Resolutions: Fitness

Today's fitness resolutions start off as a fail.  Just warning you.  I actually went to the gym yesterday.  It was the first time back in a long time.  I used to run everyday, run 5Ks, attend spin class twice a week, lift weights, etc.  I was pretty buff and fit!  Then...school got in the way.  :P  I get SO wrapped up in school from about August-December.  It's awful.  Everything else gets shoved to the side.  Then Christmas break rolls around and I reevaluate.  And here we are.  :)

Where to start?  Well, let's just say I want to get back in the habit of working out.  I've always found that the first week is often the hardest.  Then it's like a drug...your body just gets addicted to it and you HAVE to have it!  It's kind of wonderful, actually.  :)

I DEFINITELY want to hit up some more 5Ks!  I LOVE them!  I want to try to beat my time with each one I run this year.  That means training starts stat.  A.K.A. Tomorrow.

This is the biggest area I need to commit myself!  EATING.  Omg.  I love food.  But it hates me.  I just can't eat like I used to without it catching up to me.  ;)  That means I need to plan more trips to Whole Foods and Earth Fare!

I'll be back tomorrow to hit the rewind button and post the things I missed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!  MAY YOU BE BLESSED WITH A REMARKABLE 2013!!!!

Resolutions: Downtime

Well hello there!  Long time no see!  I kind of took the last couple weeks off to get all my last school days through, shopping and wrapping done, and spend some sweet time with my family.  I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas!  We go back to school on WEDNESDAY.  :(  Booo!  I don't want to go back!  I do, but not yet.  I need a few more days to prepare some things.  :/  When do you go back?

So I'm going to jump in and team up with some bloggy friends and blog about my resolutions for the upcoming year!  I LOVE starting a new year.  It's SO refreshing and fun.  So I'm starting a bit late on this, so I'm going to start with where I need to and then in the following days go back and hit the ones I missed.  :)

Goals for Downtime!  Downtime?  What's that?  Maybe that's where I should start.  I need to carve out some time to just BE.  Relax, read , do something I love, take a bath, or whatever will qualify as ME TIME.

Spend more time with family!  I have the sweetest little family and my goal is to spend more time with them.  Maybe that means having a movie night at home, going out to dinner as a family, going swimming at the Y, or going to the zoo.  Or maybe it's just all snuggling for a few hours on a Saturday morning!

I have such a love for doing creative things, but I always find an excuse that I don't have time.  My newest found love is beading!  A friend of mine got me hooked on these Swarovski crystal beads.  Well, over Christmas break I decided just to learn how to make them myself.  I *LOVED* doing it!  It was sooooo relaxing and I loved just doing something for myself.  I also love to paint!  My playroom is flooded with painted canvases by moi.  It's such a neat personal touch.  I really want to get better!  And finally, with my fancy camera, I've taken a newfound interest in photography!  I love trying things out and looking at shots I've taken (like the flowers below).  All the photos below are things I've created.

With Pinterest, there's no excuse that I don't know what to cook.  ;)  Actually, I'm blogging and munching on some AMAZING buffalo chicken dip right now!  The few things I've made from Pinterest have been WONDERFUL.  And I just don't cook.  :(  I'm a bad wife.  But it works out, because hubby LOVES to cook!  I still want to get better at it.  Below are a couple pics I've found of yumminess that I've actually made.

Being outdoors is SOOOOOOOOOO refreshing!  Yes, even in winter.  Especially in winter.  I hate winter.  I mean, there are few things I hate more.  I hate spiders more, but that's probably it.  But I think the reason I hate it so much is because I'm stuck indoors all the time!  So if this snow ever gets cleared, I want to try to go on a weekly walk/run through my neighborhood.  Once spring and summer roll around, I want to make it a daily habit!  Oh, and a pool membership is definitely important this summer.  :)

Finally, the deepest love I have of all things downtime related is READING!  I love, love, love, love, love, love to read!  I have an ABUNDANCE of books.  I recently had to buy a bigger bookshelf, because they just didn't fit on the one I had.  I have 3 books sitting on my nightstand right now, waiting to be read.  Actually, I have 4.   I have a new devotional book ready to go for the new year.  I'm going to knock them out in 2013!  And hopefully more once I finish these. ;)

I will be back tomorrow with Fitness Goals!  

What downtime resolutions do you have?  What do you like to do (outside of school) when you have free time?

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

Love to all as we reach, teach, and protect our babies.  My deepest thoughts and prayers are with Newtown, Connecticut.  May the Lord bring peace and healing to those affected.  

Who DOESN'T want a Nook Color???

I wish I had one!  But you actually have a better chance than I do.  :)  Wanna know why?  Because a bunch of us have teamed up to pull together ONE. AWESOME. GIVEAWAY!  And the grand prize? That's right.  A NOOK COLOR HD!!!!  What a cool Christmas present that could be for yourself!

It gets even better!  Even if you don't win the grand prize, you still have a shot at winning LOTS of free goodies donated from various bloggers!  I know I'm using tons of exclamation points, but I'm super-excited about this giveaway.  ;)  So how does one enter, you might ask?  Easy.  Head on over to www.tipsfortopteachers.com and enter through the Rafflecopter!  You can earn a total of 27 entries.  I'm done blabbing for now, because you need to get over there and enter!  :P  GOOD LUCK!!!!

I'm giving away a copy of my December Math Centers - CC Aligned!