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Life

A New Season

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Yesterday marks the first day of spring (the spring equinox). We have now entered the season of new life, and with that I thought it was a good time to check back in with my goals.

We started off this year with a diet challenge that really changed the way that both Chuck and I view food. It has made lasting changes in our diet and daily habits that I believe will stick with us for the long haul.

Diinners

In conjunction with this change I have been able to change some of my workout habits for the better. Realizing that I was no longer capable of simple physical tasks (pull ups, pushups, lifting boxes, etc.) really gave me the slap in the face that I needed to get back into it. I know it’s early in the year but so far I have been working out consistently and can definitely feel the changes in my body (seriously wishing I had before and afters of my tush for you right now, because it’s looking tight!!). Right now my focus is on strengthening my arms and core. I think since I’ve always had strong legs I tended to focus on them more and subsequently have a very weak upper half. I’d like to even this out, and be strong all around. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten in as much hiking as I had hoped by now. Honestly winter hiking has never been my jam, so as things thaw out I’m hoping to get out there more, before the sweltering summer heat takes over.

Kitchen

We have gotten a number of small house projects done in the New Year like fixing the heat, light switches and garden chores. We have finally started to seriously talk about the kitchen renovation, which I couldn’t be more excited for. It’s going to be a big job so planning is key. While we are in the planning stages I am looking forward to putting together the fire pit, designing the deck, painting the living room, and updating some furniture. There’s a lot to be done in this little space.

Financially I had a few goals that I did not mention previously. One of those was to pay down the house enough to get rid of PMI. I didnt mention it before because I wasn’t sure if it was even a realistic goal until Chuck and I made some time to really go over our finances. Though this is just one of our financial goals for this year it’s a pretty major one. I also made a little extra cash in the New Year by selling some of our old stuff, amongst other things. I’m going to post more on this later but let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was able to pull together without trying too hard. It makes me wonder how much “easy” money or money savings we are all missing out on each year.

IMG_9553

In conjunction with finances I wanted to really put some effort into pairing down our lifestyle. I read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying last year and was really drawn to some of the core concepts. I have gotten rid of a large quantity of stuff, but I always feel like there is more to do. I’m hoping that with the nicer weather I will be able to open some windows and clean out some spaces in the house. Recently I have also been interested by the idea of reducing waste whether it be food, garbage or recycling it’s become increasingly important to me to have a lower impact on the environment. I switched to a moon cup, composted more (and starting thinking more about closed loop cooking), put more effort into buying in bulk and finding reusable products. Even Chuck has noticed a large reduction in our waste production.

With the intent to fortify some of my friendships I have spent more time than ever putting an effort into simply staying in contact, whether it be by text, phone, email or in person with the ones that mean the most to me. It’s never been easy for me but I want my friends to know how much they mean to me and to be there when they need me.

So far I think 2016 is off to a good start. I’m not sure I’m living up to the whole idea of being brave yet, but I’m making small steps and taking chances every day.

How is 2016 going for you so far? What are your goals? And how have you worked toward them?

March 21, 2016 January 16, 2018 Filed Under: In My Head Tagged With: In My Head, Life

Life Lessons from Compost

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Guys I have so many things going on over here. Blame the season, the moon or whatever I’m changing my ways, for good it seems.
I have always been a granola-y, experimental type, but I’ve always thought that so many of these things had to wait until I got a house. You know a place I owned that was mine, that I could build on to or change however I wanted. When I had that house man I could make some real changes, I could live so much greener. I’m starting to hit a point where I realize that this house is a bit further off than I have ever previously thought. We are waiting for the stars to align over here, and the gods only knows when that will happen.
I’m realizing that I will always be waiting for something before I start. I realize this is not what I want. I don’t want to be a big talker who never takes action. I don’t want to learn to love my walls (we are paraphrasing here).
“These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.” – Morgan Freeman, Shawshank Redemption
I want to do these things, and live this life that I envision, and I’m going to start doing that, right now.

I know we are getting deep here, and all I meant to talk to you about today was compost bins, because this is one of the many projects that I am starting, so that I can get where I want to be. I’m also not using shampoo, experimenting with vegetarianism, learning about essential oils, learning to can and jar, and gaining a more in-depth knowledge of tea. I also want to pick sewing and knitting back up, as well as yoga and art, since I don’t want all those childhood lessons my parents sent me for to go to waste.

These are all things that touched my life at some point and have since fallen away, and I want them back to be a stronger presence for me.

So yeah I set up my compost bin this weekend.

September 22, 2014 January 29, 2018 Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: Life, Natural Living

Quarter Year Goal Review

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Ok so Last week marked the beginning of May. That puts us one
quarter of the way done with the year.  I
think that makes it a pretty good time to check in with all of my goals since
New Years. I’m including, fitness, life, and blogging in all of this so
sorry if it gets a little wordy on you.

Fitness:
I am pretty much on track with where I wanted to be with my
fitness goals. I have fallen back into love with lifting, and I am seeing someamazing results from it. However the
last few weeks there has been a lot of discussion about running events with
friends, and even triathlons. So I think it is time to reassess my goals and plan, maybe add a little more running in.

Life:
Maybe I should re-title this section to wedding/event planning.
I’m way behind on the wedding planning front, as I haven’t done a damn thing. In
my defense I have 17 months, and no I don’t want to hear that it will be gone
before I know it, or it will sneak up on me or any of that crap. I HAVE 17
MONTHS OK? In every other respect I am swamped with friends and family having
babies, weddings, and the usual summer events that I like to go to. So I guess that’s
good? It’s pretty overwhelming to be honest, and I would really love for everyone
to take a chill pill. Life is not pinterest
perfect people, get over it and enjoy the imperfections!!!!!
Blogging:
I didn’t really start off the year with any blogging goals,
but that has changed. I really enjoy watching this little space grow, and have
really fallen love with camera practice. I also really like how this space
helps cultivate my creativity and push my personal boundaries. Ideally I would
want to create a cohesiveness that can extend over to my shop and all of my
social media. I guess you would call this a brand, but what I am really looking
for is a unique style that I can carry with me for a good long while, instead
of redesigning my blog every few months, and not having it match anything. I
also want to challenge myself to create some new posts beyond the basic recipes
and adventures I usually post. I want to show more of myself, and my interests. 
Overall I think I am doing ok, and things are going good. I’m going to be adding more running workouts to my routine. I’m going to take every opportunity I can relax, since those moments are going to be few and far between soon. I’m also going to be making a few changes around the blog so keep an eye out.

What are your goals this year?
How are you doing with them?

May 12, 2014 March 29, 2018 Filed Under: In My Head Tagged With: Life

The Best Fall Picnic of my Life

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

 

Fall is quite possibly my favorite season (it’s a close race with spring), but I’m pretty sure that it is Chuck’s too. He mentioned wanting to go on a picnic several weeks ago, and we just never had the chance to go until this weekend, only to find out it was supposed to rain.

We decided on Thursday night that we would both sneak out of work early and go Friday evening. I thought this would be the perfect time to showcase my favorite fall picnic treats here on the blog, so I tossed together a really fabulous meal. We found a local park on the river with beautiful willow trees to sit under and laid out our blanket.

It was as we were finishing the last of treats and wine that Chuck told me he wanted to talk to me. He made me turn to face him. Then he pulled out a small box, and I had a complete breakdown. It took a few minutes and him asking me twice before I could say yes, but we are now engaged!

I’m sorry I don’t have more better pictures for you, but I was enjoying my
moment. I plan to follow this up with a couple of pretty awesome recipes in the next few days or so, so hang tight.

I just couldn’t help but share this little story of mine. I’m so happy, and feel
so incredibly blessed that I really can’t put it into words.

 

September 24, 2013 September 8, 2015 Filed Under: Wedding Tagged With: Fall, Favorites, In My Head, Life

A Girl’s Gotta Have Quirks!

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Ok so, my good friend Lindsey tagged me after a post on her blog Anchored, and now you guys get to learn a little more about me, and my quirks. First what is a quirk?

quirk

[kwurk] 
noun
1.  a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality;mannerism: He is full of strange quirks. 
Now what are my quirks?



The teapot I got in Ireland 🙂



I LOVE tea. Believe it or not but my first phrase after mom and dad was “hot tea”. This could be a byproduct of the fact that I spent a lot of time with my grandmother, who drinks a lot of tea. This could also be where I get my habit of collects unique and antique tea pots, and sets from. I almost always have at least 10 varieties, and EVERYONE who knows me knows I think a cup of tea fixes nearly anything.
I am fascinated by the sky. Growing up I covered my bedroom with stars, moons, suns and clouds. Every time I go through pictures I always find a couple pictures of the clouds, apparently I thought they looked cool at the time. I will make Chuck pull the car over so that I can take pictures of the setting sun, no matter where we are. I find nothing more peaceful than staring at the stars at night.
Source
I am not good at sitting still. I can’t even just sit and watch TV for more than an hour, unless I’m deathly ill, so I make jewelry or craft while watching TV. I have even been known to read while watching TV, unbelievable I know but I’m telling you it can be done. Even when I am enthralled in a book I tend to squirm and react to whatever’s happening in the book. I just can’t sit still.
Source
I cannot make plans more than a week in advance. I’m trying to change this one, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Making plans too far ahead of time actually cause me stress. I’m constantly afraid of overbooking, or changing my mind, it’s ridiculous I know, but hey that’s me!
I listen to the most ridiculous music. Most people pin me for an pop type person, and though I do like some of it I still have a wide range of strange states. My list of favorites includes: Joss Stone, Michael Buble, Staind, Atreyu, Little Big Town, Bullet for my Valentine, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Erykah Badu, Josh Turner, From Autumn to Ashes, Eric Church, As I Lay Dying, Darius Rucker, Hoody & the blow fish, Rihanna, Anberlin, Tegan & Sara. Do I really need to go on? 

Now What are some of your quirks?

November 8, 2012 March 20, 2018 Filed Under: In My Head Tagged With: Life

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Hi, I'm Jessica. I'm an engineer living in the great northeast with my husband Chuck, our two little boys, our dog Brody and a flock of chickens. I'm all about real, good food and good times with awesome people. I spend a lot of time outside, in my garden, and concocting potions with my essential oils. I also like tea, reading, and about a million other hobbies. I'm so happy your here on this adventure with me.

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