One down

Okay for January, I'm on pace with my resolutions. Even though I technically started this book in 2014, I'm claiming reading credit for "In the Woods" by Tana French in 2015:

It was a good mystery read though I'd have a tough time recommending it. I'd be like, "the set up is great, the journey is gripping, but ugh, unsatisfying ending."  I'm embarrassed that I'm one of those readers who needs things resolved at the end and I get "in real life" one doesn't get all answers, but come on, when you've got a mystery, isn't that the point?

Okay baby steps with the crafting--pulled out the Spirograph and made a card, which I mailed to a friend:

On a side note, Spirographing is kind of harder than I remember (or takes practice), I had a number of times when I couldn't keep the cog on the track if my pen was in a hole farther from the center of the cog and I'd have these sudden jagged lines where my pen just veered across the design.  A tad frustrating.  Or maybe I need smaller hands.

And voila! I found out a local girl scout troop would take craft stuff so I got motivated to purge some of my stash, knowing it would be put to good use:

Okay, 1 out of 12 done--now on to the next 11...

Super Bowel Sunday

If you didn't know, only official NFL sponsors get to use the trademarked phrases "Super Bowl" and "Super Sunday" in their advertising.  So a lot of commercials who just want to use that day as a reason to have sales (like the way we have President's Day sales), resort to using words like "the Big Game" or "the Big Championship".  I didn't think I could have a favorite until I saw this:

Way to go, Vitamin Shoppe. I thank you for Super Bowel Sunday.

New Year's Resolution: Lean in 2015

Here we go, 2015.  It's a new year and we're cleaning up.  It's been almost a year and not much progress since I last blogged.  Still at about 170 and ready to kick off the new year right with some simple focused goals.

To start with I have this goal sheet from my gym of reaching 5 pull-ups in a row by the end of 2015.  A few years ago, I was able to do my first unassisted pull-up and got up to 2 in a row.  Now, at 15 pounds heavier than that time, I can't even do one.  Besides some exercises that build up to pull-ups (vertical rows, horizontal rows, etc.), I was advised that weight is a factor as well, so a supplemental goal is getting rid of excess weight.  So starting off by not eating after 9pm and increasing cardio with its own goal of doing a 5K under 40 minutes.  I've signed up for a 5K trail run on February 14--fingers crossed!

Additionally, it's time for other parts of my life to get lean, so decluttering is in order.  And I want to focus on creating and producing, instead of consuming (in my case, hopping around craft blogs, saying how much "I should make that!" and then on to another craft blog).  So less internet, more making stuff.  The exception is reading.  I feel like reading a book is working out my brain, unlike say, surfing the internet.  So here are the rest of the resolutions for 2015:

- Reading 12 books

- Getting rid of 12 boxes of stuff

- Make 12 things

Originally these were all going to be once a month goals, but I didn't want to restrict myself if I'm on a roll (especially the decluttering).  Deep breath.  Okay here we go!