Hello 2014!

I can't believe that today marks the last day of 2013. It seems that the older I get, the quicker time passes. It feels like just yesterday I was still living in Winnipeg and finishing up school at the University of Winnipeg. I have now been living at home since May of 2013 and have been working two part time jobs since September. It has been really great for saving money and spending time with my family, however I am excited that I will be moving out in 2014.

I wanted to kind of recap my 2013 however I don't feel like sifting through all of my blog posts and pictures so that is a no-go. I will say that 2013 was a fun but challenging year full of transitions. 2013 is the year that I... officially finished my undergrad degree, made new friends (hello Natalie!), moved home to mooch of the rents, when I finally got back into a fitness/health groove, when I became an "aunt" to my sweet miss Casey, and the year that Brandon and I celebrated 4 years of dating!

Being someone who loves lists and loves making goals, I think it would be fitting for me to make a few new goals to work towards this year. I know many people think that New Years resolution are silly and pointless, but I am really determined to work towards some small goals. I thrive off of challenge and I want to be constantly improving myself and my life. The only reason resolutions are pointless, is because people fail to remain motivated and driven. It's completely a personal choice and I am vowing to make 2014 amazing!

2014 Goals:

 

1.  Keep a fitness/diet journal to keep myself accountable for how I am treating my body. It's okay if I fail to keep it for a few days or weeks, but I will vow to always get back on track. It helps to make me more aware what I am consuming and how much I am improving my health.

 

2.Consciously spend less time on social media everyday. I made this goal last year and I definitely did not give it my best shot. I am constantly scrolling through instagram,twitter, facebook, bloglovin, etc. or playing games, it is a bit excessive and a waste of my time.

 

3. Meditate daily. I'm making this goal so I can make my mental health a priority. I used to meditate all the time and it helped me feel grounded and it cleared my mind of worries. Anywhere from 5-20 minutes, it was I will aim for.

 

4. Spend less money on clothing. Only buy things when necessary. Get rid of clothes that I know I won't wear again.

 

5. Simplify. My relationships, my money, my wardrobes, my possessions, my thoughts. I just simply want to be more present in my daily life and worry less about what I have or don't have. I stress myself out too much, I get angry too easily, I worry about the unknown. It's time to embrace change and to embrace the unknown.

 

6. Be creative! I want to actually do some of the millions of projects, crafts, and recipes I have pinned. There is no better time than now!

 

 

I am dedicated and determined to make 2014 my best year yet. I want to be positive, happy, healthy, helpful, loving, and intentional in my life.

 

Bring it on 2014, I'm ready for you! :)

Getting back in the groove

The holidays are always wonderful and full of family and fun. However, they are also full of a bit too much chaos and disorder for my liking. I love seeing my family and playing games and just catching up but only for so long. Especially with my extended family. Right now I am feeling thankful for the time spent with loved ones and grateful for all the gifts and love I was shown throughout the holidays from friends and family. I'm also craving routine and order back in my life though. I have been shovelling junk in my body and missing too many workouts. I feel bloated and gross and I know I need to get back on track.

I'm really determined to keep up with working out and eating healthy in 2014. I'm excited to push myself to new levels of strength and endurance and also to try new recipes and foods. I love seeing my body change and improve!  I'm also excited to focus more on my emotional and mental health. I need to focus on what bothers me and how I handle my emotions. I'm thinking of setting meditation and journaling goals.

Check back tomorrow for a post on my goals for 2014! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time surrounded by family and friends.

Here's to a wonderful 2014! :)

4 years♡

On December 17th, Brandon and I celebrated our 4 year dating anniversary. I still remember vividly the day we started dating. It was my high school best friends 18th birthday and also the night of our school Christmas dance. Quinn, Brandon and I skipped out of the dance early and went to Quinn's house to hang out. Later on in the night, Brandon and I headed home. We walked out of Quinn's house and Brandon asked me out in her driveway. My heart was pounding but I said YES! We then hugged and kissed and it felt so so right. Up until a few days before this, I had been seeing another guy (who treated me terribly by the way). I finally had the courage to get out of that awful relationship. Brandon and I were best friends throughout grade 11 and 12 and up until December of 2009, I thought all we'd ever be was friends. However my heart had another plan. I started getting giddy around him, jealous of other girls that flirted with him and I wanted to spend every possible second with him.

The past 4 years haven't always be easy but they have been worth it. I'm very stubborn and have a bad temper. Brandon is very good at pushing my buttons and never giving up even when I'm mad. We fight and we get mad but we always make up right away. We balance each other out nicely. He is the most thoughtful person I know and is ALWAYS thinking of others before himself. He gives the sweetest, most personal presents ever. He is usually always the one to make our fights better.  He always tells me I'm beautiful and makes me feel special. He is kind, gentle, honest, loving, handsome, smart, and best of all he is mine.

