Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts

Monday, May 10, 2021

When a House Becomes a Home

I've been considering where we live. For me, it is so temporary. Waco isn't 'home' for me. For us. It has become just another step towards the goal. Yet, I want this place to be more like my dream home. We have been putting thought and prayer into where we are going next, but it is still to be seen. So in the meantime, I've started re-evaluating things that I've been saving for that "one day" of purchasing our first house. Wondering if we should even bother. Or are wasting our time? 

But the thought comes back to me every time - Live for today, for tomorrow is not promised. This means a lot to me. It means that I can't keep trying to gaze ahead. I can make plans in pencil, but I need to be open. I can save up for the future, but be ready to adjust course. 

Turning this place into my dream home.

Temporarily speaking, this place is my dream. I have the most important people in my life living within the same walls. Little by little, I'm making this place into what I imagine my future home will be like. 

Star Wars posters covering a wall. 

Minecraft figures will one day be lining a custom-made shelf. 

Star Wars figures will be on one shelf, and Wonder Woman on another. 

My husband will have a decent amount of shelves occupied by Star Trek, NASA, Alien, and other game themed memorabilia. 

You get the idea. My husband bought bookshelves that we lined with books for each person in our family. I treasure the ability to read. It is something I am teaching my own kids to enjoy as well. This was the start of bringing about that vision I've had for my dream home. On my Bucket List, I included wall-to-wall shelving as a library feature. 

We are Nerds. And our home greatly reflects that. I've decided to put a little more pride into that. I pulled things from bins, found places for them and started showing them off. This place is home. Time to truly embrace that feeling, no matter how little time we have left in it. 

What kind of a setup do you enjoy in your home? What theme do you find trickling into every room?

Monday, March 15, 2021

New Year, New Goals!

This year is really speeding through its gears. March is already at the halfway point! I had decided that I was going to set goals and make them happen. So many things have been vying for my attention thus far. So focus was the first trait I needed to work on to get these goals accomplished. More often than I care to admit, I find myself being a bit scatterbrained. I have my mind set on a future trip. First, Israel, then I want to see Colorado. And then to go back to the Tennessee mountains. They are on my Bucket List. Mountains! I'm thinking I don't really want to play in the snow. After the storm we had here, I'm satisfied with my snow experiences already.

Organization is key.

But back to my goals. I really wanted to get better organized this year. We have had books scattered everywhere. My daughters were the only ones with shelves for theirs. And it drove me nuts, especially in 2020. But this year, my husband got me something I'm truly in love with. Shelves! Christmas gift cards were put to good use in getting another DVD shelf - to finally separate the kids' movies from ours and give us more room.

Since we do not subscribe to streaming services or have cable, a lot of what we watch is movies we own or borrow from the library. So we have a lot of them. 

And then the book shelf he got me was perfect! I was able to put the boys' books and my own on it, while still having room to spare. So I pulled things from bins to display for a change.

I still have 2 bins more of books that I know I won't be able to fit all, but it is a great start. Since taking this photo, I have been sent more books from my mom and the shelves are nearly full.

Girl, look at that body!

I wanted to lose 45 pounds. Be healthier. My husband and I laid out the ground plans for this year and the changes we wanted to see. However, we haven't fully kept to our workout goals. Sickness and storms have interfered in one way or another. We started strong and then my body revolted. I liked working out because it gave me more energy. Sadly, the pain has been killing me. I tried for as long as I could. Now I'm going to switch tactics and work on those meals, smoothies and sleeping better. I really love skipping a meal and having a smoothie for it instead. I am also loving making skillet meals that incorporate cauliflower rice and veggies. Just wish they weren't so expensive!

Cutting back on sweets - Only 3 days a week are we planning to let the kids have treats. As for us, we are only having them on truly special occasions. But in addition to that, we are making sweets a little more on the health-conscious side. More fruit, less sugar. Got any recipes - I'm all ears! Leave me a comment below.

Reading more.

