So, I’ve been meaning to post but…

[insert any number of good excuses, including, I’ve been lazy, depressed, too busy, too tired, too uninspired, etc.]

And those are legitimate excuses but I’ve honestly MISSED writing and keeping up this blog. It’s funny because I started my blog when I discovered Pinterest and I wanted to use it as a way to share with everyone all the cool Pinterest projects that I had tried. And believe me, I tried quite a few and still use a lot of the ideas today. What I discovered during the process was that I really enjoyed writing. The projects themselves were fun and handy and I’m all about being as chemical-free as possible but the true passion was in the writing.  I also liked the feedback that I got from others. It’s somewhat rewarding and validating to have someone say, “I tried this too and it helped me!” But, then life happens and you lose sight of things you enjoy. You get busy, you buy a house that requires a lot of upkeep, you have three dogs and a full time job and…there go the excuses again.

But, enough excuses. I’m baaaack and wholeheartedly looking forward to a NEW year and saying, “Good riddance” to 2014. With the New Year approaching, I’m tired of making excuses and want to make 2015 a year of significant change. While I know that we’re all busy making resolutions that we usually don’t keep, I want this year to be different. I don’t want to be complacent and nonchalant about my health, weight, mental state, etc. My New Years Resolutions usually last about 2 weeks, (and that’s IF I’m somewhat disciplined) but they certainly don’t go into February. Now, I know that some of us may actually make significant changes in our lives from time to time but you know that when you’re in a mindset to make changes, you don’t have to wait until January 1 to make those changes. That’s where I am and that’s why I’m starting this post today…I’m getting ahead of the game;).

So, I’ve started my list of resolutions and obviously writing more is one of the biggest things that I want to work on this year. That includes my own personal writing in the form of journaling, poetry, etc. but it also includes taking better care of this blog. Writing is something I’ve always been passionate about and I find it so incredibly therapeutic. Hopefully, people like reading my blog because I’m going to be much more active, like it or not:). I’m going to set a goal of one post a week but am well aware that could be overly ambitious and it may be lowered to once a month during my really busy times at work. Either way, I’ll be writing more than I did last year, so any improvement is a win in my book! Please be patient as I try to come up with ideas on what to write about (if you have any suggestions, let me know!)

Another resolution is one we all make Every. Single. Year: to lose weight. I’m tired of feeling gross and I know my health is at risk. Both of my parents were overweight and very unhealthy. Now, on a ranking scale, I’m WAY better in my lifestyle habits than how they chose to live, but still. I’m no spring chicken anymore and clearly, I have “bad” genes that can take over (both parents died very young; Dad at 46 and Mom at 53). So, getting my weight in order is a priority and needs to remain as such. I could easily stand to lose between 50-60 pounds to get where my BMI is no longer in the “Obese” category.

So, BF and I ordered a very fancy, schmancy new treadmill…one of those cool NordicTrack ones with the iFit technology that cost a fortune (this was our Christmas gift to each other). With iFit, you can supposedly select anywhere in the world that you want to be and visually be on a path in that area. I’m really looking forward to running (panting) in Paris or meandering through the ancient ruins at Chichen Itza (where I just visited two weeks ago!) or in Egypt. So, hopefully the new gadget will keep my excitement level up. If not, I think the BF will keep me motivated, as I know he would not complain if I drop the lbs either. And once we both reach our goal weights, then we can reward ourselves with a fun cruise or something to show off our new bathing suit-worthy bodies!

The other major thing I want to do, along with getting in shape physically, is to mend my mental state. If you know me personally, you know I can get easily flustered, depressed, agitated and I have a SERIOUS case of road rage (you try living in New Orleans where I’m convinced people never learned to drive…it’s TERRIBLE). All my outbursts boil down to me not being in the present and not taking things in stride. I get tense way too easily and carry such a heavy burden ALL.THE.TIME. So much of what I worry about NEVER comes to fruition but when I worry and get anxious, I’m aging myself much more rapidly than I need to and making myself a complete basket case.

My cure for this is yoga and meditation. In the past, when I practiced yoga frequently, I have been much more level-headed, mild-mannered and much easier to be around. I would really like this to begin to become a daily practice for me or at least 5 days a week. Again, I’m not setting anything in stone here because I don’t want to set myself up for failure but taking 30 minutes in the evening before bed is not difficult. And the biggest thing is that I deserve it. My mind is busy working, thinking, calculating, worrying, etc. all day long. It needs a little break during my waking moments to recoup.

The last thing I want to do is take a ceramics class. I learned to use the potter’s wheel in high school and have been wanting to get back at it ever since. I feel like I need creative outlets to let loose and the plus is that I can make cool knick-knacks for myself or gifts for others. Win-Win! This doesn’t have to happen right away, maybe a few months from now, but at some point this year, I want to be in a studio with a wheel, slinging some serious vases or something:) Keep an eye out for pictures as my koncoctions come to life!

So, there’s my list. I know this blog post has been different than some of my other posts in the past, but I’m just going with the flow. And who knows…maybe by sharing my resolutions on a large scale, I’ll have that much more accountability to keep them in check. I don’t think they’re too lofty and very attainable. I’m excited about really working on myself this year. We can also stand a little improvement to better ourselves when we start to feel “stale”. What about you? Any fun, exciting, challenging resolutions you’re setting for this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have made resolutions in the past, what helped you keep them? Do share!?

XOXO