Not even a month after we started dating, my grandpa passed away. Not even 6 months later my cousin passed away. He helped me beyond belief to make it through all this heartache. We have graduated high school together, moved to Winnipeg together, made it through 3 years of university, managed not to kill each other while we lived together, got through the death of sweet Sasha and Patches together,  and now are trying our best to survive not living together. Also, his family is like my second family. I love spending time with them!

Thanks for being my best friend and my better half. Here's to many many more years together! I love you Brandon! ♡

Change in my mindset.

Yesterday, I had a pretty awful day full of bad luck. First off, on my drive to work my windshield got a beating after it was hit with a huge rock thrown by a semi. This annoyed me but I didn't think too much about it. When I got closer to the city, all of a sudden my car started jolting erratically and a light was blinking on my dash. I started to panic a little bit but it stopped right away, so I figured I would keep driving. Not even 10 minutes later, everything on my dashboard quit working. Including my lights, radio, speedometer, and fuel gauge. At this point, I started to panic and fully expected my car to die right there in the middle of the highway. My car was still running however, so I kept on going. Not wanting to be late to work. On the back road leading to my workplace, there was a bunch of deer running on the road so I honked my horn and magically everything started working on my car again except my headlights. I didn't know what the heck was going on but I called my dad and he told me to get home before it was dark that night and he would take a look at it, it is probably just a wiring or fuse issue. This whole situation really just put me in a bad mood and made me frustrated with my stupid car. I literally have had nothing but issues with my Ford Focus. I bought it hoping it would be reliable and cheap on gas. I guarantee my dad and I have collectively spent more fixing that car than it's actually worth. So annoying!

However, last night when I got home from work around 5 p.m. I decided to sit down for a bit and indulge in a hugeeee glass of wine. After thoroughly enjoying this glass of wine and having some supper, I started to feel a bit better. I realized that everyone has bad days, but the most important part is reacting appropriately to said frustration. In the past, I would of stopped and grabbed some chocolate or chips and went home and drank the whole bottle of wine and felt sorry for myself.  Last night however, I had my glass of wine, turned on some upbeat music, and got on the treadmill to run 3 miles. I know it's cliche but I felt a million times better after I completed that workout. It is amazing to me still that I am capable of running for any length of time. Sure, 3 miles may not be that far for some people but for me that is a huge deal. I never used to be able to run for a 1/4 of a mile.

When it comes down to it, every experience in life is shaped by your attitude and perspective on things. If you chose to feel sorry for yourself and be frustrated by your lack of progress, then you will not succeed. Optimism really does go a long way. Set out in day believing that you are capable of your goals and you will do great things. 

Lately, I have been increasing my water consumption, really watching what I eat, and working out 5-6 days per week. I am starting to look forward to my Jillian Michael's workouts or my longer jogs on the treadmill. I am proud of how far I have come. Even if I haven't lost any weight, I know I have lost inches and I feel a lot better about myself. For the past 3+ years, I kind of let myself go. I made excuses, I always said "I will start tomorrow", and I always looked in the mirror and felt less than satisfied with my body. It's easy to make excuses but it's sooo worth it to see improvements in your body, to push yourself to new limits, and to really just live your life to the fullest. Take time today and work towards what is important to you. Be proud of yourself.

 

Hello December

So I'm not really sure what happened but somehow November flew by right before my eyes. I was fairly busy with work and school so I'm not too shocked by that but I can't believe 2013 is almost over!

This Friday will be my last day of my class at BU and my final exam is December 17th. That means that I will officially done with my undergrad degree and will receive my degree in February. This is crazy to me! I also have to apply for the masters program in occupational therapy before February... so I will be busy getting my application ready to send off! A masters program?  Me? This is pure craziness. I will be praying I get accepted.

I have all my weekends free of work in December too which I am pumped about. I get to spend much needed time with Brandon and my family finally. In fact, this Friday Brandon and I are off to Grand Forks for the weekend for a mini vacay! We will shop, relax, go out for meals and just spend some time together ♥ I also hope to get my christmas shopping mostly done too!

My sister Stephanie is done vet school for the term on December 14th so she will be home in good time this year! I can't wait to catch up with her. I also can't wait to put up our Christmas tree, make chocolates, do some baking, play in the snow and have a games day with my whole family.

Christmas really is my favourite time of year. It makes me feel so thankful for everything and everyone I have in my life. ♡

Happy Monday everyone! :)