Update March Monthly Designs

The weather is beautiful here! Up to high 40s. The photo above is of my lilies waking. Very exciting.

March Designs Update
1. Continue one in/one out - Got a few things and preparing a Goodwill donation
2. No book buying - Done
3. Cook at home 3x/wk - Only 2x
4. Weekly week in review post about my monthly design accomplishments - Done
5. Daily exercise of at least 30min - All days except no consecutive 30 min on Mon & Tues
6. Cease eating by 7pm - All but 2 days
7. limit refined sugar to 1 serving 2x/wk. - needs work, 4 days
8. Increase veggie intake - Only slightly

Overall I'm moving in the right direction. I'm pleased with my exercise accomplishments, but need to pay more attention and effort to the food goals. Yesterday I enjoyed lovely walks and yard work. Woke up a bit sore today. Amazing how joyful it feels to work in the yard. Entertainment and exercise for zero money.

March Designs - Au Revoir February

Many know the phrase "Want to hear God laugh, tell God your plans." Well, THAT was February. The stomach bug knocked me for a loop and certainly laid waste to many of my plans. Though somewhat discouraged by my lack of headway, much like a crocus attempting to bloom through the snow in early spring, I persevere.

February Designs Results
1. Continue one in and one out - Did pretty good
2. Continue no book buying - Did great
3. Cook at home 3x/wk - Not so well, but cooked 2x/wk this past week
4. Exercise 6 days/wk - Not nearly
5. No eating after 7pm. - Accomplished this most days
6. Review finances weekly - Didn't happen
7. Eat at least 1 serving of veggies daily - Sadly, no
8. Almost forgot, limit refined sugar indulgences to once per week - Sadly, during the stomach bug refined sugar was the only thing I could digest.

Oh well, Au Revoir to February. Hello March! Hello Spring! Hello March Designs!

1. Continue one in/one out
2. No book buying :(
3. Cook at home 3x/wk - I can do it, I know I can!
4. Weekly week in review post about my monthly design accomplishments
5. Daily exercise of at least 30min (includes walking the dog if consecutive 30 min).
6. Cease eating by 7pm.
7. limit refined sugar to 1 serving 2x/wk.
8. Increase veggie intake.

I have some more I'd like to accomplish, but I'm not sure it wise to list them. I'll ponder the possibility. Now I'm off to work on my monthly budget and pay bills.

Showing My Thrifty Side

In December I made an impromptu trip to Goodwill. Every now and then I find a good or even great deal. That day I found a great deal. I've been looking for a furniture piece to place at the end of my bed. Low and behold, there it was, for only $10.

The pattern is lovely. As you can see the fabric is worn on the seat and in desperate need of cleaning. Even then, the upholstery may still likely be stained in a few places. In that event, I will make a slip cover for it. I've been doing a bit of research and believe that I can make one that is true to the lovely lines and curves of the piece. I'm VERY pleased with my find.

Ask and the Universe Provides

Last weekend I was preparing a post for V-Day all about self-love. Of course that topic came from my understanding that I need to practice self-love. I was going to talk about how I was going to love myself better. Get in touch with my values, such as health and practice a cleansing. The kind that you clean up your eating allowing the body to eliminate waste and become healthier. Well, that was Sunday. Having not finished my post I planned to finish it Monday. Then the skies opened and the Universe bestowed upon me a fine detoxifying opportunity. I came down with the stomach bug my daughter had seemingly breezed through the previous week. Only I have not breezed through it. Quite the opposite. Yes, the Universe was laughing when she answered, only I was slow to get the joke.

My daughter came down with it last Thursday afternoon and by mid-morning the next day, she was asking for a BLT. Contrarily I've been out since Monday afternoon, and only today tried "real" food (not Jell-O, 7-Up, sorbet or toast) this afternoon. Ironically people pay oodles to do for them what nature did for me for FREE! Sometimes you just gotta make lemonade from those lemons. :)

And in answer to Treacle's question about how my February goals were going. Sadly, the better of them haven't gone well. A work situation exploded the first week leaving me excessively stressed. Unfortunately my primary reaction during such times is to hibernate or effectively zone out when given the chance. So I found myself as usual arriving home to burrow in. Aside from walking the dog regularly, I've done very little exercise. Very little cooking, very little sugar resistance, but did manage to do well respecting the 7pm eating limit.

As I wrote in an earlier post that I am reading Suzy Welch's book 10-10-10 about a strategy for decision making. Because the strategy is value-based, one person's decision may turn out differently than another person's. Of course the strategy only works well if you truly know your values. While reading the book, I realized that over the past few years I've gotten out of touch with my values. If fact, if someone were to come out and ask me about my values, I'd likely only be able to come up with one or two. This left me feeling not only sad, but somewhat disappointed and even ashamed of myself.

These thoughts brewing in my head combined with my standard reaction to high levels of stress, became a cue for me to take some time to re-examine and perhaps, re-orient, my values and how I'm living them. Then came the stomach bug which I suppose is a way to re-set my clock. Not to mention what blessing it is to have our health.

February Designs

I don't consider January a particularly successful month in terms of meeting my intentions. I have found myself more interested in zoning out rather than focusing on that which I aspire to. Perhaps it was the cold and cloudiness or maybe I'm just lazy and unmotivated.

January Intentions Report
1. 1 thing in - 1 thing out. With the exception of grocery items, birthdays and Christmas, for anything new that comes into our home, something of comparable use/space must leave our home whether through donation, gifting, selling, etc.
2. No book buying during this month. I've got oodles to read already. (Done)
3. At least 10 min yoga per day for 30 days. (Not Done)
4. Cook at home from scratch 3 times per week. (Did well some weeks, but not all)
5. Limit refined sugar to once per week. (Limited to 3x/wk)
6. Review finances every week (e.g. record and pay bills). (Not Done)

The past couple weeks I've been reading Suzy Welch's 10-10-10 book. I first read about her 10-10-10 system when she wrote an article on it for O Magazine in 2006. I thought it a valuable concept, but didn't entirely understand it. Luckily I found her book at the library. I'll chat more about it later, but for now I will mention her concept of designing one's own life. Certainly this concept is not hers alone, but when combined with other aspects of the book it spoke to me. Perhaps I just needed to hear it now. I've certainly heard it before, but you know what they say, when the student is ready, the teacher will come.

February Designs
1. Continue one in and one out.
2. Continue no book buying.
3. Cook at home 3x/wk.
4. Exercise 6 days/wk.
5. No eating after 7pm.
6. Review finances weekly.
7. Eat at least 1 serving of veggies daily.
8. Almost forgot, limit refined sugar indulgences to once per week.

Though more ambitious than this past month, I think I can do it. I think I can...I think I can...

Winter - How to Cope

After several weeks of frigid temperatures, I enjoyed a weekend with temps in the 40sF, albeit with rain. Now temps have plummeted again exacerbated by wind chills. I'm finding it hard to be motivated. The only one I know who actually looks forward to going outside is my German Shepherd. It's been weeks since we have had a sunny day. It takes a toll. Even the blooms have nearly all fallen off my Christmas cactus, pictured above just before New Year's in full bloom.

The nice thing about this time of year is that it is a perfect excuse to nest. Declutter, organize, clean, etc. An opportunity to focus on the interior rather than the exterior. But sometimes, all too frequently I want to just bundle up, sit by the fire and stay warm. This time of year I'm also prone to early bedtimes. Crank up the electric mattress pad and jump under the covers. There a small projects to keep me busy. Opportunities are always there, but it just "seems" harder when it's so cold.

How do you make it through the cold and gloom?

A Turn for the Better

For the past several months my weekends have only been quasi productive. However today was a bit of a change. Not only did I awaken at a reasonable time but I started my taxes last night and finished them this morning. By noon they were filed. I did return to my lazy ways for a bit this afternoon, but by evening I managed to do some tidying up around the house. I also managed to work on a project.

A few weeks ago I went to Goodwill Industries (one of my favorite stores) and found some lovely wall paper. It was only one roll but it was too beautiful to pass up and at only $1.99 it felt like a steal!




Luckily an idea for its use came to me right away. I have a lovely dresser/wardrobe for which this elegant paper is just right. I'm thrilled with how it turned out. The photo below was taken while I was confirming the fit before using that piece as a template to cut out the other pieces for the remaining drawers. When I placed in all the pieces today, I used low tack adhesive spray to secure the liner to the bottom of the drawer. The effect is quite lovely and the paper sets much more smoothly than in the photo below.



That which we elect to surround ourselves with becomes the museum of our soul and the archive of our experiences. - Thomas Jefferson

It is so true. When we surround ourselves with items that speak to our soul, our home becomes alive and we see joy everywhere. Even the little things like my new drawer liner make me feel luxurious and cared for and it only took $2 and a little bit of effort.

We Interrupt This Blog with an Important Message

I am not a particularly political or religious person though I consider myself quite spiritual and I certainly have no intention in turning this into a place of political or religious dialogue. I try hard to get along with all. However recent events have unfolded which compel me to voice my opinion to the Universe. Since I am not eloquent, I choose to give space to those who are. There is little that gets my Arien temper aflame more so than hate-speak, particularly when it's done in the name of God and in the face of tragedy. It is not my intention to offend any of the wonderful readers who have come here (all 5 of you :) ), and if this does offend you, I am truly sorry.

That being said below is a letter written to the Minneapolis Star Tribune by Lily Coyle. Having lived in the great state of Minnesota, I adore the Minnesotan humour and their overall dedication to social justice. People like Ms. Coyle help me to tolerate the intolerable. That being said, I give space to Ms. Coyle's letter below.

Dear Pat Robertson,

I know that you know that all press is good press,
so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean
bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that
action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is
totally humiliating.

I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The
way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and
impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with
people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty,
talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have
nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake.
Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing
going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs,
exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent
poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just
saying: Not how I roll.

You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want
to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And
not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave
me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.

Best, Satan

LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS