Saturday, November 16, 2013

Birthdays

So for whatever reason, I've avoided writing this one.  Figured I would like to look back on it a year from now so here goes.

Last week I turned 40.  I was convinced that it wasn't bothering me, and guffawed anytime someone asked if that number was a big deal in my world.  Me?  No way...it's only a number.  You're as young as you feel.  I brought out every one liner I could think of to convince everyone that turning 40 was no big deal.  Funny coincidence though - as the date got closer I got crabbier.  Found my fuse even shorter than usual, and my energy level was through the floor.  Finally, the night before the big day, I let myself consider that maybe it was bothering me.

As I mulled it over, I admitted to myself that, for whatever reason, this number was bothering me.  Still not sure really why, but that 4 at the beginning of my age wasn't sitting well.  Almost in the same instant I felt pretty guilty...how many people don't get to hit that number happy and healthy?  So I let myself be grumpy for one more evening, then shook myself out of it.  I don't feel a day over 30 (well most days), and I have lots in my life to be grateful for.  The day came and went (complete with a couple of amazing surprises and a *little* bit of vodka and 7up) and I got reminded about how truly blessed I am.

I have a husband who stands beside me when I need him (even through all the crazy), and holds me up when I need him to.  I am eternally grateful that he chose me.

I have two children who are happy (unless they're moody) and healthy.  They give me kisses everyday, and tell me how much they love me.  Best feeling ever.

I have an amazing group of friends who understand me the way no one else could.  They make me laugh until I'm doubled over, and always have an ear for the days when laughter is not on the agenda.  And they all make 40 look amazing - love you ladies!

I have a family who has seen their share of ups and downs this year.  Thankfully the ups outweighed the downs - that's all any of us can ask for.  And I love each of them for who they are and what they bring to my life.

When I go over all the things I've accomplished in 40 years, I can't wait to see what the next 40 bring.

J

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

A few of my favourite things

I'm a pretty easy person to impress.  Show me something sparkly or some awesome shoes, or give me great service and you will inherit a client for life.  Thought I'd share a few of things that make me happy right now.  Let me know if any of them make your favourites list!

Renu Spa : In my opinion, this is the best spa in Ottawa.  Not ashamed to admit that I love visiting spas, and have been to quite a few in the city.  I have had just about every treatment at Renu and have never been disappointed.  Their staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the products they use are heavenly.  If you want an amazing experience you have got to go visit them!

Stella & Dot : Ok so if you know me, you know I'm a bit of an accessories junkie...and I love nothing more than a little sparkle added to any outfit.  A couple of years ago, I was introduced to Stella & Dot products.  All I could think at the time was "why the heck had I not heard of this stuff before?"  They make amazing jewellery for every price range, and I recently bought one of their bag (Madison Tech bag) and am in love with them too.  The BEST part for me is the awesome personal stylist that I was introduced to.  Nadia is amazing, knows her stuff, and gives you honest opinion about pieces you are looking at.  If you want to do some Christmas shopping, or just pick something up for yourself, you have got to get in touch with Nadia.  Thanks to her, I have a pretty decent collection of S&D - and I LOVE every piece!

My Tory Burch flats:  I recently bought 2 pairs of these flats, and they are my new go to shoes for comfort and style.  If you want to indulge a bit, I totally recommend these shoes!


Tagalong Toys : So it may seem a little odd that I have a toy store on my list, but I could not create this list without acknowledging this Kanata store.  The selection of toys is awesome (I always find the neatest stuff), but what impresses me the most is their service.  Here's an example - I was on holidays and my daughter was asking (in the non stop way 8 year olds do) for a Rainbow Loom.  I looked while I was away, but happened to send a message (via Twitter) to Patti at Tagalong Toys.  She not only replied, but held one for me until I got back from holidays.  When a store is local, and this focused on service, it's easy to make it one of my favourite places in Ottawa!

