My One Little Word for 2015

Happy New Year!  Have I said that yet?

I have loved the holiday break.  Lots of fun, lots of time with the kids and extended family, plenty of down time to recharge.  But I also found myself a bit on edge - quick to lose my patience, cranky, maybe a little out of balance emotionally.  In among all this, I had been thinking about and selected my Word for this year (this is something I've been doing for the past few years in addition to setting goals.  It works as more of a touchstone or focus for me throughout the year.  See previous posts here) and one hit me out of the blue.

I think I'm pretty good at buckling down, working on the To Dos and Have Tos, being proactive, recognizing priorities, setting goals, looking for balance, and so on.  I've done plenty of work on being efficient, setting routines, and following through and I will have plenty of that going on this year without having to put extra focus on it.  Instead, I find myself wanting to reach for the softer things in life -  to be goofier with the kids, to be more patient, deal with interruptions better, more work on relationships with the people that mean the most to me, the fun, the laughter, peace, positivity.  Things that don't come as naturally to my mostly-serious self.
 
The word that came to me a couple weeks ago and has felt more and more right for me each day is

To me, light means joy.  Beauty.  Warmth.  Love.  Inspiration.  Giving.  Sharing talents and creativity.
So many many different ways and directions I can go with this and that's exciting.

This is the first year that my word comes to mind with its own visuals - light streaming through a break in the clouds on a stormy day or that hazy glowing backlight photographers are always trying to capture - lots of moods and nuances and all of them positive and affirming.  And that's what I want in 2015.    light


Do any of you choose a word for the year?  (ie: One Little Word along with Ali Edwards)  Set goals?  I'd love to hear about it.

All Set

I feel like we're on the final countdown here.  Last (partial) week of 2014, one more week of Christmas vacation then Real Life hits again in full force.  And I'm so NOT ready to get back to the normal routine.  Or maybe I just don't want to go down to the freezing cold shop and work on drying racks while the snow falls and the kids are home entertaining themselves -  and the attitude is just carrying over to everything?...
I have been enjoying the slower pace the past few days and not forcing myself to get up and go to the gym or work on a giant list of To Dos.  Though I do also enjoy being productive and being on top of things.  Both have their place and the art of balancing them has been on my mind a lot the last couple of days.  There are just so many parts and pieces that make up a life, aren't there?  And only limited quantities of energy, motivation, time, and money.
It may be cliche, but this time of year is when I get in that mode to really think about and reevaluate my life, my priorities, and the direction I want to take in the new year and I've been taking a few solid steps toward preparing to jump into the new year with both feet.  I am finishing up my final prompt for the OLW workshop I participated in this year (and starting to get excited for the process next year) and am pretty sure I have decided on my new Word for next year (that will get it's own blog post in a few days).  I sat down with Kaitlyn this morning and we revised and reprinted the Before Screens list for the kids (we haven't used the lists at all since the move and I've been having such a hard time keeping Tyler on track and self directed lately.  Hoping this alleviates some of the frustration and constant nagging) and have them hanging up ready to be used.  I have a few other things/ideas for interactions with the kiddos that are percolating in my head.  I even found homes for most of the new things we all got for Christmas and the clutter piles are nearly all gone.

I also picked up a weekly planner - something I haven't used in years.  I have a number of reasons for doing so.  First of all, I haven't been on the ball about putting things on my Google calendar and I'm hoping that having it all just in a hard copy will be easier for keeping track of appointments and schedules.  I know, right?  Old School.  But the bigger reason for purchasing a planner was for memory keeping/scrapbooking purposes.  My intention for the last few years has been to put together some kind of December Daily album (I know - lots of inspiration from Ali Edwards lately.  We must have similar personalities/tastes or something ;)  ) but I am never fully set up enough to do it as I go along, so this year I printed off a weekly calendar for December - you know the ones with a bunch of lines under each day of the week so you can take notes - and have been using it to keep track of some of the things I want to remember from each day.  I've seen that kind of idea before - using a calendar to write down one memory every day during your baby's first year and so on - and a light finally went off.  Those little squares on a calendar are not nearly enough room to write down a story from the day or any sort of detail but the idea of keeping it all in one place, in something that is easy to pick up and use, is a solid one.  So.  My plan for this year is to write down everything I want to remember in the weekly planner - funny quotes from the kids, details about daily life, stories of big events, etc.  Much easier than scrolling through Facebook posts, emails, and blog posts trying to figure out what happened during week ____ when trying to put together my layouts/albums.  Right now I'm thinking I'm pretty brilliant, but the true test will be a couple months into it to see if I have been following through on writing everything down on a regular basis.

