Respect Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself!

This year is about simplifying my life. One thing that I can't really ever simplify is being a mom. Being a mom is by far the hardest role I've ever had in my life, and it's the newest part of my identity as well. Everything about myself, starting about 18 months ago, has taken a backseat to being the best mom I can be. No other part of who I am or was really truly prepared me for the whirlwind of motherhood. Yes, there are ways to make life a little easier but parenting is hard work. I can outsource plenty of the chores or errands that exist in our household but you can't really outsource being a mom.

I've been fortunate enough to have a husband who steps up and supports me when I need to take a break for myself, but it's always been little doses of "me" time up until now. It's been nothing more than a few hours here and there to go get a haircut or massage or read in peace. The fact that "me" time has to be something that I need to fit into my schedule makes me sad, for no other reason than me wondering who the hell am I the rest of the time then?!

Well, maybe I can't make motherhood simpler, but I can make it the day-to-day of it more enjoyable by taking care of myself so that I can in turn take better care of Little Girl. I truly believe that you have to take care of yourself first before you can give your best shot at anything else. It's like on airlines when the flight attendants tell you that in an emergency, you need to put your mask on first before you assist small children (or others who might need help). You need to give yourself a chance to breathe before you can be much help to anyone else.

This weekend was a huge step for me in terms of doing things for myself that I used to do and loves, but have neglected to fit into my current lifestyle. For one, mama went on a bit of a shopping spree and bought some pretty things for the house and some much needed new clothes. Ok, so the pretty house items were mainly to organize Little Girl's toys but it still makes me happy to get some order back into my home and have nice storage to look at. It may not have been the most glamorous purchase or the most luxurious, but when you're like me, order and organization are such satisfying parts of life.

Pretty baskets make me happy.

As for the clothes, I didn't even mean to buy any! But somehow I ended up at Target, in the clearance section, and next thing I knew, I was heading home with a bunch of new tops, a couple of dresses, and a spiffy new jacket. I'm really excited to wear my new stuff, but at the same time, I'm hoping in the next few months, I will have to get new stuff! 

But why in the world would I need to buy more clothes so soon?! Well, this weekend was the first time in a LOOOOONG time that I made myself workout and actually finish. I popped in one of my workout DVDs and completed the entire 30 minute routine. Yeah, I know, 30 minutes doesn't sound like that much time, but when you haven't really exercised in months, maybe even a year or more, then those 30 minutes can seem never-ending and brutal. Luckily, I pushed through and was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't more tired than I expected to be.

Post workout: The smile masks the pain.

I also made another purchase that I'm REALLY SUPER EXCITED about... I bought season tickets to Broadway in Chicago!!! If you're unfamiliar, Chicago has a great theater scene and some of the biggest and best shows grace our wonderful city with their amazing presence. Season tickets allow me to attend about five shows (plays and musicals) for a package price. I was too late to get tickets for the Spring/Summer shows but I'm locked in for the Fall/Winter! The catch is that you can't pick which shows you see - they're already pre-planned. I can't even be mad about that though because I'll be seeing Hamilton!! It's the latest, buzzed about show around, and I'm beyond excited to experience it myself!

SO EXCITED!!!

So what prompted the resurgence in theater-going? Well, next weekend, my husband and I, along with our family, will be seeing my two lovely nieces as a part of their high school production of Thoroughly Modern Millie! I'm not too familiar with this show but that's never scared me away from seeing other plays and musicals I didn't know. I realized this was going to be the first time in a long time that I was seeing a theater production of any kind. My husband and I used to go more often before we had Little Girl, but it's an interest of mine that fell dormant. Well, it's been reawakened! Here's the kicker... I'll be going alone! Someone has to stay home to watch Little Girl and my husband was more than willing to let me pursue one of my interests again on my own. 

Sometimes, a part of taking care of yourself is more than just the outer maintenance. You need to tap into those passions and hobbies that you cherish. You need to focus on yourself and indulge some of your wants and needs. I really feel like this weekend has been a big win for me. As I fill up my soul meter with some good vibes, I'm hoping it will give me the energy I need to tackle the projects I have lined up to simplify my life.