Terra20 : This is one of my new favourite finds in the city (I know...I'm a little behind) - and I'm a little addicted to their stuff.  Not only is it eco-friendly, but very reasonably priced and the selection is incredible.  I love their laundry detergent, have found my new favourite hand cream there, have stocked up on re-usable containers for lunches, and am loving the peppermint sticks I found there to help with my headaches.  I usually go in for one thing, and end up spending lots of time browsing and finding new things to love.  Definitely put this on your list to visit!

Remember to let me know if any of these are on your list of awesome things!  And if I find anything else that warrants getting added to my "gotta love" list I'll let you know!


Friday, July 26, 2013

Being Charitable Warms the Heart

So first let me say Holy Cow...has it really been over a month since I wrote anything?  Truth be told, it's not cause I can't come up with ideas (I tend to have great ideas at 11:00 pm when I can't sleep) - it's really just because summer snuck up on us and I've been enjoying the down time with family.  8 sleeps until we leave on vacation, and I can't wait!

I've been meaning to write this post for over a week, and have finally gotten to it.  As most parents do, I try to impart the importance of giving back to my kids.  I truly believe that we have to teach the value of charity and being charitable to our children - and that this lesson is just as important as anything else they will learn.  I want them to appreciate how fortunate we are, and understand the concept of paying it forward and random acts of kindness.  And there have been moments when I see that they understand, and another one popped up this week.

At Easter, Marianna got a kit to make potholders.  She pulled it out this week and started creating these beautiful, colourful weaved potholders.  She is a bit of a perfectionist (no idea where she gets that LOL) so they turned out really pretty.  She made one for all the women in our family, and had some left over.  So I quipped up and said "Maybe you should sell them".  I fully expected her to come back with a response that centred around her using the money for our vacation, or for getting stuff for back to school.  Instead, her answer was "Great idea Mom - and I can give the money to CHEO".

I don't know why I was surprised - I know my kids have big hearts and like to help out - but it still stopped me in my tracks.  It really warmed my heart that the instinct was to donate the proceeds.

Well it became her mission - and Ally joined in.  Ally decided she would make friendship bracelets, and they would combine their proceeds to be able to make an even bigger donation.  We talked about how we would get the word out (being from the technology generation they wanted to set up a website - a little too sophisticated for me!!).  I told them when they were ready, I would put it out to all our friends and family, post it on Facebook, whatever we could do to get people on board.

She is still in the process of making them, and when we get back from holidays the plan is to put the wheels in motion to start selling them (27 hours in a car will give her lots of creative time!!).  When they are done, I'll post pictures for sure.

I truly am excited for the day when we can walk into CHEO and they hand over the donation.  It won't be the biggest amount, but it will have been their idea and of their own making.  And they will have one proud mama there with her camera to capture it all.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Father's Day

OK...so I'm a little late with this post, but I figured better late than never.  Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads that I know - especially my Dad and my husband.

Let's start with the first man in my life, my Dad.  So I'm told I take after my dad in alot of ways - when I was growing up and people would meet me for the first time, they would always know "who I belonged to" because I was a Murphy through and through (for some reason I now look more like my mom so maybe my girls will end up looking like me at some point - I can dream!!).  Probably the biggest way I take after him is that I internalize my feelings...this means that I don't tell my dad how much I love and appreciate him nearly enough.  I know he knows how I feel, but I promise to be more vocal about it - even if it freaks him out a bit LOL.

If I created a list of all the reasons my Dad was the best, this post would never end.  I will just say that he is the reason my standards were so high when I went looking for a husband, and I love him more than I could ever express in words.  Thank you Dad for always being there, and for letting me make my own decisions (good or bad) growing up.  Made me who I am today :-)

Now for my husband - and I'm pretty sure I won't get through this paragraph without crying.  My dear, you are an amazing Daddy.  I loved you before we had kids, but that love has grown exponentially since we've become parents.  Watching you with the girls (especially when you don't know I'm watching) is a true pleasure for me.  I love how you can make them giggle with a sentence, how you can make them smile with a look and how you make the world a better place with a hug.  Our daughters are truly lucky little girls to have you as a Dad - but they know all bets are off when they start to date...then I expect you to turn into the overprotective Dad that I need you to be!

I wish I had started this earlier, but this year for Father's Day, I had the girls make signs that say the reason they love their Daddy...and I put them on display.  Here is what they came up with.  Interesting how he is supposed to be the strict one, and still ends up getting all the kudos for being the most fun!!

Love you loads and loads!


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Happy Birthday Ally!!

Being a mom was always high on my list of things I wanted to experience, and 8 years ago I became a mom for the second time to a beautiful baby girl.  She chose to make her appearance at 1:00 in the afternoon, and she let us know the minute she had arrived...man that girl had lungs.

From the time I found out I was pregnant with a little girl, we had decided on the Alexandra - and I immediately started calling her Lexi.  But the minute she looked up at me with her big brown eyes, I knew without a doubt that she was an "Ally".  And thanks to my dad, her full name ended up being Alexandria - and the name became as unique as my little girl has turned out to be.

I'm having a hard time believing that my baby is turning 8.  It really does not seem like 8 years since she joined us.  Time is truly flying by, and I try everything I can to slow it down...but the birthdays keep coming.

Ally,
You are truly an amazing little girl.  Your smile lights up every room you walk into - and I love that you always have a smile for anyone who needs it.  You amaze me everyday with how big your heart is, and how you always try to see the best in everyone.  I love that you love school and love to read - and the fact that you love to shop means that you didn't fall far from the tree :-)  While I am in no hurry to have you grow up, I truly look forward to having a spa partner and someone to take on shopping sprees.

Don't ever change who you are my love.  It can be hard to be "everything to everyone", but your tenacity, confidence and independence will get you through anything and everything life has to throw at you.  Just remember that Mommy, Daddy and Marianna are always here when you need us - and know that we will come to you for hugs and a smile when we need cheering up.

Happy 8th Birthday my munchkin.  I love you more than you could ever imagine - and I am truly grateful that we were blessed with you 8 years ago.  I look forward to living every moment with you.

Love,
Mommy


Saturday, May 18, 2013

My pretty reminder

So I have truly trying to live by my "let it go" mantra.  And my kids have embraced this new outlook wholeheartedly.  I've even caught my oldest taking a deep breath while muttering "let it go".  It sounds kind of hokey, but it really does seem to snap things back into perspective pretty quickly.

While browsing Pinterest (yes I'm a pinner), I came across this idea for a tattoo that I fell in love with - it is an image of a balloon floating up with the words "Let it go" inscribed under it.  While I'm not quite ready to get my tattoo (still working up the courage), I really wanted a piece of jewellery with this charm on it.  Problem was, I couldn't find anything that was just right.  Most balloon pieces had hot air balloons on them, and that wasn't really what I wanted.

After putting the word out on Facebook that I was looking for someone to do custom made stamped jewellery, I was given contact info for Teri at Swirlicious (http://swirlicious.myshopify.com/).  I sent her my idea (essentially I said a birthday balloon with the words under it)...my heart broke just a little when she said she didn't have a stamp of a birthday balloon.  She did tell me she would see what she could do, so I left it in her capable hands.

A few days later, she sent me this picture and asked what I thought of it:
I think I literally squealed...it looked EXACTLY like the picture I had in my head!!  I was over the moon excited and told her to go for it.  I should clarify that I was getting one for each of my girls and one for me.

Well today I picked them up - and they did not disappoint.  I LOVE them, and I can't wait to give them to my girls tomorrow.  I'm thinking this piece will get alot of wear from all of us.

I would like to officially thank Teri for using her creativity to make what I wanted a reality.  If anyone needs any awesome pieces made, make sure to check out her FB page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swirlicious/50893132379)!

Friday, April 26, 2013

So I've got this other blog...

When I started writing this blog, I wasn't sure whether I would be able to keep it up.  Turns out, I really missed writing - and this space is a perfect one for jotting down everything that is running through my mind.  Whether its related to my family, my kids, my friends, or just rants about stuff in general...I find it very therapeutic and love getting feedback from everyone about my posts.

So a few months ago, I started a separate space where I wanted to chronicle my journey this year.  For those who know me, its a journey that I've been on for most of my adult life - one of weight loss.

My reasons for wanting to lose weight have changed over the years; I wanted to look better, I wanted to buy cute clothes, then I wanted to get healthy so I could keep up with my kids.  Whatever the reason, I've always wanted the number of the scale to be smaller.  Just to be clear...I've always been pretty comfortable in my skin - I just always wanted to be a few sizes smaller.

I got the idea to chronicle this journey from a fellow blogger - the philosophy is that writing it down and seeing the progression helps to keep you on track.  I decided that I didn't want this space to center around my weight (and let's be honest I have way too much other stuff to say!), so I created a new blog where the focus would be my ups and downs.

Here's the thing - initially the plan was not to share this other blog.  It was just for me.  But I realized that I was using it to give kuddos to the buddies who are doing this with me - and I needed to give credit where credit is due.  So chances are I won't actively share these posts often...but sure will when one of my buddies keeps me focussed or when I hit a milestone.

For anyone who is starting (or continuing) down the road to weight loss, feel free to share your blog with people. Celebrating successes are a must!!

If you want to check out my ups and downs, here you go:  http://my2013goal.blogspot.ca/

Happy reading...

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Mantra Shmantra!

K so I was really gung ho after my last post.  I was changing the way I thought, and I was really big on the "Do it, do your best and just let it go".  Then life threw some stuff at me and my new-found mantra went (momentarily) out the window.

It seems like for the last week or so I've been living in the twilight zone.  Lots of "what the heck is going on" moments...and not the good kind.  In one of the moments, I found myself sitting at my desk grumbling under my breath.  I was complaining to no one in particular how ridiculous the situation was, how it was unfair, how everyone involved was stupid.  As I brooded, I caught myself getting more and more worked up.

I ended up posting a cryptic status on Facebook about my day taking a nose-dive (yep...I'm one of "those" people on FB).  I had a friend ask me if everything was ok.  I continued my grumbling to her, to which she promptly replied:

"Remember your mantra.  Do it, do the best you can, then let it go."

Hmph.  But an amazing thing happened.  I immediately felt better.  Was I really helping the situation by getting myself worked up?  It was not in my power to change the outcome, so who was I hurting by brooding?

Once I was out of the dumps, I also started to see that what I was doing was exactly what I was preaching to my daughter to stop doing.  I had been encouraging her to let things go...was about time that I followed my own advice.

Truth be told, I was able to get together with a few friends that night...they all listened to me be upset and  vent.  It felt really good to get it all off my chest...then I went home and peeked in on my sleeping daughters and realized that in all the ways that count, life is pretty blessed these days.  All I needed was to shift my perspective. 

Well that, and have some dear friends to remind me of the importance of letting it go.  And a glass of wine to simmer my nerves didn't hurt :-)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Words of wisdom from "Lady O"

So I have a pretty great group of friends.  A few weeks ago, one of them asked if I'd be interested in a ticket to see Oprah Winfrey in Ottawa.  Truth be told, I was never truly hooked on her show, but when I did watch I was always mesmerized at her ability to captivate an audience, and to ask questions that everyone else was thinking.  Because I wanted to witness that magnetism in person, I jumped at the chance for the tickets (plus it meant a night out with some awesome ladies - win-win!!).

