New Years Resolution Time.

Lately, I've been giving a lot of thought to what I want to accomplish this year, new years resolutions, reflecting back over the past couple of years and all that kind of stuff.

Back in 2012, I sat down and wrote a big list of goals, plans, dreams, and resolutions, and well, that didn't work out. I mean I started the year out pretty good, in fact I think I made it all the way to May-June before that all fell apart. I did manage to accomplish a few of the goals I set for myself, like running that 5k {and not dying in the process} so the year wasn't a total waste. But it wasn't the success I was hoping for either.

In 2013 I set only one goal. To support, and  help my husband, in any way I could, to make it to the Amateur National Motocross Championships. We did that. And admittedly, I did manage to check a couple major tasks off the 2012{sure it  was year late, but it got done} goal list too, like cleaning out the attic and the little library area. OH and I threw my niece a baby shower. So in theory, I could call it a successful year, becuz I did accomplish the one thing I set out to do.  But since August I've felt like I've just been kinda in limbo. Not really working towards anything.  Not really focused on accomplishing much of anything. I haven't been eating very well. I haven't been working out real serious. I haven't done much creative work.

I've never really been one to set New Year's Resolutions, or goals of any kind really. I've talked about this before {back in 2012 when I made that big list} but tis year I'm feeling pretty good about the whole idea. I'm feeling like it's time for me to get back on track, it's time for me to commit to setting some real goals and  finishing them.  Maybe I'm just setting myself up to fail!! Maybe it's that crazy New Moon on New Years thing!! Maybe it's the whole Chinese Year of the Horse thing!!! What ever it  is, I feel like it's time!

I don't have a complete list yet {hey I still got a few hours until it's 2014 and I work best under pressure} and maybe I won't make an actual, set-in-stone, list either. Maybe I'll wing it all year. Maybe I'll set new goals as I go.
But my general list {as of right this minute} is COMMIT to:
~get back on track with my fitness
~tackle my Household project list
~tackle my DIY project list
~staying more organized
~being a better blogger

I'm still working out the details of how I'm planning to approach all of these areas, but that's the basic plan.

So, tell me, what are your big plans this year????

OH, and let me know, is there anything you'd like to see more of, or less of, in the blog this year???? If you have any great ideas, let me know, I"m really thinking about how I want to approach blogging this next year. Maybe there will be more structure or Maybe it will just remain the same old crazy ramblings on I've been doing...

What's On My Desk ~this week

A complete mess, that's what's on my desk this week!! Ready for the pics...

 

Regular Work Desk Area...
~My new, boring, address book {which is still empty, cuz I've managed to lose my current one}
~SIM card {from my husbands old phone, he upgraded to an iPhone a few weeks ago}
~Stamp pads & stamps {used them to make gift tags for Christmas presents}
~pens, paper clips, sticky notes {ALL from the $1 bin at Target}

 ~Project Life page divider thingys {found on clearance at Meijer}
~chevron paper {on sale at Meijer}
~Poject Life "Midnight" core kit  {also found for 30% off at Meijer}
~Mail that needs to be sent out
~Photographs {may do a post on them at a later time}
~Christmas cards {I never got around to sending}
My new Raskog Cart {from IKEA my awesome daughter got it for me for Christmas}
  inside cart...
~PhotoShop software {from my awesome son for Christmas}
~alphabet stamp sets
~cute little camera stamp
~fitness training log

 Computer Desk
~new book
~magazine
~new insurance info
~planner

This is my tall desk
~receipts from Christmas
~burlap ribbon {Walmart clearance rack}
~tin {clearance rack at JoAnn's}
~pail {another find in the $1 bin at Target}

And that's that!!! Another edition of What's On My Desk. I really hope that some day, very soon, there will actually be some projects on my desk, not just big messes!!

Weekend Plans

I have a pretty hefty To Do list for this weekend, and it would be shocking if I accomplished everything on that list! But just the same, I'll share my exciting plans, and next week we can discuss my failures!!! 

Tonight is date night, which means my husband and I will get groceries and eat dinner out. Tonight I'm going to do my best to convince him to let me stop at one store, for a quick look around, I've got a line on a pair of bad ass skull leggings😄

Saturday I'm hitting the gym, then getting a hair CUT not a trim, but a cut! Working on my Fall Manifesto Album. Then some basic household chores. Which include putting away the fall decorations😞 I'm very sad to see fall go. {have I mentioned how much I dislike winter}

Sunday I will be forcing myself to dig deep and find some Christmas spirit, and decorate. There WILL be a 5 minute photo shoot, in which ALL members of my household will be present for a picture. I've been considering Christmas cards for this year and it seems in my 1,000's of pictures taken this year, there's not one with all of us together. 

What are your plans for the weekend??

Freezing Rain

We had a little bit of freezing rain here Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning I seized the opportunity to go out and take some pics in my back yard. It was foggy, and cold {have I mentioned how much I hate winter??} and I don't really enjoy editing my pics, so I DON'T! But I'm gonna share them anyway!!!

