Black Friday always leaves me with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I don't want to begrudge anyone who wants to save money on their holiday shopping. On the other hand, I feel like Black Friday is nothing but a tribute to out of control materialism and a me-first mentality. Not a good start to the holiday season.
A few years ago, I started my own little Black Friday tradition. Ok, maybe "starting my own tradition" is overstating things a bit. I found that somehow I wasn't working on that day and decided that it would be the perfect time to clean out a few closets. Since then, it has become my Black Friday activity.
On Thanksgiving, we are supposed to get together with family and friends and take time to be grateful for all the things we have. It doesn't make sense that the next day we focus on what we DON'T have and then scramble around wildly to get as much as we can. Something as simple as cleaning out closets can take that grateful mentality and extend it one more day.
First, I take a good look around the house and really appreciate all that I have: the clothes in the closet, the food in the fridge, the books on the bookshelf, the toiletries in the bathroom, the knick-knacks and electronics and sporting gear and hiking boots. This is all stuff I am lucky enough to own; stuff that makes life a little nicer.
Then, I look things over a second time to determine if there are things I'm holding onto that AREN'T necessarily making my life better -- just a bit more cluttered. Do I really need 2 rain jackets? How did I end up with 5 navy blue T-shirts? How long have I had that scented candle that is still in the wrapping?Two years? Three? Why am I holding onto these things? Did somebody give it to me as a gift and I feel obligated to keep it? Am I afraid I might need it someday? No reason?
Now is when the real fun begins. I take stock of all the "extras" I have identified and ask: can I pass these things along to somebody else? Maybe the scented candle would be perfect for Secret Santa or a Yankee Swap. I know exactly who would enjoy that book that I've already read. I could part with a couple navy t-shirts (thrift shop). My niece has been saying she needs a raincoat -- the black one would look great on her!
Appreciating what you have and sharing it with others has a wonderful effect. I always end the day with fewer possessions, yet feeling way richer than I did at the start of the day.
I have yet to encounter a door buster sale that can do that!
Friday, November 28, 2014
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thoughts on Thanksgiving
In my sporadic musings, my favorites have always been the Thanksgiving notes. While its important to be
thankful,
its even more important to be thankful for the small things. (Like the 5'0" and under things!)
thankful,
its even more important to be thankful for the small things. (Like the 5'0" and under things!)
So here is the list of 27 small things I am grateful for in 2014:
1) TREADMILLS: While the Winter Warrior Challenge SEEMS like a good idea, when you are ankle deep
in ice water running on the road into oncoming traffic because the sidewalks are buried, you realize that
treadmills were invented for a reason.
in ice water running on the road into oncoming traffic because the sidewalks are buried, you realize that
treadmills were invented for a reason.
2) Netflix
3) New socks
4) The indestructible nature of myJeep
5) Rubbermaid storage containers (or the generic knockoffs. I don't discriminate)
6) Pancakes (I can't say pancakes without thinking of Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates)
7) Hiking
8) Biking
9) Vikings (ok, not really. I'm just trying to balance out the rhyming trifecta)
9) Firepits (because the last number 9 was fake)
10) Outdoor concerts
11) Fireworks
12) Weekend Festivals
13) Micro-brews
14) Thrift Stores (for dropping off and picking up)
15) Farmer's markets
16) Liz Gilbert
17) Shooting stars
18) The bike path on the Cape Cod Canal
19) Amtrak
20) Fresh clean sheets
21) Books, books, books
22) The opportunity to travel
23) Clean water
24) The precise balance of organized chaos
25) American Horror Story
26) A blank journal page and a purple pen
27) Snow on Thanksgiving morning
Have a good Thanksgiving Everyone!
TODAYS WORKOUT:
4 mile run
2 mile after turkey walk with family
TODAYS WORKOUT:
4 mile run
2 mile after turkey walk with family
Monday, November 24, 2014
Its Good to Be Back
Oh, its good to be back. Like the feeling you get after returning home to your own place, your own things, your own bed after a long vacation. The vacation was great, but its great to be home again.
I took a little (ok, a long) vacation from blogging. For a vast number of reasons. And I just didn't know how to get back into it. I became a lurker for a while; I found that a good number of my old blogging buddies were on hiatus, as well. (we were all apparently vacationing in different areas because I didn't run into any of them in my travels) Maybe they don't know how to jump back in, either.
But, eventually, I just came to the conclusion that jumping back into blogging required only one thing: writing.
I started this crazy thing called blogging many years ago when I had no idea what I was going to do. I didn't start a blog to generate a big following. I didn't do it because I thought I was such an amazing a prolific writer that I'd become world famous. I didn't do it to generate income. (and thank goodness, because I'd be in the poorhouse if that were the case) I did it simply go get my thoughts out somewhere and to find my voice again.