So this past week was the show.  And it was incredible.  Here is this woman standing in front of 15,000 people, and at moments you could hear a pin drop.  You could feel her pull from wherever you were sitting in the audience.  She was as captivating as I thought she would be.  And she was funny.  I'm not sure why I thought she so serious, but she had us in stitches with stories of her childhood, and lots of her experiences.  And even though we were in this massive arena, I felt like we were at a dinner party.  That is her draw - she makes you feel like you are part of the conversation.

While her talk (which lasted over 2 hours with the Q&A session!) centred around her life, it was not an autobiography.  I was awed at her ability to give us snippets of her life story, and translate them into life lessons that could apply to anyone.  I wish I could get a transcript of her talk - there were so many a-ha moments and I'd love to add them to my mantra wall.  Here are a few that stuck:

"If I could believe that a woman could only go so far, I would not be where I am today." - this is a lesson for all our kids. Believe you can be anything you want.

"The energy you give out, is the energy you get back." Should be in the back of everyone's mind for every decision you make or action you take.

"I am the master of my fate."  True.

Finally, the new mantra that is at the top of my wall:

"Do it; do the best you can, then let it go". 

For those who know me, I tend to hang on to things - and my daughter emulates this behaviour to the nth degree.  So I've decided that this is what we will recite in the mornings on our way out - and how we should learn to live our lives.  It will be a work in progress, but in the long run will be an amazing way to live every day. 

So my thanks to Lady O for inspiring me to remember these lessons in daily life.  And for reminding me that these will be the best gifts I can give my kids...a few key words that will guide them through anything that gets thrown at them.

Now if only I could have been the recipient of her Manolo Blahniks :-)

Saturday, March 23, 2013

An Ode to my Better Half

So as I read through my older posts this morning, I realized there were alot that focused on my kids (obviously a central part of life), and a few with  my opinions on this and that.  What I didn't read (other than a few fleeting mentions) was anything on my husband.

So before I get all sappy (which I warn you in advance I will), I don't want anyone to believe life is completely roses.  Like all couples we have our differences, and given than he is Portuguese and I am Irish sometimes our innate tempers flare and we get loud.  There are things that I do that drive him crazy - and the reverse is also true.  There are weeks - you know those weeks where the crazy schedule seems extra crazy - where I feel like we barely have 2 minutes to talk.

But here is thing...I truly can't imagine doing any or all of it with anyone else.  He is my rock in all circumstances; he is my cheerleader when I need it, my sound judgement when I need a reality check, my voice of reason when my inner negative Nelly surfaces.  He is the one I need to talk to most when things are going good - or not good.  I'm not sure if he realizes it, but he understands me better than anyone could.

And I won't even start about what an amazing Dad he is...if I go there this post will be never ending.

My point in putting this out there today is I know I don't tell him enough how much I rely on him.  I've always been pretty independent, and I like to believe I can do it all without help.  Truth is, the only reason I can put that facade on is cause I have someone like him standing behind me.

Thank you my love for all you do - whether it is supporting me no matter how crazy I sound, killing the bugs that give me the heebie jeebies, making sure my car has whatever it needs to make sure the precious cargo it carries is safe, doing dentist runs with the kids cause you know what it does to my mental state, or just smiling at me from across the room at the time when I need it the most - I appreciate it all.  I love you more each day and I am looking forward to growing old with you.  But please can we do our growing old in Florida...this snow and cold is not for me :-)  I much prefer the sun and the beach as our backdrop!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Twilight Zone

So usually when I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone its cause everything seems to be going wrong around me.  This time, not so much.  It seems like the stars are lined up and things are going right.

My oldest daughter, who has hit the tween mood swings, has been very happy this week (except for Monday when she declared she didn't understand boys - that is a whole other topic!!).  Since then, she has been bubbly and giddy - even telling me that she loved the pink and black dress I picked out for her to wear to her sister's first communion.  This from the kid who banned pink and dresses from her wardrobe for the past few years!

My youngest seems to be on cloud nine too.  She got chosen to read during a school mass, and things have been going smoothly with her friends.  Usually there is at least one drama in the school yard per week.  This week, nada.

And to top it all off, my girls have been getting along.  Like giggling and cuddling getting along.  They are usually in some form of back and forth of "she's bugging me" or "stop it", but this week has been all roses on that front.  I'm not complaining - I love not having to pull out my scolding voice.

I'm not naive enough to think it will last forever...at some point the moods and drama will come out, and they will again get on each other's nerves.  Until then, I will smile when I hear them consipiring to scare their dad, or when they come to see us with a dance routine they have put together.  I'll giggle when they giggle.  I'll remember to tell them how happy it makes me to see them happy.  I'll enjoy every minute of it.

Now that I've probably jinxed it, I think I'll go see what they're doing.  It seems pretty quiet at the moment - and that is usually a sign that they are conspiring on something.  I will revel in the fact that they are working together and leave it at that :-)

Update:  just an update on my exam from my last post.  I passed the first part, now on to the second part.  Will post results of that one when I get there!

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Do as I say...

I'm sure we can all complete the phrase "Do as I say, not as I do".  I always hated that saying.  Should we not be modelling behaviour we want others (i.e. our children) to copy?  I always thought the lesson should be "you are permitted to copy what I do"...of course then I had children and, although I really try, sometimes I want them to forget when I start to rant or lose my cool.

Forward to today.  I have an exam next week (first step to a new job), and have squirreled myself away in my office trying to prep for it.  My daughter even said to me that "preparation is the key to getting a good result" - something I've been trying to teach her this year when she complains she does not want to study for a test cause she knows it all.  I was all ready to practice what I have been preaching.

Ya right...

So what am I doing when I should be preparing - I'm writing a blog post - after I visited Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  Oof...thankfully my girls are downstairs and cannot witness my procrastination.  They can't see that I am not following my own advice.  And I can stay the sage mamma for a little while longer.

Off to get back to prepping...after I go make a tea :-)

Friday, March 8, 2013

Ooh look...shiny!

So I've already shared how I am *slightly* addicted to craft paper.  While I have tried to cut down on the amount of pretty paper I buy, it is very hard.

Time for another vice - I am entranced by anything that is sparkly that I can wear around my neck, on my wrist or on my fingers.  I think I'm like alot of women who giggle everytime they see pretty jewellry.  I ooh and ahh (and truth be told covet slightly) when I see friends wearing pretty pieces.

I recently discovered Stell & Dot pieces.  My first thought was "how the heck did I not know about this stuff before" quickly followed by "good thing I didn't know about this stuff before"!  Their pieces seem to be popping up all over the place, and I've invested in a few things that I love.

They have been stored in their plastic bags, and sit prettily on my vanity table waiting to be worn.  With any luck, I will be able to convince my hubby to take me places I can wear them.  Who am I kidding...I can wear them anywhere - feeling fabulous is an "anyday and every day" kinda thing!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Writer's block

So I really have tried to sit and write posts a few times in February, but nothing comes out.  While I'm out living my busy life, I often get these awesome ideas of what to write about, but as soon as I sit down in front of the computer screed, nada.  Zilch.  Complete blank.

That's never happened to me.  Usually I can count on being able to bang out any type of writing I need.  It's an odd feeling for sure.  Like this morning.  My intention was to write about my recent trip to New Orleans, and the importance of couple get-aways sans kids.  I got one sentence down and then...nothing.  I'm hoping it passes quickly - I'm not liking the block.

With any luck I'll be back on track shortly - and I'm thinking I need to carry around a pen and paper so when I have the awesome ideas on the go I can jot them down!

Monday, February 4, 2013

January gave me whiplash!

OK...anyone else look at their calendar this week and realize that we're in February already?  What the heck happened to January?  I feel like I missed the whole thing!

Oh well...even though I feel like I ran out of days, we did do some celebrating.  January is a big birthday month for us.  My father-in-law, my husband and my (not so little anymore) nephew all have January birthdates.  I usually host a birthday dinner for hubby and my nephew.  As the number in our family grows, the smaller my house feels when we all get together.  Tons of fun nonetheless!

What else?  Parent Council meetings resumed, got to spend a fun evening scrapbooking with some amazing ladies, kids activities were back in full swing...oh and we had a couple of days with kids down for the count with tummy issues.  A pretty normal January!

OMG I almost forgot!  Hubby and I booked a "just me and him" vacation for end of February.  We're headed to New Orleans!  Truth be told, I was ogling somewhere more south with a beach, but New Orleans has always been on our bucket list so we are super-stoked!  I can't wait to see the sites - and have a conversation with my honey that is not interrupted a thousand times by the chirping of little ones LOL  We'll miss the kiddies, but they are in good hands while we are gone.

As for how I'm doing with  my "word of the year", it's amazing what a difference committing to a word can make.  I find myself thinking "be content" when things get crazy.  Don't get me wrong...still plenty of "are you kidding me?" moments.  But I come out on the other side of those with a smile on my face...most days.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

And my word is...

I've seen more and more recently where, instead of making a New Year's Resolution, people are choosing a word that they will live by for the year.  I've seen some good ones - simplify being one I almost stole!  I thought what a great idea...so started my journey.

I've been thinking (and agonizing a little bit) about what word I would choose to define my 2013.  Really?  One word that would help me model what I wanted the year to be...that's pretty stressful!  Especially when I've already ruled out patience as a contender.  Not to say I don't need to find some, but I'm pretty sure it would be an epic failure of an experiment if I picked that one (case in point:  I've lost my patience with my girls already and we are January 3rd).

So with that one out, I wanted to pick one that would be significant - one that when I thought about it I would remember why I picked it.  One that I could incorporate in some artwork for my walls this year.  So here goes...drumroll please...my word is content.

Content.

The verb and the adjective.  I want to strive this year to feel content; to remember that I live a content life.  Don't get me wrong - there are days that are quite hellish.  Days where I'm pretty sure I will not make it to bed time.  Days where I literally just have to go into a quiet room and get my bearings. 

The thing with knowing that the crappy days exist is that they make me realize that there are really good days too.  Days where I look around and think "Wow...life is pretty good these days".  I'm thinking the key for making this my year of "content" is remembering that the off days shouldn't be the defining moments in my story - that privilege should be saved for the moments that make me giggle or that make my heart swell.  And as long as I can remember that, I think it will be a pretty good year.

So here goes nothing...let's see how the experiment unfolds.  Out with the resolution, in with the word to define my 2013 - content.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

So 2013 is finally here.  Wish I could say we rung it in with a bang, but truth be told we were all fast asleep by midnight at our house.  We had some good food and a few cocktails with family, but we were all zonked by 10.  So I tucked the girls in and told them I would see them next year.

A new year for me means that I'm looking for my next creative outlet to try.  Usually by New Years Eve I've figured out what I'm going to tackle in the upcoming year, but this year I'm having a hard time deciding.  I may try knitting or crocheting again, or I may tackle sewing.  Or I may  just try a variance on scrapbooking - something like mixed media. 

I decided to give myself a couple of weeks to think about it...can someone please ask me at the end of January what I'm trying so I don't forget to decide?? LOL

As for resolutions, I don't really make them anymore.  I did read on a blog recently that an alternative is picking a word to live by this year.  I think I really like this idea, but I have to seriously consider what that word would be.  I could try "patience" but I have a feeling that I would fail at that one - and who likes to set themselves up to fail??  I'm considering "content" - it would be nice to strive to really feel contentment on a daily basis.  I usually get so caught up in all the things I have to do that I forget to sit back and enjoy what I have.  I'm going to mull it over, but its a strong contender.

Wishing everyone a happy, productive 2013.  I hope whatever you strive for you can tick off as "done" by this time next year!