Dec 14, 2011

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#resound11 – Home is…

12/14: Home is… (here)

When did you feel most at home this year: in your life, in your space, in your career, in your skin? What factors make that situation feel like home? Do certain comforts make your space feel like home? Does being with certain people make you feel complete? Is there an activity in which you excel that makes you feel like you’re doing what you were meant to do?

This is your life. Where do you live? Where is home?

More and more in 2011 I’ve felt like I’m becoming more me. More sure of myself, my decisions and what I want.

I’ve learned that I feel most at home when I’m being true to me. When I’m doing what my heart wants instead of what others think I should be doing. When I’m acting out of love instead of how society tells me to act.

It’s not easy to be true and I’ve struggled, lots. I still struggle. I’m emotionally true, but I still succumb to outside pressures and watch TV instead of exercising and eating a cookie instead of drinking water. I’m going to work to be more me in 2012, but in 2011 I’ve come pretty far.

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Dec 13, 2011

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#resound11 – Best Gift

12/13: Best Gift (here)

The holiday season is typically a time we focus on others, sometimes at the expense of ourselves. I can get so caught up in the expectations of the season that I have a hard time remembering to enjoy the peace and wonder of the season. I can forget to take time to care for myself. So lets look back on how we cared for ourselves. Maybe we’ll inspire each other to take a few minutes for ourselves today.
What was the best gift you gave yourself this year? Did you buy big, fluffy towels? Did you have a massage on a day when you really needed it? Did you forgive someone and give yourself the freedom from that grudge?
Is it just me or are these getting more challenging? :)
I purchased myself numerous tangible gifts over 2011, but that’s not really the best gift I’ve given myself.
In 2010 I quit my job and started a new job. All thoughout 2011 I knew it wasn’t the job for me.
Although it was super difficult, I quit my “new” job and went back to my “old” job. So far I’m loving it. I have my rough days, but I’ve been challenged and rewarded more in the 4 months I’ve been back than in the 9 months I was gone.

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Dec 12, 2011

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#resound11 – 12 in ’12

Apologies in advance for the 4 posts in a row that are about to pop up. The weekend completely got away from us. No, we did not end up decorating the tree, nor did I get my lobster mac & cheese. If my migraine (yes, migraine, I love y’all so much I’m blogging through my migraine) goes away by this evening there will be tree pictures for all to see!

12/12: 12 in ’12 (here)

Take today to talk about 12 things you would like to accomplish in 2012. These 12 things can be 12 resolutions, 12 changes in your life, 12 wines you’d like to drink, 12 cities you’d like to visit, or 12 monthly goals. The decision is yours. Good luck and have fun!

Similar to my life list, some of these will be big and some of these will be not so big. Some of these I’ll accomplish and some I won’t, but setting goals for my life is important to me.

  1. Go to the gym 2x per week in busy season and 3x per week in non-busy season. (Ideally, I want to say 5x per week in non-busy season, but I’m trying to be realistic here)
  2. Limit alcohol intake to 1 weekday drink and 2 drinks on weekends (The Cowboy and I love our wine, but I think reducing this will go a LONG way in making me healthier overall)
  3. Be promoted to manager at the end of busy season (effective August 1, 2012)
  4. Save! Save! Save! 2011 was definitely the year of spend for me. Since The Cowboy and I have revised our budget, I’d like to now focus on saving in 2012
  5. Pick up after myself. I’m a very messy person. I don’t always pick up after myself at all. In 2012 I want to change that. I want to have more free time and be more organized – this starts with picking up after myself.
  6. Grow my hair long. I chopped it off at the beginning of September and now I’ve decided I want to grow it out again (until I change my mind again)
  7. Take more pictures. We started off 2011 with a goal of taking and posting 1 picture per day. That quickly failed. I’m not sure if I’m going to do 1 picture per day, but I know I want to take more pictures.
  8. Plan one date night per month with The Cowboy. We really fell off spending good quality time together in 2011, so to spend more and better time together I will plan 1 fun date night/day with The Cowboy.
  9. Go see the F1 race in Austin, Texas. This is a big one and might not happen, but I’d really, really like to go.
  10. Eat completely meatless 1 day per week. I feel better when I eat “clean” and when I eat meatless it does tend to be quite clean, so meatless once a week it is!
  11. Do 50 sit ups and 20 push ups every day. Yes. Every day. Back when I was 16 and 17 I used to do 100 situps every night before bed. If I forgot I’d crawl out of bed and do them.
  12. Spend Christmas 2012 in Jamaica with my family. My dad and I originally started planning this when The Cowboy and I got back from spending Christmas in Mexico in 2010, so now it’s time to plan and get everyone on board :)

