Five on Friday

Happy Friday Friend!

Joining the ladies again this week.

I'm taking this post to a different level this week.  No personal pictures, sorry.  I want to talk about 5 changes that I want to achieve and maintain over the years.  I'm not a resolution maker/keeper, but I could stand to make a plan to achieve some changes.

{ONE}  Declutter/Organize.  We have so much crap, in every room.  Being military, we have moved a lot.  We have bought a lot to accustom each home.  Big mistake and really shouldn't have been done.  For instance, when we moved from VA to Germany, we left probably 70% of our stuff in VA in storage.  Again, big mistake.  We ended up buying so much stuff in Germany, just to be comfortable.  We have doubles of a lot of stuff (especially kitchen and office).  I need to go through everything, pack it up, and donate it.  Each room/closet could use a good organize too.  This week I've been working on the kids' rooms since we moved them around again (another post later this week).  I'm also going to work on creating a schedule/tasker to accomplish this ginormous task.

Pretty much sums up how I feel!

{TWO}  Work at getting healthy.  I've gained weight.  I love food.  I don't love working out.  Those two aren't a good mix so I need to find the medium.  I need to work on portion control so I don't have to eliminate all of my favorite foods and deprive myself.  I also need to incorporate exercise at least 3 times a week.  My main problem with working out is taking the time away from other things.  I've gone to the gym 3 times this week and have felt awesome while doing it.

Problems:  1.  I'm starving by the time I get to the gym.  I get to the gym after I drop the kids off at school.  I eat between 730 and 8, usually 1 cup of cheerios, so at 915 when I get to the gym, my stomach is already growling.  2.  Because I'm starving when I start, when I'm done, I'm eating whatever I can find.  Sometimes it healthy, but then the snacking is out of control.  For instance, I made chicken and broccoli for lunch one day.  It was really good too.  But then I felt the need to snack on crackers and the kids' fruit snacks.  I didn't need those since I just finished my lunch, but I had them.  

I need to come up with a plan so that I'm not starving when I go workout and that I'm not overeating during the day.  What's the point of working off those calories if I'm just throwing them back in my body an hour after I'm done exhausting my body?  I need help in this area, like really really bad.  I want to get healthy but am struggling bad.  I've cut out Mt. Dew, Pepsi, any caffeinated sodas for 6 weeks already.  I just need a chef and no food in my house.  But, that's not reasonable because I don't want to do this temporary, I want it to be forever.

I need to remember this!

{THREE}  Have more fun and patience.  I'm not a morning person and how I am woken up in the a.m. will determine my mood for the REST of the day.  It's true and I shouldn't let it take over my day.  I want to give my family the best and most fun experiences we can have.  I don't want my kids to only remember mommy and daddy always working on their homework, because yes, school starts back up for us too.  I want them to love life and make the most of it.  I don't always want to hear "are you done with your homework yet?"  I hear that a lot.  Maybe I need to sacrifice my sleep and do my work while they are sleeping and play games and interact with them while they are home?  

I'm in desperate need of patience too.  I like things to get done when I want them done.  I'm not a planner person, I like to wing my day and if I think of something random, I'm usually doing it when I think of it.  I stop everything and will start something new.  My husband hates it because if I'm in one project, I'll stop and start another, leaving the first one how I left it.  I think if I had patience to create a schedule and stick with it, my patience with the kids, projects, and life would be more pleasurable

Just keeping it real :)

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{FOUR}  Be a better mom/wife/friend.  This is a daily struggle.  I feel like a negative person and I don't want to feel like one or be betrayed like one.  Because, I don't think I really am, I just have my days.  Like everyone, right?

To be a better mom, I need to get down and interact with the kids.  I need to do activities with them like I used to.  I feel like when we were living in Germany I was such a better mom.  Maybe it was because they were home with me 24/7?  Maybe my patience was better?  Maybe because they were younger?  Whatever it was, I really hope to get back to where we used to be.

To be a better wife, I need to be more intentional.  I need to start making conversation and stop pushing him away.  We need date nights, even if it's just watching a movie after the kids go to sleep, or having a nice dinner.  I need to be more affectionate, that's something I really struggle with.  I always have and probably always will.  But if I intentionally make an attempt to get better, maybe soon it will become natural?

To be a better friend I need to open up, be dependable, and supportive.  I have a hard time opening up to friends.  I feel like I will be judged and who wants to be judged?  Not me.  I also find it easier to just not have many friends.  My life is busy and I don't feel like I have the time to commit to friends and their parties.  I love them, but I don't feel friends can depend on me to attend such things because I usually turn them away.  I want to be more involved with friends this year.  I want to be more supportive of them and their choices.  I think it's hard for anyone to not unconsciously judge someone instantly when something is said that we may not agree with.  I don't want to do that.  I need to stop over-thinking things and support them.  Friends bring happiness, new ideas, and fun.  Friends are there when you need a shoulder to lean on.  Friends are there when you feel like you can't talk to anyone.  A true friend will listen and not judge, give advice from their perspective and encourage you.

{FIVE}  Do more crafts.  I don't know how I didn't have time for anything this last year.  Again, in Germany, I did so much.  How did I have time there, but not here?  I was in school there too, so that can't be the excuse.  I love doing crafts.  Be it sewing, painting, or building something, I love it.  It's my happy place and I need to get back there!

I think if I can work on these five things, life would be happier and I could be more productive.

**Images from Google Image**