Late weekend updates.

You guys, this week has been busy.  We did have a pretty kick-ass weekend, which was the perfect way to end my spring break (41 days, 41 days of school left). (Oh, and you can totally see these in "real time" if you follow me on Instagram!)

 [This guy overwhelming my work space]

 [Trying to perfect the sock bun...not sure it will ever happen]

 [Layers, boots, and a messy room]

 [Beer, beer, and beer.  Think extreme...beer in tequila barrels.  Holy hangover]

 [I started my mini-happiness project early]

 [A million cuddles with my favorite]

 [Amazing bike ride to Tasty Beverage for beer, cheese and crackers.  Guarantee I'll be doing this shit weekly.]

After such an amazing end of the week/weekend, I had to find a mantra for the week.  

To be honest, the beginning of the first day back to school was awful.  I almost broke down in tears.  It ended up being ok though.  I did start my day with yoga and really tried to focus on the positive.  I ended my day by winning something (I NEVER win) and coming home to our chicken coop!  More to come on the coop later!

Here's to a quick hump day and speedy Friday so we can start our weekend!

Fresh start.

It's time for me to turn over a new leaf.  I complain a lot.  I talk a lot about figuring out things that make me happy.  I'm consistently feeling like I'm in a rut.  The reality for me is that I can not change things.  There's plenty of quotes over on Pinterest about changing things to be happy.

Source: etsy.com via Kristin on Pinterest

I can't change the "big" things in my life, the things that occupy much of my daily time and my scale of happiness.  I can't change my career.  I can't change my loan debt.  I can't change my income.  I can't travel all the time.

Source: designeditor.typepad.com via Kristin on Pinterest

What I can do is change small things in my life.  I can change my mindset.  I can be happier.  I have the freedom to be happy (and I'm brainstorming a new tattoo to make this a daily reminder).  I truly do not think I will ever be 100% happy if I can't learn how to make happiness, not stress and frustration, a daily part of my life...through the best, worst, and not-so-good times.  Now I don't want to get ahead of myself.  When I was teaching middle school, I started adopting a mindset of positivity every morning.  It worked...for about a month.  It's time for a new plan, a fresh start.

Source: ks-waiting.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Time to use these five simple rules for happiness.  In order to not overwhelm myself, I'm employing Gretchen Rubin's (author of one of my favorite books, The Happiness Project) method of having a monthly goal.

Starting immediately after spring break (April 9), it's time for my own mini-Happiness Project.

• Yoga - at least 3 mornings per week
• Gratitude/quote journal - record in it prior to yoga

[Yoga for Beginners Boxed Set]

D ordered this awesome boxed yoga set for us recently.  I did the am Gentle yoga last weekend and loved it.  I've been going to beginner yoga at the YMCA since January, and I love it.  It's become a relaxing, calming way for me to start the week.  I think hope that the am yoga is going to be the perfect way for me to address the happiness rule #2: Free your mind from worries. 

[via Amazon]

I know the gratitude journal seems cheesy.  It's just that all of these great quotes, mantras, mentalities just slip my mind so quickly.  It's time to change that.  It's the perfect way to set my intention and end my yoga practice in the morning.  It's a way for me to maintain my mindset because I can carry it with me.  Whilst researching a gratitude blog, I did come across this little gem...

[happy tapper!]

It's a really cute app that let's you record five things per day that you're grateful for.  It is designed in the cutest way!  I may use it temporarily since 99 cents is cheaper then $12 for the physical journal.  I do think I will invest in the journal if I can maintain this goal.  

Tell me, what keeps you happy on a daily basis?

Just popping in.

I wanted to pop in real quick on a Saturday.  I'm headed to Athens today to spend some time with my family since it's my sisters' spring break too.  I'm taking my computer, so I won't be lost and alone in Georgia.  Being on spring break (and having a glorious two week spring break) has made me really grateful for a some things recently.  I'm grateful for...

• Having the time to sleep long enough to feel rested and wake up on my own.
• Having the time to eat my breakfast and drink coffee while I blog
• Waking up next to D Bailey D & Bailey when it's not dark out
• Running errands during the day
• Although it bemoans me to say it, I'm grateful to have a job that allows me this wonderful spring break no matter how fast it may fly by.
• D: for taking me on awesome trips, for helping me purchase things that make me happy, for taking care of and loving me

Of course I could go on, but I'll keep it simple and sweet.  I just stumbled upon Whitney's blog the other night (and now I'm currently obsessed), and she reminded me that I'm free to be happy.  Sometimes it feels like a never-ending battle when the majority of your days are consumed by a job that feels like it has more frustrating days than not (or days that give you literal, physical anxiety...I should probably take something for that).  I need to keep my head up and remember to make that daily decision to be happy.

Source: society6.com via Kristin on Pinterest

[It's a midset.]

Source: myniceprofile.com via Kristin on Pinterest

[I saw this a while back and tried to make it a daily mantra - I think it faded after a few weeks]

Source: ks-waiting.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest

[I've got some ideas for this]

Let's go forth and be happy.

What the holidays mean to me.

With all the gift guides and decorations, I really wanted to reflect a bit on what the holidays really mean to me.  Based on my own beliefs, part of me wants to shun the Christmas season.  I sometimes feel hypocritical celebrating a holiday that is founded on things in which I do not believe.  Upon further contemplation, I have decided the holiday season is really about what it means to me. 

Well, what exactly does it mean to me?  Let’s make this thought-provoking post a little bit simpler:

-Spending time with friends and family – so often I don’t want/enjoy traveling down to Georgia, but I actually look forward to it around the holidays.  I definitely feel lucky to have such a long break as a teacher that allows me to enjoy my time more.

 [MPK loving her gifts last year]

 [We got to enjoy a white Christmas in Georgia last year]

-Being merry – I have found this a bit difficult this year.  The school days are creeping by, and the students are acting out.  Nonetheless, there is something about twinkling lights, a warm house, and eggnog that brightens my spirits.

[Garfield Christmas and Home Alone :: My two favorite holiday movies to curl up with D to watch]

-Giving – I absolutely love gift giving.  I adore searching out the “perfect” present for everyone in my family.  There is something that is so fun about it.  This year, I’ve been into homemade gifts which add another element of pride to gift giving.  I love for recipients to have something that lots of time and love was put into making.  Gifts are a way for me to show those that I really put thought and effort into something I hope they will love.  It's a way to say thank you or I love you.  Unfortunately, D and I waited a little too late to get a student from my school to sponsor, but the season definitely makes us give to charity/help our community more than we do through out the year (which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but better than never giving I suppose?).

 [Gifts under our tree]

-Food – It’s funny how some of my favorite foods/dishes are cooked only once per year.  What better reason to look forward to a season than for food you only eat once.

 [Sweet potato souffle, mac-n-cheese, stuffing, turkey...yum]

Are my reasons superficial?  Yep.  Regardless of what you believe, I think we can all agree that the original “reason for the season” has long fallen by the wayside.  You have to make the season about what it means to you.  We have to make that special point to celebrate and remember the reason for the season, if that's what we believe.  Create your own traditions.  D and I have made our own traditions, and I look forward to celebrating those holiday traditions that are special to us.  

 [Christmas 2008 - we may have retired the tree but we're still going with artificial + the same ornaments, add a few]

 [2008 - Torturing Dressing up our cats in the same Santa costume...we're doing it yearly and it never gets old!]

 [Since 2005, we celebrated by spending Christmas night together.  A good ole steak meal was our homemade meal of choice in 2009.  We've made new traditions since moving to NC.]

 [Traveling with the dogs is a new holiday tradition!]

With 7 days until we head off to the Bahamas, who knows, maybe we'll make a tropical vacation a new holiday tradition!  

No matter what you believe or what holiday you celebrate, I hope that you are able to get past the commercialization that the season has become.  Enjoy this time to curl up with someone and watch funny holiday movies.  Try something new (like crafting a holiday gift or decor for your home or cooking)!  Laugh with family and/or friends.  Be kind and thankful.  Give to others who you normally would not give to and thank those co-workers who help you get through.  Find a new, special way to celebrate your religious beliefs with those close to you.  Build new traditions and take lots of pictures :)

January, goodbye. February, let's call this a fresh start.

January 2011 has been a shitty month.  It's unfortunate really.  I wanted a great start to this new year.  In spite of all my gratitude this month, it's time for me to vent.  Terrible/annoying/frustrating happenings of my month:

• Two major breakdowns related to work
• Constant overload of stress related to everything piled on the plate of my life
• Not being able to close on our house (not for good, just this month)
• D's car breaking down on his way to Athens
• Ridiculous unexpected costs related to fixing said car
• Mounting frustration in my job and not being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel
• Snow days that end up equating to more work for me in the long run
• Inconsistent running due to said stress

I feel like I could go on further, but I'm afraid I'm becoming redundant.

[New day, new month, new beginning]

So I'm wiping the slate clean and starting over.  Tomorrow begins the fresh new month of February and I intend to embrace it head on.  I still have just as much on my plate, but I need to focus on the positive.

• We WILL close on our house this month 
• The month of love and almost marks one year of marriage for D and I
• Tax returns (fingers crossed)
• Praxis (teaching test) scores (although this could be good or bad)
• Stout fest at the Raleigh Times on Valentines Day...what better way to spend Valentines than with a grilled cheddar, avocado, and tomato sandwich, huge salad with the best balsamic, and Terrapin Wake N Bake
• Registering for my first 5k of 2011

It's time.  I am starting to consider getting the 30 day shred which I hear so many people talk of.  I'm not seeing too much weight loss with my running and think I need to devote more time to toning.  If you've tried it (or have another cheap DVD/program you use), let me know.  I'm still going to maintain my gym membership, but figured I may be more efficient with toning at home.

February, let's try this again...

I am graceful.

First and most importantly, it's ALMOST FRIDAY!  Whew.  What a relief.  Although as I type this, I think about my friend Claire who is a stay at home mom.  Fridays probably don't mean the same thing when you are literally doing your job 24/7.  I'm grateful for the fact that I do get some break from my job.  Even when I take home work at least I don't have to be around the students all that time.  And over summer break, I'll have a complete escape.  I am lucky.

One Wednesday, D and I were lucky enough to go to an Allagash beer dinner at the Busy Bee in Raleigh.  I always feel a bit weird taking food pictures when I am surrounded by people I don't know at a beer dinner.  I didn't get any pictures from the dinner, but I did come away one a couple temporary souvenirs.  I dressed nice since I relish those times I can utilize fancy dresses and heels.  After about six high gravity beers, you can get to feeling pretty nice.  On the way out, I loudly gracefully fell down the stairs.  I mean, feet out from under me and I'm pretty sure I slid down a couple steps.  Luckily those beers did have me feeling pretty wonderful and I laughed it off with a couple of people.  I woke up the next morning (feeling fine although like possibly some of that beer was still in my system) with a massive blue and green bruise on my arm.  I also felt some pain in my ass.  I yi yi.  The bruise made writing on the overhead a bit tricky and painful.  And I had no one to show the bruise to!  D left to go out of town and I was by my lonesome.  I don't think a picture would show it very well, but I figured you all might get a laugh out of my drunkeness clumsiness. 

I'll be working on some quality posts this weekend. Happy Friday :)

Happy December.

Number 1 - when did December get here?  I remember the beginning of October I was thinking, "I'll be lucky if I make it to Christmas."  Well I guess I made it (almost).

Number 2 - December comes straight out of nowhere and then will be over in a flash. 

I'm sort of drawing a blank for a post idea.  I'm on my lunch breaking during this beginning teacher training program I'm in.  I'm doing this today and tomorrow I'm observing a couple teachers at another school.  It is a nice and much needed break from the students.  They have literally been driving me crazy this week.  It's unfortunate that every day that goes by, I am feeling more and more beat down there.  I can do it though.  Since I've been such a negative nancy lately and totally skipped out on any gratitude posts in November, I wanted to just list a few things that I do have to be happy and positive about!

• Going home to see our families for Christmas - I haven't been back home since September!  
• Getting paid on December 21 instead of the 28th - MUCH needed for December AND I can hit up Target's after Christmas sale
• Having a husband AND one that does so much around the house and accepts (most of the time) my laziness
• Being in our new home at Christmastime - I love the pride D takes in taking care of it and the feeling I have of wanting to decorate it
• New friends and opportunities in Raleigh
• The fact that I DO have a job and got to move out of Georgia
• The trips and vacations I've had the opportunity to be a part of - as much as I complain about wanting/needing ANOTHER vacation, I am so lucky to have been able to visit and even live in some amazing places
• Reading - It's like I rediscovered a passion!  I adore going to the library and reading.  My recent reads list should be an upcoming post

I could go on but I won't for now :)