VERYYYYYYYYY PINTEREST-ING!!!

PINTEREST is one of my main obsessions!

It's a one-stop shop for pretty much anything you might want to do, anywhere you may wish to go, whatever you may need to learn... Name it, PINTEREST likely has boards and pins to motivate you, or inspire your existing creativity. I find myself perusing PINTEREST usually at night, when the house is quiet, and my imagination springs forth from its daytime hiding spot. As I browse the infinite (seriously, I don't believe there's an end to it!) possibilities to behold, I find myself calming... relaxing... 

Having finally begun picking life back up from a sickly slump since January 1st, I decided it's time to get on with 2013. It's been years since I made resolutions, because I was always proclaiming to reach unattainable goals and gave up, so why bother?! Now I've realized I can make subtle life changes, at least to start, that could end up being huge advantages for what I ultimately strive for daily: 

A LIFE LIVED WELL.

Recalling my stratospheric New Year's #Fails of past years, I've decided to begin slowly, and turned to PINTEREST for some of my fave pins to light the proverbial fire. Snap crackle pop! Here I go! Baby steps!

Having the proverbial 10 lbs to lose but hating exercise per se, I realized if I combine portion control with just getting off my butt, should combine to produce result enough to maybe even plunge deeper in the workout pool. I'm no longer a fan of Nautilus, stretch bands, or the tortures of P90x. Using my body weight is a productive idea for toning at least, and since it's there lying around doing nothing anyway, I figure fast walking, biking, and the routines above and below, should reap rewards for me!

Haven't yet made up my mind which to choose for my beginning, but I'm leaning toward the above, and doing them before a shower is a great habit to get into, since I hate 'working out' in the mornings and evenings and have no time in the afternoons for rigid routines. These won't take long, will tackle the core, and help keep me flexible. 

CLEANING. Bleh.... even the word makes me want to just hide in front of the computer for hours.

Like I'm doing now! But at some point I have to bite the dust bunny bullet. I found a 15 minute routine that isn't the best for my active OCD tendencies, but which will placate me until life frees up the time and energy to vacuum 3 times a day again. NOT. There's other facets of life I'd rather delve into than vacuuming, but this schedule will be 'good enough' until it isn't. 

The effort it's taken to just figure out this smidgeon of how to proceed effectively in this new month of this New Year, has made me feel like rewarding myself! PINTEREST has me covered, as always!

This handy little recipe is so simple, and so yummy (according to the comments and re-pins), it's a perfect way to round out a busy day. Quick and easy, my kinda stuff! (ROBA!)

I can already see myself with a cuppa milk, cozy couch side, diving into Season One of 'Downtown Abbey'! I read the reviews, thought it had possibilities, but when people went berserk over it, I didn't watch it. I always feel like such a sheep when I follow things that EVERYONE else is doing. Which has caused me to miss Seasons 1-3 of 'Sex and the City' before coming to my senses. 

And when I become a bit snoozy, I'll hit pause and head for bed, where I shuffle off to slumberland while leafing through my new book about Kate Moss and her life to date. Love me some Kate, since Day 1. An amazing story, amazing life, amazing photos. What a wonderful way to hit the hay and waiting for the Sandman to bless me with a serene slumber! And if he stands me up?!

Well, I just know there's a PINTEREST board for that!

~Do You Hear What I Hear!

Resolutions are soooo 20th Century! Lifestyle changes are where it's AT! December's final week finds everyone scrambling to discover everything they wish to change about their lives and themselves. WE often choose impossible goals, believing we'll feel like 'better people' if we achieve those goals. When the entire year passes and Mt. Kilamanjaro is still unclimbed, we feel they've let ourselves down because we're not 'enough'. When the 40 extra pounds doesn't fall off in a week, we feel guilty about that one piece of chocolate. Which sends us straight to the entire box. And a bag of chips. And eating every little thing we know we shouldn't, cos we already have, so why not... I'm all for dreaming, and dreaming HOOJUNS, as my then 2-year old nephew used to say. I've also learned that I don't care for self-flagellation. Resolutions are made to be broken, goes one of my hated cliches, so I resolve to not make any resolutions.  Can't break what ya don't make! 

Instead, I choose to pay attention to my instinct. If you really listen, your body and your soul will help you decide what, and who, works for you, and what doesn't. Like garlic. I love garlic. Garlic hates me. It's hell going to an Italian restaurant and telling the server I can't eat garlic! Correction. I CAN eat garlic. But if I do so, garlic will hand me one mother of a payback! I find garlic issues throughout my daily life. Only now, I have garlic's number. My Self-Sabotaging Self is screaming at my Better Self to just LISTEN. Learning to actually HEAR has been one of the hardest lessons of my life, and was going totally against my lifetime nature. This internal civil war raged on inside of me for this entire past year. But what a weight was lifted from everything about me when victory was achieved! People, places, things... all in their proper perspectives in my mind's eye, and in my heart. Even through sadness, I feel such boundless freedom, to be me. To wade through life leaving behind as much stress, negativity, and insanity ('Doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results'~Albert Einstein) as possible. And to face the winds of change headfirst, relishing the chance to JUST BREATHE, and see what amazing life the future holds!

Pick and choose your battles wisely. Forgive and forget. Or simply forgive; you bear the brunt of that stress, and move on. Stop right now, or at some point today, and really think about what you can and cannot tolerate. Who makes you feel supported and loved, no matter what, and who makes you anxious just thinking their name to yourself. Refuse negative repetition; no more brick walls to bang your head against! Remove any and all toxicity from your life, as best as you can. Then sit down with that hot chocolate with extra creamy whipped, cos all things in moderation are healthy! Walk, run, skip or play a bit extra the next day: you'll feel happier and cancel those extra cals, by having FUN. Do YOUR life, YOUR way! NOW, can you hear it????

Let the bells of freedom chime in your mind, and feel free to be yourself!

Find your brass rings! Search for every silver lining! Reach for the stars!

Make that lemonade! Hang your own moon! Smile in your mirror at your sassy self! 

So much is possible, if you only believe in yourself!

HAPPIEST NEW YEAR!

May 2012 be filled with enlightenment, joy, laughter, and the strength and courage to get through everything else! 

~PEACE~