MIMM: Hibernating

I realize I've been kind of MIA lately. I took kind of a mental rest weekend and opted to, as I call it, "hibernate" due to another round of snow and frigid temperatures. I could have easily taken this time at home to blog, but I didn't. I was kind of wiped from all the shoveling I had to do between Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I need to learn how to use a snow blower for next year.

But it's Monday and I'm linking up with Katie for some Marvelous in my Monday action! 

Marvelous is...this Napoleon Dynamite Valentine's Day picture I sent to my family. Don't ask me why we find Kip to be so hilarious.

Marvelous is...dedicating several hours of my Thursday evening to watching Olympic curling On Demand and a attempting to interpret the rules and scoring of the game. It's really kind of fascinating. There is a place in Cranston that has a curling club and they run open houses to learn about the game. The next one is in early March. You know I plan on being there.

Marvelous is....when my dogs get haircuts and act like divas.

Chloe is so grumpy and cute!

Marvelous is...staying in all weekend marathoning almost the entire second season of Parks and Recs. I got my mom and I hooked. Ron Swanson cracks me up.

Marvelous is...playing a few intense impromptu games of Rummikub on a Saturday night during a snowstorm. Something about bad weather and board games. Kind of like peanut butter and jelly. Although I prefer peanut butter and fresh spinach sandwiches. Don't hate.

Marvelous is...winter clothing clearance. I've had my eye on this one particular sweater and I scored it for $15 on Saturday! I also made out like a bandit at K-Mart yesterday, with no intentions of buying anything. $35 well spent.

Marvelous is...finally beating level 382 on Candy Crush. I can't stop playing when I'm stuck on a level for over a week. The feeling of accomplishment I get from this victory is so wrong haha.

Here's to looking forward to a week full of yoga, rising temperatures (I hope!), and not feeling the compulsion to play so much Candy Crush.

See ya, 2013. It's been real.

As 2013 comes to an end, the most prominent thought in my mind is not how great of a year it's been or how much I'm looking forward to the new year. Instead I find myself thinking about how long it will take me to get used to writing 2014 rather than 2013. I'm giving it until at least March. And I'm being generous.

Just kidding, sort of.

2013 was a great year overall. It had its rough patches, but compared to the tragedies and hardships from 2010-2012, I'll take it. 2013 was the year of yoga,

coming to terms with myself, hard work towards personal goals and my job (the latter is not necessarily by choice), crazy happenstances, and stepping out of my comfort zone.

I met new people (some of which my life would have been better without, but that is all a part of my theory of balance), made some personal changes, became addicted to Candy Crush,

Why?!?!! Fucking Candy Crush.

and took chances I never imagined myself taking five years ago. Like randomly sending out an email to a trivia company and getting hired. This is the same girl that wore black sweatshirts regardless of weather and hid behind her hair in high school, didn't party in college, and is still to this day the most chronic mumbler on the planet. And I love my late nights, starting random conversations with whoever seems interesting, and talking loud and clear - so I hope - into a microphone. Go figure.

I've considered making a few New Year's resolutions for 2014, but all that comes to mind are the typical exercise more, eat healthier, and drink less that all American women seem to begrudgingly vow to adhere to every January. Honestly, I don't think it's healthy for me to make a solid resolution because of my tendency to become obsessed with these little goals, viewing them as challenges and taking them too far. If I'm trying to make progress with gaining weight, reducing anxiety, and learning to go with the flow of things, my 2014 resolutions will need to reflect that.

My 2014 Resolutions:

1. Live in the moment and appreciate it for what it is.

2. Yoga, on and off the mat. Yes, that may sound cryptic, but it makes sense to me. Yoga is not just a form of exercise, it is a state of mind.

3. Embrace social opportunities.

4. Write. Whether it's blogging, creative writing for my personal enjoyment, or finally getting a job that allows me to use this skill (fingers crossed).

5. Do what makes me happy. I've found that I'm a much more pleasant person now that I eat more, care less about my appearance, and enjoy a drink or two regularly for either social reasons or to unwind before bed with a small glass of wine. I really debated "cleaning up" my diet, cutting out stevia and packaged foods that I enjoy, and giving up alcohol, but is it really worth it? No. I'd lose weight and be cranky. Plus, I'm 24. I need to embrace my youth while I can.

Now I'm off to MC some bowling event, give out prizes, and countdown to the New Year. I expect to be highly entertained. I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Years' Eve! Peace out, 2013!