Cinderelly, Cinderelly; Or, Make my to-do list disappear

It's inevitable that if you can't always seem to get your act together (and who can?!), then at some point, life's to-do list gets a bit overwhelming and can seem out of control. How can you tackle the never-ending string of tasks that keep piling up? From the minor to the major things that need to get done, I'm working on finding ways to whittle down that to-do list and bring back some order to life.

Thanks to my happiness guru, Gretchen Rubin, I've found two tricks that really can help, even if I don't consistently employ these tactics myself. All you have to do is decide how much time you have to get something done. Don't worry, it's not that hard of a decision to make, as you might think.

The One-Minute Rule
If you are faced with a task that will take less than a minute to do, then DO IT! I don't know how many times I made my to-do list worse because I didn't tackle something the moment I noticed something needed to be done. Think about it - changing the toilet paper roll, putting away a dirty dish in the dishwasher, recycling some junk mail - these are tasks that truly take no time at all, but we are all guilty of putting it off, for no better reason than being lazy. Then you find yourself in need of TP when it's an EMERGENCY, you've run out of clean plates to use, or you have a pile of mail that needs to be sorted. Even if it turns out to take more than a minute or two, I find that I feel better getting something done and out of the way. It's one less thing to think about. I keep a real pen-and-paper list so I actually have to remember to add something to my list if I don't do it - so the list keeps growing if I don't follow the one-minute rule!

Power Hour
It's funny how the longer you put something off, the more intimidating or time consuming it can seem. If you know you have a task that will take more than a minute but you're not quite sure when you'll have time to tackle it, then I suggest blocking off a power hour to git 'er done. Simply enough, you spend one hour focused on your task. Set your timer, do the work, and stop when the timer goes off. Even if you don't finish, you will have accomplished one more hour's worth of work than you had been accomplishing. You'll probably find that you don't even need the whole hour for some things. Gretchen Rubin suggests doing a power hour once a week, but I find that every now and then, I have an extra hour to spare during the week so I try to take advantage of the extra time when I can. I'm a planner by nature so I like having a scheduled power hour but if I come across a spare hour (or even just 20 minutes) then it can really help go a long way to crossing things off the to-do list.

Now don't fret if you don't think these times really work for you. There are plenty of other pieces of advice floating out there - you can take 10 minutes every day to tidy up, or maybe you want to break up a big project and spend 30 minutes every evening on it until it's done. There's no wrong way to get your to-do list done. For me, as long as I work on something, and it eventually makes my life simpler by not being a nuisance on my mind and time anymore, then that's what counts.

So, have I been perfect at utilizing the one-minute rule or setting up my power hours? Absolutely not. But when I actually take a minute or an hour to do something, it's always been a productive use of time, and I never regret getting something done. Do I wish it had been my bright ideas to spend a minute to tidy up or to take an hour to deal with a looming task? Sure! But since they weren't my ideas, then I'm glad I was at least introduced to Gretchen Rubin so I could stumble onto her ideas!

Now I can cross off writing this blog post from my to-do list this week.

LYLAS, KIT*, Or How I'm Simplifying My Social Calendar

One of my broad goals for the year was to spend more time with my friends and loved ones. I tried to make it more specific by setting aside the second Sunday of every month to do something with my peeps. So how is that going?

Weeellll...

I did great in January, back when my initial ambition and eagerness were in full force. The second Sunday in February ended up being my birthday but I saw friends at other times in the month. I didn't plan anything in March but I did see a few friends and family members during the month.

This month (that'd be April) I didn't do anything (again) on the second Sunday but I did go out to dinner with a few friends on the second Saturday... which totally counts to me!

It was a small group of us, but it was a great time catching up with everyone. It turns out that I really enjoy smaller gatherings and a big part of that is probably due to my introversion. Say what you will about the definition and traits of an introvert but these things are true of me: I am more engaged and animated in smaller groups or one-on-one interactions, and I do not enjoy being over-stimulated such as being in large crowds or at big parties or hopping around to multiple locales.

This dinner was perfect for how I do best in social settings. Four people (including me), sitting down to eat, lots of conversation and laughter. The most stressful parts of the evening for me were probably figuring out how I'd get to the restaurant (cab) and standing in the crowd of people waiting to be seated. That's not too bad on the grand scale of stress.