NEW LOOK

I realize that "Winter" is not officially here yet, but I thought it was time to change things up a little bit. So I did a little bit of redecorating. At least as much as I'm technologically able to handle!!

Let me know what ya think!?!?!?!

What's On My Desk

Ok, I'm a few days late on this one. Totally forgot to post it!!! So here it is

Not much going on around here this week!!!
Left to right...
~A page I'm working on for my Project Life album of  Thanksgiving Day. {Hoped to have each member of the family fill out a thankful journal card. Might be a little late, but I'm still going to try and get them to do it!}
~washi tape
 ~Celebrate stamp, ink pad, and chevron stamp pad {all from StampinUP! I made my nephews birthday cards Saturday. They were quick, and not real great, but still hand made.}
~a few orange pens, and a package of new Sharpies {I LOVE Sharpies}
~And a ToDo list written on a Project Life grid card.

Yep, That's IT!

Black Friday Shopping

Yep! Did some Black Friday shopping this week and had a BLAST!!

Now, I know some people are against the whole idea of Back Friday starting on Thanksgiving day, but I'm not one of them. Our Thanksgiving festivities were all over and done and we were home by 4pm. Every year my husband leaves after dinner, goes up north to his parents cabin and hunts through Sunday. So I figure, why not shop a bit!?!?!?  In the past we have braved Walmart for the big TV {my Father-in-Law wanted and other misc goodies} but this year, we didn't step foot in Walmart. We went to a lot of stores though.

We started at 8pm Thursday night At JCPenny with Me, my daughter Maddy, and her boyfriend Chris. The original plan was to shop there, and meet Maddy's friend Orion, and her mom Peggy, at our house and continue on, but the friends showed up at JCPenny also. And turns out Chris just wasn't feeling the love of this type of shopping!! So he ditched us, took our car back to the house and the rest of us went on from there. Should've taken a minute to think this through, cuz I left all the sale flyers, along with my big purse, at home.  I only took my wallet with me and thinking there might be a line at JCPenny, I wore my long johns and work boots. First stop, coffee and some Ibuprofen. Then we were off to the Mall in Saginaw. This is the moment I realized I had WAY too many clothes on and had to hit a fitting room, just to strip off a few layers. Poor Maddy had to carry my wallet in her purse all night.  We hit several stores, got a few good deals, headed to Midland to that Mall. First stop in Midland was Target, where the girls decided they needed new PJ's and changed out of their clothing and into PJ's for the rest of the shopping trip!! We got a few more deals, more coffee and headed to Mt. Pleasant to Art Van Furniture, where we got free blankets and Peggy bought a new couch! We had a few more stores on our list but Orion had to go to work, so we headed back home. We finished up around noon on Friday. We laughed so hard we cried, and snorted. We dealt with several of Maddy's anxiety attacks over spending money on a sweater, she really wanted {she has since decided to return it!!} We drove in dense fog, and on snowy, icy roads. We ate. We laughed some more.   After lunch and a 2hr nap, I hit the gym for Day 2 of the Mileaday Challenge. Ate supper and went to bed!

I've come to few conclusions/learned a few things/appreciate a few things about/from my Black Friday experiences. {As always, these are just MY personal views, you can disagree, agree, whatever}

~The people working in these stores, no matter how bitchy they get, deserve to be treated with respect, they've been dealing with idiots for HOURS on a HOLIDAY!!
~NO possessions are worth fighting over, no matter how good the deal is. {well except maybe that dark purple hoodie}
~NO deal is worth a Mail-In-Rebate. I'm not ever going to remember to mail it in, or I'll lose the paperwork before I get it mailed in.
~You should always remember to pack and dress appropriately for a long night/day of shopping. My feet are killing me even today. Which makes it really difficult to run that mileaday challenge!
~The amount of caffeinated beverages you drink equates to the amount of trips to find a bathroom. And some bathrooms smell really really  REALLY bad {insert gagging sound from Peggy here!!}!!!
~When the hood rats start to roll in, it's time to leave the mall!!!!!
~There are 7 servings in a big bag of Mint M&M's. Even if you share it, there's still a LOT of calories in that entire bag!!!
~Some girls, no matter how old or cool they get, are still willing to shop with their moms!!
~If you are fortunate enough to find friends, {like Orion and Peggy} who you can say anything in front of, who you can laugh hysterically about nothing at all with and they laugh hysterically too,  who think the same idiotic things are funny, who when presented with the most outlandish of  ideas, say "Why NOT!", who are just generally great people, and who you may go months without seeing or talking too, and they understand why, cuz they're busy people too, but it seems like just yesterday you saw them, when you do get together. .. The KEEP THEM!!!

We didn't actually buy that much, or spend that much money, but we had a GREAT TIME!!! Thanks girls, let's do this again next year!!!