2015 New Year's Resolutions

Each year, I like to reflect on the past year and think of ways and areas I could improve. I feel I'm always working toward a better version of myself, but it's also important to give myself a timeline of sorts so I stay on track with certain things.

Most of my goals this year are just to stay in pursuit of the things I'm already pursuing, or possibly bringing back to the forefront some things I've let fall to the wayside over the last few years that still nag at me from time to time.

For instance, I'm constantly in pursuit of a healthy and active lifestyle and pretty much live that way most of the time...but I am human and can get lax at times. I like to use the New Year as a recharge and reflection on what I want to accomplish...and put those goals back into focus. Additionally, I've thought and said for years that I'd love to become a personal trainer...but either being lax or having babies would constantly have me putting it on the back burner. This year, I'd like to find a way to finally go for it.

Here is my list of 2015 resolutions. You can also view my 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 ones here and judge how well I did - ha!

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Friday Five: A New Year, A Chest Cold, A Lot of Giraffes and Some Goals...

Friday...this is the last day my oldest son has off of school for this vacation...it will truly feel like our schedule is back to normal on Monday. Call me crazy, but I'm actually looking forward to having to be up at 6am because even though it sucks, it forces/motivates me to get some things done...and having my Body Beast workout at 6:30am every day really makes a difference. I've admittedly been on a little hiatus from it since my mom came to town and with all the holiday hoopla...but I am eager to dive back in. As far as the gym, I am eager to get back on my regular schedule there too, but I am NOT looking forward to the overcrowded classes and waiting for machines {end of February, please come soon! Tee hee.}

{one}

I could feel a cold coming on all this week and of course with NYE, I drank {and sang karaoke} anyway. I was feeling it yesterday, but I am really feeling it today. I think I've got a full-blow chest cold now. I hope with some nursing, I can at least get to feeling ready to go on Monday. I can't put off getting back on track any longer. Colds are the worst and kicking off a new year with one is not my idea of a good start. I'll try not to consider it an omen, haha.

{two}

After Christmas, I rounded up Farrah's rapidly-growing collection of giraffes. It all started with Sophie La Giraffe a few months back and my obsession with giraffes {for her} started to grow. I am also working on some art for her nursery.

{three}

Sadly, I ended the year not reaching my goal of losing all of the pregnancy weight. I still have a good 10-12 lbs that are really holding tight {and the last couple weeks of holiday crap definitely didn't help}, but rather than get down on myself, I am going to look back and realize that I didn't gain a "normal" amount of pregnancy weight. Had I, I would be like 20 lbs under my pre-baby weight! Farrah was a 57-lb pregnancy! So the fact that I've lost 45-47 lbs in under 8 months is an accomplishment in itself. I wasn't sitting around wishing and waiting for it to happen...I was working hard. So yes, knowing that I was working so hard and it isn't ALL gone is a little hard to swallow, but I'm not far...and spring/summer weather is about 4-5 months away. I know I can make some big changes in that time. Here are my goals for the short-term {4-5 months}:

• Finish a round of Body Beast
• Continue with my gym schedule in conjunction with the program {two barre classes, one HIIT class and cardio on my own}
• Get back to meal prep and clean eating 
• Run at least one 5K a month

Notice I didn't include a specific weight loss goal in there...that is because I know by doing this and working to my full potential, the right weight will come. I am tired of focusing on a number. Yes, I will still weigh myself, and I have a specific range where I'd like to fall into...but I'm not going to say "I need to lose 10 lbs in one month" or anything like that. If I do that, GREAT, but if not, I won't beat myself up for it...if I'm doing the work and eating right, it will eventually fall into place. I posted this pic on some of my social media a couple weeks ago...being proud of my accomplishments thus far...my abs are starting to come back! {Now c'mon all you mommies out there, you know what a good feeling that is just to get there!} Still a ways to go...but progress is being made and that is motivation.

{four}

A fun winter outfit:

Sweater / Scarf - Similar  / Boots {On Sale!}

{five}

I just scored THE BEST patio chairs for FREE! And they are beautiful...I can't wait to get them back to shape and show you here.

Happy New Year!

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Monday Musings: Saying Goodbye to 2014

2014 is quickly coming to a close...and I must say I am ready! It has been a great year and all, with the addition of our sweet baby girl in May and all of the wonderful blessings that brought to our lives. However, once the Christmas holiday has come and gone, I am just ready for it to be over and return to some sort of normalcy! My mom visited from Tuesday to Saturday last week and I did what I said I wouldn't do, which is drop the ball on working out...we ate, we drank, of course all was merry and full of laughter, but my body is crawling now and I feel like I need a detox. Both Jake and I looked at each other and just wished New Year's Eve was like yesterday so we could be done with it already and get back on track. Here are a few fun pictures from over the holiday:

Mom and me at Battery Park

Mom and me at the Pineapple Fountain

Farrah in her new coral puffer vest and "F" headband

Gramma Lisa and the boys

Farrah's first time opening a present!

I've been spending the last couple of days getting our house cleaned and put back together, the new toys put away and all the Christmas decor taken down. I love having a house decorated for Christmas, but man, that tree sure takes up a lot of space in our humbly-sized living room that we were eager to get back after over a month.

Today I made it back to the gym and began the long process of sweating out all the wine, eggnog and calorie-laden goodies...and later this evening I will pick up where I left off with Body Beast.

A little leg day action at the gym this morning

Jake's brother had me in our Christmas gift exchange so he bought me my 20# dumbbells; and Jake got me a French curl bar, some adjustable dumbbells, 35# dumbbells and a weight rack, so I'm ready to rock and roll with it now. It's a lot better to have a lot of options for weight increments. This is what our little home gym is looking like at the moment:

I hope your Christmas was filled with love and laughter! We are hosting NYE this year at our house...looking forward to one last Hurrah! before the crackdown. :-)



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New Year's Resolutions: 2014 Edition

So I'll just go ahead and say it - I'm a list-maker. I love to organize my thoughts and goals on paper. Whether that just be grocery list, daily to-do's, blogging plans or life goals...so when the time comes to write New Year's resolutions, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm one of those corny people that jumps on that bandwagon. I try to keep my resolutions realistic and attainable. It really just helps me focus on a timeline for things I'd like to accomplish...and even if I don't 100% complete the goal by year's end, I've at least made a dent where it's needed. So all of that being said, here are my 2014 New Year's resolutions:

Do you have any resolutions or goals for this year? Happy New Year!

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Enjoy 2014

Wishing a happy and healthy New Year to you and yours!

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New Year's Resolutions: Check-In

How are y'all coming along on those New Year's resolutions of yours? As the month of January comes to a close, I thought it would be a good idea to look back at mine and see how I'm doing - a way to keep myself in check, if you will.

Let's take a look at them for a reminder, shall we?

Alrighty, so here's the lowdown.

1. Due to an unexpected loss of my job at Boeing earlier this month, my California plans are on the backburner for now. I still REALLY want to go, and plan to, but if it doesn't happen this year, it's gotta happen next. I am working again, but the job is nearly just over half what I was making at Boeing...so not a lot of room to save dough and spend on things like this...so until I get out of this "buffer" job and into a better-paying one, the Cali trip will have to wait. Poo.
2. I did take my boys to our local library this month. Tanner picked out some good reading books and Breckin chose some bedtime stories. I even grabbed a couple for myself - Blogging for Dummies and a CSS/HTML book.
3. As you can see from #2, I accomplished #3 so far!
4. I don't think I can say I fully organized one room or space this month. I organized here and there, but I really need to get out of the ADD organizing habit and stick to one thing at a time in order to really make a difference. Will do better in February. Promise.
5. Big, fat fail {so far}. I haven't picked up my paints once this month. I need to really make a plan and carve out some time. I am also working on some printables/word art that I'd like to start selling in my shop as well.
6. Waiting on a good Groupon for this - I've seen some photography classes on there in the past. For now, I am just playing with it on my own and reading photography blogs for tips.
7. For the most part, I am doing better. My goal is to get up even earlier so I can squeeze in a morning run too.
8. I don't think Hubby and I got a date night this month. Boo. Of course, with a job loss, it's hard to find extra money for things like that. Things are on the up and up, so we are going to start making this a priority.
9. I have been drinking less wine. Though less for me is still a lot by some people's standards. So I'm going to conscientiously make the effort to keep lowering my "dose".
10. Well, this is a joke. {I'm drinking one as I'm writing this.} Next!
11. This is n/a for now. Can't wait for summertime weather!
12. I really need to sit down and do this. Hubby and I have been better about getting the house tidied at night and I have been cleaning, but I really want a schedule I can look at so I can stay on top of it all.
13. We are progressing here. He is doing it at daycare, but not always at home. The next set of diapers I buy him will be Pull-Ups...I think this one will learn faster than big bro did.
14. This is a kinda/sorta. I want to make a really nice chart/system for him. Again, something I just need to sit down and do. Maybe I should tackle this at the same time as the cleaning schedule.
15. Well, again, job loss makes this one a little tricky. However, we paid off a huge chunk of debt before the New Year, so we are sitting pretty in comparison to last year. As Christina Aguilera would say - "It just keeps gettin' better.."

Hope you are making some progress with your resolutions! I would love to hear about it! xoxo

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New Year's Health & Fitness Resolutions - Check In!

I posted yesterday on my other blog, Style Oyster, about where I am so far with my New Year's resolutions. I posted my health and fitness resolutions here earlier this month, so I thought I'd do the same with those. Please don't judge because I have a feeling I'm not doing so well...but if this is how I can hold myself accountable, so be it. 

To refresh, here's the resolutions:

1. Well, I think it's safe to say I haven't completely accomplished this, but I am definitely down 3-4 lbs from when I first posted these, so progress IS being made, people! Woot!
2. I am not doing so well with this. I did forgo the January half marathon due to falling so behind late December with my surgery and all. I am still trying to work out a good schedule to get all of my runs in, so I can be ready for March. I really want to do this!
3. I have been doing well with this!
4. I'm kind of halfway on this one...was doing well...this week, not so well...but I plan on getting back on track with a menu plan, stat!
5. I've been doing pretty well with this one.
6. I haven't started yet, but I do have my Groupon for some barre classes and will start next week.
7. Yeah, need to work on this.
8. Have not done this.
9. Would like to do this, but it's not the end of the world if I don't.
10. Didn't do this once this month. I blame the cold, don't you? {Though it did hit about 80 degrees one week this month, so I really have no excuse.}
11. This is still the plan - ongoing goal.
12. Gotta start this.
13. Need to implement this in our daily routine.
14. I haven't done it 5x a week, but a lot more than I was...and working on it.

So did you have some health and fitness resolutions this year? How are you doing?

New Year's {Health & Fitness} Resolutions

Yesterday I talked about what it takes to make a good, solid New Year's resolution/goal. Hopefully you've had some time now to think about your resolutions for this year and have created a good plan for sticking to them. Here are my health and fitness resolutions for the New Year. {You can see my other New Year's resolutions here.}

Best of luck to you in obtaining your health and fitness goals this year! I hope you'll continue to read along and share the triumphs and challenges in fitness with me. Happy New Year!