Once upon a time, I was such a heavy reader. I let it go for a while, but I'm back at it. I'm setting goals. I have lots of books to read. The local library had a contest that the kids and I were participating in. It was so much fun to log how many we read! Goodreads also has a Reading Goal function. You set how many books you want to read this year and it keeps track based on the book reviews you leave. I love being a part of Goodreads! So far, I finished 10 books for that goal. For the library contest, I've read more, but mostly for reading to my daughter. As of the time I'm writing this - I've finished reading Ensnared in the Wolf's Lair by Ann Bausum about the 1944 plot to kill Hitler and the children who paid the price for that coup. This was followed by Tales of the Peculiar, the first book in a series my mom sent me that is by Ransom Riggs.

I plan to continue that series as well as The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore. If you loved the movies Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children or I Am Number Four, then these series may be of interest to you. With how I read lately, I'm flying through them.

Starting up date nights...

On my Bucket List, I decided I wanted to make a once a month date night happen. When you are in a relationship, especially with children involved, you need that time to reconnect. To be child-free and focusing on each other. No interruptions. January's date night was awesome! We went out to try Vietnamese food for the first time. February didn't have a date night because of the snow storm that disrupted life here for so long. And that is okay. We have had to get everything back on track since then. March isn't looking like we will have one either. My husband rarely gets Friday or Saturday nights off. And one of those is already booked for a camping trip. Hopefully in April we can pick it back up!

And finally...

I have decided to get a cane. I need something for days when it gets too hard. The pain has me struggling with just walking sometimes. And I have decided that I need to accept the help that a walking stick provides. However! With that being said, it won't be your standard walking stick. Oh no! See, I'm a cool nerd. Which means this stick of mine is going to be retrofitted to my personal style. I have been researching steampunk styled canes. Usually, these are for cosplay. Mine is going to be fully functional. I've been researching making one or buying one. I like something simple like this one. Would get through airport security easier!
Ladies Steampunk Cane | Steampunk, Steampunk cosplay, Whitby goth weekend 

Or I could buy one from Etsy. I found a couple styles that are pretty. And I could potentially add more to it. Check out this one. I'm stuck on whether it is going to be comfortable to hold. Probably not this one. But it is cool, don't you think? Handmade Brass Walking Stick with Telescope Handle  Black Antique

 

What about you? What goals do you have? Any skills you want to learn? We are already a day away from March. No time like the present to begin!

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Feeling Blue, and it is Only Week 2...

We have been working out (consistently) daily for a week and a half now. About 10-15 minutes of the Just Dance 'Sweat' function, followed by 3-4 exercises from this list that I took from my insanely athletic sister-in-law. In addition, I do extra squats when I'm brushing my teeth, jumping jacks while doing the mouthwash rinse, and situps in bed before I sleep. I. Am. Motivated!

However, in just that first weeks time, I was both overjoyed and depressed all at once. How is that even possible?! 

I CAN do this! 

I am pumped to have a goal. I plan to lose 45 pounds by November. In November, we are taking an international trip. My first time leaving the United States! I'm way past excited. So I want to look my best. Additionally, we are going somewhere that will require about 9 miles worth of walking per day for the 2 weeks we are there. So I need to be in shape for this! No slowing down, no heavy breathing, no sore legs. I'm done with being overweight. Of worrying that I'm due for a heart attack at any time. My husband is right there with me. My home cooking has added some weight to him as well. And diabetes is a real concern for him. 

With all this, however, I knew that soreness would be a part of the equation. I knew that with my broken back, I would have to suffer a little more than normal people would. After all, the saying is, "No pain, no gain". Alright. I accept that. Heating pad, Excedrin, and Ibuprofen are on hand! What I didn't plan for was how much pain. The first 3 days were so hard! I had jelly legs, for starters. Those thighs of mine were so sore! But then the skin on my arm started with the burning sensation from the nerve damage in my back. Every time something touched me there, I felt like I was being burned. I also made a mistake in doing 50 situps on the floor of our living room. I have been doing them in bed for a long time now. But I figured I needed to step it up a notch. Big mistake. I have just barely gotten over the bruised lower back. Even laying back in bed caused pain. My husband says we need to invest in an exercise mat for me to use. On top of all that, for those first 3 days, I lost feeling in my lower arms and hands that still isn't fully back. Cut myself on the finger towards the end of week one, actually, and I can't for the life of me tell you how or when. Then my toes went numb. Again, the darn nerve damage was flaring. When I went to bed, the pain was so bad I had to try hard not to cry out. I lay completely still, thinking for sure that the nerve was officially calling it quits and that I was about to learn what it will be like when I finally lose my legs. 

