Resolution Review: January

Now that January is already over(!) I thought I would review my goals for 2015 and write about what I want to continue to do or change in February.

More detailed information about each of goals can be read here. Now to review my progress (get ready, it's a little long):

Exercise at least once a week. This was a big fail. I did "8-minute abs" one time and that is it! I just never felt motivated in the evening to go to the gym. I was usually tired after a long day with Luke and felt like I would much rather be home hanging out with Phil. I could have done some more ab workouts I guess, but I usually just forgot.
Working out is hard for me. It has always been hard for me to stay motivated on my own. If I had a friend to go with me I know I would be much better, but its hard to find someone else who wants to do the same things and has the same schedule. The only time I feel like I was really dedicated was after Luke was born and I wanted to lose the baby weight. I walked every day and did ab and weight training every night and I loved it. But, after we moved to Utah, I got out of my routine, and then the weather starting cooling down, and now I never work out at all. I know I should, but its hard to find the time with the little guy.
With all that being said, I have decided to try to adjust/add to my goal and instead of focusing on traditional work outs, which I never maintain, I am going to try to walk more again because that is something that I actually enjoy and can do during the day with Luke instead of having to try to find time to go to the gym. That works out well because I am adding another goal to my list which is to drive less (see below).

Eat less sugar. This is a goal that I thought I would really struggle with from the start, but has actually gone much better than I expected. My plan was to slowly cut back on sugar by skipping sweets for two days a week, then up to three, then four, then five. Knowing that I wasn't cutting sugar out completely I think really helped. I chose to skip sugar on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I was able to stick to it without too much trouble. I did have cravings some nights, but just reminded myself, "I can have a sweet tomorrow" and then was able to forget about it. February will still be two days of no sweets and then in March I will go to three.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. First of all, thank goodness Sprouts moved in just down the street from us because that has really helped me to stick to this goal. I am the worst at eating enough fruit and veggies, and even though I cook dinner every night, I often forget a side dish. I was determined to be better so I started buying salad every week as well as all kinds of fruit and vegetables that I could snack on during the day.
I don't like eating salad. It's not that I don't like the taste, but I don't like how much work it is to add other veggies to it, and then to try to get those darn leaves on your fork. But, it really was the easiest way to get a serving of vegetables every night with dinner, plus Phil loves salad. And, surprisingly, after several weeks of eating it almost every night, I am starting to like it too.

Keep a one sentence journal. Fail. Big fail. I wrote in my journal one time. I'm not sure what I need to do to make this happen. I still want to do it, but I forgot a lot, and when I did remember I was kind of just too lazy to actually do it. I'll try again this month.

Write a novel in 30 days. Since this is just a one month goal, and I haven't chosen my month to accomplish it yet, I can't say much about it, except that I am still excited to make it happen, and still determining which month will be best. (I'm leaning toward March or June right now).

Drive less. As noted above, this is a new goal that I added in the middle of January. When Luke was smaller I used to divide up my errands and do one or two of them each day of the week, just to give me a reason to get out of the house. I didn't always like driving somewhere everyday, but it helped me from feeling crazy being inside with a baby all day long. Now that Luke is bigger, he can play more and doesn't need the same kind of attention (although he still needs a lot). He loves to go for walks, and go to the playground, and go to story time at the library.  I have decided to stop driving as much and to walk instead (if its reasonably possible to do so) so that Luke can enjoy some time outside and I can get a little exercise. The weather has been extremely nice for January in Utah and so we have been able to walk and play outside a lot more than I expected we would this time of year.
Not driving as much has also helped me to avoid impulse buys, save money on gas, and stop wasting time at stores that I don't really need to be at. I can spend more time doing things at home (like sewing!) and enjoying the times I do go out more.

Recommended Reading: The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up

I have been reading a lot of books lately about organizing, simplifying and minimal living. I don't read them because I feel like we really "need" them, Phil and I are both pretty neat, organized people and we never hang on to much clutter. But, I still really enjoy them (I guess that's the nerd in me). I enjoy getting new ideas. I enjoy the new perspective that living with less gives me.

I recently read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and I loved it. Most of the organizational books I have read all pretty much say the same thing. They tell you when you should get rid of your stuff (when you haven't used it for a year, when it breaks, when you no longer have a place for it, etc...), how you should get rid of your stuff (work on one room at a time, get rid of one thing each day, etc.), and then how to store the things you keep. I like to clean and I like to get rid of stuff. We get rid of stuff all the time (I take a bag to the thrift store every couple of months at least). But none of the books I have read have taken the approach that Marie Kondo does in this book.

She only has one rule when it comes to when to get rid of stuff: get rid of everything that does not bring you joy. And she has one rule for how to get rid of stuff: all at once.

