14 Goals for 2014

As 2013 comes to a close in the next few hours, I've spent the last few days thinking about what I would like to accomplish in the new year. I don't consider these resolutions exactly...just goals to strive for in the coming year.

1. Complete a 5K.

Mallory and I have found one that we are going to register for, and I'm really excited and nervous about it! 

2. Give blood.

3. Read more than 10 books in one year.

I only read 10 books this year from start to finish. That is pitiful. If I spent as much time reading as I do playing around on my iPad, I could have read 100 books this year. Seriously!

4. Find a church to call home.

5. Throw a bridal shower for Emily.

After talking with Emily a couple of days ago, this may come sooner than expected! :-D

6. See a movie at least once a month.

Mallory and I saw Catching Fire last night after a long period of not going to the movie theater, and I forgot how much I love the whole experience! Definitely want to see more movies in 2014!

7. Walk/jog at least 1,000 miles this year.

8. Go to a Zumba class.

9. Go to a Painting with a Twist class.

10. Do a Breaking Bad tour in Albuquerque.

Via Pinterest

11. Lose 30 pounds.

That's about what I lost this year, so I'm hoping I can lose that much in 2014 (maybe more!).

12. Keep a gratitude box.

13. Volunteer for the animal shelter.

14. Start and finish Daily Steps for God Chicks: The 90-Day Devotional for Real Women.

Find it here on Amazon!

I ordered this book from Amazon and should be getting it on Thursday. I can't wait to start it!

Christmas 2013: "Favorite Things"

I have been wanting to post about this for a few weeks now, but I knew that my cousin and sister read my blog, which meant if I posted about it before Christmas I would spoil their gifts!

Me, Mal, and Em on Christmas Day

Last year, the three of us started a tradition of giving each other things that we had tried and fell in love with throughout the year. Think Oprah's Favorite Things...just not to the extremes of us buying each other cars...

Anyway, I thought I would share with you what we gave each other, and maybe you would like to start this tradition next year with your sisters, cousins, family, or friends!

First off, Mallory (for those who don't know, she's my sister) and I opened Emily's bag of goodies, and here's what we found:

I ordered a devotional from Amazon that has questions you answer to go with each day, so I think I'm going to use the journal Emily got me for that. I'm looking forward to trying the Spark, and I tried the protein bar today. It was really good!

Next up was Mallory's box of treats:

I love the owl page markers, and I could always use more Baby Lips (bonus that I don't have the peppermint flavor already!) Also, aren't the little birdies on the mug so cute? I think it's funny we all gave each other mugs.

Last, but not least, Mallory and Emily opened their boxes from me. Here's what I gave them:

Pretty self-explanatory...That raisin nut bread from Braum's is so yummy! It's what I ate for breakfast most days throughout the year along with a cup of coffee. 

We all started Breaking Bad this year, so I knew I had to include it somehow. I got the Merry Christmas photo and the 'blue meth' candy from a store on Etsy called Breaking Rad. Lindsey, the shop owner, provides amazing customer service if you ever need something for the Breaking Bad fan in your life!

I also made both of them a gratitude box for 2014. Each day in 2014, they will think of something that made them happy, that they were thankful for, etc., write it down on a slip of paper, and put it in their box. On December 31, they will open their box and read all the things they were thankful for in 2014.

I covered the box in brown paper and left the bottom of it uncovered, so when they read them in December, they can open the bottom of the box and start with the beginning of the year. I painted a monogram for each of them, stuck some gemstones on the monogram, and hot glued it to the box. I also included a chevron burlap ribbon along the bottom of the front of the box.

I cut a small hole in the back of the box to put their paper in each day and hot glued an envelope to the back of the box. The envelope holds the blank strips of paper.

I really hope they use these throughout the year and take a few minutes at the end of the day to think of at least one positive thing that happened. 

So, I'm sure we all have our favorite Christmas traditions that we do with our families each year. This is one I'm hoping sticks around for a long time.

Weekly Weigh-In #33

This Week: -1.4 lb

Total Loss: -31.8 lbs

Starting Weight: 251.2 lbs

Current Weight: 219.4 lbs

Does anyone else feel like this week has dragged on and on? There have been so many times this week where I forgot what day it was! Today, for instance, I had to weigh in after breakfast because when I woke up I thought it was Thursday instead of Friday. My sister posted this on Twitter today, and it made me laugh out loud.

If you're anything like me, you're scrambling around trying to get everything ready for Christmas. I have multiple boxes that are just sitting at the UPS warehouse because of the ice storm we had two weeks ago. They keep saying everyone will get their packages before Christmas Day. I hope so! 

I know the importance of Christmas isn't about the presents, but there is something special about giving someone a gift on Christmas Day while you're celebrating with all your family. I'm afraid I will be giving three people their gifts on December 30 if my packages don't get here. Oh well!

That's all I've got for today. I'm gonna go wrap some of the presents that I do have. Have a good weekend everybody!

Sunday Social: Holiday Fun

Hey y'all! Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday! It is a beautiful day here in Texas, which is much needed after all the ice and cold we've been having.

Today I'm linking up with Ashley and Neely for Sunday Social. The last time I linked up we were talking about summer fun, so it's been far too long between Sunday Social posts!

1. What are your favorite holiday movies/TV specials?

Two of my favorite holiday movies are National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and The Holiday. My favorite TV special is when TBS shows A Christmas Story for 24 hours straight from Christmas Eve into Christmas Day. While I have seen the whole movie from start to finish, I don't think I ever have when I watch it on TBS. My sister and I always catch a different part of it at different times of the day!

2. Do you do any volunteering during the holidays? If so, what? 

Yes! My sister and I usually pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, but we were unable to do that this year because of our dad being in the hospital. However, a couple of weeks ago, we went shopping for some angels from the Salvation Army Angel Tree. We've been doing that for a few years, and I love it!

3. What is your favorite toy you received as a child for the holidays?

One year my sister and I got a skee-ball game from our grandparents. We thought it was so cool because we had only ever seen them and played them at the arcade. My dad still has it at his house.

4. What was your must have item in high school for the holidays?

Hmmm, I can't really remember what I asked for when I was a teenager...probably clothes and music.

5. What do you do on Christmas Eve?

On Christmas Eve, my sister and I always celebrate Christmas with our dad's side of the family. It's always so much fun!

Me with my sister and cousins

Now it's your turn to answer the questions and link up! :-)

Weekly Weigh-In #32

This Week: -0.2 lb

Total Loss: -30.4 lbs

Starting Weight: 251.2 lbs

Current Weight: 220.8 lbs

Technically, I lost weight, but anything under a pound pretty much just annoys me. I only worked out one time this week though, which was the day I posted the new circuit workout I did. I need to get my heart and my head back in the weight loss game!

We had the ice storm hit last Thursday, and we still have ice on the ground! It's crazy! Usually, here in Texas, it will snow and/or ice one day, which better be the day you play in it because the next day it will be completely melted.

Tonight it is cold and rainy. I'm about to wrap a gift for my sister that my mom bought for her. I can't say what it is because my sister reads my blog sometimes twice a year. ;-) I never know when she might pop in to catch up!

This feels like a good night to watch Muriel's Wedding. Toni Collette plays Muriel, and her best friend, Rhonda, is played by Rachel Griffiths. I love them both in this. I could probably quote the movie word for word. It's one of my favorites!

 
 

Elf for Health Challenge

At the end of November, I signed up for Lindsay and Elle's Elf for Health Holiday Challenge. I was late to the game and didn't join in time for the first half, but I am all ready for the second half of the challenge.

Quick rundown of how it works...Everybody that signed up received an elf (AKA another person that has joined the challenge) to support them in achieving their holiday goals and the daily challenges.

Anyway, today's challenge was to do a circuit workout, so I did what I always do when I want a new circuit workout and headed to Pinterest. Of course, I found one pretty quickly!

Via

Oh my gosh...why, when I plank, does every muscle in my body shake like crazy? It took me about 25 minutes to complete the whole workout twice. Someone more athletic than me could probably do it in 15 minutes. ;-)

I'll keep y'all updated on how these next two weeks go.

#2014BloggerChallenge

The other day I somehow stumbled upon Gaby's blog, Another Girly Blog. I was looking through her posts and saw that she will be hosting a blogger challenge in 2014.

The challenge will consist of writing a blog post twice a month about different topics. The posts will go live during the 1st and 3rd weeks of each month. All participants will receive emails from Gaby about what the post topics will be. 

Everyone is encouraged to join...no matter what your blog niche may be!

I signed up to join the challenge and added the button to my blog. I think it will be a lot of fun and something new for me to try! If you would like to join us, click here and leave a comment on her post, or you can email Gaby at anothergirlyblg@gmail.com with your blog URL, email address, and name to be added to the list of participants.

Sign-ups close on December 9th, so don't wait around and miss out on this opportunity!

Weekly Weigh-In #31

This Week: -1.0 lb

Total Loss: -30.2 lbs

Starting Weight: 251.2 lbs

Current Weight: 221.0 lbs

Hopefully, this post is the first of many in my comeback to the blogging world. I wonder if anyone still follows my blog! I wasn't going to do a weigh-in today, but I figured I should go ahead and get the ball rolling again with my weight loss.

I haven't worked out since my dad had his whole health scare, and I've been sick since Thanksgiving. Surprisingly to me, I've been able to keep off all the weight I've lost. I think I'm on the tail end of whatever is making me sick, so I'm hoping I can really start getting back into an exercise routine next week.

Here's a before and during picture...beginning of weight loss in January and Thanksgiving Day. I can't believe it will be a year since I started all of this in January!

We are in the middle of an ice storm here in Texas, so I'll probably be staying at home all weekend. I know this looks like snow, but it is all sleet and ice! Temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits tonight!

As you can tell by Eva's face, she is so over it! I have to pick her up and carry her outside to use the bathroom. She is a warm weather dog for sure!

I've got a list of blog posts I want to write, and this weekend will probably be a good time to crank some out. Look for one tomorrow about a 2014 blog challenge I'm participating in, and I'll let you know how to get involved also!