2013 Goals

I feel like I accomplished a lot in 2012 related to my physical fitness. So much healthier, physically at least.

My 2013 goals focus a lot more on my emotional/mental fitness.  They are still a work in progress, but at least a starting point. And more than goals, they are more like my own personal Happiness Project.

Additionally, I just found out today that the nagging leg pain I've been experiencing is in fact a stress fracture.  So, no more running or other strenuous legwork for 4-6 weeks for me.  Sure puts a damper on some of the goals I was contemplating for 2013.  I'll re-examine them once I'm healed though and see.  In the meantime, hopefully I can maintain my cardiovascular health.  Anyone have any tips for doing that without using your legs?

I tried to come up with twelve items with the intention of focusing on one per month, although I haven't really determined which ones are first.

In no particular order:
1) Be a better Mom
2) Breathe more energy into my life
3) Foster friendship and community
4) Improve my attitude
5) Make more time for play
6) Rediscover and nurture my passions
7) Take my professional presence to the next level
8) Focus on fitness - especially emotional & mental
9) Remember love
10) Accept myself
11) Overcome fear
12) Own my strengths - inner & outer

I'll try to expand on each of them more later as I determine specific goals and action items within them.  But it's a start anyway.

I'm very much looking forward to 2013.  I have lots of hopes and aspirations for 2013.  It is going to be a good year, I can feel it.

What are your goals for 2013?

~A

Coming clean...

I've had another bout of no-blogging-itis.  I had a lot on my mind and was swirling about and ultimately went back and forth and just didn't prioritize blogging. 

But I think I'm back again.  Well, hopefully anyway.

I've alluded to something that's been going on in my life in quite a few posts in the past few months.  I've circled around it.  I've implied it.  But I've never actually admitted it.  I think I'm ready.

I'm getting divorced.

Yes, it's happening.  It was my decision.  My choice.  But that hasn't made it any easier to deal with.

I feel like a huge failure.  I feel awful for hurting loved ones.  I feel horrible that my daughter and my marriage is now just another statistic.  Honestly, in the short term - it completely sucks.

But I had to think of the long term.  I wasn't happy.  I wasn't reaching my potential.  I take the blame. I take the fault.

Long term I want to be happy.  And it's important to me that my daughter sees me as a strong female role model who shows her how to be happy and achieve her dreams.  That's what is important to me right now.

So please be patient with me while I try to pick up the pieces of my life.  I'm trying to do the best I can with what I have.  I'll try to blog about it when I can.  But we will see.

So, now that proverbially the elephant in the room has been talked about, perhaps I will feel like I can move on and talk more about what's going on with me and how I'm continuing to try to be a fitter mommy.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful 2013!  Farewell to 2012!

~A

I am thankful for....popcorn

I LOVE popcorn. It brings me comfort. I love the texture. I love the taste. I love it almost anyway.

I consume far more popcorn than the average person. I can just eat and eat and eat more of it.

Thankfully it isn't the worst food in the world for me I guess since I do not load it with butter. Usually I just like it with spices.

So yummy!

What is your comfort food?

~A

I am thankful for....cyber Monday deals

I am usually not a huge cyber Monday shopper and its been close to a decade since I went out on black Friday. This year however I found a deal I really could not turn down. I really want to do an obstacle course 5k in 2013 and low and behold like a sign, there was a deal for a 2013 race. Guess who is officially signed up for Warrior Dash 2013?

This girl!

September 21, 2013.

I am excited, scared, anxious, ecstatic....so much. Scary to book so far in advance but damn it I need to start doing the things I want to but have been afraid to in the past.

Did you get any good cyber Monday deals?

~A

I am thankful for...reading

I took a couple days off again to unplug and I did a lot of reading. I had a very rough week last week and I think I may have hot the emotional equivalent of rock bottom (at least I hope anyway...I can not imagine much worse!).

So to cope, I did a huge amount of reading this weekend both on my own and with the Little.

I read "The Road", "City of Bones", & "Born to Run". I also read a couple magazines I had sitting around that I had not had a chance to get to.

The Little & I did lots of reading together as well. She is currently loving the Little Critter books which is fun.

I personally love reading since it transports me to another place. I love also showing my baby that reading can be so fun.

Have you read any good books lately?

~A

I am thankful for....farmers

I am lucky enough to live in a rural area with plenty of farm country. Add to that the fact that I was born and raised a country girl. Result - I appreciate the hard work it takes to put a meal on the table.

As part of my effort to shop local, I supported a local far, I love by buying my winter supply of ground beef. I love the fact that you can drive by the cows, see them happily grazing in the fields. I am by mo means a vegetarian, although I am trying to eat less meat these days, but I do want to make sure that the meat I eat came from animals that were treated as humanely as possible and that they got a chance to live.

So I drive past the fields of happily grazing cows to a local farm stand and purchase locally raised beef. And its deliciously awesome and priced better than it is at the big box market. It was $4.99/lb and its very lean....probably like 90-95%. Plus this weekend it was $5 off $50, so I bought 10 pounds to stock up and save a few dollars.

I am thankful for the farmers in our area and that they provide food for us. I am also thankful that I know how to garden and grow some of my own food thanks to my family.

~A

I am thankful for...traditions

Today the Little and I set up our Christmas tree. I am starting this as our Christmas tradition.

I decided to surprise her and I set up the tree while she was napping. I let her nap on the couch and set up the tree in the living room right behind her while she slept. I took her a while to notice the tree when she woke up, but when she did, she was sooooo excited. It was definitely my favorite moment of the day!

She kept saying things like, "Mommy, there's a Christmas tree in the living room. It's magic. It is so pretty!"

So today I am thankful for traditions with my family. They keep us grounded and remind us of the things that really matter in life.

What traditions do you have?

~A