I Live My Love

A whole bunch of gratitude updates:

• December 12, 2011: I am grateful for credit card reward points. I cashed in a whole bunch for Christmas gifts - in essence costing me $0 additional money. Yay!
• December 13, 2011: I found the ribbon belt for my winter coat. I was worried that earlier this year, while cleaning our coat closet, I threw it away (assuming it was a ribbon for wrapping gifts), but phew - when I pulled out my coat, I found it on the hanger. I don’t have to go belt-less!
• December 14, 2011: I am grateful for songs which make me stay in my car so I can finish listening to ‘em before getting out. I’m notoriously late work work, so if I’m willing to be even later - you know the song must be good. 
• December 15, 2011: Since my company doesn’t to it, I’m grateful my husband participates in his office’s Secret Santa. I love buying and wrapping little trinkets for his co-workers.
• December 16, 2011: I am grateful for Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels. Yummmmm.
• December 17, 2011: I am grateful for sock buns. They look so fancy (especially for someone with super thin hair like me) and are so easy to make! 
• December 18, 2011: I am grateful that the yoga class I went to had an extended savasana. It was supposed to be two-hours long, and even during the class, I wasn’t feeling it. When the instructor said that we were going to work hard for 90 minutes and have a half-hour savasana, I breathed a sigh of relief. Yes!
• December 19, 2011: I am grateful for Google’s Send a Call from Santa. Very few people in my phone book were spared from this - so consider yourself lucky if Santa didn’t call you, knowing you wanted “a pair of jeggings” or a “hot date” (which were two of my favorites to send).
• December 20, 2011: I am grateful my husband is festive. He likes to decorate (case in point? He has his own Christmas tree! and he went out and bought net lights for the bushes in front of our house. Yes - it’s tacky. But, I love him and I must pick and choose my battles, right?) and he likes Christmas traditions. He makes my heart melt.
• December 21, 2011: After wearing them four times in a week (and twice to work!) I am grateful for sequins. There’s something so festive about ‘em!
• December 22, 2011: I’m grateful the wedding albums I ordered for my and the hubs’ family came in time for Christmas. I ordered them in October! Thank goodness they’re here - I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!
• December 23, 2011: Although it wasn’t much, I’m grateful my company gave us Christmas bonuses this year. Or maybe they were presents and not bonuses? Regardless, I’m appreciative! 
• December 24, 2011: I am grateful for cookie dough dip. ‘Nuff said. (Although, eaten in excess, it hurts my belly!)
• December 25, 2011: I am grateful for my family. We had an amazing holiday filled with laughs, tons of food, and way too many presents.
• December 26, 2011: I’m grateful that all seasons of Friday Night Lights are available to play instantly on Netflix. The hubs and I have decided we’ll watch Season 1, but the rest must be watched on the treadmill (nothing like the dangling carrot, right?)
• December 27, 2011: I am grateful we found a happy medium in gift-exchanging with out elderly neighbor. Our first year living here, we gave her a little something, and she went overboard, buying us tons of gifts. Last year, we stepped up our budget - and she gave us nothing much (but then dropped off presents en masse a few days later. (I’m not saying this to be ungrateful - as I’d much rather give than receive, but this is always such an awkward exchange!) This year, she put a box of candy on our front step while weren’t here and we dropped off a poinsettia to her. Done! Time to stop stressing about it.
• December 28, 2011: I’m grateful that after a month of not running much at all - I’m ready to start officially marathon training. I’ve chosen a race, chosen a plan, and now I just have to put the work in.
• December 29, 2011: I’m grateful for gift cards. It’s like I have free money!
• December 30, 2011: I am grateful for the way I feel during (and after) I ice my knees It’s an amazing feeling after a run!

Updates on my 2011 Resolutions. Just checking in to see how I did.

To better my health

1. Run a marathon - nope. Earlier this year, I figured I’d run a fall marathon (hoping the training would keep me sane during wedding planning), but then I realized this meant I’d need to run 20 miles on my honeymoon, which I didn’t think would be too fun (or appreciated by the hubs).  I also did not get selected in the lottery for the NY Marathon, so it was a relatively easy decision to push this goal to 2012.

2. Run a sub 2:10 half marathon. (While my ultimate goal will be to run a sub 2:00 half, I’ll take anything under 2:10 this year) - Done. I ran a 2:05 in New York and a 2:04 in Philly (unofficially, since there was that unfortunate bathroom stop.)

3. Lose 15 pounds (bonus points for losing 20, ‘cause even though that might seriously affect the way my wedding dress fits, as the fiance says, I should pay for alterations rather than carry extra pounds just so it fits!) - Nope. Not even close. I lost six-ish for my wedding, but have promptly gained that back. In order to lose any amount of weight, I have to commit to eating better - which is something I have not been doing.

To do something for personal enrichment

4. Cut down on magazine subscriptions, and read at least one book per month (bonus points if they’re a literary classic). (I go through crazy phases where I’ll read tons - having three books going at once - and then I don’t pick up another book for a month or two). - Success! I cancelled a few magazine subscriptions (Glamour and Fitness) and I read 18 books this year, none of which were classics.

5. Tackle two household projects (options include painting the rooms I’ve been ignoring, installing under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, finding [and hanging!] artwork for the house, cleaning (and not paying someone to clean) my carpets, doing landscaping in the back and front yards, or sealing my driveway) - Hmm. This is a work in progress. The hubs and I assembled a pool in our back yard and he fixed the tiles on our front porch, but I definitely feel I could have done more. There are rooms in the house I want to paint (the office and guest bedroom), tons of artwork I need to hang, and I really should find a way to stop the shower from leaking. Eh, 2011 was not the year of the household project.

6. Learn to do a headstand (my handstand is coming along - but I struggle with headstands! I blame it on my super tight hamstrings. I just can’t get up gracefully). - Another work in progress. I can get up much more gracefully (as my favorite yoga teacher says - you only kick for handstands. Do not kick for headstands) and I can walk my legs in closer than I could in January ‘11. I can also transition from crow pose to headstand, which I couldn’t do at the beginning of the year, but in terms of constantly getting up and staying up in headstand, I still need some work.

To help me become a better friend, fiance (or wife, eek!), sister, daughter, and person

7. Send a handwritten note to someone at least once per month (birthday cards don’t count!) and send thank you cards whenever appropriate. Yes! I did this. I bought more stamps this year than I have in years. I’ve sent ‘Thinking of You’ packages, ‘Wish You Were Here’ cards, and ‘Thank You’ letters.

8. Volunteer 3x this year - I actually only did this once. My lack of following through with this is a combination of laziness (yup, not gonna lie about that) and wedding-related things taking up my entire summer.

9. Write down something I’m grateful for every single day.  - Done! I kept a running tally in my agenda, and started posting them en masse on Tumblr, instead of every single day - but I still consider this a roaring success.

Misc.

10. Stick to our wedding budget and throw an amazingly charming (and super fun!) wedding reception - Done! I had an amazing time at our wedding. (I got wayyy tipsy, but I enjoyed every second of it). 

11. Master the art of selling stuff on the internet (putting the earnings in my Rainy Day Fund) - Done (ish?). This year I’ve sold clothing, software, books,  and miscellaneous things on eBay and Amazon. Too bad I squandered away the money. Next time I’ll save it, I promise!

A haiku about my evening:

Overdosed on carbs

Fell asleep on couch with dog

No working out again!

True Confession Tuesday:

I have not worked out since last Monday. I’ve done nothing. Nada. Zilch. No cross training, running, yoga, pilates, or strength sessions. Seeing how today is the first day in a week that my head doesn’t feel like it’s going to explode (or like my eyeballs are going to pop out of their sockets), my nose isn’t in a constant state of dripping, and I’m not feverish, I’m thinking I will actually work out today. Hopefully?

Also, I signed up for a race which was scheduled for last Saturday. I was not feeling up to running it, so I picked up my packet and went home. (Eeek - I’m embarassed just typing that!)