Whew. All caught up. Finding 12 goals for ’12 was much more challenging than I thought it would be. Do you have any goals for 2012? Leave your link in the comments and I’ll add links to the post!

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Dec 12, 2011

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#resound11 – Best Meal

Apologies in advance for the 4 posts in a row that are about to pop up. The weekend completely got away from us. No, we did not end up decorating the tree, nor did I get my lobster mac & cheese. If my migraine (yes, migraine, I love y’all so much I’m blogging through my migraine) goes away by this evening there will be tree pictures for all to see!

12/11: Best Meal (here)

What is the best meal or best food that you have eaten all year? Did you make it? Did you get it at a restaurant? Do your best to describe the food and the experience with us.

The Cowboy and I are foodies – we both love to eat. But more important, we love to eat good food. If the food isn’t good, it’s not worth it.

That said, the best meal I had this year (that comes to mind, at least) wasn’t with The Cowboy, it was on one of my two trips to Toronto. (Actually, the restaurant was so good I ended up eating there on both of my trips to Toronto!).

The meal was at a small restaurant called Sidecar that has a $25 prix fixe menu Sunday through Wednesday.

The first dinner we were rained out an ended up eating in a private club, drinking wine and laughing.

Cheers to good food and new friends :)

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Dec 12, 2011

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#resound11 – High/Low

Apologies in advance for the 4 posts in a row that are about to pop up. The weekend completely got away from us. No, we did not end up decorating the tree, nor did I get my lobster mac & cheese. If my migraine (yes, migraine, I love y’all so much I’m blogging through my migraine) goes away by this evening there will be tree pictures for all to see!

12/10: High/Low (here)

Today is a bit of a choose your own adventure: write (paint, draw, photograph, record, etc.) about your best experience this year. If that’s not your cup of joe, write about your worst experience. Feeling chatty? Share both your best and worst moments.

This prompt definitely follows the preceding post. My low of 2011 was definitely finding my grandma was diagnosed with terminal cancer and her passing away in July. It was all very, very sudden and very, very sad.

It almost feels wrong to follow this up with a high. As if, I’m over it. Obviously I’m not.

Despite the bad, 2011 was a good year for The Cowboy and I. I think my high was all the traveling I was able to do, both with The Cowboy and by myself with friends. It was a good year for travel.

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Dec 12, 2011

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#resound11 – Best Photo

Apologies in advance for the 4 posts in a row that are about to pop up. The weekend completely got away from us. No, we did not end up decorating the tree, nor did I get my lobster mac & cheese. If my migraine (yes, migraine, I love y’all so much I’m blogging through my migraine) goes away by this evening there will be tree pictures for all to see!

12/09: Best Photo (here)

For the past 8 days, we’ve talked about our year. For the next 7 days (with a break in between for a special prompt), we’re going to talk about the best things of 2011, then we’ll round out the month planning for 2012.

Today, please post your best photo of the year. It doesn’t have to be the best technically, it doesn’t have to be the best visually, but it should be a photo that you consider the best. Does it have special meaning? Is it of a significant event or moment? Share it with us!

What if you don’t have a photo? That’s OK, share an explanation of a “missed shot,” or a photo you wish you could have taken had you had your camera with you or if your camera would have cooperated.

When I first read this prompt, I envisioned scrolling through all my photos looking for my most amazing and “best” shot. The photo that would make everyone say, “Oh, she’s a photographer” and then I realized that’s not what this prompt is about.

It’s not about showcasing my skills (or lack thereof). It’s not about trying to get business for my husband; it’s about a memory.

A photo that captures something special. A special memory from 2011.

This is my picture. Just over 3 months before my grandma passed away. A little over a month after we found out she had terminal cancer. The first (and last) time this entire family was together.

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