January Cara Box Reveal

For my very first Cara Box exchange, I got to partner with two awesome ladies, Ashley over at  Mrs.Mama and Karie over at Carrot Cake and Jeans.  I first have to say that these are both extraordinary women, with absolutely precious sons!  I am totally envious, as I daydream of little bitty Snyder babies running around our house...but I digress!  Well, I send Ashley my first Cara Box, and you can check out her goodies over at her adorable blog. 

From Karie, who happens to be in the same field as me career-wise, I received some very useful, sweet, thoughtful items.  One of my resolutions is to get back in shape, and she got me her go-to snacks, that are low on the Weight Watcher point scale!  I am defintely excited to try her favorite snacks!  She also learned from my blog that I am a newlywed, and she got me a dry erase board to leave messages to my husb'd!  So thoughtful!  I am always looking for new, sweet ways to surprise him, since I usually leave for work before he does, so leaving him little messages will be a nice way to mix things up in the morning!

As a woman after my own heart - she also sent me some HOMEMADE salsa from veggies in her own garden!  In addition to my own babies, I also daydream often about my own garden, which will be in the works THIS SPRING!  I cannot wait to use her salsa! I am just drooling over thoughts of it on my scrambled eggs, dressing up a simple quesadilla, and on top of a tuna stuffed avacado, one of my favorite lunch items. 



She also threw in some glittery items that I simple love.  A sparkly, twinkly, PINK water tumbler, and some glitter polish.  The girly-girl in my is sighing with happiness.  I mean, what girl doesn't absolutely LOVE glitter?!

Low-Cal, low point breakfast pastries, low-cal snack, glittery pink tumbler, HOME MADE Salsa, dry erase board for notes to my hubby, a great motto, and glitter polish!  Awesome!!!  Ready to tackle my weight loss resolution, and to cook with some homemade salsa. And leave my husb'd love messages (and hopefully get some in return!)!

So, not only did she get me some super thoughtful, very useful goodies, but Karie also wrote me the sweetest note.  And she sealed it in an envelope with a great motto that she left for me, which I want to reprint here: "She turned her cant's into cans and her dreams into plans."  I love this.  I try to live my life "can't" free, but sometimes negativity bubbles up and refuses to go away. 

My first Cara Box experience was nothing but great!  I am looking forward to keeping in touch with Ashley and Karie, and hopefully meeting new amazing women next month as I continue my blogging journey!

Newlywed Date Nights

I still haven't gotten over the fact that I will never be picked up to go on a first date, ever again.  My dad will never answer the door with a stern look and a frown, telling a young man he better have me home before 10 p.m.  If I'm really being honest, it has been quite some time since that has happened. We're talking over a DECADE!  {Man, I'm OLD!}  I digress... My mom will never sit down with me the next morning and ask me how it went, or force me to pull weeds super early the next morning for getting home past curfew.  But I guess while I was single, I constantly whined about how much I hated dating, and how much I wanted to settle down and be married.  To not have to worry about dating anymore.  It has also been some time since I have actually "dated."  Chad and I have been together for nearly 4 years, and before that, I was a serial long term relationship junkie, with intermittent periods of dating random guys.  But now that I have found "the one" and we are happily, newly married, I miss the element of surprise and excitement that comes with a new suitor.  Maybe role playing is in my future?

Of course I adore living with my husband, and the fact that I get to go to bed each night and wake up next to my best friend every morning, but sometimes all I want to do is go on a date.  Not even a date that requires getting dressed up and going out to a nice dinner or a show.  The surprise element is gone.  No guessing what he will be wearing, or whether he will be on time, or what he will have planned.  I suppose I could send him out while I am getting ready, or we can get ready separately and "surprise" each other, but that also ruins the best element of going on a date with your husband.  He is already your husband!  

Sampling of Date Night Photos

Office party

Fresno State Football Game

Holiday Party

Brewery tour

So, besides the basic dinner and a movie dates, sporting events, wine/beer tasting, or staying in game night dates, what other dates nights work for newlyweds?  What are some budget friendly options?  I need suggestions, ideas that have worked, and those that haven't, for fun, practical, exciting, and different date night ideas.

Tiny Buddha

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/28-powerful-questions-for-a-happy-life/

This impressive list of questions, and my answers that will follow shortly, are sure to be life changing!
1. We learn from our mistakes, yet we’re always so afraid to make one. Where is this true for you?
2. What risk would you take if you knew you could not fail?
3. What is your greatest strength? Have any of your recent actions demonstrated this strength?
4. What are the top five things you cherish in your life?
5. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
6. When do you stop calculating risk and rewards, and just do it?
7. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
8. What do you most connect with? Why?
9. What one piece of advice would you offer a newborn child?
10. Which is worse—failing or never trying?
11. Why do we do things we dislike and like the things we never seem to do?
12. What are you avoiding?
13. What is the one job/cause/activity that could get you out of bed happily for the rest of your life? Are you doing it now?
14. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
15. What are you most grateful for?
16. What would you say is one thing you’d like to change in the world?
17. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or it influencing you?
18. Are you doing what you believe in or settling for what you’re doing?
19. What are you committed to?
20. Which worries you more – doing things right or doing the right things?
21. If joy became the national currency, what kind of work would make you wealthy?
22. Have you been the kind of friend you’d want as one?
23. Do any of the things that used to upset you a few years ago matter at all today? What’s changed?
24. Would you rather have less work to do or more work you enjoy doing?
25. What permission do you need/want to move forward?
26. Really, what do you have to lose if you go for it?
27. How different would your life be if there weren’t any criticism in the world?
28. We’re always making choices. Are you choosing for your story or for someone else’s?

2013: The Year of Setting & Achieving My Goals

2013. 

How is it possible that you are already here? 

I remember when 2000 seemed so far off.  Especially since it was the year I graduated from high school - the year that I counted down to, since high school graduation seems like such a ginormous accomplishment when you are 12 years old.  And now, 13 years since 2000 hit, and computers are still up and running and the world has not ended. 

So much has changed in my life since 2012.  Biggest and best change of all - I'm married.  I have a new last name.  I turned 30.   We have gained a nephew and sister in law.  I have in-laws.  We have gone to Europe, drove on the wrong side of the road, survived the stress of canceled flights and unexpected bills. Fought, made up, planned a wedding, survived our wedding.  Traveled, stayed home, cleaned, made messes.  We have lived.  Not always in the best way or most fruitful, fun or exciting way, but we are taking life day by day and doing our best, at least on most days.

Some things have stayed the same: We still live in our home.  We are still gainfully employed. We still have two rambunctious puppies and a cat who steal our hearts and give us lots of laughter and frustration at the same time.  We still don't care for our neighbors or Harlan Ranch where we live, but we are making do. 

So, to make 2013 the best year yet, I intend to achieve the following goals:

1. Be more present at work;
2. Stay positive;
3. Laugh more;
4. Don't sweat the small stuff;
5. Treat my body like a temple - only put into it what it deserves;
6. Exercise regularly, whether it is at the gym, or finding an outdoor activity/sport;
7. Watch less television;
8. Be more active in Junior League;
9. Send more handwritten notes via snail mail to friends/family;
10. Give thanks;
11. Attend church at least once a month;
12. Stop yelling at the residents of my home;
13. Find ways to be a better friend, sister, daughter, wife;
14. Do at least one selfless thing for Chad every day;
15. Create and stick with a budget;
16. Pay off as much debt as possible;
17. Cook more often;
18. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier;
19. Exercise in the mornings;
20. Stop nail biting/picking;
21. Put laundry away when it first comes out of the dryer;
22. Walk the dogs at least 3 times a week;
23.  Stop keeping score and just love;
24. Take vitamins regularly;
25. No more hangovers!
26. Take a weekend drive to Yosemite, the beach, Shaver, etc. at least one weekend a month;
27. Take care of my car - keep it clean and sparkley, inside and out;
28. Relax more;
29. Be less serious and more fun;
30. Embrace my life and become happy with me.

So, these aren't really the types of goals that will result in instant gratification and that are achievable overnight, but rather, internal, personal goals.  But, they are goals nonetheless. And they are mine.