Self-Care

Over the past 18 months I have become a lot better at self-care. Through middle school, high school, and college I was busy. I was working hard on homework and sports. I am a very,very Type A person and like things to be just so. Once I transitioned into "adult" life and being on my own I knew that I needed to put some things in place to help me take care of myself. Here are a list of the things I did that helped me. 

1) It started by deciding that I wanted to lead a healthier life, I finally did not go into this idea with the weigh to lose a lot of weight quickly. I just wanted to get in shape and make steps to be healthier in the future. I started this by working out for 30 minutes a day. In the beginning I was doing walking workout videos. 

2) I decided to keep work at work and home at home. I like about 5 minutes from where I work so it is easy for my to stay a little later. I also get to work about 40 minutes before I need to get there. This gives me time to wind down, but this also means that when I am at home I am unwinding and not stressed about getting things done. 

3) I let myself take time to relax and be "bored". I give myself the chance to watch TV and read. I don't pressure myself to always do something. 

4) I make sure that I get enough sleep so that I feel good and ready to tackle the day. 

5) I make choices based on home I am feeling and what I enjoy. I have tried really hard to stop letting what other people will think influence me so much. I try to think how I feel and if this will help me move closer to being happy and content with my life. 

Let me know below about self-care that you practice or want to begin practicing in the New Year.

New Years' Resolutions

So I thought I would give my two cents about New Years' Resolutions. I have always been someone that made a few New Year's Resolutions quickly on January 1st. Then I would be really good for a couple of days, then I would not look at them and go back to exactly what I was doing before. This is how I was through most of high school and college. Last year I did a better job of writing down a few goals to  really focus on.

Now I am one of those people who thinks having goals is great, if you make a plan to follow through. You can start these goals whenever you would like. When I decided to live a healthier lifestyle I began on August 1, 2017. I have followed through with that goal and have gained more confidence and become more happy with how I feel. I have also managed to drop 50 pounds (if you would like more information about this let me know and I will definitely do a post).

This year I want to take a day (more likely an hour or two) and sit down and really think about attainable goals that I want to focus on in 2019. I have set some categories that I would like to make goals in, they are personal goals, financial goals, health goals, and professional goals. I am going to try to focus on one or two goals in each of these categories.

Now if you would like me to share my goals and how the process goes this year I would definitely be willing to. What I would love is if you would share some of your goals that you have accomplished in the past or even goals you have for the upcoming part of your life.

Also, if any of you have set like 5 year and 10 year goals and have any tips for that I would be super thankful to hear those. I think I am going to try to do 2019 goals, 3 year goals, and 5 year goals this year. I know they will change, but I think it can keep your life moving in a more productive direction.

"Carve" out Some Time

As Thanksgiving approaches I often feel like it is the forgotten holiday. People jump from fall and Halloween straight into Christmas with both feet. Now do not get me wrong, I love Christmas and the season with all my heart, but I am also a big lover of Thanksgiving. I have been excited about Thanksgiving since mid-October. I am excited not only for the food, but also for the day that will be set aside to spend time with my family.

I challenge you to take the day of Thanksgiving and disconnect from the things we are normally connected to. Leave your phone in a different room, do not let the stress of life get to you, and take a deep breath. Use this day to connect and be present with your family. Remember all the simple things we have to be thankful for; health, food, a place to live, or jobs.

Take time that day to connect and talk to the family that is present with you. Enjoy the food, conversation, and laughs. Break out some board games or a deck of cards and enjoy time and company. Take the time and let the true spirit and meaning of the day set in. Do not get lost and rush through a meal so you can stand in line at stores.

Now, you better believe that the day after Thanksgiving I am in full Christmas mode. Bring on the decoration, music, and movies. I love both of these holidays, mainly because I connect them to people I love being the same spot and enjoying the company of each other. While remembering not only the birth of Christ, but also reflect on the numerous blessings He has provided to me in my life.

Let me know some of the things you are thankful for below. 

Hello Again

                                                         

It has been 3 months since I posted anything here. I was doing pretty good for a while and then the summer hit. My entire routine was thrown off, I stayed at my parents house for most of the summer and I did not have as much daily structure to my life. I was also helping my parents remodel their house, so I learned a lot and was also exhausted a lot.
I enjoy posting on here because it is always interesting to go back and read my posts. Over this past year I have done a lot of personal growth in many different aspects of my life. I mean this is kind of bound to happen as you make the transition from college to your grown up life. I have worked hard on creating a work-life balance, as a teacher it can be hard to not let your classroom overtake your life. I have done pretty good with this.
So between my growth and the learning I have done I probably have a bunch of posts I could create. I am unsure of if you (if there is even anyone who reads this) just want to read about my life in general or if you want me to try to focus on a certain topic. I am fine with either. Some of the topics that I have grown the most in are fitness, "healthier" eating, teaching, and personal finance. If you have an opinion about my posts please leave a comment below I would love to hear from you and hear what you have been up to.

Trying New Things

So far in 2018 I have been trying to try more things. I am a person who likes routine and likes feeling in control. One of my biggest fears is the fear of the unknown combined with the fear of being alone. This means that it is a lot easier for me to take on a new activity if I have a friend in my corner who is doing it with me. Even though this helps me there are a lot of times I still get very nervous and worried trying new things that I am unfamiliar with. Now I 100% agree that trying new things adds value to your life and bring you to some of the most beautiful things, so that is why I have been working on this.

Quote From

For me one of the biggest ways that help in trying new things is saying a simple three letter word, YES! A lot of times when people ask me if I want to do something especially if I am not super close to that person my instinct is to say no or to make up an excuse that I am busy. I have worked really hard to not let myself do that. I will say yes and then I will stick to it. Now I am not saying that I am saying yes to crazy intense things like sky diving or something crazy. I am saying yes to doing activities that may not be my favorite or to trying a new workout class. Now to you these things may not be crazy, but to me this is putting myself outside of my comfort zone and helping me try new things.

The last point I need to make is about assuming about people's personalities. Let's say you saw me walking down the street with my best friend or family. You would see a person who is loud, laughing, may be doing silly things that make me look foolish, and has a huge smile. You may think oh my she is so outgoing and does not care what people think about her. In that case you would be right, I am with my people who know me, love me, don't judge me. I have my support system. Now you could see the same me on the same day walking somewhere by myself. You will see someone who is quiet and almost looks like they want to blend me. I do not want to draw attention to myself and be judged. While I am the same person with the same likes and dislikes, my personality flourishes once I am either comfortable with the situation I am in or the people I am with.

The last paragraph may seem random, but for me I know this about my personality and know I need to force myself to try new things because once I do and am comfortable I will love it and my personality will show.

Challenge yourself to try one new thing! Even if it is just saying yes to a new friend (or if you are me trying something you may love all by yourself!)

Life Plan???

I am a planner. Anyone who knows me knows that I like having details down and know what is happening. I am trying to get better with this in my personal life. I am trying to be better at going with the flow (although I do not think I will ever be like that fully). I like planning and do not mind if other people think it is crazy. I thought it would be fun to sit down and think about where I would like my life to be in 1, 5, and 10 years. Now I 100% know that God has a plan for my life and that is how my life is going to flow. But this could allow you to get a glimpse into my life and see how my mind works. Plus it could be fun to revisit this post and laugh at myself when I got none of these things correct.

1 year

In one year I will be 24 years old. I will have just finished my second year of teaching. I would hope that by this point I would have achieved my fitness goals (more of these will come in another post). I want to run a 5K in this next year, so hopefully I will be done with that or at least signed up. I hope I keep finding things that I enjoy doing where I live. I will also be preparing to head on a road trip to stand next to my best friend when she marries the love of her life. 

5 year
In five years I will be 28 years old which is completely crazy to me. I could have also finished my sixth year of teaching. I would hope that by this point I would be in a serious relationship with someone. I would want to be living in a house even if I am just renting it. Hopefully I will also have a pet of some kind. I would be half way done saving for mine and Karlee's trip to London. Hopefully by this point I will have a solid group of friends where I am living. 