I'm probably going to have to figure out how to manage my social calendar (and my goal) a little differently for the rest of the year. I'm not a fan of planning a big group thing, and it can get hectic trying to juggle everyone's RSVPs or food preferences or whatever else comes up. As much as I love seeing my friends, sometimes the hassle to plan is more than I can take, and it seems easier to just ditch the whole idea and stay home in my pajamas.

Luckily, I have some awesome people in my life who will drag me out of my home and get me out and about. There are dinner plans already in the works for May, and I'll be trying to get some one-on-one time with a few other people. It sucks that I can't see everyone or make it work to get a big group together all the time, but it's ok in the long run. I feel much more comfortable when I can give my attention to a few people at a time, and it gives me a better sense of reconnecting with those people who made time for me too.

Having said that, if any of my friends want to see me, let me know! You know how to reach me. :)

*For the uninitiated of acronyms from bygone youth: LYLAS = Love You Like A Sister; KIT = Keep In Touch

Simplifying life. Or, What was my point again?

After a quick review of my last few posts, it dawned on me that I've strayed from the whole point of my blog. Sure, I've made updates on how I'm doing on some of my peripheral goals this year, but this blog is about my one word year. This blog is supposed to be about how I'm finding ways to simplify things in life.

So how am I simplifying my life? I think there are many areas of life that would benefit from some clean up but the easiest thing to tackle is the physical stuff. I've always had a weird obsession interest in organization, decluttering, storage solutions, and anything related.

Having said that, it's easy enough to be interested in having a less cluttered house and simplify life with fewer material possessions, but it's not that easy to put into place sometimes. I've amassed so much information about organizing the home and how to store things beautifully, but I've always been overwhelmed with the idea of doing anything about it.

Exhibit A: The junk room.

Last year, I thought I had figured out the answer to my troubles. I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. If you're not up to speed on this decluttering phenomena, then here's my explanation in a nutshell. You tackle your clutter in one big effort, in a methodical and systematic way by going after item-type, not by room, one item at a time, one type after the other. (I.e. Clothes, books, etc.) The simple criteria is you keep the item if it "sparks joy" in you. (I'm definitely not doing justice to Kondo's process so it's better you read up on it yourself.)

Unfortunately, I never implemented the "KonMari" method of tidying up. However, one thing that I've taken away from the book is the concept of items sparking joy. As I attempt to declutter my house one item at a time or one room at at time (totally against Kondo's concept!), I decide if the item gives me joy. It sounds easier than it is since you really have to decide if you're feeling joy or maybe something else (sentimentality? ambivalence?). I've managed to clean up a lot of things using this strategy though.

Another strategy that has helped me comes from my happiness guru, Gretchen Rubin. The first of her Twelve Personal Commandments is "Be Gretchen". Granted, this is her personal list and she's referring to herself, but the idea still resonates with me. I have to accept my likes and dislikes and know my limitations. I have to "Be Kim". That means I have to accept that I won't be a scrapbooker or make my own beaded jewelry. I've gotten rid of lots of things after I really made myself dig deep and decide if those items were contributing to me being authentic and genuine.

Our home is still a work in progress and I definitely still have trouble with getting rid of certain stuff, but in general, I've been decluttering away. I've cleared space on counter tops, I've donated or sold unwanted items, and I'm figuring out how to store the stuff we are keeping in more aesthetically pleasing containers. 

In the meantime, everything else goes into the junk room until I can deal with it.

March Madness! Or, How I Can't Get My Act Together

Well, with all good-intentioned resolutions will eventually come stumbling blocks. I will call my stumbling block "March 2016". I've been pretty mediocre, and maybe downright pathetic, at following through with some of my goals this month. Sure, I could make up a laundry list of reasons but I'm not really here to air out said dirty laundry. Actually, it's more like gently worn and might require a sniff test. J/k*. I'm just lazy.

Here's what's up... I haven't posted a damn thing this entire month. I've drafted a few ideas but nothing's been catching my interest for me to bother beefing up and posting to the interwebiverse (patent pending... well, no... not really). I was doing pretty well on my photo challenge for the first half of the month but hit a creativity block (which resembles me not checking my challenge topic list on a daily basis) so nothing's been going up on Instagram except pictures I've taken of food. Mmmm, food.

But check it out, here's what I've been doing in the meanwhile, since I haven't been posting here:

Every year, I fill out a NCAA March Madness bracket, much like thousands upon thousands of Americans. Except I know squat about college basketball, also like many other thousands of Americans. My method is simple. I select teams using an arbitrary algorithm I've created and which resides solely in my brain that factors in the school's name, the mascot, the team colors, and the ranking. Essentially, I guess and hope for the best. All of this (lack of) effort is pretty much to see if I can beat my husband at something he takes rather seriously. Turns out though, my pick to win the whole thing was a bust early on. So Hubs and I are counting how many teams we chose correctly overall and tallying it up. Whoever made the most correct picks wins! Grand prize: an ice cream sundae!! Hubs says the whole thing is wrapping up soon (like I'd know, heh) so I'll get to find out shortly if I win or not. (I'm one pick behind him and hoping beyond all hope that I get my sundae, dammit!) 

I also celebrated my wedding anniversary this month. It's been 6 years of marriage and 8 years together. We had a long-overdue day date to the movies and lunch since it's been awhile that we've gone anywhere in daylight without our Baby G. So why didn't we have a romantic dinner date instead? Glad you asked! Because I had a very important date to see Nick Carter in concert that night... without Hubs! That's why!

"Hi, my name is Kim. I'm 31 years old. I've been a die-hard Backstreet Boys fan for more than half my life. Nick Carter is my favorite."

"Hi, Kim!"

Something (else?) cool happened this month. I won a free book giveaway on Goodreads! It's The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg. This is actually the 5th book I've won over the last several years. I'm really looking forward to reading this one! As for the past books, I only read 2 of the 4 that I got. Though, I have every intention to read the other 2 this year, finally!

Also book related, I finally finished the Chronicles of Narnia series. It's taken most of my adult life before I ever bothered to look into the series, and took over the past 2 years to get through all seven books. I feel very accomplished now, and I've been basking in my own self-approval. *smug smile*

As far as my other goals go, I haven't been very good at recording moments I want to remember with my daughter. She's a toddler now and at an age when she's constantly surprising us with the new things she's learned or picked up. It's quite difficult to keep up with, honestly. My heart breaks a little for my future-self who may not remember little things like when Baby G started using certain words correctly or when she figured out how to do something new, but my present-self is very much enjoying the moments and soaking it all in. In that respect, my heart fills up a little more and sometimes I think it will burst with love and pride when I just sit and observe my little girl. (You know, when she's not throwing a tantrum or something).

So, there you have it. A month later, I finally checked back in to my blog. I'm hoping to do better next month. Until next time (whenever that is....)!!

* "Just kidding"

Let's catch up!

I haven't been keeping up with posting to the blog lately. I've been meaning to post every Sunday night but the last couple of weeks haven't worked out that way. I have quite a few ideas cooking for future post topics, but in the meantime, let's review how February has been for me.

My photo challenge went really well. Sure, I missed a day or two and even posted some photos late, but the point was that I actually kept myself looking for those moments to capture and share on my Instagram account. I am really proud of some of the shots I managed to get. Head over to my page and check out what I was up to!

My step challenge went really well too. Most weekdays went well and I stayed close to my 10,000 steps/day challenge. Some days even went over! I actually won a FitBit "Workweek Hustle" challenge that I was in with some friends. Also, the change I made to my weekend goal of aiming for 2500 steps/day instead was exactly what I needed this month. I was able to shoot for 2500 much more easily than squeezing in 10k on a weekend day. I felt good that I was able to stick to my goals!

I wasn't doing too good on my eating habits. Not much to report on that, but I've decided to take a bit of a different approach that might suit me better. I'm not a fan of the idea of diets that deprive me of something or are low-carb/low-fat/low-whatever. I'm just going to rearrange when I eat things. My breakfasts will be more protein heavy (eggs, meat, peanut butter, diary) so that I satiate my hunger early on and stay full longer. I want to aim for more plant-based foods at lunch so salads, soups full of veggies, and wraps or sandwiches with less bread, if possible. At dinner is when I'll carbo-load. I don't mean to go nuts with carbs but that's when I'll have my fill of pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. I don't plan on going nuts with this "guideline" but I'm hoping focusing my meals will help me choose more wisely. If I can get myself to track my meals, that will help me check if I'm sticking to my plan.

I've managed to get a lot of reading done this past month, even though I meant to slow down of the year. I got into reading all of Gretchen Rubin's happiness books and couldn't stop. She is a big reason why I keep this blog and reading up on her work just felt like the right way to get motivated and creative with my blog. Hopefully I'll get my reviews posted eventually but those aren't my focuses right now. The other books I've read are just plain fun for me... except Anna Karenina... that's the pick for the Eclectic Readers book group and I can't get myself to finish it! That may be my Everest to conquer this year, if I don't finish in time for our discussion.

February also marked the month of my 31st birthday. It's been a good month for me. I'm hoping March is going to be good too! I'll be celebrating my 6th wedding anniversary with the Husband. There are a few events with friends on the social calendar. I look forward to tackling some books that I've left unfinished on my nightstand. I hope to step up my efforts for my health.

One more day to get through February. Happy Leap Year!

PS) Here's my March Photo challenge. It comes from a 2013 post on the Embracing Beauty site. You can also check my Photo page in the top link bar or go see what I've pinned on Pinterest.

One Year Older! One Year Wiser?

"I want to be 90 and wise AF but look young and hot." -LO

On Sunday, I turned 31 years old. 😲 (Yes, my birthday was, is, and always will be on Valentine's Day.)

When I turned 30 last year, I didn't expect to be hit by that cliche realization that I needed to take better care of myself. But it did hit me.

For the past year plus, I've been attempting to get myself in better health and just take better care of myself. I can't say that most of it comes from being more mindful and conscientious. Honestly, I just want to look good.

Does that make me shallow? I don't care.

I've been obsessed with skin care. I have a new routine that seems to be helping my face, but unfortunately I still suffer from adult acne and blackheads. Not a glamorous thing to admit, but it happens. Anyway, it's nothing special and I don't use any specific kinds of products. (I've never been much of a brand person.) I make sure to wash my face every morning and to use exfoliating scrub every night. I use toner and micellar water, interchangeably. A little acne spot treatment where needed. Every other night, I swap between night cream and a glycolic peel. Every now and then, I might use one of those rotating scrub brushes or maybe a clay mask. It sounds like a bit much but it's actually not that hard to keep up with.

I've also been trying to be more active. My key focus is to walk the recommended 10,000 steps everyday to be considered active. I usually manage to hit this goal most weekdays, but weekends are my down time, so I strive for 2500 steps. No real reason why, just something to get me moving. In the past, some days I don't even break 1000, so this was at least an improvement. Eventually I'd like to exercise more regularly but I'm not there yet. Im not a fan of gyms but enjoy workout classes. I don't mind doing workout DVDs at home but find that I don't always have the self-discipline needed to stick to them. I'll figure something out for myself, but for now, the walking is a huge win for me. I've gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight and maintained it. My legs are much more muscular and stronger than they were. I'm not going to scoff at any of that.

My real down fall is my diet. I LOVE food!!! So sometimes I let myself indulge a bit much and I don't use much self-control. I don't mind eating healthy, but I have a hard time sustaining that habit. I'm trying to get myself to follow a simple 80/20 rule -- 80% of the week, I will try to eat as well as I can, and then I will allow 20% of wiggle room for the delicious-but-not-so-good-for-you food. I haven't succeeded yet but if I can pick back up the habit of tracking calories, I will probably have a better shot.

Anyway... this isn't very compelling stuff, but I hope that now I'm 31 years old, I'm going to attempt to take things a step further. Now that I have an active toddle to chase around, I really want to be as healthy as I can be for her and for myself.

Quote by my awesome friend LO. She is beautiful, smart, talented, and an all-around badass. She welcomed me into the "Mommy's Club" with open arms, even though we're separated by over 1,000 miles. She is a top-notch feminist. She makes me laugh like hell. She is pretty damn great. So, LO, if you're reading this, this is my love letter to you. Don't let it get to your head, though. I need one of us to stay grounded. 😎

The Me I Will Never Be

Want to know a weird way to simplify life? 

Admit the things about yourself that you secretly fantasize about and hope will come true one day. This is a surprisingly effective way to come to terms with your true self and diminish the amount of guilt (or whatever negative term) you feel about yourself.

