Happy New Year’s Eve!!
I know. I totally dropped the ball this holiday season, blog-wise. Here’s what happened. I moved into a new apartment halfway through December. I hired movers (loved them by the way so email me if you want their info!) but was still completely exhausted and sore. It felt like I got run over by a semi.
Between unpacking/organizing and wrapping up end-of-the-year work projects, I just had no bandwidth leftover at the end of the day. So I’m sorry for going off the grid. The good news is I’ve spent part of my Christmas vacation time working on blog posts for 2019! We’re back to regularly scheduled programming!
Feeling Like Myself Again
I know it’s cliche to say “New year, new me” but in all honesty, I feel like a totally different person today than I did a year ago. And not just because last New Year’s Eve I was stuck in bed with a fever and a miserable cold!
I talked about pulling myself out of a loooonngg rut a few months ago and for the better part of 2018, I focused on clearing my headspace and getting my stress levels down. I needed to get that negativity out.
Clearing My Headspace
First step to do this for me was making time to read for fun again. I read the news all day long and by the end of the day felt burned out. I made sure my library card got its exercise in this year and wiped the dust off my Goodreads account to hold myself accountable and to see what good books you all recommended!
I completed my goal of reading 10 books in 2018, my absolute favorites of the year were The House on Tradd Street and Next Year in Havana. Lilac Girls was haunting. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was the brain candy I needed at the exact right time. And Text Me When You Get Home reminded me how much I cherish my female friendships.
Going for broke in 2019 and setting my goal to 20 books 😳
I also committed to meditating before bed. Whenever I’ve tried in the past to create a meditation habit, I noticed an improvement in my sleep and overall contentment. But it’s just too easy to lie in bed scrolling through Instagram before falling asleep. I purchased an Echo Dot this year on Amazon Prime Day and don’t know how I lived without it! I have Headspace, the meditation app, saved under Alexa’s Skills. So when I’m ready for lights out I simply say, “Alexa, open Headspace.” When I make something too easy to skip, chances are I won’t.
Looking Ahead to 2019
This section took me awhile to write because I wanted to get it right and be intentional and careful with my wording.
When talking about my rut, I shared how I had gained a significant amount of weight due to stress. I weighed more than I had ever weighed in my life.
Simply put, I didn’t feel like myself at all and wasn’t comfortable in my skin. I didn’t want to take outfit photos because I could see the difference in my face and honestly, I didn’t look like me. The pit in my stomach over this feeling was so overwhelming that the easiest solution was for me to ignore it.
It was important this year for me to focus on my mental health and get my stress under control, which I have. While I’ve made some progress with my physical health in the last year, 2019 is the year I recommit to feeling good in my skin again. And even though this does entail working to lose weight, my commitment is more focused on re-gaining my confidence and self-love.
I’m mixing up my workout routine and am adding in a weekly yoga class, which is something I haven’t done regularly since college. Adding more weight work into my routine is another goal for 2019.
Until Next Year
I’ve always loved the feeling of the clean slate that comes with the clock striking midnight on New Year’s.
One of the absolute best parts about getting un-stuck and feeling like myself again is re-discovering my passion and excitement for this blog. I know it was obvious over the last year that my head and heart were elsewhere and I wanted to say thank you for sticking around. It means so much to me.
I spent the other day brainstorming blog ideas and posts for the next few months. And with my new, bigger apartment kitchen, I’m making it a goal to include more video content with recipes, cocktails, etc. 2019 could also be the year I really lean into being a crazy Trader Joe’s lady and document that descent into craziness on video. Only time will tell 😉
Happy New Year!