I had no idea that it would become such an important part of my life. I had no idea I'd become part of a community. I had no idea I'd actually make FRIENDS with people I'd never meet in real life, by connecting with these little snippets of insight we all put down in our blog posts.
I've missed it.
So today, with no fanfare or expectations. I'm putting it down on the page once again. Blog post number one after a very long hiatus.
The hard part is over.
TODAY'S WORKOUT:
60 min yogalates
3 mile run
15 min stretching
I took a little (ok, a long) vacation from blogging. For a vast number of reasons. And I just didn't know how to get back into it. I became a lurker for a while; I found that a good number of my old blogging buddies were on hiatus, as well. (we were all apparently vacationing in different areas because I didn't run into any of them in my travels) Maybe they don't know how to jump back in, either.
But, eventually, I just came to the conclusion that jumping back into blogging required only one thing: writing.
I started this crazy thing called blogging many years ago when I had no idea what I was going to do. I didn't start a blog to generate a big following. I didn't do it because I thought I was such an amazing a prolific writer that I'd become world famous. I didn't do it to generate income. (and thank goodness, because I'd be in the poorhouse if that were the case) I did it simply go get my thoughts out somewhere and to find my voice again.
I had no idea that it would become such an important part of my life. I had no idea I'd become part of a community. I had no idea I'd actually make FRIENDS with people I'd never meet in real life, by connecting with these little snippets of insight we all put down in our blog posts.
I've missed it.
So today, with no fanfare or expectations. I'm putting it down on the page once again. Blog post number one after a very long hiatus.
The hard part is over.
TODAY'S WORKOUT:
60 min yogalates
3 mile run
15 min stretching
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
July
It's July. July!
I've been away from blogging for way too long. The dashboard tells me over three months. It doesn't seem like that long. Yet it seems like much longer.
I sort of dropped out of the habit of recording my thoughts and dreams and goals and directions in this forum when I dropped into the mindset of "I'm not doing anything worth writing about." That was just an excuse, of course. Because during the time I've been away, I've read a myriad of blog posts from all over the place on the most mundane subjects imaginable. I read a blog post entitled "Why I Make My Bed Every Day." Until the end. It wasn't even written by Martha Stewart. And I still read it. When I finished reading it, I thought "That was surprisingly well written and persuasive." (I don't need to be persuaded. I make my bed every day. I just don't feel the need to share that bit of info with everyone.)
Therein lies the problem. I haven't felt the need to share.
For the last few months, I've been writing. I've been filling pages in journals and 3 subject notebooks. I've been making my beloved lists on scraps of paper and computer printouts and posting them on an ACTUAL bulletin board, rather than a pinterest board. I've been reading voraciously. I've been walking around in may bare feet outside, lying in a hammock, and riding my bike around just for the heck of it.
I guess I just needed to be a bit introverted for a while.
But now…now I feel like dipping my toe back in. I miss the habit. I miss the sharing. I miss the community.
In 2013, I discovered another community -- the thru-hiker community -- where I felt like I BELONGED. More so than any other group I have been a part of. Lately I have felt the pull of community. I've missed the small-- but somehow intimate, quirky, and cool -- community of bloggers I got to know so well when I was a regular blogger. I want to get to know you all again.
So happy July! And hello again.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
March Addictions
MARCH ADDICTIONS
I have noticed, time and time again, that blog posts tend to repeat in a cycle. I'm not talking about having a posting schedule where you do certain kinds of posts at certain times of the week or month. I mean that during certain times of the year, I (and others, I suppose) fall into particular moods or mindsets. And the pattern continues as the year progresses.
Take, for instance, my addictions for March. I'm pretty sure if I scrolled back to addictions of Marches past (which I could totally do, I'm just too lazy, so I will continue to speak of it hypothetically) I would find the exact same addictions. Which would be slightly different from February's, and very different from Augusts. It's just that time of the yearly cycle to be addicted to:
1) TEA
I like a nice cup of tea any time of the year, be it of the hot or iced variety. But I'm positively swimming in it at the moment!
2) FLEECE
This weekend, we had our first real thaw. Temps were in the high 40's and the sun was shining. Everyone was out, walking around, in a good mood, saying hi to everyone else as if we all lived in a Disney movie. But then the sun went down. And it was time to wrap up in fleece once again.
Today alone, I have worn, at some point, fleece socks, fleece PJ's, a fleece bathrobe, a fleece jacket, and a fleece hat. I'm under a fleece blanket as I write. Spring cannot be here soon enough!
3) PARENTHOOD
The TV show, not the lifestyle. Parenthood the movie, upon which the TV show is based, is one of my most favorite movies of all time. It has a great cast, is extremely well written, and makes me laugh and cry each and every time I see it. I was pretty skeptical when I heard there was a TV show. I stand corrected and converted. I have been streaming back to back episodes courtesy of Netflix and just like the movie, I find myself both laughing and crying underneath all my fleece.
4) SPINACH
I've been on a huge spinach kick lately. Spinach in my smoothies, my salads, my lasagna, and sometimes all by itself. Yummy!
5) GROUP POWER
I'm generally a run, bike, and swim kinda gal, with independent weight lifting thrown in there for good measure. But after my February slump and my overall winter blahs, I needed something to motivate me to work at the gym. Enter group power. Cardio, weight lifting, and a little dancing to classic rock all rolled into one. What's not to like?
Monday, March 3, 2014
March Goals
March is funny: the past three days, everybody is talking about how "spring is coming." And technically, they are right. The first day of spring is on March 22, and daylight savings time is this coming Sunday. Technically, they ARE right.
But in reality, this is New England. No matter what the calendar says, step outside and its winter. Every single year, during the April snowstorm, everybody acts as if it's some kind of natural disaster. Like we didn't have a snowstorm last April. Or we won't have one next April. We will. It's New England. Spring comes in May.
Regardless, I still feel like March is the month to get moving! After the February slump, it's time to do double time to be prepared for race season (or hiking season, as it were). March is the month to really set some goals!
MARCH GOALS:
1) Make the move. Preferably somewhere south. Where spring comes in April.
2) Exercise daily. And get my butt back in the pool. I've been slacking on swimming!
3) Pick a big race and register already! I tend to be very deadline motivated. No deadline, no motivation!
4) Take the downsizing up a notch: sell off the furniture.
5) And speaking of hard to get rid of stuff: 6 more books read and given away.
6) Eliminate the junk food. Did I mention I've been eating not only comfort food but junk? A lot of it. I got some healthy snacks and a bunch of snack sized zip locks to carry them in. (I seriously need to buy stock in Zip Lock!) Now to implement!
7) Another girl's nite!
8) Get taxes done!
9) Complete online class
10) One long snowy hike!
But in reality, this is New England. No matter what the calendar says, step outside and its winter. Every single year, during the April snowstorm, everybody acts as if it's some kind of natural disaster. Like we didn't have a snowstorm last April. Or we won't have one next April. We will. It's New England. Spring comes in May.
Regardless, I still feel like March is the month to get moving! After the February slump, it's time to do double time to be prepared for race season (or hiking season, as it were). March is the month to really set some goals!
MARCH GOALS:
1) Make the move. Preferably somewhere south. Where spring comes in April.
2) Exercise daily. And get my butt back in the pool. I've been slacking on swimming!
3) Pick a big race and register already! I tend to be very deadline motivated. No deadline, no motivation!
4) Take the downsizing up a notch: sell off the furniture.
5) And speaking of hard to get rid of stuff: 6 more books read and given away.
6) Eliminate the junk food. Did I mention I've been eating not only comfort food but junk? A lot of it. I got some healthy snacks and a bunch of snack sized zip locks to carry them in. (I seriously need to buy stock in Zip Lock!) Now to implement!
7) Another girl's nite!
8) Get taxes done!
9) Complete online class
10) One long snowy hike!
Friday, February 28, 2014
February Goals
On February 28th, every year, I have the exact same thought: "Wow. February is the shortest month, but it seems like the longest month." It's like groundhog day 26 days later.
February is the absolute hardest month in terms of motivation for me. The newness of the January 1st resolutions have worn off, but the summer is too far away to have any real effect. Plus, it's cold. Really really cold. And snowy.
I've shoveled more times this February than I care to count. (and we are supposed to get another foot on Sunday night) *sigh* That's what February does to me. Even on an Olympic year.
So basically, this is just a very long winded way of saying - My February Goals? are a complete fail.
FEBRUARY GOALS
1) 28 day HIIT plan plus cardio: Ok, I'm gonna give this half credit. Because guess what? HIIT every day for 28 days is not a good idea. I know this intellectually. But as with all of my ill-founded ideas, it started with my getting all psyched up and not knowing where to draw the line. 28 days of HIIT is over the line. As is replicating a professional free style snowboarder's workout routine (also a HIIT program). The end result? Injury.
The upside? This unfortunate incident put me back in the slow, form-driven weight lifting mindset. I really really like lifting weights when my mind isn't all crowded with tabatta and HIIT and multi-plane functional movement exercises. Sometimes (for instance post injury) you just have to execute a no-nonsense weight program and some sensible cardio to get you past the February hump. And cut yourself some slack for calling an hour of shoveling snow "good enough for today's workout."