I really am serious about doing more scrapbooking on a regular basis.  I even had the husband buy me a photo printer for Christmas - so exciting!  I still need to get another USB cord so I can hook it directly to my computer instead of printing solely from the camera's memory card but I have figured out the basics of how to use it and am very pleased with the photo prints so far.  So with the photo printer on hand and a weekly crafting date all set up with a friend I am looking forward to making a lot of progress with the scrapbooking this year.

Now I just need to finalize a few fun plans for New Years Eve (ack - someone tell me I'm not the only one that staying up until midnight doesn't appeal to! lol) and I think I'm all set to head into 2015.  Are you?

One Little Word for March

Well we're a full week into March and I'm pretty proud of myself for jumping right into my One Little Word prompts for the month.  I've found that I look forward to the first of the month and the opportunity to explore my word and my goals in a different way. 

I'm wondering if I need bigger cards for the reflections lol.  These are only baseball card sized and I'm finding myself struggling to put everything down in the small space.  But maybe that's a good thing - makes me focus and pare it down to just the important parts.

 

My reflections for February read: 

The overall feeling for the month was calm happy progression.  I'm getting things done and I've taken some steps toward a healthier lifestyle (including signing us up for the Color Run in May!).  Places I feel I could use more:
-giving the kids my full attention.  Following thru on what I want to do/teach them
-judgment/gossip/negativity.  redirect convo/thoughts
-and in everything - show love.

 

The "assignment" for March was to make a vision board.  It didn't necessarily have to be about or include my Word, just things that call to me.  And I have to admit, it's not really my "thing" to create like this.  I love words and I love making things, but the collage-type look isn't my style.  Once I found some magazines (thanks Jeannette!) and started clipping it actually came together pretty quickly.

 I know a lot of people in the group plan on displaying their boards somewhere in their home but I don't have an appropriate space for that right now (my focus is on getting photos out and displayed - more on that tomorrow!) so I designed mine as a two page layout for my OLW album.  I really tried to keep it simple.  Just paper and a glue stick.  Sure, the big pieces ended up bubbling a little bit, but I'm ok with that.

 I think the big Intention (it's vinyl) was what it needed to pull it together.

 

 find your healthy happy mom place

 I used mostly titles cut from magazines but I did pull in a couple of quotes I had printed from Pinterest like this one from Nike and the quote pictured at the beginning of this post.

 And there it is all happily a part of my OLW album.  Right now the back side of the first page is blank so I'll probably end up printing up another quote on full size paper and adding it in there later.
We'll see.  The whole point of this project for me is to let it evolve as I go along.  My plan for the rest of the month is to spend some more time journaling and putting into practice more of my intentions...

My 101 in 1001

Have you seen these lists?  101 in 1001.  I've run across it in Blogland here and there in the last few years but it wasn't until a few months ago when a friend blogged about starting her own 101 list that it really sparked my interest.  I ended up blog hopping from one list to another for a couple hours that night while sitting on the couch watching who-knows-what with the husband.  I even read a few of the unique or funny ones out loud to Sam and we idly talked about a few things we would put on our own lists.  The idea stuck with me and I found myself Googling more lists when I had a some down time while waiting at the bus stop, etc.  And pretty soon I had my own list of around 47 items and decided I may as well commit to it.