Things I will never be/enjoy/do:

• Be fancy - even the slightest. Dressing up and putting on makeup is for super special occasions and even then, I'm usually underdressed. 
• Be a human music encyclopedia - for some reason, I think I will have the time and energy to listen to all the great music EVER made and just know randomness about Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, etc. 
• Be a jet setter - I like the idea of being a world traveler, but I have a hard enough time getting myself to go on long weekend trips an hour away from home.
• Be artistic, like singing or dancing - Maybe I'm creative in other ways, I don't know, but I am not musically inclined whatsoever.
• Be a gardener - I do not have a green thumb. Plants die in my care. I already know my future home will have the smallest yard ever.
• Be a persuasive salesperson-type - Nope. 
• Be a scrapbooker - I want to save memories, but I think I need to figure out a different way to do it.
• Love spicy foods - I can handle a little bit of heat, but I will never enjoy having my mouth on fire.
• Wear makeup - I don't wear makeup daily. My bare minimum effort is moisturizer lotion. Step up is mascara and lipstick. Eyeliner and eyeshadow for when I feel ambitious. Anything beyond that means I'm trying to be fancy. (See bullet 1.)
• Wear heels over 2 inches tall - Hell no.
• Going out - I really like being home and being on my computer or reading a book. Yes, I make plans and go out occasionally. But I will never fully 100% want to go out more than staying home.
• Know how to decorate my home - I watch HGtv with the hope of suddenly developing an eye for interior design. Except that I decorate my home with things I like, find comfortable, and that sure as heck don't match or make a "statement". My home is for living - no style magazine covers to see here, folks.
• Be even nerdier - This one is weird. I consider myself more of an academic nerd. I was good in school and did really well in most subjects. Sometimes though, I think I didn't get into enough of the extracurricular nerdy/geeky things that I should've. I can't even begin to explain this one. Let's just leave it be.
• Politically informed - I wish were better about learning more on topics that intrigue me and researching politicians and their platforms. I get garbled up, click bait tidbits and then move on. As much as I want to know more, I'm not sure I'm going to do anything to change that.

These are a few of the things I know for sure that I have secretly wanted to do more of or be better at. Some things about myself, I already admit to and have no problem with: being a lifelong fan of the Backstreet Boys, not enjoying sports (watching or participating), and who knows what else that I can't think of right now. It just seems like if I can come to terms with the life I imagine having and really focus on the one I'm already living, then it will serve to simplify things like what I will spend time, money, and energy on.

Owning up to the me I'll never be let's me actually enjoy being the me I already am.

Did you get that??

One Month Check-In

It's been officially one month since I started to live my life by my one word theme(s). So far, I would say I'm doing well, even if not much has changed overall in my life. Here are the updates of what I've been up to:

My photo-a-day challenge

So maybe I forgot a few days but I'm really proud of myself for figuring out a new form of social media (Instagram, wha wha!). I'm also proud of myself for being more aware of my surroundings so that I could find ways to complete a daily photo challenge. It was an exercise for my creativity skills, which I honestly don't practice enough. I'm wrapping up January's challenge and looking forward to the pictures I will take in February.

Second Sundays
There's not much to report back on this since I've only had one go-around at this goal. I did write about the dinner I had with my friends so that's really the extent of my update. I'm skipping the 2nd Sunday in February since it's my birthday, and I will be spending time with my family but that'll give me more time to think about what I want to do with my friends in March.

Eclectic Readers Book Club
We had our first meeting of 2016 about the graphic novel The Sculptor by Scott McCloud. I more or less enjoyed the graphic novel and we had a great discussion around it. The Eclectic Readers podcast did a great episode on the story and one of our members/podcasters even had a Twitter exchange with the author. (These are the things that a bookworm lives for.)

Our next book is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This is one of those classics that any avid reader has on their to-read list, and honestly, without the accountability of a book club, I never would've gotten to this on my own. The length of the book intimidated me and the "classic-ness" of it made me feel... well, unworthy of reading it. I don't know how that makes sense but that's how I generally feel about classics... like my wee little brain can't handle it. Since this is so long, we are postponing our discussion until March and that's fine by me since I'm not even halfway through and there's only a month left to read. (Thank goodness it's a leap year with an extra day in February!)

Baby G Moments
Sometimes it's hard to remember to jot down a quick memory or to post about a moment with my daughter that's really touched me. I want to be better about this. Maybe I just need to be better at tweeting and use that like a one-sentence journal of my Baby G moments.

10,000 Steps per Day
I still have not completed one full month of walking 10,000 steps each day of the month. The closest I got was back in September and I dropped out toward the end of the month (like the 25th or 26th) because of a very bad day that had me unmotivated. I'm going to try not to set myself up to fail. In February, I plan to hit 10,000 steps on weekdays and aim for 2,500 steps/day on weekends. Weekends are my downfall and I'm ok with that now. Acceptance.

So, onto my big ones! My two words for this year: simplify and connect.

I am taking it slowly but I think I've got a handle on simplifying where I can. I still find opportunities to try and cut out the extra clutter and drown out the distracting noises of life. One thing I want to tackle is to unsubscribe from newsletters and promotions that I never read. It's such a pain seeing my email inbox fill up with junk. Anyway, I am continuing to go through our house and get rid of things or sell stuff. Our guest bedroom is going to be my Mt. Everest though. We've been storing random junk in there and it needs to be cleared out, like yesterday. I'm also keeping things simple by saying no when I can and not cluttering up my calendar with unnecessary stuff. I feel like I actually have more free weekends (right now) so we'll see if it stays that way.

As for my theme to connect more with my loved ones. I'm going strong with this one. I've had some dinners and lunches with friends. I have a brunch coming up and am trying to plan playdates with some mom friends. The only problem is that I don't really feel like this is my theme for the year. It's definitely a resolution I've made and so far, I'm sticking with it. But I am going to have to retire "connect" from My One Word Year for 2016. Maybe I will revive it in the future and really spend a year connecting with more creative activities, but right now, it's not what my main focus is.

So there you have it... I'm actually down to just one word for this year and it is SIMPLIFY! I'm doing great on most of my resolutions and goals, which quite frankly, I'm shocked with that progress. Maybe it's incorporating more social media outlets to keep myself accountable. Maybe it's thinking I have people who actually read this blog. Maybe it's just because I actually care this time around and made goals that I could stick to.

Maybe all of the above.

Baby G moments: 1/26/16

Baby G just finished her first week of daycare and has her first "daycare cold". We have been scrambling to figure out logistics and backup care and alternating time off. Meanwhile we are just trying to make our girl comfortable and nurse her back to health. It's hard seeing our usually good natured, happy baby in so much misery. Just trying to hold myself together and be the best mom I can be for her.

"The Happiness Project", Or Why I'm trying not to overdo it

I started reading the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, who is essentially the person who inspired my blog, and it basically chronicles a year in Gretchen's life as she actively pursues happiness.. The book has been out for awhile and I'm only just getting to read it now. It's been on my to-read list since it came out but ever since I started listening to the Happier podcast and following Gretchen on Twitter and Facebook, I finally decided I needed to take it off the to-read list and dive in.

As I'm reading it, I'm trying very hard not to jump on board and start up my own happiness project. Gretchen covers so many arenas of life that I personally would like to focus on and work toward a happier mindset about. She tackles decluttering, working on her marriage, being more playful, and even rethinking how she looks at money. (I'm only halfway through so there are more topics that I haven't read about yet.)

But I won't do that. I won't start a happiness project.

I can tell right away that there'd be a lot of initial legwork before I could start. There's some soul searching required before jumping in. I'd have to be mentally and emotionally focused on the project for however long I intended to work on it. I'm simply not ready for that (yet).

Right now, I'm content to focus on my one word two words for the year. In fact, I had a burst of activity today regarding simplifying. One of Gretchen's tips is the "one minute" rule. If it takes you a matter of minutes to handle something, just do it right then and don't let it pile up later. Well, I decided to tackle of of the "one minute" tasks that I let pile up.

I filed away papers - which for months seemed like a daunting task and the papers kept piling up. When I finally put them away, it took me 15 minutes tops. I don't know what I was waiting for!

I organized a small part of our kitchen pantry that was mostly storage for random kitchen items. There were things on shelves that I knew I wanted on different shelves, some things that I needed to get rid of, and some things I wanted to actually use. So I finally took the time to move some casserole dishes out of the way, I decided to sell a picnic basket we never use, and I grabbed a bunch of canned items to make soup. That took me maybe 20 to 30 minutes to tackle.

Finally, I'm planning to go through my collection of recipes that I've printed out or ripped from magazines. I'm going to look them up online and if I can find them, I will pin them to my Pinterest boards, since that's where I usually go to look for food ideas and cooking inspiration anyway. Plus I'm sure there are recipes that I once was ambitious enough to think I'd try, but in all honesty, nowadays I need recipes that are quick and easy and simple - but delicious!

It's seriously embarrassing to find out that something you've put off for so long and dreaded so much took no time at all to accomplish. That to-do list that kept growing and getting more daunting could've been tamed so easily, so long ago!

But I won't take away from my minor triumphs! I got things done and the house is a little bit tidier. All is well in the G household!

Writing the next chapter of life

Our family is undergoing a bittersweet life change right now. Our nanny of the past year just finished her time with us and our daughter will be starting daycare soon. With this transition period comes a lot of conflicting emotions. We're grateful for the love and care our wonderful nanny provided our daughter, and we're nervous about the change to our daughter's routine that will come with daycare. We can't believe how the time has gone by so quick and yet it felt like a huge period in our lives.

So you may wonder, how does this all factor into my words for the year? Well, thanks for asking.

One big bonus that will come from having our daughter in a daycare is that we will be able to reclaim our house (well, to an extent). There is a certain level of underlying and ongoing energy that exists when you have a nanny come every weekday. You never really get to let your house settle. You don't get to put things away just where you want them. Objects never find a home. There is a kind of life you want your nanny to be able to provide your child, and convenience plays a big part of how you manage your house. It doesn't die down after the nanny leaves for the day. Weekends don't bring any order that you might crave. It feels like life is on simmer and you just want to turn the stove off.

(Note: by no means was our nanny messy, but when she had to use the same stuff everyday, it was easier to leave things out than put it away and make her find it all every time.)

So I'm taking this opportunity to use this transition period to get the house back in order. Obviously, simplifying will play a huge part in that. There's lots of baby items that are no longer used or no longer useful. I'll be looking through these things and figuring out what I can sell or donate or need to trash. I'll also be looking into getting rid of our own things too. We have held onto some items for too long and I can't help but think "if I were moving tomorrow, would I pack this?" when I look at some of these items. It is time to clear this stuff out!

I'm so ready for this chance to clear the clutter, to organize our possessions, and to put our home back in order. I have always felt a real sense of relief and calm when my physical surroundings are tidy and clean and pretty. No matter how hard we tried to keep up with the chores, it wasn't enough, at least not as long as we had the nanny come everyday to watch our daughter. Now is my chance to get back into my domestic goddess mode and reclaim my home.

Simplify, simplify, simplify!

Second Sunday: January - Girls' Night Out

Yesterday was the second Sunday of January and my inaugural "Second Sunday" of connecting with the people I care about and don't get to see enough of.

I had a lovely dinner out with girlfriends at Little Goat Diner here in Chicago. Some were mutual friends who hadn't seen each other in awhile. Some were meeting each other for the first time. All got along and seemed to have fun, which was what I was hoping for!

It was COLD out last night, something ridiculous like 8 degrees F. I needed something to warm my belly so I had a yummy cup of hot chocolate and I ordered the delicious grilled cheese and split a side of brussel sprouts with one of my friends.

Side note: If anyone ever eats at Little Goat or Girl and the Goat (both owned by Stephanie Izard of Top Chef fame), please get the brussel sprouts at LG or the broccoli at G&G. Both are dressed with the most phenomenal fish sauce vinaigrette. Seriously. You can thank me later.

We talked about everything! Weddings, babies, bachelorette parties, Vegas, Britney (bitch), and there was even a little geeky conversation about IT work. It was great to see friends and even greater that they were enjoying themselves.

This was the perfect kickoff to my goal this year. Now... what to do next month?!

Happy New Year 2016!!!

This is it! January 1st. I'm stepping up to the challenges I set for myself and I'm going to make 2016 a good year. I'm very excited to start a new year with a new mindset and a clean slate.

I'm going to simplify things in my life so that I'm not bogged down by clutter and complications.

I'm going to connect with my family and friends more so that I can build up my relationships and strengthen my ties.

I'm going to take one photo everyday as a way to create a visual journal of my life.

I'm going to blog (right here!) about my journey to keep myself accountable and to have an outlet for my thoughts and feelings.

I want to focus on living the best life I can live and shake off the negativity in my life so that only the good stuff sticks around.

Here's to 2016 being a great year for personal growth, but also importantly, for peace and understanding the world-over.

Hurray!