Thanks for everything, 2013.
Your browser does not support the video tag
You were the best year yet. Here’s to 2014!
Your browser does not support the video tag
You were the best year yet. Here’s to 2014!
Your browser does not support the video tag
You were pretty rad.
Video made via Flipagram.
I’m not sorry.
I’m not sorry I love learning so much that I listen to history podcasts and share facts from them at weddings. I’m not sorry I think education is a misunderstood career and I know what I’m talking about when I discuss it. I’m not sorry I am obsessed with the Cleveland Indians and get passionate when I talk about them. I’m not sorry I choose to look on the bright side and approach challenges in life from a positive perspective. I’m not sorry I’d rather be proven wrong than be proven right. I’m not sorry I like beer and that drink my coffee black. I’m not sorry that my dog is my best friend or that I take and share lots of photos of her. I’m not sorry about my values and beliefs. I’m not sorry I enjoy cheesy books, Top 40 music, or Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I’m not sorry I forgive too easily. I’m not sorry I love my hometown and college. I’m not sorry that most the time I’d rather spend a night in rather than out. I’m not sorry I act honestly when I have the option to do otherwise. I’m not sorry I prioritize safety, spending time with my husband, or doing right by my students. I’m not sorry I’ve never done drugs and I’m not sorry my wedding was untraditional. I’m not sorry for my tattoos, my student loans, or my anxiety. I’m not sorry about my early bedtime, my sense of humor, or my singing voice.
I’m not sorry about being me.
What is making you happy as of late?
For the month of March, I am participating in Fabulous Finds by Tiffany’s 31 Day Blog Challenge. Today’s prompt: Daily routine.
My days do not always work out as planned/ideally, just like everyone else, but this is what an average, “good” weekday is in my book:
What is your routine like on a “good” weekday?
In January, I introduced the 2013 challenge, in which I made broad “endpoint” goals for the year and explained that each month I would make specific small goals that are stepping stones to my endpoint aims. Each month I will also reflect on the previous month’s goals and efforts.
February goals:
Source: lifehack.org via Kelly on Pinterest
Reflections:
Source: peersupportprogram.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest
March Goals:
Hey, everyone! How are you? I hope your week is off to a fabulous start. I’m feeling well myself! I’m enjoying participating in the 31 Day Blog Challenge. Today’s prompt: Best childhood memory.
I don’t know about you, but to me childhood means elementary school years. When I thought back on them, even though I had amazing teachers at a wonderful schools that I have great memories of, unsurprisingly, most of my favorite childhood memories involve summer!
What are some of your favorite childhood memories?
I recently discovered and joined the 31 Day Blog Challenge. Here are (yesterday) Day 2: Favorite Quote(s) and (today) Day 3: What makes you happy?
Day 2: Favorite Quotes
I LOVE quotes. I keep a quote journal, I have an extensive Pinterest quote collection, I follow multiple Twitter accounts that exist solely to tweet quotes, etc. So there are a great deal of quotes that inspire me or have been especially meaningful to me throughout the years. However, over the past year or so – a time in which I have been trying to get sure footing in my career and life post-college while also learning how to better manage my anxiety – the quotes that have been especially inspirational and guiding to me have been the following two:
Source: flickr.com via Kelly on Pinterest
Source: flickr.com via Kelly on Pinterest
Day 4: What makes you happy?
At this point in my life, I could write a great deal on this prompt. I am about 2/3 of the way through The Happiness Project, just purchased Happier at Home and Daring Greatly, and have been bookmarking articles on happiness and balance left and right. I guess the best answer I have to this question at this moment is this: Thinking about what I’m grateful for and brightens my life makes me happy. Morning coffee, cuddles and walks and playing with Madison, baking, reading a really good book, listening to history podcasts, watching a funny TV show, sharing a meal with my family, trivia with my friends, painting my nails, spending all day in sweatpants, helping and laughing and teaching my students and athletes, working out until I am dripping with sweat and feel on fire, listening to my mom play the piano, playing cards with my grandma, seeing a beautiful sunset or sunrise, and so much more.
What quotes do you love? What makes you happy?
Hello, all! I hope everyone is doing well. I was very busy with social and work obligations these past couple months, so while I didn’t get a chance to sit and blog like I hoped I would, I did make and work on my goals for the New Year’s All Year Challenge.
In January, I introduced the 2013 challenge, in which I made broad “endpoint” goals for the year and explained that each month I would make specific small goals that are stepping stones to my endpoint aims. Each month I will also reflect on the previous month’s goals and efforts.
Source: goodbyebabylon.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest
My goals for January were:
Reflections:
Source: stylemeswanky.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest
February goals:
All year long, you have read posts from the New Year’s, All Year series. Every month, I created new goals in categories that I (at the beginning of 2012) had recognized as the current major areas of my life: health, finances, relationships, career, wedding planning, and self-enrichment. These goals were made to be stepping stones for the “endpoint” goals I had set for each of these areas – basically, how I wanted to end the year in regards to each area. I set “stepping stone” goals in order to to take into account any new obstacles and then set realistic, measurable objectives. That way, I didn’t make a ton of super specific goals in a year-long format and then have to scale them back throughout the year due to unexpected challenges.
I like this revised, 2012 format of the New Year’s, All Year Challenge much more than the original one from 2011. It made me really assess my desires and actions every month and be more mindful and reflective in my habits.
Source: pinreach.com via Kelly on Pinterest
So, what were my endpoint goals for 2012? Here they are:
And what type of progress did I make?
Source: capecodcollegiate.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest
I am grateful for this year. It was hard, at times, for various reasons: self-confidence, career success, finances, family’s health, concern for others, changing negative habits, balance of relationships, wedding planning, loss, etc. But it was also a good year, for many, many reasons: learning how to better stay positive and grateful, career opportunities, grace and kindness of others, health problems having manageable solutions, progress in goals and plans, cherishing memories, and the power of love, laughter, and the little things in life that brighten a day. Some of my favorite moments of the year: celebrating Dan and I’s three year anniversary, the success of my first swim season as head coach, setting a wedding date, Bowling Green visits, seeing The Beach Boys, Indians games, another summer as a lifeguard, having my own classroom, seeing my sister in plays, being hired as a district substitute, and countless “little things”: Netflix nights and dinners with my family or Dan, trivia nights with friends, going to the Starbucks drive thru with Madison and Sasha in the back seat, babysitting and housesitting, listening to podcasts on drives to and from Columbus, visits with my grandma or godchildren, lunch with my colleagues at school, naps on my parents’ porch, coffee every morning, and so, so much more.
Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest