This Life, Redefined...: Bright Side

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Bright Side

I am trying to cut down on my caffeine intake right now, and because I drink a lot of coffee (I mean, A LOT of coffee), I've had to find something to take its place. Because, I don't drink coffee just for the caffeine (although that is also a major perk of the stuff...). I drink it to keep warm in my frigid office, to keep myself from mindlessly snacking my way through the morning, and just as a general treat when my day seems like it will go on FOR.EV.ER.

So, tea. I've been drinking A LOT of tea these days.

Which brings me to my looking-on-the-bright-side list o'the week:

1) When you pour a cup of coffee, then get busy and forget to drink it, you might as well just pour the stuff straight down the drain, because there is very little chance of recovery for cold coffee. When you do the same thing with hot tea? It cools down, and you just pretend you're drinking iced tea. EVERYBODY WINS!

2) It's supposed to be warm again, this weekend, so I can put the nasty weather we've had the last few days out of my mind for awhile. Sunshine = HAPPY ME!

3) My soon-to-be sister-in-law (although, according to Steve and his internet research, she's not really going to be my sister-in-law, she's just going to be my brother-in-law's wife, but I don't care. She will be my SiL, and SHE WILL LIKE IT!!) asked me to be a bridesmaid, and we're going to look at dresses this weekend. I like pretty dresses...

4) Brigid hasn't figured out she can get out of her new big girl bed all by herself, yet. Let's all hope she keeps this up until she's about 18, or so...

5) Keebler makes this cookie, called the Coconut Dream...and it tastes JUST LIKE those coconut cookies the Girl Scouts sell. And those are, like, my favorite GS cookie, ever. Or, at least, they're currently in a three-way tie with Thin Mints and the peanut butter cookie as my favorite GS cookie, ever. Or, maybe that's a four-way tie? I mean, I do really, really love the lemon sandwich cookies, too.

Man...Girl Scout cookies are the best, you know?

Happy Wednesday!

4 comments:

ViktoriaApril 25, 2012 at 4:54 PM
She's totally going to be your sister-in-law. Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh my brother-in-law's wife's kids are... ". Not me! :)

When I tried cutting out caffeine, I chose to fill it with Crystal Light (strawberry banana, I think). The red food dye seriously keeps me awake. I'm like a little kid!
ReplyDelete
Replies
TaylorApril 25, 2012 at 7:50 PM
I hate you for telling us about those cookies - they sound HEAVENLY. I will be on the lookout next time I go to Kroger.

Also, yes on sister-in-law. My husband's brother's wife is my sister-in-law. I have never heard it any other way!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Style JourneyApril 25, 2012 at 7:51 PM
Have you tried the Grasshopper cookies by Keebler? They taste just like the GS Thin Mints. Yum :)

I cut out caffeine for awhile and I went through the horrible headache withdraws. Tea is a good alternative though. Hope to see the dress for your sister in laws wedding posted. Have fun shopping! Heather
ReplyDelete
Replies
TiffanyApril 27, 2012 at 1:28 PM
Oh, I loved it when Gabe didn't know he could get out of his toddler bed! Now, he's way past figuring that out (a big ole full size bed now) and he's in and out of my room all. night. long. =/ And... that's why I still drink coffee! lol
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Leave a comment, if you'd like...I'd love to hear from you!

2014 List

1) Send more mail...thank you notes, birthday cards, and 'just because' messages.

2) Be nicer, in general, to my husband and family. They deserve a much less crabby me than the one they were stuck with for most of 2013.

3) Make more of an effort to communicate with the long-distance people in my life. I got away from facetiming with my sister on a regular basis, and I miss it. Plus, now that she's making me an aunt, I think it's even more important that we get back into the habit of seeing each other every week. I do not need her new baby asking 'are you SURE you have more than one sister?', just because Aunt Mary lives in Indiana and Aunt Tara lives all of the way in Georgia.

4) Call or email or even text my friends from college more than I do now, which is hardly at all. Just because we can pick up after not talking to each other for months like no time has passed at all does not mean I should keep letting all of those months pass without the talking. I'm afraid the picking back up can't keep happening in a friendship like that.

5) Do one fitness/health related challenge each month. - You know all of those '0 to 1,000 sit-ups in just 30 days!!' kind of schedules that pop up on Pinterest all of the time? I'm going to start doing those. One each month. Fifteen minute plank? I'M COMING FOR YOU. I'm also throwing my meat-free/sugar-free/alcohol-free months in this category, as well.

6) Run another organized 5K. - It was so much more fun than I expected. Minus the running up a hill part, anyway.

7) Renew my vows with Steve, in Vegas, by Elvis, for our 10th anniversary in October.

8) Create an art wall somewhere in my house.

9) Organize a workspace for me

10) Attend The Blathering in Seattle. - Charleston was such a great time, I'd love to make it back for the Seattle trip.

11) Read at least two books a month.

12) Take Brigid camping.

13) Find a yoga studio and start taking classes regularly.

14) Write something, anything, not blog related.

15) No spending money on new clothes this year. Using gift cards and rewards points are fine, but I need to get out of the habit of spending money on new stuff, just to make myself feel better. I swear, shopping is my addiction, but the high I get from buying a new sweater probably isn't enough to justify the amount of money I spend on clothes I don't need.

16) No buying anything at all unless I absolutely need it. I have a bad habit of stocking up on things at sales (candles, lotions, make-up, beauty products), even if I have a cabinet full of the same stuff already at home. I will use the cabinet full of crap before I add more crap.

17) Be more consistent in updating my family blog, because my parents give me a hard time when I let it lag, and my personal blog, because I'm not as happy with myself when I let it lag.

18) Find a general practitioner and get a physical.

19) Post at least one picture a day on Instagram, to get myself into the habit of taking more pictures of my sweet girls, since I find entire events have passed where I've forgotten to photograph said events. Like Christmas. Sadly.

20) Get a haircut. - You can laugh at this one, if you must, but I did not get one single haircut in 2013. In fact, I haven't had a haircut since before Caitlin was born in November of 2012. I do not even know how this happens, but I know it must end. Soon. I think a Locks of Love kind of donation might be in order. My hair, it is long.

21) Make an effort to get to know the neighbors. - I tend to not get dressed/leave the house on the weekends, and this extends to not fraternizing with anyone who lives near me, because I'm afraid people will judge me for my make-up free, sweatpants clad weekend laze. I should probably get over that.

22) Write more thank you notes. - I am terrible at writing thank you notes. I should not be so terrible.

23) Buy new rugs for my new house. - The sunroom and foyer, in particular, need something fun.

24) Be more fearless in forming and maintaining relationships. - There are many times where I think of something I want to send to someone, whether it's an email, text, card, or what have you, and I don't, because I'm afraid I've maybe overestimated whether we have the type of friendship where I can do something like that. I don't want to worry about stuff like that anymore.

25) Put together an Advent/Christmas activity calendar for Brigid and Caitlin. - I did that for Brigid when I was home on maternity leave after Caitlin's birth, and it was so much fun. I didn't get the chance to do it this year, and I feel like I missed out on some part of the excitement of the season. I'm bringing it back.

26) Institute a once-a-month date night with Steve. Or date lunch, I guess, if necessary.

27) Institute a once-a-month girls' night, whether it be with my old college roommate, my SiLs, or the neighbors. I should get out of the house at least once a month with people who do not live in my house.