Yesterday was the longest day of the year! I decided to make it really fun for myself. Everything I did was laced with a little bit of "first day of summer" fever. I took advantage of every minute of sunshine. I even woke up to watch the sun rise and was sure to watch it set, too. I went to a great yoga class, I got to wear a pretty sun dress; my boyfriend and I walked around downtown with iced tea, peeking into antique stores and thrift stores. We also walked around the river and that may have been my favorite part of the whole day. We walked for hours. I took some pictures because I wanted the day to be memorable. The summer solstice this year marked the day when I started taking myself seriously again and made a game plan to work harder than ever before. I'm lucky my boyfriend accepts my swift attitude adjustments. I'm lucky I had someone so wonderful to spend my happiest day of the year with.
I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow. I would do it tonight but I'm exhausted after spending hours cleaning and organizing my things. Thank goodness for two days off in a row!
22 June 2012
19 June 2012
BRETTSDOTTER
I spent Father's Day with my dad. It seems like an obvious thing to do but this was big for me since I don't remember the last father's day I spent with him. I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to do so this year. I love my dad; he believes in me more than anyone in the world and he's one of the nicest, most funny guys I've ever met. We had a relaxed, lazy day. We browsed magazines, talked fitness and food, and exchanged funny stories. We also talked about some serious life topics.
Somehow I knew we'd talk about those things. I think maybe I've been especially tuned into the Universe lately, who knows. But for the past month or so I've been feeling like I needed to prepare for something. I felt like it was high time I kick it into high gear and get serious. What "it" was I didn't know until I talked to my dad on Sunday afternoon.
You see, my dad is a plotter. He taught me how to set goals and manage time and money from a very young age. He's always striving for the next, greatest thing in life, and he passed that on to me. Most recently, he's worked out a way to help me achieve one of my highest goals in the next year! I was floored when he told me what he's been thinking. He loaded me up with resources and ideas on Sunday and told me to start practicing my passion again, this time with the intention of never letting it wane again and only letting it grow. I don't know where I'd be without my dad. He's always there for me in the ways that matter the most. He's the greatest blessing in my life. And because of him I get to start the most exciting part of my journey faster than I thought!
Somehow I knew we'd talk about those things. I think maybe I've been especially tuned into the Universe lately, who knows. But for the past month or so I've been feeling like I needed to prepare for something. I felt like it was high time I kick it into high gear and get serious. What "it" was I didn't know until I talked to my dad on Sunday afternoon.
You see, my dad is a plotter. He taught me how to set goals and manage time and money from a very young age. He's always striving for the next, greatest thing in life, and he passed that on to me. Most recently, he's worked out a way to help me achieve one of my highest goals in the next year! I was floored when he told me what he's been thinking. He loaded me up with resources and ideas on Sunday and told me to start practicing my passion again, this time with the intention of never letting it wane again and only letting it grow. I don't know where I'd be without my dad. He's always there for me in the ways that matter the most. He's the greatest blessing in my life. And because of him I get to start the most exciting part of my journey faster than I thought!
13 June 2012
jubilation
*Sleeping in
*Vitamin D production
*Ab workout
*Laughter
*Paycheck
*A gorgeous succulent
*The cool breeze
*Everything crossed off my To-Do list
*Coconut almond fudge ice cream
*Mini facial
*A new dress & skirt
*Love from loved ones
*English breakfast tea
*Fresh, clean clothes
*Eucalyptus essential oil
*Conversation
*Conviction and commitment
12 June 2012
"Someday my ship will come in..."
Exactly one week ago, at the impressive age of 91, Ray Bradbury left us for another dimension.
His was a name I grew up with. My father always listed him as one of his favorite authors. When I was a bored teenager my dad would tell me to go to the library and read Bradbury's short stories. "They're the best" he'd tell me. And he was right. I remember being put off, at first, when my dad told me he wrote science fiction. That didn't appeal to me. Luckily, my dad knew me, and recognized Bradbury's excellence, and he persisted, so I listened to him.
Reading Bradbury is a decision I've never regretted. I Sing the Body Electric! helped me cope with a difficult time in my life, and it's one of my heart's most treasured books. I don't remember where my copy came from. It's old, probably considered vintage; the pages are yellowing, slightly stained, and coming up from the binding in some parts. I'll never get rid of it. I'll read it to my children.
Something tugged at my heartstrings when I heard Mr. Bradbury had died. His thoughts and ideas about the present and future always lined up so well with mine. A sort of melancholy excitement; a desire for the best, but an awareness that things could end up terribly crooked. I always admired him, especially for never going to college and still achieving an eminence in his career field. What a cool, passionate man!
He's one of the few, true authors that has touched my deepest thoughts. I'm grateful to have so many of his words at my fingertips to enjoy throughout the rest of my life.
His was a name I grew up with. My father always listed him as one of his favorite authors. When I was a bored teenager my dad would tell me to go to the library and read Bradbury's short stories. "They're the best" he'd tell me. And he was right. I remember being put off, at first, when my dad told me he wrote science fiction. That didn't appeal to me. Luckily, my dad knew me, and recognized Bradbury's excellence, and he persisted, so I listened to him.
Reading Bradbury is a decision I've never regretted. I Sing the Body Electric! helped me cope with a difficult time in my life, and it's one of my heart's most treasured books. I don't remember where my copy came from. It's old, probably considered vintage; the pages are yellowing, slightly stained, and coming up from the binding in some parts. I'll never get rid of it. I'll read it to my children.
Something tugged at my heartstrings when I heard Mr. Bradbury had died. His thoughts and ideas about the present and future always lined up so well with mine. A sort of melancholy excitement; a desire for the best, but an awareness that things could end up terribly crooked. I always admired him, especially for never going to college and still achieving an eminence in his career field. What a cool, passionate man!
He's one of the few, true authors that has touched my deepest thoughts. I'm grateful to have so many of his words at my fingertips to enjoy throughout the rest of my life.
"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds.
See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made
or paid for in factories."
04 June 2012
June Commitments
May was a success! Well, mostly. I'm still having a hard time with food consciousness, but I think that's because I haven't had a job in a month. Which makes decent grocery shopping nearly impossible. I will continue to strive for that goal. On the other hand, I read plenty and exercised quite a bit! Granted, I haven't done much physical activity the past week and that's because I'm adjusting to a new schedule.... a new work schedule! It feels amazing to be working again. What's even better is that I'm in an environment I really like!
And in June I will:
Keep up the exercise: Mostly by going to the gym because my membership is over in July. I won't renew it because I need to focus more on my finances. And I've been building a small arsenal of fitness gear and DVDs, so there is no reason not to exercise at home.
Save and Budget: Pretty self explanatory. My new job is only part-time, so I'll be making considerably less for a bit until I get the gumption to get a 2nd job (probably after summer, because I want to...
Spend time outdoors: Now that summer is officially on the way here I'd like to visit some waterfalls, caves, hiking trails, all that good stuff that I moved back to Idaho for.
I will be better about blogging... promise!
And in June I will:
Keep up the exercise: Mostly by going to the gym because my membership is over in July. I won't renew it because I need to focus more on my finances. And I've been building a small arsenal of fitness gear and DVDs, so there is no reason not to exercise at home.
Save and Budget: Pretty self explanatory. My new job is only part-time, so I'll be making considerably less for a bit until I get the gumption to get a 2nd job (probably after summer, because I want to...
Spend time outdoors: Now that summer is officially on the way here I'd like to visit some waterfalls, caves, hiking trails, all that good stuff that I moved back to Idaho for.
I will be better about blogging... promise!
03 May 2012
Thoughtful Thursday [wk.12]
This quote is inspired by the birthdays of two people very dear to me: my father and my only niece. This weekend I'll be driving [almost] the entire width of Idaho celebrating with my loved ones. It's going to be crammed, it's going to be a little hectic, my bum might get a little sore, but I'm so happy I can be with my family! Einstein said it best:
And rejoice I will! My family definitely lifts my spirits and makes me so grateful, every single day. I have to give them credit for keeping me as happy as I am!
My niece is the sweetest thing in the world. I'll come home from work to find pictures she drew and colored just for me! Drawings of tigers, lions, and jaguars; drawings of honey bees and butterflies; drawings of owls, and even dinosaurs with babies! I started putting them up on my wall and she was so happy and proud when she saw them up there! Her smile instantly makes me happy.
And where would I be without my dad?! I've been a daddy's girl for as long as I can remember. It's been hard these past few years being so far away from him and having to share our lives through phone calls and email. But this year I get to spend his birthday weekend with him! Maybe we'll go back out to Shoshone Falls and I can get some nice shots with my DSLR. Or maybe we'll just sit around chatting, eating veggie chips and watching movies. I don't really care what we do as long as I can share his birthday with him.
"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!"
~Albert Einstein
My niece is the sweetest thing in the world. I'll come home from work to find pictures she drew and colored just for me! Drawings of tigers, lions, and jaguars; drawings of honey bees and butterflies; drawings of owls, and even dinosaurs with babies! I started putting them up on my wall and she was so happy and proud when she saw them up there! Her smile instantly makes me happy.
 |
| My niece and one of her quick drawings of the Count from Sesame Street. (I showed her the censored Count video, hence the "beeep") |
01 May 2012
May Commitments
I'm seriously considering making this a monthly thing.
April is over and I have to admit that I fell a bit short on my commitments for the month. I managed to clear out and organize some things, and that was nice. I also kept my stress in check! Which is my biggest challenge in life, so I can't beat myself up if I fell a little short in other areas. And I think I only had one cup of coffee the whole month (that must be some sort of personal record). Easter screwed up the sugar cutback, but thankfully all of the candy is gone now!
In May I will:
Exercise more: For real this time. I'm considering buying a bike so I have something fun to do in the afternoons (or even the mornings, if I'm feeling ambitious!) I think I'll shoot for 2-3 days a week at the local fitness club.
Be more food conscious: This can tie back into cutting back on sugar, but I want to implement overall consciousness in all of my food choices. I want to buy more local produce because the farmers markets are going to start up again soon. I'm also going to cut WAY back on my soy intake. I found this article the other day and it blew me away. I'm all about sustainability and soy is definitely NOT sustainable. I do have my own organic seeds, and I'm okay with planting and eating those, but for the most part I'm going to read labels like crazy. And use skim milk from the local dairy in my protein shakes instead of soy milk. (Speaking of protein shakes, this stuff is awesome!!)
Read more books: Self-explanitory. I had two books that I had been leisurely reading for almost a year and I finally worked through them. I didn't want to start anything new knowing I had books that needed to be finished. But now they're read and I can move on to new treasures.
I think I'll leave it at that for now. I find that if I give myself too long of a list I won't get any of it done. I need to work on sprouting new habits instead of tackling issues all at once. And I think these things go well together. The first two do anyway. Reading just makes me insanely happy. If I think of anything else that might fit, I'll add it later on in the month!
I hope your May starts out fantastic!
April is over and I have to admit that I fell a bit short on my commitments for the month. I managed to clear out and organize some things, and that was nice. I also kept my stress in check! Which is my biggest challenge in life, so I can't beat myself up if I fell a little short in other areas. And I think I only had one cup of coffee the whole month (that must be some sort of personal record). Easter screwed up the sugar cutback, but thankfully all of the candy is gone now!
 |
| Blossoms on a tree in my boyfriend's backyard |
Exercise more: For real this time. I'm considering buying a bike so I have something fun to do in the afternoons (or even the mornings, if I'm feeling ambitious!) I think I'll shoot for 2-3 days a week at the local fitness club.
Be more food conscious: This can tie back into cutting back on sugar, but I want to implement overall consciousness in all of my food choices. I want to buy more local produce because the farmers markets are going to start up again soon. I'm also going to cut WAY back on my soy intake. I found this article the other day and it blew me away. I'm all about sustainability and soy is definitely NOT sustainable. I do have my own organic seeds, and I'm okay with planting and eating those, but for the most part I'm going to read labels like crazy. And use skim milk from the local dairy in my protein shakes instead of soy milk. (Speaking of protein shakes, this stuff is awesome!!)
Read more books: Self-explanitory. I had two books that I had been leisurely reading for almost a year and I finally worked through them. I didn't want to start anything new knowing I had books that needed to be finished. But now they're read and I can move on to new treasures.
 |
| Blooming bluebells |
I think I'll leave it at that for now. I find that if I give myself too long of a list I won't get any of it done. I need to work on sprouting new habits instead of tackling issues all at once. And I think these things go well together. The first two do anyway. Reading just makes me insanely happy. If I think of anything else that might fit, I'll add it later on in the month!
I hope your May starts out fantastic!
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