Small Changes for 2013, Part 2

So some of you have had more time to find your word for 2013 or make some resolutions. In my last post I said I was making small changes in 2013 and some wondered what they might be. 

I read somewhere that the #1 resolution by Americans was to lose weight. I love to eat! Over the holidays as more and more treats came into our home, I would snack on the high calorie treats that adorned our counters. Thus a little weight gain. 

Track Calories

My small change in this area is to be more active and to eat mindfully, which is a lot easier said than done. So the first small change I have made is to track my calories again. I am choosing foods that are higher in protein, less processed/packaged foods. I am also making an effort to have fresh veggies and fruits ready to be eaten. It seems when I want a snack, I don't want to take time to prepare it, so it really helps having the veggies washed, cut and ready to be eaten. My favorite go to snack is greek yogurt. If you haven't tried it, you should! It is a great source of protein and really delicious. Be sure to read the label as there are now a lot of varieties, with some containing too many calories. These are previous posts that I have written about healthy eating: here and here.

Be Active

The midwest winter months can really drag on, as those who live in the midwest know, all too well. I am aiming at being more active. I continue to ski with my family on the weekends. I have also gone back to tennis one day/week. I committed to working with a personal trainer in a group setting in February. I am using the rest of January to get ready for this huge challenge. I already logged the training dates into my calendar and I am committed to being in the gym at a minimum of two days per week.  I am also hoping to make a reacquaintance with my treadmill! 

Home Organization

Another small change I have made is in the area of organization. I am following A Bowl Full of Lemons, New Year's Home Revolution which is a 14 week home organization challenge. If you are interested in checking it out, go here. What I like about this challenge is that it can be as little or as much organization as that space needs that week. I figure even if  I clean a drawer a week in the space that they suggest, I will end up with a minimum of 14 clean drawers!! A small change that will lead to a bigger change! 

Before I started the New Year's Home Revolution "Organization Challenge"  I cleaned and organized my laundry/mud room. I am not quite done renovating this space, as I need to have a new faucet and sink installed and need new artwork above the coat hooks. I also need to find a way to hide the electrical cords from the washer and dryer, below the cabinets. I hope to dedicate one full blog post to this room, as it is a big part of the functioning of our family! Here is a peek at the progress so far from last spring: 

If you want to see what my laundry room looked like "BEFORE" go here and here.

A have a few more small changes for 2013 that I will share with you in another post. And to leave you on a note of other things happening at our house...a scheduled surgery for my son Foster, to repair an "acute ulnar collateral ligament"or thumb ligament, after he suffered a ski injury dubbed as Skier's Thumb...a similar injury his father also had as an 8th grader. Like father, like son.

Xray at orthopedic surgeon's office:

My kids love playing with the fun stuff at the orthopedic surgeon and using instagram:

I hope that your 2013 is off to a great start and that you are still enthused about the possibilities of great things to come in the new year! 

hugs, 

Cathy

View from My Kitchen Sink

My blog friend Pam, is celebrating her First Blog Anniversary and she is challenging us to post a view from our kitchen sink. I would rather do this in the summer but thought it was a pretty day, so here is my view today:

And a pic of my sweet Marissa's Valentine cake that she made during one of our 3 our snow days off from school. She made this almost entirely by herself. I poured it in the pan and put it in and pulled it from oven. I also made some extra icing but she did all of the rest! Pretty good for 8 years old! 

It says be Mine.

And Marissa has been hobbling around. Must have been some snow day scuffle with the siblings. The sibs are in the other room chilling out after having teeth removed today. A good day to have them removed so they don't miss any school! (Crutches are rather inexpensive and make a good toy, as well as come in handy, when your ankle is a tiny bit sore)

This was a shot of my kitchen counter last night. Don't know why my kids can't put their mug in the sink, throw away the garbage and roll down the Goldfish bag! By the way those strawberry heart marshmallows are to die for!! Yummmy!

This is a pic of part of my living room bookshelves. The books are covered in paper from HobLob. The hour glass was a bday gift to my hubby a few weeks ago. It is really cool and a reminder that time is fleeting. I wanted Pam to see how I covered my books in paper. I did this years ago & they still look great! Don't you think bookshelves are hard to decorate? This looks much nicer in person. Really it does. The very top pic(in the star frame) is of my son and husband swimming in a lake about 10 years ago. The 2nd shelf  pic on left is of Ana when she had really short hair,  she was about 5 years old. There is a pic of Foster and me when he was a baby. A picture of Ana holding Foster when he was a baby. A picture of Marissa's baptism. A picture of Marissa at 6 months old in her little Frenchy blue outfit that I took. And a pic of the kiddos from 2 1/2 years ago. I really need to get the new photos in frames! 

I am hoping for a return to "normal" tomorrow and that the road conditions improve. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my trainer and a lunch date with a dear friend.  Tonight, I am off to try a new place in town with the Bunco/Bunko girls. Have a lovely Thursday evening!

hugs,