Obviously, some things you just need to have, whether they really bring you joy or not, like toothpaste and toilet paper and wash cloths. But really, when you think about it, most things do require some thought and choice on your part and you should choose the things that you love and make your house feel like home and then get rid of the things that you don't love and that don't bring you joy. This perspective may seem trite, but actually it really works. We hold on to so many things for all the wrong reasons: "maybe I will need it one day, it still works just fine, I spent so much money on it, it was a gift, etc." Even if all of those reasons are true, if you don't love the item, why are you keeping it?

Her second rule, that you tidy your whole house in one go also makes a lot of sense. She doesn't imply that you should actually do it all in one day (unless you actually can do that) but that you continue to work on tidying, in the order she suggests, until you are done (maybe over the course of a week, month or even several months if necessary). If you stop in the middle of the process, or do things out of order, there is a greater chance that you won't finish, or that you will rebound to your old ways and start collecting clutter again.

I think one of the things I loved best about this book was that it takes the focus off of discarding and instead emphasizes enjoying the things you have. I have often focused too much on getting rid of things to make our space neat and tidy, only to find that I have to get rid of things again before much time has passed at all. Instead, if you focus on the things you love, and why you love them, you stop buying unnecessary objects and later don't have so many things to discard. It has really made me appreciate my belongings more, and even given me a new outlook on the things that I have gotten rid of. Rather than feeling guilty about discarding something that I didn't use that much, I can still appreciate it for helping me to know better what I do and don't like, and then I can move on.

Also, my sock drawer. Kondo talks about socks in some detail and at first I thought it was ridiculous. I have always rolled and folded my socks in the same way everyone does (fold the elastic band of one sock over both socks to have a little bundle) and couldn't believe that it really mattered. But, I was curious enough to try out the way she recommends and I cannot believe how happy it makes me. not only do all of my socks now fit in a drawer half the size of the one they were in previously, but I can see all of them at once instead of having to dig around to find the pair I want. I was so excited by the outcome that I did the same things with Phil's socks, and he loves it too. This new way will definitely keep me from over-buying in the future.

I didn't take a before picture of my sock drawer, but I got one of Phil's which pretty much looked the same as mine did before I organized it: 

And this is after I added some magic, plus fit all the socks in a smaller drawer. My drawer looks pretty similar, except that I have lots of tights and peds along with my socks. 

Have you read this book? What did you think about it?

My Resolutions for 2015

It's no secret that I like to make goals. My type A personality gets a high off of list-making, and especially off of crossing things off of that list, so it should be no surprise that I get a little giddy with each new year. It's exciting to think about what I might be able to accomplish. A whole year ahead of me! What should I do with it?!

I just finished reading The Happiness Project, and I got a lot of ideas about how to approach my resolutions this year. I want to stretch, but I also want to be myself. I want to try things I have never tried, and also get better and doing things that I should already be doing. I want to be realistic about my life. I have a one year old. We live on a tight budget. There are some things that won't happen this year. But that's ok.

Here a my resolutions so far. I'm still working out some of the details, because I know that you can't just make a goal without having a plan to accomplish that goal, but for now I wanted to at least get them written down.

Exercise at least once a week. I know, I know, exercising once a week isn't going to get me into shape. But right now I don't exercise at all. I know that I'm not going to do it everyday, and its unlikely that I'll even do it every other day, but once a week? I can do that. I really enjoy walking, but its pretty cold these days, so if I don't get out for a walk with Luke I will go to our gym and run on the treadmill. If I don't get to the gym, I'll do some cardio/stretches/ab workouts inside. I'm trying to be realistic here, so as far as I'm concerned, any kind of working out is progress. Hopefully as I go along I can increase what I do.
Eat less sugar. I have a serious sweet tooth. I eat a lot of sugar. Every day. I know that I should cut back, but it's hard. I've tried to just plain stop eating sugar cold turkey, but that only lasted for about two days before I gave in and ate a whole bag of skittles. So, this time I'm going to try to, again, be more realistic. Here is my plan. During the month of January and February I will be allowed to eat sugar 5 out of 7 days of the week. Then, depending on how that goes, in March and April I will cut it down to 4 out of 7 days. Then down to 3, and then 2 days. I don't think I will cut it down more than that, because, I like sugar. I see no reason to get rid of it altogether, but cutting back will definitely be better for me.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Along with eating too much sugar, I don't eat nearly enough fruit or vegetables. Its harder in the winter to find good fruit, and I don't love salad, but I know I need to make more of an effort. A new Sprouts is opening right by our house so I am hoping that I can find some better produce there that will help me stick to my goal.
Keep a one sentence journal. I used to write in a journal almost every day for years. Then I got married. I have tried on and off to start writing regularly again, but it never sticks. I got the idea for one sentence journal keeping from The Happiness Project, and I think it may work for me. Just sticking to one sentence takes off a lot of pressure to keep a record of everything, and instead reminds me to just write down the best thing of each day.  I read before I go to sleep almost every night, so I think I can sacrifice a few of those precious minutes to write one or two sentences.
Write a novel in 30 days. I have always wanted to write a novel. I have started bits and pieces here and there. I even tried NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago, but November was just too busy of a month to finish. I've decided I will try a less busy month, like March or June, but most importantly I am just going to focus on writing, not on publishing. Whenever I sit down to write something, I always just want to edit it before I get very far, and I always think about whether or not anyone would every read it. This time, that won't matter. I don't care if my novel is good, I just care about trying and finishing. 

That's all for now! Wish me luck as start this new year!

Recommended Reading: Taking Charge of Your Fertility

I think I first heard about Taking Charge of Your Fertility while reading something on KellyMom, (a great resource for breastfeeding, by the way), and it sounded interesting, so I added it to my "to read" list. Later, I looked to see if I could check it out from the library, only I find that five people already had it on hold ahead of me. After a few months it finally made it to me and I hurried to read it since there were then nine more people waiting on the hold list after me. Apparently this is a very popular book, and now after reading it, I see why.

I found Taking Charge of Your Fertility to be an incredibly empowering book. I learned more about the female (and male too) reproductive system than I had ever known or heard before. I was so fascinated with everything that I learned and I couldn't believe I didn't know it before.  This book teaches about the "Fertility Awareness Method", or "FAM" which debunks the myth that most women have a 28-day cycle and ovulate on day 14, which is what most resources and doctors will tell you. Whether you are trying to get pregnant, trying not to get pregnant, or just want to be healthy, this book is for you (in other words, every single woman should read this book!).

Learning FAM will allow you to track your own fertility signs, which include waking temperature, cervical fluid, and cervical position (which the book explains is an optional sign). Tracking these signs is super easy and only takes a couple minutes each day. By knowing your own body and its fertility signs you can avoid using other methods of birth control, which often have unpleasant side effects, or be more likely to conceive if you are trying to get pregnant. Knowing this information also allows you to be more in control of your own gynecological health and provide useful information to your physician that they could otherwise only obtain through a series of tests.

Around the same time I got pregnant with Luke, I had two friends that were also trying to conceive. Both of them had been trying for nearly a year with no success, and both of them ended up seeing fertility specialists. One was able to then conceive after using Clomid, and the other conceived a few months later naturally. I felt lucky (which truthfully, kind of was luck, because we were following the ol' 12-17 day rule to get pregnant, not actually knowing when my most fertile days were. Now I know better.) that I was able to become pregnant so quickly when I realized what difficult and frustrating time they were both having.

Now, after reading this book, I wish I could go back in time and give it to them! It could have saved them so much grief. Usually, doctors make you try for a year before you can see a fertility specialist, but as explained in this book, if you are tracking your own fertility signs, you can know within 4-6 months if something is wrong. You will know if you aren't ovulating, or if you just have especially long cycles and ovulate later than the standard day 14 (which most women do!). With that information you can go to your doctor and explain your concerns, show them your charts and they will likely be able to help you sooner than one year. That doesn't mean that you won't need any other kind of intervention, you may still need to use Clomid or other fertility drugs, or your husband may need tests done as well, but at least it gives you a good start.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility looks like a big book, but it's really a pretty quick read. Even though it discusses biological and medical terms, it is not at all difficult to understand. In fact, you, like me, will probably feel surprised that you didn't already know something so simple about yourself. The author does a great job teaching about FAM and answering all of the questions you might have. About a third of the book is an appendix which includes sample charts, pictures, diagrams, FAQ, and anything else you might need to better understand. Seriously, get this book. It will change your life.

Have you read Taking Charge of Your Fertility? Did you love it as much as I did?

P.S. You can get more information about this book and FAM here: www.tcoyf.com

Weekly Tip: Take Care of Yourself

Have you ever noticed that you seem to get a lot more done during the day when you have taken a shower and gotten dressed than when you stay in your pajamas? Because homemakers stay home, it's easy to think it doesn't matter if you get dressed or do your hair or makeup, but doing those things does have an effect on your attitude and productivity.

I know that its not always easy to squeeze in a shower, let alone put on makeup, when there are little ones around, but if you make it a priority to make a little time for yourself each day you will be better able to care for everyone else that needs you.

Let me be clear though, when I say "do your hair and makeup" I'm not talking major work. Most days, I wear jeans and a t-shirt with a bit of mascara and I straighten or curl my hair or wear it up. On days where I know I will be going out or seeing more people, I might do a little more. Like everything, its important to find a balance. Does staying in your pajamas all day make you a bad mom? Of course not. Is it necessary to start each day in stilettos and a full blow out to be a good homemaker? Of course not. 

Treat your career as a homemaker the same way you would treat any other job. Would you show up to the office in sweats without having showered or brushed your hair?  Probably not (unless maybe your office is at the gym), so why show up to your husband and kids that way?

You would, however, show up at the office dressed in such a way that others know that you take yourself and your job seriously. It is not vain to do so, it simply says that you are a professional and that your job matters to you. Hopefully, your career as a homemaker matters to you too, and by taking the time to care for yourself each day, you show others, especially your family, that you are giving your job, and them, your best self.