no more repeats

I was going to do a mini resolution a week and then post about my office organizing updates in between.

But I haven’t got any updates to the office yet (too busy with work) and I did decide on a new mini resolution. No more repeats.

I like to watch tv. I won’t give up tv. There are a few shows on this year that I really enjoy watching and would be upset to miss. There are a few that I like to watch but am not upset to miss. And there is a WHOLE lot of other. This is about all three.

From now on I will make a concerted effort to choose sleep (or anything else really) over tv if the following applies:

1. It is a episode I have already watched, whether a favourite or not. (sorry old episodes of Friends, we will always have the 90′s!)
2. It is something I found on tv because the show I wanted was a repeat and not something I would have sat down to watch in the first place. (no more housewives, bachelors or overly tanned people.)
3. It is a movie I have seen or, worse, that I own the DVD to. (Yup, I do that! Damn the W network and their RomComs!)
4. It is on after 10pm. (I will PVR it.)

At the end of the day I will often find myself just chilling in front of the boob tube, tired from the day. And that’s probably going to keep happening. But if I find myself staying up for one of the above four scenarios (which happens more often than I like to admit), I will drag my butt to bed.

Because that is probably the best place for me anyway.

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Posted by Janet under life, musings

yes I would.

So the water drinking has been going awesome. I have to admit (sadly) that I am amazed at how easy it has become to down 10-16 ounces of water before I drink my morning cup of joe. The last few days actually, the minute my foot hits the bottom step of our house, I am thirsty. Like Pavlov’s dog I am now conditioned to WANT the water.

So I thought about what item to add to my mini resolution list. I had many ideas that were too big, or I didn’t feel quite ready for. But there was something I have been slowly trying to do and would be willing to do more consistently.

Avoid fake food.

Last year we as a family gave up margarine for butter. I just felt better about eating butter (something my grandmother ate daily) over margarine. I want to continue to make those types of small changes and allow my food to be what it is.

May my sour cream be creamy and my yoghurt have fat. Bacon shall be porky. And let coffee dance once again with cream.

When I have the chance to purchase something that hasn’t been modified over something that has, I will ignore the hype. The low fat, no calorie disguise of “healthy-ness” and go back to the beginning. To where the food began and pick THAT option.

I don’t expect to only eat whole & healthy foods ALL the time. Who are we kidding? This is not a I shall “only eat fruit that falls off trees” kind of thing (name that movie). I know our lifestyle will have some cans and boxes and bags. And I am o.k. with that. As I mentioned last week. This is a small change. Something easily adopted into a habit.

And see where we go to from here.

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Posted by Janet under life, musings

letting go.

I had great plans. I had great plans for this Christmas season. I was going to do things with the kids, take them places to warm up their holiday spirit. I spent the end of the November creating an advent calendar filled with fun and festive things to do.

And then life happened.

We made it through week one and did everything as it came to us. We had pizza night, a sleepover, made gingerbread houses and decorated our tree. And then slowly, one by one, everyone in our house caught a cold/flu bug that just lingered around and is lingering still. Suddenly all my good plans went out the window. Every morning the kids still excitedly read the advent card but suddenly there was me, explaining why we weren’t able to do that activity this time. Days went by and we did nothing on the list. Handmade presents got put aside not to be completed.

I was wrought with guilt.

Somewhere along the way though, my kids taught me something. Something important. They never minded we didn’t do the activity listed in the calendar, they were just excited to have something to count down each day. It was the feeling that created the excitement not the activity.

So now, as I head into the most low key and simple holiday season we have had to date as a family, I am happy. I have let go of all my expectations of what I thought this holiday WOULD be and am embracing what it is. The handmade presents may not get sent until well into the new year but that is o.k. It was only my own expectations on myself that was creating stress and disappointment. Once I let that go, everything shone a little brighter.

We are all together right now, in our cozy and comfy clothes (with an extra blanket or two) watching Smurfs and just hanging out. There may not be cookies baking or fancily wrapped presents under the tree, but there is love. And family.

And that is all I wanted for Christmas anyway.

Hope you have a VERY merry holiday.

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Posted by Janet under life, musings

change the way you see

To be honest, this has been a big struggle for me lately. I think when the weather gets colder and gray, I tend to get down in the dumps more often then not. It could be seasonal disorder. It could be lack of vitamin D (all things I am addressing). But it could just be feeling less active. And the thing is, I love many aspects of winter. I love lamps and warm lights on when it is dark outside in the morning. I love hot drinks and any excuse to have them. I love rich and savoury slow cooked meals. I love sweaters and scarves and mittens.

And yet, there is something I don’t like right now. I don’t like the way I talk to myself. I don’t like the way I “see” myself. I struggle daily to allow myself imperfections and flaws. I know I have them. We all have them. It’s what makes us interesting. So why aren’t we “allow”ing ourselves to have them?

So I am trying to adjust the way I see. I am trying to look inwards and not outwards. To forgive myself for… for what? For not looking like a supermodel while making lots of money and/or raising perfectly stable kids in one tiny footprint ALL AT THE SAME TIME??? Why do I need to forgive myself? That sounds so ridiculous when it is written out in black and white. And it IS ridiculous. But it is what I feel like I am doing. Forgiving myself. For not being…

I need to change the way I see.

And allow myself to be.

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Posted by Janet under life, musings