My New Year's Resolutions

I do best with accountability & patterns. 

I have never once kept a New Year's Resolution. But then again, I've never really made them. Every year, I half-hearted set goals that I then toss aside when real life kicks in; in that lofty space between Christmas and January, life feels as full of possibilities as I feel of cookies. I indulge and I want to change, but then once the time-travel feel of the last week of December wears off, I forget about that and go back to what I always do. 

Not this year. I say that with conviction and, despite my doubts, I intend for 2015 to be the year where I toss out my bad habits and replace them with at least decent ones. Here are my resolutions:

• Complete the Beach Body Guide by Kayla Itsines. You can check Kayla out here or on Instagram. I've been hearing about Kayla for a few months, but didn't put a lot of stock in her guide. However, after following her on Instagram and seeing some of the insane before & after photos (posted by real people on real Instagram accounts!!), I have to admit I wanted it for myself. My goal, instead of having a goal to work out or lose weight or whatever, is to finish the first 12 weeks of Kayla's BBG.
   
• Eat healthier, smaller meals. I have an unfortunate habit of not eating throughout the day (when you sit in front of a computer for 8 hours straight, it's difficult to actually feel hungry) and then going crazy in the evenings. I eat healthier than I used to, but my portion sizes are still a little messed up. I want to focus on eating more protein, less empty carbs, and drinking more water! 
   
• Start, and finish, a project. I have half-finished scrapbooks all over the place. Half-started stories everywhere. Blog ideas scribbled down on post-it notes and hastily shoved into a drawer under my desk. It's time to finish a project, self, at least one. C'mon. 
   
• Read at least one book a week. And not just fiction! As I read the Romanov Sisters, I am reminded of how much I love history books. I read a lot and I want to continue that trend this year. 
   
• Make date nights a thing. Danny and I both have very short attention spans. Sometimes, we will dedicate a Friday night to watching a movie -- but I'll often end up reading during it or just going upstairs to write. I want to dedicate at least one day a week to doing an activity with Danny -- whether that is cooking dinner, baking something, going to a movie, or working out. 

Thanks for the Memories, 2014!

2014 wasn't the greatest year for me. Or, really, anyone it seems. 2014 seemed to suck for everyone. I take a little bit of comfort in knowing that on January 1, I won't be the only person realized to see 2014 in the review mirror. That being said, sometimes it's easy to let all the negative overwhelm the positive. So here's everything that happened to me in 2014: 

• I finished moving into my just completed home & started paying a mortgage.
• I started reading Geneen Roth books and changing the way I view food (even if it didn't make me change until, oh, 10 months later.) 
• I got really obsessed with nail stamping. 
• Remember that time Mucho Gusto featured Danny and I on their social media? And called us hipsters? 
• Oregon went through an intense cold snap -- and Danny & I survived 4 days without power without killing each other. 
• I bought Danny his first iPhone for Valentine's Day & he sent me flowers for the first time ever. 
• I left a job I hated. 
• I was unemployed for three months. Looking back, I can't remember what I did for all those months. Painted my nails, watched tons of Bones, worked out a lot, went to interviews... basically. 
• I started another job I hated... and quit after a week. Oops. 
• I started another job -- and then was offered my dream job. 
• For three months, I worked two jobs. It doesn't sound that exhausting, but it really, really was. 
• I joined WeightWatchers. Twice. 
• I made a lot of homemade lemonade during the summer. And iced tea. Two drinks I used to hate. 
• Danny and I celebrated our first anniversary. 
• I attended one of the best weddings ever -- Nate & Amy's!
• Then Nate & Amy moved in with us for a few months. (And you aren't family until I back into your car. Be warned.) 
• I fell in love with coffee. Another beverage I used to hate that I can't live without now...
• I also fell in love with leggings as pants. 
• I started scrapbooking again. 
• I made a lot of cupcakes. A lot of cookies. And a lot of other baked goods. 
• I got sick approximately 100 times. 
• Danny & I dressed as robbers for Halloween -- with Remus as a bag of money. 
• I officially quit lifestyle, fashion & beauty blogging. And stopped using Blogger. 
• I bought & built my first website. 
• I decorated for Christmas... the day after Halloween. (No shame.) 
• I started a Fall blog on Tumblr and have almost 8,000 followers, which is somehow deeply embarrassing.
• Danny & I survived our second trip to Disneyland together -- and I think this one was more fun than the first. 
• I bought my third pair of Minnie Mouse ears. Oops. 
• I took an embarrassing number of selfies. 
• Things I perfected this year: pictures of Remus; filling my brows; winged eyeliner; lipstick. 
• Danny & I went to see every Marvel movie (and any other superhero movie) this year. 
• I turned 26 and almost immediately realized I was out of touch with the "youth" (although I still find myself shocked to not be included in teenage demographics...) 
• I made lots of new friends & let some negative people slip out of my life.
• I spent everyday with my best friend -- and realized that, through thick and thin, he's the love of my life. 

8 Gifts I Got for Christmas (& the One I Still Want)

1. The Romanov Sisters, by Helen Rappaport. A few years ago, I was participating in that hilarious (and weird) past-time of clicking "Random Article" on Wikipedia until I found something interesting. I was still in college at the time and I was painfully bored (and probably listening to Bones on Netflix at the same time). I stumbled onto an article about a little-known Romanov relative and, from there, started reading about Anna Anderson, the most famous claimant to being an escaped Anastasia Romanov. Cue a year-long, secret fascination with the Romanov family, one that I kept close, but never allowed myself to indulge. I didn't believe any Romanovs survived the execution -- but I kinda wanted to. When I saw the Romanov Sisters on Amazon, I immediately want to read it; Danny got it for me for Christmas and I've read over half in two days.

2. A rainbow keyboard cover. Three years ago, my mom ordered me a neon pink keyboard cover for my Mac -- I used it for a long time, but it quickly became stretched out and bubbling. Probably because it was about $1. Danny ordered me this high quality, rainbow one and I love it so much. So much. 

3. Naked On the Run by Urban Decay. I've been a fan of the Naked palettes for a long time -- they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I loved the original. I was very meh on Naked 2, but loved Naked 3 (even though I haven't bought it yet -- I love the rose gold colors though). When Naked on the Run came out, I knew it was right for me: the same price as an eyeshadow palette, but including a mascara, liner, and lip gloss, as well as two blushes. A girl can never have enough blushes. I love this palette. 

4. New leggings that are not black. I have an embarrassing habit of wearing black leggings everyday that I can get away with it. Which is almost everyday, actually. When Danny offered to buy me two new pairs of leggings (they were buy one get one $10 at American Eagle/Aerie), I couldn't say no -- but I didn't want to fall into my same old black leggings rut. I got a high-waisted light gray pair and a dark gray pair with silver cuffs. They are basically all I wore in Disneyland. 

5. An iPhone speaker that looks like a bean. It's less a speaker and more an amplifier; it works by cramming your iPhone into a hole in the top and hitting play. The little thing then amplifies the sound. It works amazingly well. It's neon pink and, like I said, shaped like a bean. I love it because it doesn't require batteries. I mean, I've been using a bowl to play my iPhone in the shower for a few months. 

6. New Minnie Mouse Ears. I arrived in Disneyland last week and suddenly realized I'd forgotten to pack my Minnie Mouse ears -- I have a classic black-and-red glittery pair that I bought during my honeymoon. Danny promised me a new pair, so I settled on what I call "disco ball Minnie" ears. I'm quickly becoming a crazy cat lady, except instead of cats, I collect Minnie Mouse ears. 

7. Shot Glasses. A few weeks ago, I said (woefully) to Danny that we owned no shot glasses. Lo and behold, Danny's mom sent us shot glasses for Christmas. Perfect. 

8. More Bath & Body Works stuff than you can shake a stick at. Every six month, Danny's mom sends me a bunch of Bath & Body Works stuff -- it's something I look forward to. I usually get a few candles, the free May or December bag, and some much needed Wallflower plug-ins. This year, Danny's mom didn't get online in time to get the free bag, but she still sent me a bunch of candles, a bunch of Christmas-scented lotion, soap, and body spray, and a super helpful little bag of body spray, body wash, and lotion that I used in Disneyland. 

So what's the one thing I'm holding out for?

You know how sometimes, you ask for something for Christmas or your birthday and every holiday in between but no one seems to really get how much you want that thing? For me, that's fair isle sweaters. I'm always sending people fair isle sweaters that I totally love and really want -- and you know what happens? They forget about them. Another year has passed with no fair isle sweater under the tree. Maybe next year my fair isle collection will grow.

Merry Christmas

It's weird what a few days at Disneyland does to you. Mainly, it hurts your feet. But, you also start to forget that the real world exists -- that, outside this place of confusing, twisting pathways and adorably decorated, perfectly rustic or New Orleans or whatever shops, there is a world that keeps going, keeps working, keeps doing whatever it does. For about three days, I legitimately forgot it was Christmas week. Yeah, there are Christmas decorations inside the park -- but it's a big like getting caught inside of a snow globe. The Christmas decorations are there, but that doesn't mean it feels like Christmas. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is: Merry Christmas, even though it doesn't feel like Christmas. There are no presents, no tree, no nothing where I'm sitting right now -- but I'm in the Happiest Place on Earth, so I don't have a lot of room to complain.