Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Play

Inspired by Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, I took some time at the beginning of this year to write out a monthly goal to help me start taking steps to be the person I want to be and live the life I want to live. For example:

                              February: Love isn't love 'til you give it away.
                              March: Clean in the cracks. And schedule it!
                              June: Write. 
                              August: Cook.
                              November: Create.

I chose November to be a month to create things, hoping that I could get Christmas things out of the way, leaving December for...

Play.

December is an excellent month to play, between the get-togethers, concerts, plays and musicals. I often get stressed with so much on my plate, but I made a good attempt to get some of those things out of the way, such as gift buying. Now all I have to do is enjoy myself and soak up the season (for the most part).

I made a list of things I could do to feel the Christmas spirit and really enjoy myself this month. To be reasonable, my goal is to do at least 5 of these things:

Make a ginger bread house.

Go to a Christmas concert.

Read a Christmas book.
(any suggestions?)

Give.

Make a Christmas decoration.

Clean to Christmas music.

Go sledding or play in the snow.



What do you do to feel the holiday spirit and enjoy yourself this time of the year?

Monday, November 29, 2010

More Thankful.

I meant to follow-up my last post with another, more substantive gratitude list. Instead, I chose to drive on snowy roads, field worried calls, hold my newest nephew, play with my less new nephew, stand in line at Kohl's 3 in the morning where I did not by a thing, eat myself into a chick-flick-watching coma, and hang out with my family.  Thanksgiving has passed, but not the gratitude in my heart. So...

I am grateful for my family. They make me laugh, make me mad, give me hugs, let me grow, feed me, encourage me, pinch me, tease me, share a kitchen with me, teach me, worry about me, and love me. I am so grateful for them. I've been thinking more and more lately that I would choose them to be my best friends if I wasn't thrown in a family with them. What luck.

I am grateful for my friends. I have a good handful of friends that I can call to tell about my newest endeavor, latest heartache, or yet another story of how cute my nephews are. They love me and they think the best of me.

I am grateful for my job. Yes, really. My actual job isn't too bad, but it's the people I work with. They are awesome. I've learned a thing or two about real estate and how to handle difficult people and conversations. I see good people living even better lives and it makes me keep hope in people. They are such a good support to me.

I am grateful to serve in Primary. At church, the Primary takes care of (the little ones) and teaches kids from 18 months-11-year-olds during a 2-hr block of our 3-hr church. At first I was not overly excited. I mean, those little rascals can be scary sometimes. They often have wet hands, most often from being in their mouths, chatty mouths, except for when you want them to use them to sing, wiggly little bodies that do everything but sit still. And then they sit on your lap, sing at the top of their lungs, tell you a sweet little tidbit about Jesus, listen, participate, learn...

I am grateful for opportunities. This means going to school, getting together with new people to make freezer meals, being able to experience a live concert, to do new things and to grow my abilities and interests... 

And I'm grateful to move into the Christmas season, hoping I feel its spirit as strongly as the Thanksgiving spirit of thankfulness.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thankful.

I have so many things to be grateful for and I'm terrible at expressing it. Some random things I'm thankful for are:

1. My fabulous bed! I believe it is a little too comfortable, as I never get out of it on time.

2. School. It is difficult to be grateful for the classes, teachers, deadlines, tests, and every other obligation we've spend most of our lives trying to get out of... until you don't have it anymore. Going back to school has been such a great blessing for me. I'm a much happier person when I'm constantly learning.

3. Vegetables.  Yes, I said vegetables. If you've spent any amount of time around me, you know that most of my meals are meatless. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good filet mignon every once in a while, I just don't have to have it every day. I just love my peas, corn-on-the-cob, broccoli, green beans, carrots, peas, squash, zucchini, peas...

4. My job. While I do not work at my dream job with my dream salary, the people I work with couldn't be any better. I'm very grateful for the examples and support they are to me.

5. Music. I don't immerse myself in music often enough, but I did this weekend and it is amazing how much cleaning you can do while singing your lungs out to some Kanye, Alison Krauss, Norah, whatever...

6. Cooking. I love to be in the kitchen for hours on end, without a deadline. Chopping, stirring, tasting. It is also therapeutic for me. And what greater reward for a hobby than fabulous food at the end?

7. Sewing. Let me preface my comments by saying I'm not the best at this. My sisters-in-law got into sewing after I did, but they have passed me up in recent years with their quilts, baby clothing, make-up bags, and purses. My list isn't as expansive, but I do have fabulous ideas. This weekend I finally made throw pillows for my bed, pictures to come, and a receiving blanket for my 1-week-old nephew that I get to meet in 2 short days. The best part is that they don't even look too handmade.

8. Shopping. I especially love places like Hobby Lobby where you can wonder for hours to gather ideas. This is one of the few places that you can also fill your cart as you go because the prices are decent. I love clothes shopping, too. When I let myself make the drive to the Park City outlets I usually set up camp in the Banana Republic.

9. Exercising. I am grateful that I have a gym membership now. They have fun classes, like Zumba, where you don't even realize that you're working out. I also like the hard core treadmill and lifting weights approach. It is usually an awful inner battle to get me there, but I love that clean feeling you have inside after a workout.

10. My little body. How can I talk about exercising and not express my gratitude for my body? First of all, I am grateful for how it is responding to the aforementioned exercising. Slowly, but surely. I am also grateful for how it takes care of me, even when I don't take care of it. And how it really steps up its game when I eat less chocolate (gasp!), take supplements, eat fruits and vegetables, and drink more water. It has been so good to me. In fact, most people don't think I look anywhere near my age of 29. Now that is a body to be grateful for.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Rock Star Riott


My oldest nephew, Riott, will be turning 3 later in the month. His mom asked me for a little idea help for his birthday party since his only request for his party is pink. Ha! Kinda funny to see his mom freak out over his insistence on the color while she also insists that all colors are gender neutral. Trying to make this both a boy and pink party, she has chosen a rock star themed party with colors like black, gray, and the highly-anticipated pink. As you can probably tell from the above picture, he rides the rock star train frequently. Well, she should know by now that I'm probably not the best person to ask for a little help from, so here's a lot of idea help for what is sure to be a memorable celebration.

Invitations
  • Do a photo shoot of him as a rock star to include in your invitations (or e-vites).
 Activities
  • You could have stations: a hair station to rock-ify hair (colored hair spray), a tattoo station, a photo shoot station to capture their inner rock god, sparkly make-up station, Guitar Hero station...
  • Have the kids dress up as soon as they get there. Provide fun, flashy pieces in place of goody bags, like rock-star glasses, blow-up guitars, jewelry or anything else Oriental Trading can convince you that you need.
  • Coordinate with parents ahead of time the kids' favorite songs on a playlist to blast throughout the party or to convince the kids to karaoke to. Or you can play Riott's songs of choice throughout. Ha! I can only imagine what that would sound like, though...
 Food
  • Use cookie cutters to have star-shaped food... little pizzas, pb&j, rice crispy treats...
  • Pop rocks. Rock their little worlds.
  • Guitar cake. Here's some inspiration for your personal cake maker, Grammie...




Special Touches
  • Mom and Dad, as my SIL pointed out, can wear security shirts... or bodyguard shirts. Same goes for little brother since he isn't really little... okay, fine. He can wear a rock star in training shirt or something.
  • Take a little inspiration for the Hollywood Walk of Fame by having stars lead up to the party location. You can even put the names of your little guests on the stars. Chalk may be the easiest way to do this.
  • You can have a red (or pink!) carpet for them to walk and hire some paparazzi (parents, Carla...) to give them the full star treatment.
  • Disco ball, guitar, or star pinata.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Live Life More Fully?

I've been thinking about what it means to live life more fully because, frankly, I feel like there's a lot I'm missing out on. I don't know too much about getting to that point, but I do know this:

I want to give more of these. 


I want to smile more.
(even if I have braces AND bands)

I want more adventure.
 
I want more music in my life.
(I was watching Glee last night and I can't tell you 
how happy I was experiencing the music.)

I want to learn to cook better.
(because it feeds my body and my soul)


Until I am clear in my wants, I will borrow these thoughts from William Arthur Ward:


I will do more than belong - I will participate.

I will do more than care - I will help.

I will do more than believe - I will practice.

I will do more than be fair - I will be kind.

I will do more than forgive - I will forget.

I will do more than dream - I will work.

I will do more than teach - I will inspire.

I will do more than earn - I will enrich.

I will do more than give - I will serve.

I will do more than live - I will grow.

I will do more than suffer - I will triumph.


Thursday, November 4, 2010

Pretty Little Things

I love food. And I love pretty things. What better combination could there be than these amazing dessert tables? I hope to be able to create something as beautiful someday. I have given my youngest sister this dessert table bug and we hope to beautify our other sister's mission homecoming with a similar creation in February. Fingers crossed...

 





Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Watching the Leaves


"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time 
to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
- Elizabeth Lawrence
 
I love this time of year. And I just can't pinpoint why...

       It could be the leaves that change to various shades of red, yellow, orange, and brown.

       It could be the the light the streams through the open blinds without heating up the apartment.
 
       It could be the start of the holiday season when I get to spend time with family.

       It could be the overwhelming feelings of gratitude that consume me.

       It could be the stillness.