I've never been one to subscribe to the New Year/New Me nonsense...but maybe it's not nonsense. Over the past couple of days I've been busy jotting down different goals for myself.
I've compiled the lists into three categories:
Business/Professional Goals - What I will do to grow my Damsel In Defense business
Personal Goals - Things I will do to improve my own life, health, mental, home life, etc
Writing Goals - My career as a writer has slowed down as of late due to health problems and good old fashioned life getting in the way. This will change this year.
I've seen others create dream boards, goal boards, etc.
I've seen some do actual posters, while others are using Pinterest or Tumbler for their boards. I really don't know if I can sum up all my goals on one piece of poster board, nor do I know where I'd post it without it being a total eyesore. lol Being as one of my major goals this year is to continue with the Great Purge of 2014 (guess it's now called the second great purge? Or maybe the Great Purge of 2015?) I really don't want to add more clutter to my home. The only place I truly allow any clutter on the walls is in my Cave - I write in here, do my crafting in here, and have all my goodies from Damsel In Defense in here so I definitely need the creative vibes I get from my The Walking Dead posters. lol
What I'm curious about is how do you keep track of your goals? Have you even listed your goals for 2015? I highly suggested having them written down somewhere, even if it's just a file on your laptop. You need to have something tangible to go back and refer to whenever you feel lost, or can't remember why the hell you work so hard every day.
After the New Year (probably on Friday) I'll share with you my goals for the coming year. They'll more than likely change and/or grow as time goes on. I mean, how vague is lose weight? Or how about get organized? lol Oh, and don't worry, I've been taking pictures of my projects before I get started and as I go along. See y'all next year!
Relax! I meant the end of the year. Yeah, I do think I'm funny. Anyway, the point of this post:
You can pretend all you want that you don't make them, but we all think about the changes we can make in each new year. Honestly, it'd be silly NOT to find ways to grow. Last year, I began the great purge of 2014...the purge is still going. Every single time I bring something new in, two things go out. If I come across something that I don't use, don't love, or have no sentimental tie to...gone. Slowly yet surely I'm minimizing all the clutter in our home.
So what do I plan on implementing this year? Actually, there are two major things I'm going to be working on (and of course work on losing the weight I gained during the holidays).
The first one is:
I have so many rooms that I haven't finished painting, so many projects laying around the house just begging to be finished!
The second one, and one so many people try every single year is:
This is something I've been pecking at for a while. It's hard to get organized, though, when you still have entirely too much junk in your home. In the meantime, I've come across this blog at Bits Of Everything. She has some fabulous downloadable printouts to help get your day organized. My problem is I try to finish one thing and then....
Just like so many THOUSANDS, TENS of thousands - okay, a majority of the population - I get distracted by so many things. Just today my husband and I were discussing why I don't work out at home. I would go into my room to change and make the bed. Of course, then I would notice the glass from the night before and would take it into the kitchen. In the kitchen is the breakfast dishes...so on and so forth. You get the point. You do it, too.
Earlier in the year I started using a housekeeping binder. The Retro Housewife has some awesome posts and videos on building your own cleaning schedule and homemaking binder. Once you get one aspect of your life organized, other things start to fall into place seamlessly.
I want to know what you're planning for the new year? Do you outwardly make New Year's Resolutions, or do you just know you'll be adding something new to help you grow as a person each year/month/whatever?
Like everyone else I've been watching the news about the protests, the movement across the nation. I am actually FROM St. Louis so I'm more aware of the goings on than some of the other news outlets. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about the videos I've seen coming out of people shouting "what do we want? Dead Police. When do we want it? Now." I've seen videos of people spitting in police officers' faces, saying "F*ck the Police", etc. I have a great appreciation for police, although I'm fully aware not all police are the good guys, anymore than every doctor, teacher, preacher, nurse, mom, etc are good guys/gals. Here's a shortened version of my story:
We'll start at the age of 15. My mom was married to my step dad who wasn't exactly kind to us. On more than one occasion the police had to be called because he was beating up my mom, or brother, or whomever. I got into the habit of sleeping in my clothes because I was tired of being in my nightgown when the officers showed up. They were nice to us, they protected us.
Fast forward to the age of 22. I haven't made it a secret that I was in an abusive marriage to an alcoholic. There were many occasions where I feared he'd strangle me to death, or beat me to death. I had my fair share of injuries, although most were easily hidden beneath clothes or by wearing my hair down. He never seemed to beat me where anyone could see. The police always seemed to get there in time, and I eventually became friends with a few of them. They helped me find my strength to finally get a restraining order and leave him. Now, not everyone knows that the most dangerous time in an abused woman's life is the first two weeks after she leaves her abuser. The police who had been to my house so many times would make rounds down my street periodically, making sure he wasn't lurking around or showing up uninvited. These men and women truly saved my life in more ways than one.
Again, I totally get that there are bad cops out there. Seriously, I do. But it's not the profession that makes someone bad. There are bad people in every profession, every walk of life, every race, every sex. The same people calling for dead cops, the same people spitting, throwing things, and screaming f*ck the police would have no problem calling them to come save the day.
This post wasn't written to change anyone's minds, rather to explain why I will always support my local department, why at Christmas time the kids and I deliver cookies to them and the fire department. They aren't paid nearly enough for the dangers they encounter on a regular basis, and things are only going to become more dangerous as time goes on.
I've been absent for a while due to health issues and family matters, so I apologize for the silence. I've been trying to get my thoughts clear on the path of this blog; it seems to have taken a path of its own. While I try my damnedest to be entertaining, I know what I'm most passionate about is family, tradition, raising children to be contributors to our society instead of complete and total drains. Sooooo, now I have to decide how many of my posts will be heavy, how many will focus primarily on my 1950s housewife life, and how many will debut...me. I can't promise any tutorials, as I'm still learning so much myself. But I do promise to share and all helpful hints, tips, or blogs I find. So, without further ado I direct your attention to The Retro Housewife Life. If you haven't checked out her site yet make sure to head over there now...well, wait until after reading this blog first.
Her page was a huge reminder of how I want to treat my family. If I can look nice when I go into public, why not look nice for the people I love most? Why do I save the crazy messy hair, the lounge clothes for the person I most want to find me attractive? Nope. Not anymore. In fact, here's a shot of me today...
Yeah, it's a little close up but I took it for Facebook to prove I indeed did successfully apply false lashes. That was literally the first time I've ever tried to put on a full set and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I had on nice clothes earlier, but had to work in the chicken coop when I got home; nothing says dry cleaner like chicken poop on your vintage skirt!
One of the major game changers for me was a song The Retro Housewife posted.
Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up, soon he will open the door, Don’t think because there’s a ring on your finger, you needn’t try any more. For wives should always be lovers too, Run to his arms the moment that he comes home to you. I’m warning you, Day after day, there are girls at the office and the men will always be men, Don’t stand him up, with your hair still in curlers, you may not see him again. Wives should always be lovers too, Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you. He’s almost here, hey, little girl, better wear something pretty, Something you wear to go to the city, Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music, time to get ready for love. Time to get ready for love, yes it’s time to get ready for love, It’s time to get ready for love…
Frank Sinatra , “Wives and Lovers” 1964
Here's Dionne Warwick's version. Love it!
While the idea seems antiquated to some, those of us dedicated to living our lives as close to the traditional 1950s housewife as possible get what he's trying to say. Do you enjoy your husband farting in front of you, scratching places you'd rather not see scratched, etc? Or would you rather he continue to make you feel special, like a lady, like he did when you were dating? THAT'S what I'm trying to say! We spent so much time looking good for him, trying to win him over, then one day we decided "We got him. We no longer need to try." Nope. Not me. Not anymore.
What about you? Have you made an effort to look good for your significant other every day when they get home? (even if you work outside the home, too) Do you appreciate when he/she makes an effort to make you feel special?