But I refuse to quit!

Through all this, I refuse to give up. I can't quit. I won't! I will see this through. No matter what. Doesn't mean I won't cry from time to time when no one is looking. Doesn't mean I also won't be jealous of my sister-in-law from time to time. That woman gets up at 4:45 AM, works out, goes to work, comes home and does wife/mom stuff, works out and THEN goes to bed. She looks like a million bucks and acts like it isn't no big thing. She can already dead lift her own body weight! And I thought of myself as Wonder Em.... 

Then came the dreaded shopping trip. My in laws gave my husband and I each a gift card to Khols for Christmas. I'm not much for Khols, but I figured I should be able to at least find a new shirt. Or get super lucky and find jeans. No such luck. First of all, their shelves and floor space was more bare than I have EVER seen it. That was problem numero uno. Then comes the fact that my style isn't things that are trending. Or, I suppose, common? I could not find a single thing for myself. We ended up buying 2 shirts and a pair of jeans for my husband. I told him he can take my gift card and we will go back again and hope they have new stock for him to choose from. It sucked so bad. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the gift cards. My husband needed those clothes. Most of his shirts are so old they are either threadbare or  several have holes where they catch on his belt or near the tag. But they are comfy and he's a guy - so he doesn't really care. But they bug me! I just let myself hope that I would find something else so that I wasn't still wearing jeans and a T-shirt all the time. You know those memes of what people look like after the quarantine?  I feel like they may as well use my photo for them. I rarely wear anything but my pajama pants and a tee. 

Done with the comparisons...

I wanted to quit. The pain and disappointment was just so strong. What is the point? Why bother? I'm not the me I want to be. But that is the answer, isn't it? I'm not who I WANT to be. That is why I'm doing this. Why I'm fighting so hard. I want to be different. Better. I want to travel the world. I want to have better endurance. No matter the pain that comes with it. To get there, I have to push harder. I have to keep moving forward. Even if I have to crawl through some days. I have to believe that I can do this. That means I need a whole lot more prayer! And coffee.... I used to hate it. Hated the smell of it. The bitterness of it. And now I'm drinking it. Iced coffee. Sweetened coffee. My Dad would be proud, I think. It gives me a short-lived jolt that energy drinks can't match. Without the jitters! I digress. But I'm also not going to allow myself to start up the comparisons. My sister-in-law is great. But she isn't the kind of woman I want to be. I don't want to lift my own weight. I don't want to wear athletic clothes all the time. And I don't want my husband to look like Conan the Barbarian without hair. I have a different vision for the perfect me.

So here goes. Pushing myself through this second week. The numbness is still giving me trouble. My skin still burns on some days. But! I'm giving it my best effort! And begging for the strength of God to keep at it. 2021, you better be ready!

Monday, October 19, 2020

Bucket List - Dreaming Time Away

During the quarantine around the world, I have had so many moments of saying "One day" and "Eventually" that I feel I could fill an entire book. Sometimes I feel as though I'm unlikely to ever accomplish even a fraction of them. However, the dreamer in me has started my own version of an Adventure Book.I have made a list of all the places I want to go and see, things I want to do! For now, they are just dreams. And there are days when I think to myself, Just like many dreams before - these will go nowhere. But like Ellie, I have also started adding the things we DO accomplish. They aren't daring adventures. They aren't exotic vacations, but these little moments that are so amazing, or just plain funny - I capture them. I'll keep adding. I'll keep dreaming. I won't hold my breath - but hey, who knows, right?? So below, is my Bucket List. Leave me a comment about what you would add or something in common! 

Memorize 5 Bible verses a month

Trip to Japan: Stay in a traditional hotel, buy a traditional kimono,
Universal Studios Super Nintendo World theme park

Trip to Ireland: See a castle and a real pub

Scuba diving

Trip to Italy - Venice!

Ride in a helicopter 

Have at least one wall-to-wall bookshelf filled with books

Take a cruise (Disney Wish)

See the Great Wall in China

Visit Israel (walk where Jesus walked) - Went in March 2022

Stay in the undersea Poseidon Resort

Complete my ASL Interpreter degree

Own a home - Bought in July 2022

Create The Zombie Experience or The Ultimate Nerf Experience

Visit the Grand Canyon

Visit Las Vegas: Cirque Du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Jabbawokeez

Visit Colorado: Cliff Dwellings, Garden of the Gods, Casa Bonita 

Go Indoor Skydiving

Trip to Hawaii

Visit the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disney Florida and make a lightsaber

Build a snowman and have a snowball fight - January 2021 Snow in Waco!

Visit New York (just the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero and maybe Times Square)

Meet Sir Patrick Stewart

Get a mani/pedi - or just have a spa day...

Pay for a meal entirely with coins (wouldn't they love that with the coin shortage!)

Get a couples massage with my husband

Go to dinner at Medieval Times

Go to another comic con (went to some in San Antonio) 

My cosplay as Sweet Pea from Suckerpunch

Take a trip around Europe to see WW2 sites

Finish creating my dream Steampunk cosplay

My 2 cuff bracelets

Have date night once a month to reconnect with my husband

Watch a sunset over the mountains with my love

Visit Unclaimed Baggage in Alabama

Publish at least one book

Sell at least 10 copies of any book I've published

Lose weight and maintain a 145 lb average

Friday, February 1, 2019

Moving Through the New Year!

So how is your 2019 coming along so far? Can you believe that we already completed a month in this new year? Wasn't last night when we celebrated New Year's Eve? *sighs* Time keeps getting faster. Or maybe I'm just slowing down... I did turn 31 last month, after all. Now, I'm also planning a birthday party for my younger son who is turning 9! He wants a Plants vs Zombies party.

Did you have a resolution? I didn't. I mean, let's face it, resolutions have high failure rates. I did have goals. Things I want to accomplish. And so far, several things are falling in to place to make those goals come to fruition. 

  • Move 
  • Be more organized
  • Begin homeschooling again
  • Get on a new program to get my back fixed
  • Create my steampunk cosplay
  • Try out Urban Exploration
  • Start a garden
 My husband and I are moving next week to be closer to family. Next week! *insert happy dance here* This has been a dream long in the making. I started packing months ago. And now, I'm happy to report, we should have everything completely boxed by Thursday. I've been weeding out the junk we can live without and boxing up everything else. We found a beautiful little duplex with a fireplace, spacious closets EVERYWHERE and a carport. My husband will miss his garage space, but he will have an outdoor storage room instead to put all his tools in. We also had to give up a yard, but will be near two family members' homes that have large yards. Plus, there should be some parks close by. My dashing husband took my advice and got a suit for interviews use.
$20 at Goodwill led to impressing his new boss and landing the transfer he needed to get us up there. Plus, he hopes to start looking for a job in the engineer field, so he will need to have a suit for the interviews to come. Well worth the investment! The first dream is coming true!

I have also been planning to get more organized. The realization has come that as the kids have grown, so has my need to keep things in order. They all have needs and I have to adapt to those needs. So with this move, I am planning on ways to keep everything together in its proper place. No more random clutter and junk everywhere. I find that I stress out more when I look around and see things everywhere. I love being a minimalist. However, with kids, that isn't always possible. So I want to make everything more manageable. I've found ideas on Pinterest to keep me on track.

Homeschooling has been on my mind lately. The public school system is frightening to put it lightly. And if we are to be perfectly honest, all they are learning is how to take and pass a test. That is the main goal. But there is so much more that our children deserve. I want them to excel. I want them to grown mentally as well as physically. To surpass the limitations of mainstream society. I want them to know how to succeed in college and in life. So, with that dream, I am thinking that if it is possible I want to start teaching them at home. I've begun to research curriculum. I started a Pinterest board for that as well (love Pinterest!) that has all kinds of projects, helpful tips and websites I could use to get started with. My husband agreed that he would like this as well. We will teach more than just the required subjects. We will study life skills that have been lost in the recent generations. 

My greatest dream is to get my back fixed so that I can be healthy and vibrant again. In order to do this, we have to get me somewhere that has a spinal clinic included in the program that services poor people. Where we are now, I can't get help. They closed down the spine clinic right when I finally got my referral. 

My Mom sent me so many amazing things to help me create my ultimate steampunk cosplay.
This year, I'm finally going to complete it! I have a fully finished top hat and all the trimmings to turn my dress, skirt, shirts into my time traveling inspired outfit! Cannot wait!

Urban exploration is a bigger sensation than I ever thought below. And I think we have a good chance of seeing some great abandoned places where we are moving. It is like walking through history sometimes. From things as simple as a condemned house to an amphitheater. Or as grand as the abandoned Soviet hanger with shuttles still parked inside?! It is so exciting to me!

And finally, I want to start growing things. It will be a bit trying as we don't have a yard. So I'm looking at ideas to build a platform garden. Pinterest, again, came through for me on this one. 

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Getting fit with Post-it!

Okay, so everyone might not be as thrilled as I am to have more Post-it Notes. I'm a bit OCD about my organizational skills. I love to have lists and reminders. My phone, my calendar, my fridge, my husbands desk... I keep notes and lists everywhere. Doesn't mean I always get those things done, or am on time with them, but I do try! And they are helpful. 
I was very happy to be chosen for the Chatterbox pack that promotes Post-it Notes. I was sent these products, free of charge, in order to get the word out about them. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed for my opinions! They are my own and honest to the fullest.
This little paperweight does more than keep my papers in place. It keeps my ideas on the roll!

I'm liking where they are headed with their ad for this product. Its all about setting up goals and working to reach them. What better way to do that than to leave notes about what you want to accomplish and give yourself some encouragement along the way! They have this idea to create a goal board. I love it! I have goals, but all too often I find myself giving up on them. I suffer a setback, a failure, or I fall short of what I aimed for. Next thing I know, I don't want to try anymore. I know that I have to push harder. That giving up won't accomplish anything. Without that steady push and encouragement, however, I slip into the rut of, "Why bother?"

These Super Sticky Post-it Notes can help with just that. They are 42% more likely to stick. So stick them where you know you will see them repeatedly. Where you have no choice but to read and see them often. 

I'm trying to lose weight. I want to do this to improve my health and get more energy. So I'm going to push myself and encourage myself with these. I'm going to place them on the fridge as a reminder to grab water instead of milk to drink.
On the pantry door, they can remind me to eat fruit or veggies or even some nuts before I grab the Nutella and crackers.
On the mirror, one can remind me to put in some squats while I brush my teeth.
And maybe one at the computer to remind me that I need to sit up straight with my feet flat on the floor while I type out my blog posts... 

I'm going to set my goals. And this time, I want to be a Goal Getter! What would you use Post-it Super Sticky Notes for?? 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

I've come a long way...

I've been cleaning up and going through stuff. I've got a move or two to get ready for in this upcoming year. Going through pictures and packing them away, I got to glimpse my life in stages. To see my personal history in still frames, really puts it all in perspective. It renews the hopes I had for a brighter future. Some of the most memorable parts of my life's adventures, are in these photos below. I encourage you to look back and see how far you've come. No matter what you don't like now, find the things that you do like. Have you grown stronger? Wiser? Gained a special skill? Are you getting where you want to be? 

About this time, 17 years ago, I went under the knife for my first spinal fusion. I felt like a huge weight had been put on shoulders. I could move, but it was all stiff. There were nights when my pain was excruciating but I could barely move myself off the couch that had become my bed. Crying myself to sleep, I learned what true pain was. I also learned to manage it. To be stronger. It takes a lot to make me cry these days. Even more to make me turn to pain killers for relief. 

My next major life change was the day I become a mother. Since my spine is fused, I can't have an epidural. And considering how small a woman I am... I felt EVERYTHING. But my screams of pain were soon replaced with tears of sheer joy. I couldn't hold my little boy at first since I lost so much blood that I could only lay there shaking. But he was truly the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. I'd take that pain again any time to relive that moment. 
Now I'm a mother of three. I work a full time job, juggle life, and strive to stay ahead of the chaos. I have a long way to go to reach the dream I currently have. But I'm taking it a step at a time.