Weekly Wrap Up: Get Down With The Sickness

Well, folks, as a friend put it: flupocalypse is here. It started New Year's Day and is still petering around, causing aches, sniffles, stuffies and sore throats. It's been floating around here for a while: Jon had it, one of my BFFs had it, multiple family members and co-workers have had it - so I guess it's my turn. One of the apparent defining characteristics is its lingering abilities: it's not one of those 48- or 72-hour bugs, oh no: we have a stage 5 clinger. 

I'm a terrible sick person, too. I alternate between whining and feeling pitiful and trying to kick the sickness out of my system by doing ALL OF THE THINGS, which typically results in me feeling extra exhausted. 

Despite this, I've made it to Friday relatively unscathed. Sure, I no longer have a voice (no, really - I know people say that often but I am down to rasp and gravel. Even when I can produce that, I get winded and run out of air) but I'm still here. Silver linings, guys. 

Moving on. . .

In line with my 2015 goals as well as in an attempt to avoid The January Slump, I created a meal plan for Jon and I and we had delicious dinner every night this week. 

personal photo | As my girlfriend Maria writes, so much of making Pinterest-worthy food is good lighting and a good camera. I had neither, so judge not: this shit was delicious. 

All of this food was very hearty and warm - a good thing since we experienced below zero temperatures a few times here in the Steel City. 

The January Slump

Ah, winter. Post-holidays, all you have to offer are cold weather, icy roads which lead to a longer commute, endlessly gray days and building enough time into my morning routine to scrape and de-thaw my car before I drive it. 

via Boring Pittsburgh | seriously, this is how the new year wants to greet me?

Barf.

I don't know about you all, but January is the worst month of the year for me. I always joke that I'm in need of a sun lamp because I am just straight miserable during the winter, but especially in January. I mean, a lot of it is due to my own hang-ups. Take New Year's Resolutions and goals, for instance: I like instant gratification and the ability to see results, but really, all of my/our goals are a process - most of which that will likely take the entire year. I know I sound like a brat who wants what she wants right now and I won't say that's wrong - it's just that while I'm looking forward to all that 2015 has to bring, I'm also just in a weird twiddling-my-thumbs place. 

In the same vein, January can also be a little overwhelming to some. All of the New Year, New Me ideals floating around, articles instructing you to take the time to purge and clean and re-organize and DO ALL OF THE THINGS. It's like geez oh man, the year just started, can I have a minute? 

One of my far-off-future goals is to plan a little vacation for Jon and I in January, a post-holidays de-stress and a pre-year re-energize. That's fun to dream about, for sure, and will definitely be a bright spot to look forward to. . .even if post-vacation depression rears its ugly head - take the good with the bad, am I right?

So, knowing this general ickiness is coming during these dark (figuratively and literally, if you will) days and nights, I'm trying to be proactive about it. 

2015: A ReSet

Yes, folks, it's that time: time for a New Year, New Me post. A post full of resolutions and goals. A post full of reflection and positivity.

I am really into making things real by writing them down - I know how that sounds, but I'm a to-do list maker, a grocery list writer, a post-it note inspirer. I think that maybe this is why I haven't written down resolutions for quite a few years now: if I don't write them down, they aren't real so I don't have to hold myself accountable.

Well, part of the fun of having a blog is having an outlet for these types of things, am I right? Not only am I putting thought to word as a means of holding myself accountable, I'm inviting you to hold myself accountable as well. 

I'm viewing 2015 as a reset year for myself. I know what should be happening across the board and have opted to ignore all of that. In 2013, my focus was on my wedding - even after it was long over, I felt like we were still piecing together a collage of Life After Marriage (which included some large setbacks, like a disease/surgery). 2014 brought a year of a mess and although it has ended well, it was tough more often than not. So in 2015, I'm focusing on all of the stuff I can change and should change and am going to change it. I'm going to use it as an opportunity to press the reset button, so that we can begin to prepare for the future and whatever it may bring. 

personal collage | Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Reading Challenge, Financial Goals, Fitness Goals, Makeup/Skincare Goals, Closet/Clothing Goals