10 year

In ten years I will be 33 years old. That seems crazy to me. I still sometimes feel like I am 16 years old even though I am currently 23. In ten years I would hope that I would be married with at least one baby (if not two) and another baby on the way. I would hope my husband and I have figured out where we want to raise our family and that we have create a good support system where ever we are. Hopefully there would be some plans for all of my cousins to get together. By this point my youngest cousin would be 22, so there will definitely have to be more planning in getting together with everyone. 

So these would be my general plans. I do not know if any of this will happen. Or maybe things will happen way quicker than I think, you never know. I know that no matter what God has incredible plans for me and I will be working on sharing the love of God with the people I am in contact with. 

Year One

I am sitting down to write this five hours after school finished on the last day! I cannot believe school is already over and the year is done. It feels like not very long ago I was starting high school, going to junior prom, headed off to college, or beginning student teaching. Now I have finished my time with students for my first year.

I think that my first class will also hold a special spot in my heart. In some ways they got the best me and I am sure in other ways they got the worst me. They got the excited me who was so ready to have my own room and my own students. They got the me who was excited to set things up and try things. They also got the me who had very little experience. They got the me who was trying to plan everything for the first time. They got the me who did not have a second activity to try because I have never tried any of these.

I learned so much this year and grew as a teacher. I had so many fun moments, laughs, and even tears. I learned more about myself and why God brought me to do this. As I said my final goodbye to my students I began to cry. My students then began to cry and as weird as it sounds that is when I realized the impact I had on my students this year. They were crying because they were going to miss me. What they do not realize is that no matter how much they miss me, I will miss them just as much. I cannot wait to see what these little ones go out in the world and do. I pray they whatever they go out and do they remember that Jesus loves them and know that I am always there for them.

Now it is time to enjoy summer and begin to think about my new group of students next year (it is crazy to think I am planning for my second class already).

I'm Back! (Hopefully)

Hello to anyone who reads this blog! Which may only be my best friend Karlee (Hi Karlee!). That's okay. I know I have not posted since December which is crazy. A lot in my life has changed since then and there have been things in my life I have been working on since August without ever mentioning them on here.

I am 2 and half days being done with my first year teaching. This statement is crazy to me! I cannot believe the year has gone so quickly. I cannot believe I am about to send my first class of students onto 3rd grade.

Since summer is starting soon I am hoping to make this a part of my routine (eye roll if you have heard me say this before). I know I have said this before and it has never happened, but I am really hoping that with some of the other changes I have made I can get this to be part of my routine. I really do enjoy it, even if it is just for me to go back an read in my old age.

I will be letting you in on some of the bigger changes that have happened in my life since I have been away. Trust me this is nothing super exciting, it is mainly self care that I have been working on. There will also be a post reflecting on my first year of teaching.

Please let me know if you have any requests. I have mainly stopped posting in the past because my life is pretty boring and I run out of ideas of things to write about.

One of my goals for summer 2018 is to make this a part of my routine. We will see how that goes!

Bye 17, Hello 18

Well, we can all see that I did pretty good blogging every day for the first half of the month. Then school got busy and I just wanted to spend time with my family. So, I kind of fell off the wagon, but let's move on.

2017 was a year filled with change and new experiences! Let me go over my highlights of 2017.

• Moved in with my grandparents for 6 months. 
• Completed my student teaching at 3 different schools. 
• Graduated from college. 
• Accepted my first teaching job. 
• Moved into my first apartment. 
• Started figuring out adult life. 
• Set up my first classroom. 
• Began my first year of teaching. 
• Was asked to be a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. 
• Had a wonderful girls weekend. 
• Began to make better decisions to be healthier. 
• Saw my best friend graduate college. 
• Was asked to be maid of honor in my best friends wedding. 
• I got to also enjoy spending time with family and friends. 

I cannot wait to see what 2018 will have in store. I cannot wait to continue to focus on making myself better and spending quality time with people around me. 

• I want to continue working on leading a healthier life. 
• I also want to focus on making good financial decisions that will begin to set up my future. 

I have a few ideas for blog posts that I look forward to writing in 2018! Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers.