10 things - winter blues edition

so, let's talk resolutions.

do you make them? by definition, resolutions are commitments. 

I kinda love/hate them, but usually embrace the idea of a fresh start every january. 

I generally make pretty loose resolutions - case in point? 

2011 resolution #6: resist every temptation to dye your hair brown this year.

apparently 88% of all people who set resolutions fail. 

just reading that statistic makes the olympic champion of competition inside of me 

want to rip my shirt, flex my bulging muscles & roar while beating my chest. 

fail? huh uh. not for me.

one of my resolutions this year was to keep my chin up this winter. 

winter gets to me every. year. 

even last year, in my state of newlywed bliss, the winter months really got into my head 

& I became the same old superwithdrawn, depressed, apathetic kelsey 

that returns every january through march. 

so far? january has been awesome. 

I'm a little sad to report that I think the 50-60 degree weather may have something to do with it, 

as much as I sing songs about snow all day, every day. 

but as of right now, I feel like I'm kicking winter's butt. 

none of the following items are new or fresh. 

they've all been done, written about & pinned. 

but my hope would be that hearing it from ME might help put it into perspective for YOU, 

because if I can do it... YOU can do it. 

plus, I kinda want you to add to the list. 

10 things to help stay chipper this winter:

1. sundates 

one of our "resolutions" was to take turns planning weekly dates. we picked sunday because it's usually the one day that we both have off + an open schedule... but it was an even more providential decision as I also get the "sunday blues" when I realize that MONDAY is the next day. we've had three thus far, the first being a couponed dinner & a gift certificate movie, the second being um, oh that's right, grocery shopping, & our third involved a fort & breakfast-for-dinner. casual, creative & affordable. it's fun to have something to look forward to, & it's a bonus to take turns surprising each other with what the date will be. we are forcing ourselves to commit weekly, even if it has to be a completely practical date like grocery shopping ;)

2. STAY ACTIVE 

my success rate is about 67% so far with this one. there are some nights where it's pretty freaking freezing outside, & staying on the couch to flip through a magazine or watch a Chopped marathon sounds muuuuch more appealing than going to the gym. but when I do actually make it to the gym or I force myself to pull up pilates on netflix... I feel on top of the world.

3. deliberately eat healthy meals

I work in events. there were many a day this past summer that I drank not one but TWO red bulls, or gave in when a client offered me food from their event. so. not. healthy. but! at least it's summer when I'm active at events/swimming/running/taking evening walks with the huzb. not so much in the winter, & contrary to popular belief, we do not actually need to store excess blubber to keep us warm. we've got down comforters & ifnothingelse FIRE for that, people. stop telling yourself that the weight you gain over the winter will be worked off in the summer. eat healthy NOW. for me, this starts with something as simple as eating breakfast. 

4. rearrange the furniture

I'm gonna say it again. re. arrange. the furniture. growing up with my mother (who can't leave a lamp next to the same picture frame for more than three days), furniture rearranging was part of our weekly activities, & is now a part of my own home-making experience. we rearranged for the christmas tree (jared is a staunch tree-in-front-of-the-window believer) & then shook the whole room up when the tree came down at the beginning of the month. it is sooo refreshing to look at something different when I walk into my apartment every day. I know that not everyone grew up with ever-orbiting furniture, so consider this my challenge to you.

5. the obvious p-word... projects

you know what I found when we rearranged the family room? a now empty wall that needs art! & pictures! & a shelf! so we've been thrifting on the weekends & slowly, but wall decor collection is building up. & when that's done? I totally need to refinish the top of our coffee table. & when that's done? I'm going to seriously reorganize our important, big-kid files. & when that's done? I have about 3,457 pins filed under "CRAFTS!" that I can actually do. keeping myself busy is KEY, even if it means that my project for tomorrow night is cleaning the shower caddy of its rust & soap residue. I'm not even kidding. that is written in my planner. I can show you.

6. reintroduce myself to my crockpot

I love a good warm somethin'-somethin'. like, I constantly find myself awaiting rainy days in the summer so I can justify eating soup. jared & I have seriously rebudgeted this year, & in anticipation of our upcoming class with mr. ramsey telling us to eat out NEVER, we're cutting back on eating out unless a coupon or gift card is involved. what does this mean? cooking more, while still working full-time. what does THAT mean? my crockpot almost assuredly being given a name since we'll be BFFs & I'll be carving our names into a heart on a tree in no time.

7. keeping up with ME

I am committing to spending a little extra time on me, to remind myself that I am a TEN. this could mean anything from waking up 15 minutes earlier & dedicating the extra time to a new hairstyle to actually tweezing between threading appointments. I'm talking full on moisturizing my way through the winter weather & shaving even though it's pants-every-day-kinda-weather. paint those nails! exfoliate that face! mend those shirts! switch out that purse!

8. sunshine!

as I type, it's currently misty & grey & going on day 2 of no sun. (I sorta love this weather.) but on days that there is some glorious sun shining down, I'm going to try to get in on that action for at least 15 minutes, every day. it's good for my skin, my lungs & my outlook. I'll try not to burst into "I Have Confidence" every time the sun showers its rays on my face, but I can make no promises. in fact, I break out into that song every time jared asks me to hold his guitar case. sooo.

9. plan something 

I'm lucky because jared's birthday is at the beginning of march, so I have a party to plan every year. this year is an especially good one as he graduates in may, which we will celebrate for days & days & days. there will be wine, fattened calves, glitter everywhere... & of course, since friends are also good for making spirits bright, a pinterest party or two may also be in the works. we're currently visiting jared's brother & his family, & next weekend we're making another quick trip for a friend's birthday. totally things to look forward to!

10. & lastly, but not leastly, daily Bible + prayer

 in the hubbub, this is so easy to push aside. so. so. easy. but there are few things as uplifting &/or convicting in my life. every emotion & thought that could be flying through my mind can be spoken to by his Word, & not one moment of despair, anxiety or frustration whispered in a prayer can surprise him. he purposefully gave us bleak winter months, & it is my ordained privelege to use them, & use them well. & he's gonna work in that. read: isaiah 40:27-31

alright! longest 10 things EVER.

of course, as I'm copying all these things down from my notebook,

I'm thinking of hundreds of other things, like buying a couple new plants 

or inventing a new cocktail & naming it after my beta fish from freshman year of college. 

if you have any tips for spreading cheer throughout the winter, get me in on that action!

xo, kelsey