year? Is getting organized on your list? I think it's always been on mine, but this year we made some major impact and I'm crazy motivated to keep that up. I'd love to hear what's on your mind today, friends!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

100!

100

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was a pleasant blend of work and fun. The decluttering and organizing kick I'm on has done wonders for my psyche. Seriously, I never knew I could get so much done. I'm being very careful to make sure to leave room for fun and nothing-doing (two of my favorite things) and so far the balance is working out so very nicely!

Well, today is my 100th post! I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday I logged on and created this blog to help me mentally escape and try to grow out of a tough situation at work. Already this has evolved and continues to. I love it. I look forward to writing this posts every day and it still is providing me with an "excuse" to do more, be more and strive for a positive, abundant and balanced life. Whew! Awesome!

Today, I thought I would share a philosophy that the hubs turned me on to. It's No Zero Days. He found it here on Reddit (the column to the right of the page), and I've found myself going back to this idea over and over and over again for a few months now. It's great for when you don't know how to start to make changes, or you are someone who is suffering from depression and needs a ladder rung to cling to (I love the bit about the 3 "you's" too).

Basically the paraphrased, Reader's Digest version of the idea is this: do one thing a day, no matter how small, that moves you closer to your goal. For example: I want to lose five pounds. Today I did a few sit-ups and passed on french fries when I went out to lunch. It isn't much but those little things add up. Imagine what it could do for you if you're trying to tackle a big project like writing a novel, or rebuilding an engine in a classic car!

Take some time to read more on No Zero Days, there's more to it than what I shared. It's fantastic and it's a little something that can reignite inspiration, motivation and therefore change. Change is good, y'all! Try a little something today to be better, smarter, healthier, happier, and more positive!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for swinging by!

Little Victories

Beautiful Fall landscape somewhere that actually has Fall.

Hey y'all! How was your weekend? Mine was great, though spent mostly at work. Well, Mondays around here are all about celebrating the little victories that make progress possible! I share a few of mine in hopes that it will inspire you to recognize all the little victories in your own world. Here we go!

*I stayed calm. I"m on an 11 day shift, my boss is out of town and we had a full store move (a pretty big deal) this weekend. I didn't lose my shit. I am, however, fighting a cold. And yes, the store looks good. Probably not as perfect as it would if my boss had been there (but it's a bit more streamlined in my opinion), and I didn't stress- didn't freak- just did my gig and kept positive. I'm kicking the cold's ass too, while I'm at it.

*I took the time to tell someone she was doing a great job. I think about doing this all the time and then I forget; but then I remembered how awesome it felt to be told I was doing a great job at work. It totally made my day. The young lady seemed really appreciative and you know what? I think I felt better too. The good karma circle, baby!

*I bought (and have been using) the Neutrogena face scrubby thingamadoodle. It exfoliates your face and makes it look all soft and air-brushed. After losing my job in 2010, I gave up my skin care products (to save money) for cold cream, water and sunscreen. It worked sort of, but I missed the regime (and luxury, I guess) of proper skin care. I had always been a stickler since I was like- fifteen. Anyway, I gotta say for $20, it's awesome! I noticed a difference after the first use. I love it! It feels so nice to take care of myself again after all that time. And yes, I've gotten my good ole products back too (Olay says what?!). My newborn crow's feet, laugh lines and rooster neck are well cared for once again.

What little victories have you had this week? I'd love to know!!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Little Victories...

Hey y'all! It's a beautiful autumn morning here in North Florida. Warm with a lovely breeze and brilliant blue skies. Magical. Well, I had a fantastic weekend. I visited a dear friend and her new baby, then the hubs and I caught THE BEST Jason Isbell & John Prine show. Fantastic.

So anyway, around here on Mondays we celebrate the little victories that make progress possible. When your in the mire of change sometimes it's hard to realize how far you have come. I share my little victories in the hopes you will recognize your own and perhaps even share some of yours with me!

*Vitamins. I'm so bad about taking them regularly usually. I've been taking them regularly for a few days now and it has made a nice difference (even if its the placebo effect). But feeling good is a big deal and something I want to feel regularly. Go vitamins!!! I'm a complete and total nerd.

*Kept on the bright side. I don't like driving in big cities. I'm not a huge fan of the city we went to for the concert to begin with and it was tough. Hours of traffic and our valeted car got broken into. I didn't let it ruin my mood. In fact, we looked at all the bright side things like our seats got upgraded at the concert (like six rows closer!) and so did our hotel! It makes everything better when you acknowledge the little gifts.

*We got a big dose of inspiration and motivation from the show. So so good. The first step when overwhelmed with inspiration is to do something about it. And I am. No zero days, I'm doing one small thing every time the wind of inspiration blows. Getting that snowball effect going, you know! This is kind of vague but so far its been things like unpacking my bags immediately instead of living out of them for a month. Getting the laundry done before we went to bed yadda yadda. It all adds up!

What little victories did you achieve this weekend or week? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Little Victories!

Hey y'all, I hope you had a great weekend. I worked most of it but still managed to squeeze in some major fun on Sunday. Now it's Monday and around here on Mondays I share a few little victories in the hopes that you will recognize (and maybe share) the small progresses you've made. Acknowledging the progresses makes the goal more attainable (at least it feels it does!). So, without further ado, here we go!

*I skipped the booze. Not entirely, but I made an effort to resist triggers. I threw back some brewskis with the fam at Irish music night, and had deeeeeelcious wine at my anniversary dinner, however- I avoided my triggers the rest of the week (and when you're paying attention to calories...wowsa- that really adds up).

*Two smoothies a day. Keeping it up, trying to slim down a bit for our big trip to Atlanta next weekend to see John Prine. I'm so excited! Anyway, the point is, I'm making two delicious fruit & veg smoothies so I don't eat peanut butter and chocolate chips or a can of carrots for dinner as has been known to happen. Ahem.

*I've made a point to dance at a high intensity for 5-10 minutes every day. So far I'm four days in. I can really feel a difference and I'm just putting on catchy songs and dancing like a muppet in my kitchen. I look like a crazy person but it's so much fun (and a great workout)! Yes, I am a nerd. And the song above is one of my favorites, it's something about the drums.

Animal!

What are some of your successes? I'd love to know! Every little thing does add up and can make a huge difference and/or impact on your life.

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Little Victories!

A happy place of mine. It's tucked away and I like to read there.

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope you had a great weekend and your week has started back up full of positivity and good intentions. Around here on Mondays I like to celebrate a few small victories in the hopes it will inspire you to take notice of the little things you did that are helping you incrementally toward your goals, happiness and the like! So, without further ado, here's the list!

*I ordered the broccoli. I wanted fries, but I've been craving French fries like crazy for a month and no amount of me ordering it is satiating the craving (so bizarre- and no, I'm not knocked up). However whilst we enjoyed a slap-dash meal at a favorite restaurant this weekend, I ordered the Parmesan broccoli instead. It was delicious and it did make me feel noticeably less guilty/bitchy afterward. Yay for baby trees! That's what I called them when I was a little 'un.

*I said, "I'm great actually." when people asked me how I was doing at work. I felt like rubbish (been fighting a cold thanks to burning the candle at both ends for a few weeks). I could have been grumpy. In all honesty I had to correct myself a few times and remind myself to say I was better than I was. Even though I felt like I had been hit by a truck, I still was doing great. I was in a good mood and I wasn't having difficult customers, everything was going pretty swimmingly. So, to sum that up, I chose the majority good over the one bad. It helped and by the end of the work day I was even beginning to feel a bit better.

*I told someone they were right/had good advice when they were/gave it. Two peoples actually! It's funny and odd to realize how frequently our friends, family, co-workers, spouses, lovers etc. say or do something that is solid and how rarely we tell them that. For reasons of pride or time or whatever excuses we make. But it felt good to say, "That's great advice, so-and-so. I think I may just try that!" and "You know, you are right about that thing we talked about. Thanks for your input, it really helped me with my quandary etc." However you say it, try to acknowledge someone's rightness today. It really surprises them and usually brings a smile to their faces.

What little victories did you have? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!!

Little Victories!

Hey y'all! Happy Monday! Did you have a nice weekend? Mine was great, but I spent a large amount of it at work and quite exhausted. Still, I tried to make the best of it (one must manifest the positive). Well, around here on Mondays I like to share some of the little victories I've had in hopes that you'll take the time to notice yours. It's the little victories, after all, that make progress possible. So, here we go!

*Remember that budgeting plan from last week? It totally worked. Like gangbusters, yo! Not only did we have a nice little fun money account; at the end of the weekend, we still had $14! It may not seem like much, but y'all- that's some serious progress!

*I walked/jogged six days last week. Not that it totaled that much (seven miles or so), it's still better than my ass sitting on the couch watching videos of otters. Ahem. Which is something I like to do sometimes, but never mind that.

*I finally nailed down a few smoothie recipes to try. I've been so bad about breakfast over the past few weeks and its my absolute favorite meal. So, I found a few recipes- some super duper healthy and some just delicious sounding and I'm trying them this week. Gotta nourish the body, guys!

*I got this post done. Late. Like seven hours late, but I got it done! And now this sleep-deprived little lady is going to take a big girl nap. Or at least try to!

What little victories did you accomplish this weekend or today? I'd love to know!!!


I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Little Victories

My little meditation spot.

Hey y'all! It's Monday. I've found myself-- hands thrown upward calling "Whhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy? Why has the weekend ended?!"

Lord, ya'll, it is what it is. It's been a long weekend and I've got a somehow (though I'm not sure how) longer week ahead. Sigh.

Mondays are usually the day I take some time to celebrate the little victories that make the bigger ones possible. Celebrate the little things to remind ourselves that we are indeed making progress. I share mine in hopes that it will help you take notice of your little victories. Here we go!

*I took my vitamins almost every day. I'm a grown-ass woman, and yet... But, taking them most of the days this week is better than nothing, right?!

*I ordered the salad instead of the BLT, and you know what? It was incredible.

*I got out and jogged at 7 am, regardless of how late I was up the night before not taking care of myself (but having a great time!). It felt fantastic, it was nearly chilly! One morning I got in a great jog, the next day I wasn't as energetic so I had a meditation time down by the ducks instead of plowing through another lap. It was just what I needed. I watched a mother duck and ten ducklings swimming and getting organized on shore while a turtle kept poking his head out of the water and watching. All in all, it was way better than sleeping in.

What are your little victories? I'd love to know!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Little Victories

From my morning jog. So pretty!

I don't know about y'all but last week was a tough one for me. Not quite sure why, actually. It just seemed harder than it should have been. I have a sneaking suspicion it was due to my own laziness, but that's a whole other post. Regardless of my self-inflicted frustrations, Mondays around here all about celebrating the little victories that make great progress possible. I share a handful of mine in the hopes that you will take the time to notice yours (and even share them here!). 

*I added a tracker thingy to my phone. I'm not very technological. Well, I could be but I don't want to be- it's true. I'd rather be snuggled up listening to a record than beep beep booping on a plethora of devices. However, since I really do want to get back to my old fighting weight, I downloaded an app to track my caloric intake and fitness. It's daunting but it sure is enlightening!

*I went to talk to someone about taking tap dancing lessons. It's something I've always wanted to do. I don't think I can afford her class, but I'm seriously considering buying the shoes and teaching myself! Stay tuned on that front!

*I took my own advice. I do that pretty regularly actually, but I did it. My head was feeling cloudy about stuff (as tends to happen sometimes) and when that happens I tend to zone out. There is so much static in my head that I can't concentrate (hence the laziness from the previous week). Laundry piles up, I don't cook as much, I don't watch my money as closely as I should, yadda yadda yadda. It's kind of a cycle of mine. Anyway, I gave this advice to a dear friend and then lo and behold found I could use it myself. I sat down and wrote out in bulleted form what was on my mind. Usually I write down ways to remedy the situations at hand, but just writing it all down helped immensely. To see in tangible form what was making all the noise in my head, helped to quiet it all down. It's not much, but it worked. That's what little victories are all about, right?

What are some of your little victories last week? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!