A Fresh Start.

Let's not talk about how I fell so far behind on Reverb 10 that I gave up trying to get my posts written (though the prompts are in my journal!). Or how I failed at the new start I wanted to make here back in October. It's 1-11-11. The perfect day to breathe some life back into this blog and begin anew.

What have I been up to, you might be wondering? The holidays, parties, nearly a month with my family in New Jersey, a horrible cold and a snowstorm later, it is back to the real world. To be honest, as much as I love December, I like real life better. I like getting my fruits and veggies, 8 hours of sleep a night and taking my vitamin. I like having a schedule and sticking to it. Another reason that I am glad to be back? I'm SO excited for all that 2011 will bring!

Here are my 2011 intentions:

-Get healthy/Practice Self-Care: Jesse and I joined the gym together, which will give me even more motivation to go. I'm 90% sure that I am going to end up getting a Vitamix, making green smoothies a whole lot easier. I'm giving the new PointsPlus program at Weight Watchers a go. I'm commiting to taking my supplements. Cooking healthy meals. Getting back into having yoga be a regular part of my week. Eating mostly vegan. Taking long hot baths. Trying to develop a meditation practice.

-Travel: Through a perk at my job, I won two airline tickets anywhere in the world that have to be used within the next year. Jesse and I have had some fun throwing around ideas, but I welcome any new suggestions! We also both have tickets to use on Southwest by August. We are thinking a trip to California needs to happen. This year we will also be headed to North Carolina to celebrate his friends' wedding and to Maine for some rest and relaxation (as well as Thanksgiving). Jesse also got a car in late October, which makes day trips and spontaneous weekend getaways a lot more feasible.

-Write: Journal regularly, write here on the blog and read lots more about getting a book published

-Work: Figure out my passion. Plan for next steps and where I see myself in 3, 5 and 10 years.

-Cook: Bake bread, macaroons and whoopie pies. Experiment with new grains. Use a whole lot more tofu. Figure out exactly how to use miso and then do it!

What are some of your 2011 intentions? How are you feeling as we slip into this new year?

Back.

Other than a few book reviews and some delicious dishes, I have been mostly absent from this blog for a few months now. The reason is that in August, I somehow managed to injure my back. I have three degenerative discs and one that is bulging. I've been completely out of commission since then, unable to even do so much as go for a long walk. I've been depressed and eating badly as a result.

So, after three months of this, I decided that when so much is out of my control, I need to take back control of what I can. I've started Weight Watchers again, this time with a focus on portion control and eating good, whole foods (rather than the obsessive, crazy points counting I did the first time). I lost 3.8 pounds in the first week! Once I get back from New Jersey this weekend, I am going to try yoga (even if I have to lay in child's pose for an hour) and get back to working out little by little.

There will still be book reviews here and a lot of yummy food, but I am hoping to get back to my original intent for this space: a place to discuss all aspects of a well-lived life, beginning first and foremost with self-care.

Weekend!

They are calling for snow this weekend and, truth be told, I am hoping we get some! Tonight I went to yoga for the first time in quite awhile. It was wonderful! What else is on deck for this blustery weekend?

-Sleeping in

-Making minestrone soup (my very first attempt) and matzo ball soup

-Finishing some reading for class

-Picking out 5 new recipes to try

-Watching my Netflix movies: "Up", "The Proposal" and "The Hurt Locker"

-30 Day Shred, some yoga and maybe even some running

-Journaling

-Cleaning up my apartment. I need to clean out my closet and my bookshelves desperately

-The Grammys

Enjoy your weekend!

{Photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography}