So as most people know by now, I’m training for a half marathon. (To be honest, I think it kind of sucks, and when it’s over, my running career will probably be over too, but that’s not really what this post is about.) Along with the running, I’ve also started seriously getting into yoga, going about twice a week. (This will probably become way more often once the running is done.) On top of this, I’m also planning the wedding and we still haven’t even begun to unpack any of our stuff into the new house.

Between these things, my schedule basically looks like this:

Monday – Gym
Tuesday – Running errands, wedding appts, etc.
Wednesday – Gym
Thursday – Yoga
Friday – Gym
Saturday – Yoga, wedding stuff, family time, house stuff, etc
Sunday – Gym, wedding stuff, family time, house stuff, etc.

This week I had to miss my Saturday yoga session because I was in Ohio meeting with my aunt about my wedding invitiations. I can’t tell you how much I hate missing a session, so I was determined to make it to Tuesday’s class to make up for it. All day, all I could think about was getting to my mat. I couldn’t wait to let it all out.

Apparently, though, my body had other plans.

When Jut and I got home, he made dinner, and then I sat on the couch for a second to gather myself before getting ready for yoga. At this point, the absolute last thing I felt like doing was downward facing dog. It took Jut telling me it was okay to skip before I’d even consider it. I’d wanted it so badly all day, but suddenly, I just couldn’t go. Instead, Justin skipped the gym too, and joined me on the couch for a night of relaxing, which is something we NEVER do.

The last thing I remember, is asking Justin if it was killing him to be sitting still instead of lifting, or running around doing whatever else, and he said yes. After that, nothing. Apparently, by 8:30PM, I was out cold, sleeping harder than I ever do, in what Justin says looked like the most uncomfortable position ever. I stayed that way until 10, when he woke me up to go upstairs to bed, where I instantly fell back to sleep until 6AM the following morning.

Obviously, my body needed a night off, and it seems as though it had been needing that for quite some time.

Tuesday taught me that I need to start listening to my body. I’ve put it through a lot lately, and continue to do so. Did you know I lost 10 pounds from June to December? I guess I never wrote about it (maybe I should?), but yes, I did, and it was awesome. I feel better than I ever have, but I need to take care of myself. I am doing that, in the way of eating well and losing weight the right way, but I’ve realized there’s a third piece I’ve been ignoring. My body needs rest and I haven’t been giving in to that.  Running 3 or 4 nights a week, yoga twice a week, wedding planning, all while trying to turn a house into a home, doesn’t really leave time for sitting on the couch relaxing.

Now I know I need to make that time, to give my body a chance to recover. I’ve been neglecting a huge part of this “Get Healthy” stuff, but now that I’ve realized it, I’m making a huge effort to change it.

How do you make sure you’re giving yourself enough off-time? I could use some tips!

*I blame my parents for this, since they used to take me for car rides to get me to fall asleep when I was a baby. They ruined me.

I have been waiting so long for this part of my Happiness Project to arrive! I debated making it sooner, but felt the other things I’ve worked on were slightly more important. Now it’s time to really have some fun!

Here are my goals for February:

• Blog more often. Duh.
• Layout updates – I’ve been working on this for months, and it’s time to finalize things and reveal the new look! I also want to create a blog button, you know, so just in case someone, someday decides to add me to their blog roll, I’m ready for it!
• Push myself – It’s time to decide what I really want to do with this space, and to make it happen!
• Comment/Recognize – I want to start connecting better with other bloggers and let YOU know who I’m loving around the Internet! This will include updating my blog roll, and possibly moving it to my front page.
• Be Lindsey – I want to know that I’m being authentic on here. Sometimes I try to be more like the “popular crowd”, and I want to make sure I’m being real.
• Complete the Blog Love E-Course. I purchased Elsie’s course FOREVER ago, but never actually did it. It’s time.
• Decide on any weekly series I want to participate in, and get going with them!

When I participated in NaBloPoMo in November, at the end of the month I wanted to kick myself. I didn’t open up at all. Yes, I wrote 30 blog posts, but none of them told you who I really am as a person. Mostly they were feature posts, lists, and nonsense. I want to get real with you. I want to share my stories, and put myself out there.

What are you working on this month?

I have to admit. I had huge hopes for this month, but it didn’t turn out quite the way I had hoped. It was still a mostly awesome month, though.

Here were my Friendship goals for January:

• Reach out. I don’t initiate plans with friends often, and unfortunately, I allow twitter, facebook, and texting to consistute communicating far too often. It’s time to have some real conversations!
• Listen/Stop Talking. I’m a talker, everyone knows that. I need to shut my mouth and listen to what is going on in everyone else’s life!
• Bring people together. We have quite a few different sets of friends, that we normally wouldn’t hang out with together. I’m excited to introduce some of them to each other!
• Make new friends. I need to find ways to meet new people in Pittsburgh! I still don’t know many people here, and it’s sad.
• Show up. A lot of times, when I get invited to do things, I choose to stay home with myself. It’s time to say yes and show up at events where my friends will be!

Here’s how I did:

• Reach out. I initiated plans to start monthly girls night back up with Maggie and Jess. We went to Cheesecake Factory, it was delicious as ever, and we spent a couple hours catching up! Can’t wait to do it again in February. ((I didn’t have book club, because my weekends ended up being way busier than I was expecting. I do really want to do this though.)
• Listen/Stop Talking. I made a consious effort to do this, and I have to admit, I think I did okay! I know I can still do better, but I am proud of myself.
• Bring people together. We didn’t do as much of this as we had planned, but we did bring our siblings together for a dinner date, and it was fun to see my brother and Jut’s brother talking and laughing together. Afterall, we’re all going to be the same family soon, right? Also, we wanted to throw a house-warming party, but the house just isn’t ready for that yet. Hopefully in February!
• Make new friends. I am going to call this complete, as I majorly upped my game with some people at work and have become a lot closer with them than I was. Now I need to branch out and find friends outside of the office!
• Show up. I’m sad that I didn’t get to go to the TPA dinner that I was so excited to attend. Last minute plans for a visit from my brother squashed it. I did, however, commit to attending TPA formal next month! Sent in our check, so we have to go, no excuses!

Overall, I could have done better, but I’m happy with the results. This is definitely something I want to keep working on throughout the year, and I still have high hopes for it.

*As an update to last month, I totally rocked the health and wellness stuff this month! Still mostly on track for the half-marathon, flossed way more than I usually do, found a good product to use on my face, and started going to yoga a couple times per week! I’m feeling awesome physically, and yoga has SERIOUSLY kept me sane.

What did you work on this month? Were you successful?

Trying to un-neglect my blogs

Rocking out to Sherwood, Mae, and Taking Back Sunday

Falling in love with a regular yoga practice

Super busy with work

Attempting to turn our house into a home, without spending a billion dollars

Behind on Project Life

Obsessed with Spice Chai Lattes

Overwhelmingly excited for my Harry Potter bridal shower

Wanting to wear my wedding gown everywhere I go

Loving all things turquiose

Annoyed with my long hair

Lusting after a queen size bed

Obsessed with Spice Chai Lattes

Trying not to stress over final wedding details

Impatiently waiting for my washer and dryer delivery

Pumped for so many big things this year.

Where are you, currently?

Okay, so I know I said in my last post that I was going to forego traditional resolutions this year, and instead focus on my Happiness Project. I lied.

I’m still putting most of my focus on my HP from month to month, but after thinking more about it, I’ve decided to create just a few, but major, resolutions to work on throughout the whole year.

In no particular order:

• Be the best fiance I can be to Justin, and mold that into being the best wife possible
• Be content and stress less. Or as Justin puts it, smile more!
• Make our house feel like a home
• Document this year, so I will always remember the time leading up to the wedding, and the beginning of our marriage. (I’m using Project Life, and I’m really hoping I can stick with it!)

Everything else will be held within my Happiness Project posts, but I wanted to put these out there, as the “big ticket” items I’m reaching for in 2012!

What are you looking forward to this year?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Obviously January is the month when most people set their resolutions for the year. I’ve decided to instead, just continue with my Happiness Project, and then in September, when it’s over, decide how to proceed from there. I guess my overall resolution is to complete this project, and carry it on into the future!

I’m super excited about my January Happiness Project. It’s time to create (and rekindle) some friendships, and I have lots of stuff planned!

Here are my goals:

• Reach out. I don’t initiate plans with friends often, and unfortunately, I allow twitter, facebook, and texting to consistute communicating far too often. It’s time to have some real conversations!
• Listen/Stop Talking. I’m a talker, everyone knows that. I need to shut my mouth and listen to what is going on in everyone else’s life!
• Bring people together. We have quite a few different sets of friends, that we normally wouldn’t hang out with together. I’m excited to introduce some of them to each other!
• Make new friends. I need to find ways to meet new people in Pittsburgh! I still don’t know many people here, and it’s sad.
• Show up. A lot of times, when I get invited to do things, I choose to stay home with myself. It’s time to say yes and show up at events where my friends will be!

Here are just a few things I hope to have going on this month:

• Housewarming party! What better way to bring people together?
• Book Club. I’ve been trying to start a book club with some of the” significant others” of Justin’s friends. Everytime we’re together we talk about all loving the same books, so it’s time to make it official. We’re going to start with Divergent, since we all loved the Hunger Games!
• TPA Dinner. My sorority sisters get together once a month for dinner and I’ve never been able to go. This time, I’ll be there!
• Girls Night with Maggie and Jess. It’s a monthly event that hasn’t happened in a couple months. I miss them!

Did you set any new year’s resolutions for 2012? What goals are you setting for yourself this month?

I didn’t focus nearly as much on my Happiness Project goals as I should have this month. I could have done better. I know that, and I plan to fix it for January.

That said, here are the health and wellness goals I set for myself:

• Get back into Yoga. I’d like to go at least 3 times this month.
• Half-Marathon Training. Follow the schedule!
• Bed Readiness – Get off the computer earlier, slow down, get relaxed and into bed by 10:30.
• Expand eating horizons – Try one new food every week for the month (Can you believe I NEVER tried a tomato until last summer?)
• Floss everyday. I seriously need to start doing this.
• Wash face every night. Again, why don’t I just do this?
• Drink lemon water everyday. A while back, I read an article in Whole Living, that this is really good for your digestive system. Since I have dealt have stomach problems my whole life, I thought it might be a good thing to try.
• Ab Ripper X twice per week. Get a jump start on my bikini figure for the honeymoon next summer!

Here’s how I did:

• I didn’t go to yoga a single time.
• We are right on schedule with half-marathon training! Sometimes we switch the days up, but the weeks end up how they should so it’s fine. Tonight we run 2.25 miles!
• I actually did okay with bed readiness, but maybe on accident? The move exhausted me so much that I’ve been in bed before 10 most nights!
• I didn’t try a new food every week, but I did try some new food, including mussles and brussel sprouts. (The sprouts weren’t horrible, but I will not be eating another mussel anytime soon!)
• I flossed about four times this month. Oops.
• I showered at night more, with the running schedule, but I didn’t wash my face on the nights in between, which I really really need to start doing!
• I didn’t drink more lemon water than I normally would have. I order it at restuarants, but didn’t drink it at home.
• We only did Ab Ripper X one time. Have you ever done it? Holy crap.

So, as you can see, I was quite the failure this month. I’m not upset about it though. We’ve had a hugely busy month and if I got mad everytime I didn’t complete a goal, I’d give up on making any goals. I’m happy with the things I did do, and I’m really glad we’re on track with the running schedule. It’s super important to me to accomplish that big life list goal. I do plan to roll the other things into January, and hopefully I’ll start really doing some of this stuff!

Did you set any goals for yourself this month? Did you accomplish them?

(via)

I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend surrounded by those you love.

xoxo

As always, thank you Nora for hosting!

What I’m w(h)ining about

* Moving is exhausting. I’ve been in bed by 9PM the last three nights in a row, and I still can’t seem to get caught up on sleep.

* Moving is also expensive. Who wants to take us on a Lowe’s shopping spree? Anyone?

What I’m loving

* Living in our new house! It’s amazing!

* Christmas is three days away. I cannot explain how much I love everything about this holiday.

* Bailey snuggles. We got him groomed recently, and it’s too short for the cold weather. We put him in a little sweater so he’d stop shaking, and he won’t leave my lap.

* Working from home. Since most people in my office took off this week and next, I’ve been able to work from home more. It’s lovely.

What are you loving this week? And what has you reaching for a glass?

I’ve been off this week, and mostly due to what is commonly known as first world problems. If you don’t know what I mean by that, keep reading, I think you’ll catch on.

• I really wanted to participate in Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday, but my office blocked Pinterest.
• I really wanted to participate in Wine and Love yesterday, but my office had a holiday luncheon/surprise baby shower, and I didn’t get a chance to blog at work.
• Our landlord only gave us 12 hours (overnight, so really like 2 hours) last weekend to get our apartment clean, so she could show a potential new tenant.
• The new tenants loved it and want to move in by December 27th, meaning we have to be out sooner than we requested, but our landlord isn’t giving us any kind of discount on our break-lease fee even though we’re moving out early to help her out!
• Our landlord also gave us that same amount of time last night to get our apartment clean again so she can come inspect it, since she won’t be able to see it when we move out right before Christmas. Please note, this probably determines how much of our security deposit we’ll get back. I’d have liked a little more time for that!
• We haven’t even started packing, and we’re hoping to close on the house Wednesday.
• I’m two days behind on half-marathon training, because I’ve been too emotionally drained to do it. Now I have to catch up tonight and tomorrow, so I can be back on track by Monday.
• We have to do every single piece of laundry we own before we move out, because the washer and dryer we bought is back-ordered until January or February.

I suppose that’s enough complaining about things that aren’t really that big of a problem. I just needed to vent for a minute. Sorry you had to listen, if you chose to stick around and read all that!

What kind of first world problems are you dealing with today? We can wallow together.