Goals for 2014

Feels like -42. Yuck.

Hey there.  I haven't blogged for my following friends and family in quite some time.  Well, I've been in the slums of Iowa January weather.  Every other week we've been hit with arctic air to the point of schools being closed, not because of snow or ice, but because its cold.  I think we've had three or four days where the temp has hit below -30 (once -50) because of the wind chill.  Not nice.  You'd think I'd be bloggin' like yo' momma' with all that time indoors, but I just haven't had the will or inspiration.  Indoors just doesn't do it for me.  I was meant to be free in the wilderness, at least, every once in a while.

What we do with 50% of our time

   Finally I received the inspiration for written word from my cute un-cooped up school-attending husband.  Last night he asked sweetly,"Why haven't you written in your blog in awhile?"
And I dramatically whined/sighed (poor husband is pretty much the only one who gets this behavior), "Meh, I got nothing to write about." 
And he said, gently, "Just write about what's going on in your life."
  So since I have one blog fan who enjoys my monologue journal entries, I will blog on.
In a relief society lesson, I was encouraged to make goals for the year, and hopefully for life. Here are a few of them that I've somehow been keeping up on for this month, some for the first time ever.  There are some helpful strategies I've been using to complete them, so feel free to steal my methods if you dig.

1. I have been reading the Book of Mormon, and actually pondering the messages I've read.  I admit, that is BIG for me. My help: Instagram.  Weird and sad that Instagram has been one of the best things to help me read every day. I check my Insta habitually, so I'm always reminded to read.  If you want to join, follow bofm365.   There is so much I don't know about the BOM.  Brian knows so much! I blame/credit his mission. I like to discuss scriptures with him and ask him many questions.  I'm learning much.

2. I work out e'ery day. Not really new to me, I love to work out.  It cleanses my body and soul and colon.  Really.  On the days where I can't go to the gym or I don't have time for a YouTube workout video, I do one of these workouts at fithomerivalry.blogspot.com.  My sister in law, Ashley introduced me to it. Compete with me.  They take around 12 minutes to complete, but they're butt burners, man.

3. Stimulate Scarlett's mind every day.  Her mind is a pretty easy thing to stimulate, but not so easy to focus.  I like to take a minute and sing songs to her or play a game or throw a puppet show.  It can be easy to forget to do this with how important housework and projects and my own stuff seems, but she loves it.

Baby Be Walkin

4.Work on continuing my education.  I have a Bachelor's Degree in Medical Lab Science and I'd prefer that my hard-earned certificate MLS (ASCP)cm doesn't expire in 2015.  Gotta start earning my CE credits.  (This is probably a bunch of mumbo jumbo to you, but I'm writing it down because that's the first step).

5.  Cook.  Occasionally I'm pretty done with the day by the time Brian gets home and I don't feel like throwing something together, but I'm sure he loves coming home to a hot meal.  I've been pretty dang awesome at making dinner every day in January. The key for me is to shake it up and try something new once in a while.  Pinterest, baby.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

'Twas good

6.  I have two goals for hygiene.  #1 is don't shave my legs until winter stocking season is over.  This is more of a this is going to happen than I want this to happen. Is anyone with me?  Is anyone grossed out?  I understand. #2 Wear makeup and fix hair for church.   9:00 church threw me a little at first, but final preparations can be made in the car, even when Brian hits the breaks in little spurts while I'm applying mascara.  I figure I'd probably get polished for a date night or nice dinner or concert, so I should probably show that much respect to my Sunday best. But hey,  that's just my interpretation and no one really notices makeup anyway.  I know I never do, unless there is A LOT missing, if you know what I mean.

Well that's my goals for now.  Nothing crazy and fairly attainable.  Namaste.