2) 1 new recipe per week: Again, half credit. I made two yummy delicious soups I found on Pinterest. Big ol' pot of soup on Sunday, freeze and eat many times over. However, sometimes life throws you a curveball that can upset even something as wholesome as Sunday cooking.
(Ever have a roommate who freaks out if you cook with garlic?) Yeah. Well, luckily my plan is to move soon.
3) Continue Downsizing One Thing per Day: Still doing it, still oddly fun. A few years ago I did this same challenge and posted each day what I got rid of. Really didn't feel motivated to do that this time around. There are a lot of organizational blogs out there that can make the description of cleaning out a sock drawer actually entertaining. I fear that as much as I enjoy clearing out my space, I'm not obsessed enough to make others join in my reindeer games. But I did make a lot of trips to the thrift store.
4) Secure Travel Job for March or April: Licenses? Check. Applications in? Check. Response? blank. I'm still waiting. That's okay. That's what February is for. Waiting.
5) Go skiing 2x this month: Epic fail. Not at all. I did go cross country skiing with my friend and got a taste of not only skiing myself but assisting with cross country sit-skiing. (she has a spinal cord injury) Do I count this as skiing? No. That wasn't my goal. But it was my reality.
6) Get cute Valentine's Day gifts for the nieces and nephews. Check. They really loved the gifts. And I got this out of the deal:
7) Read (and get rid of) 6 Books. Read 5 1/2 books. Got rid of 5. Not too shabby.
8) Take off some of the weight I put back on: Ok, I was going for 6 pounds, I got rid of 2. But considering that it's February, I'll take it!
9) Post 23 times this month: Um, THAT didn't happen. Can I blame the Olympics?
10) Girl's nite out with J and S: Change that to girl's nite IN, and we'll call it a winner.
And now on to the much more motivating MARCH!
February is the absolute hardest month in terms of motivation for me. The newness of the January 1st resolutions have worn off, but the summer is too far away to have any real effect. Plus, it's cold. Really really cold. And snowy.
I've shoveled more times this February than I care to count. (and we are supposed to get another foot on Sunday night) *sigh* That's what February does to me. Even on an Olympic year.
So basically, this is just a very long winded way of saying - My February Goals? are a complete fail.
FEBRUARY GOALS
1) 28 day HIIT plan plus cardio: Ok, I'm gonna give this half credit. Because guess what? HIIT every day for 28 days is not a good idea. I know this intellectually. But as with all of my ill-founded ideas, it started with my getting all psyched up and not knowing where to draw the line. 28 days of HIIT is over the line. As is replicating a professional free style snowboarder's workout routine (also a HIIT program). The end result? Injury.
The upside? This unfortunate incident put me back in the slow, form-driven weight lifting mindset. I really really like lifting weights when my mind isn't all crowded with tabatta and HIIT and multi-plane functional movement exercises. Sometimes (for instance post injury) you just have to execute a no-nonsense weight program and some sensible cardio to get you past the February hump. And cut yourself some slack for calling an hour of shoveling snow "good enough for today's workout."
2) 1 new recipe per week: Again, half credit. I made two yummy delicious soups I found on Pinterest. Big ol' pot of soup on Sunday, freeze and eat many times over. However, sometimes life throws you a curveball that can upset even something as wholesome as Sunday cooking.
(Ever have a roommate who freaks out if you cook with garlic?) Yeah. Well, luckily my plan is to move soon.
3) Continue Downsizing One Thing per Day: Still doing it, still oddly fun. A few years ago I did this same challenge and posted each day what I got rid of. Really didn't feel motivated to do that this time around. There are a lot of organizational blogs out there that can make the description of cleaning out a sock drawer actually entertaining. I fear that as much as I enjoy clearing out my space, I'm not obsessed enough to make others join in my reindeer games. But I did make a lot of trips to the thrift store.
4) Secure Travel Job for March or April: Licenses? Check. Applications in? Check. Response? blank. I'm still waiting. That's okay. That's what February is for. Waiting.
5) Go skiing 2x this month: Epic fail. Not at all. I did go cross country skiing with my friend and got a taste of not only skiing myself but assisting with cross country sit-skiing. (she has a spinal cord injury) Do I count this as skiing? No. That wasn't my goal. But it was my reality.
6) Get cute Valentine's Day gifts for the nieces and nephews. Check. They really loved the gifts. And I got this out of the deal:
7) Read (and get rid of) 6 Books. Read 5 1/2 books. Got rid of 5. Not too shabby.
8) Take off some of the weight I put back on: Ok, I was going for 6 pounds, I got rid of 2. But considering that it's February, I'll take it!
9) Post 23 times this month: Um, THAT didn't happen. Can I blame the Olympics?
10) Girl's nite out with J and S: Change that to girl's nite IN, and we'll call it a winner.
And now on to the much more motivating MARCH!
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