But wait - maybe I've lost a few of you.  As far as I can tell, the idea links back to the Day Zero Project (info found here) and this is how they describe the concept:

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.                    
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

All right, so are you ready to see my own list?  (Taking a deep breath here, once I put it all out there in black and white I'm committed!  And as you can see, I actually started my list a few months ago and am just now taking the leap to post it LOL)

Start date: Monday, January 21, 2013
End Date: Monday, October 19, 2015

 

Alayna’s 101 in 1001

Personal
1 - Hit goal weight
2 -Get my flexibility back
3 -Make exercise part of my weekly routine
4 -Gradually edit/add to wardrobe until I love everything in it and how it makes me look.  Then resolve only to buy things I LOVE
5 -Make wearing make-up a habit
6 -Make wearing jewelry/accessorizing a habit
7 -Buy a pair of really cute and COMFY boots
8 -Find my best beauty routine
9 -Buy a really great peacoat/trench
10 -NO eating out for one month
11 -Take vitamins (have been doing this pretty much daily for at least the last month 2/2013)
12 -Find out my blood type (I’m sure I did at some point but I can’t remember it!)

For Fun:
13 -plan a really great Halloween costume, for once
14 -stay up til Midnight on New Year’s Eve
15 -take at least one big family vacation per year (in addition to visiting family in Utah) (One down!  Disney World Feb 2013)
16 -take the kids camping
17 -take the kids sledding (winter trip to Utah?)
18 -do something fun/social/girly at least once per month (3/33)
19-21 -visit some of the places we are only likely to visit while we are living here.  Complete at least 3 of the following:
                -Myrtle Beach
                -Colonial Williamsburg
                -Biltmore
                -New York City
                -Washington DC
                -Blue Ridge Highway during the Fall
                -Outer Banks
22 -go to Disney World (Feb 2013)
23 -take a class for fun (dance, cooking, photography, etc)
24 -try 10 new restaurants (3/10)
25 -visit a restaurant that has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
26 -get the kids a puppy (haha this happened sooner than I thought.  March 17, 2013.  St Patrick's Day!)
27 -invite friends/neighbors over for dinner
28 -pick a book/series and read it as a family
29 -go to a concert
30 -go berry picking
31 -ice skating
32 -Disney on Ice
33 -go horseback riding
34 -go boating
35 -do something ridiculous and outrageous

Relationships:
36 -call W at least 1/month (3/33)
37-call B at least 1/month (3/33)
38 -go on a “date” with Sam at least once a month (day dates count!) (4/33)
39 -institute regular one on one or dates with the kids
 -write an I love you letter to:
                40-Sam
                41-Kaitlyn
                42-Tyler
43 -make a new friend
44 -send happy mail to someone at least once a month (1/33)
45 -plan something great for our 15^th Anniversary
46 -weekend away with Sam, without kids
47 -go to a movie with Sam (I know, I know – it’s harder than it looks!  We rarely get babysitters and when we do there is rarely a movie out that we both want to see so our dates are usually dinner out and shopping)

Crafts/Hobbies:
48 -gain a working knowledge of Photoshop
49 -practice taking photos 3 times per week for at least a month
50 -take family photos once a month for a year (1/12)
51 -start scrapbooking again
52 -then COMPLETELY finish an entire scrapbook
53 -go totally manual with the camera and be comfortable with it
54 -read Exposures book all the way through
55 -some sort of crafty time with someone else at least every other month (3/16)
56 -make something visual to remind me of my Word for the Year
57 -make at least 10 of the items I have pinned on Pinterest (5/10, Christmas card booklet, Easter 2x4 animals, 2x4 flower pots, glue gun holder, patching jeans)
58 -find a piece of thrift store furniture and refinish it (found 2 chairs! 3/2012  Now to reupholster them!)
59 -take some of the photos from my Photo Idea List (ie: Kaitlyn in my wedding gown, a single location during each season (tree-lined highway or that swampy area down the road), bokeh with Christmas lights background)


Money/Work Related:
 -grow the blog
                60 -consistant and regular blog posts (let’s say at least 2 per week)
                61 -work on SEO and tags
                62 -comment on other blogs a lot more
                63 -link parties (at least 2 per week?)
64 -write up a few of my crochet patterns and list on Etsy
65 -pay off all debt (except house and maybe truck.  Hopefully the truck too, but let’s be realistic)
66 -start savings accounts for the kids
67 -take the leap and start doing a few photo sessions for profit
68 -set up a better accounting system for Etsy

Because I need to:
69 -organize and back up photos
70 -re-do recipe binder
71 -complete at least 5 Random Acts of Kindness
72 -surprise someone
73 -continue Project 365/52 (I was great about posting once a week until Christmas and I'm having a hard time catching up again)
74 -update kids’ journal files
75 -give the kids more regular chores, have them help more around the house (new chores started 4/21/2013 - so far so good!)
76 -work up menus list (at least 6 weeks’ worth for both Summer and Winter) and then USE them
77 -complete at least 10 projects that have been on my perpetual To Do list for a long time (0/10)
78 -make annual Spring Cleaning list and complete it (a reasonable list, not an insane list!) (working on it!  lots of progress this week 4/5/2013)
79 -try 10 new recipes (4/10 crockpot ranch tacos, Sonoma chicken salad, cream puff cake, chicken enchiladas)
80 -update IPOD (especially playlist for working out)
81 -find a technology recycling place and drop off the broken TV (that thing has been taking up space in the bedroom for almost 3 months now!)
82 -stock the garage freezer
83 -get a new cell phone (3/2013)
84 -re-evaluate and make decision on TV/cell/internet services (3/2013)
85 -declutter the craft table then make a point of doing it every day before bed and right after finishing a project for an entire month (then hopefully it becomes a habit) (0/31)
86 -don’t go to bed with dirty dishes in sink or on counter for an entire month (again – hopefully a habit after that!) (0/31)
87 -finish 72 hour kits and emergency prep
88 -go to the eye doctor

For the House:
-fill in some of the empty space in the living room.  At least:
                89 -something on the walls
                90 -console table
                91 -ottoman(s)
92 -print, frame and display family photos
93 -furniture for front porch
94 -plant flowers every Spring (April 2013)
95 -finish decorating Tyler’s room
96 -make centerpiece for the dining table for all the big holidays/seasons (Spring, Fall, Christmas, everyday)
97 -throw pillows for the couch
98 -rug for entry
99-blinds for living room and craft room
100 -Kaitlyn’s room:  bulletin board and lamp
101 -lamps for master bedroom, alarm clock for my side of the bed (because I'm too blind to see the clock on Sam's side without getting up)

Word for the Year

I ran across this idea about a week ago on Ali Edwards blog and fell in love with it. The concept is to identify a word that represents what you want out of the next year. The word I chose is ENJOY.
As in:
-enjoy the process. I have a tendency to move from one project to the next without really taking the time to enjoy the final product or the outcome of my last endeavor.
-enjoy the little moments with the kids. We all know that they grow up way too quickly.
-enjoy my husand. This translates specifically to Date Night, and to making sure that I don't take him for granted.
-enjoy all the daily stuff, even if this means grinning through the hundredth load of laundry for the week or that awful job of scrubbing the toilet because at the very least I will be enjoying the feeling of a clean house...eventually :) This is how I spend my days. I not only want to accept that but to be happy with it.
-enjoy good health - I was glad I was finally able to incorporate my word for the one resolution I am trying to get myself very motived for - losing this dang baby weight! And hopefully I will soon be able to say that I enjoy the way I look/feel in my clothes.

To remind myself of the word for the year I have chosen to display it where I will see it often. I altered some wooden letters (photo above) that are now sitting atop my kitchen cabinets. And I made some small signs that I have attached to my refrigerator and my bathroom mirror.

It says:
Enjoy [en-joi´]
(v.) To take satisfaction; to live in happiness.
(v.) To receive pleasure or satisfaction from.
(v.) To have the use or benefit of: enjoys good health.

And as luck would have it, the word of the year is also the theme for Tip Junkie's Talk To Me Tuesday. So be sure to check that out.