My friend Darcie of Such The Spot challenged me to do this, so here it goes:

1. I found an exercise that I loved, causing me to exercise several times a week.  Finding kettlebells and working out consistently allowed me to get into the best shape of my life.  I’m finally getting my husband on board too!

2. I had fun blogging.  Towards the end of the year, I started participating in several link-ups, Wore I Wore Wednesday and Monday Mingle, that I really enjoyed.  I love writing about fashion and beauty so this was fun and natural for me.

3. I took my daughter to Disneyland, just the two of us.   Since my son was the first born, we have had many outings together, but I think this was the first time my daughter and I did an activity so grand together.  My family goes to Disney often, but as a group the activities skew towards big kid/adult and my daughter keeps up.  At Disneyland I let her set the pace and did whatever she wanted to do.  That meant no roller coasters, but standing in line to meet the fairies in Pixie Hollow.   I loved seeing Disney through her 9 year girly eyes.  We had a fantastic day together and her “thank you Mommy” and big hug at the end of the day was priceless.

4. We took my son to a broadway show.  We went to NYC in October to celebrate my daughter’s 10th birthday and my son’s 16 1/2th (his birthday was back in April).  Our gift to him in April was a broadway show in NYC, since he loves musical theatre. We go to musicals and plays all the time in Atlanta, but there’s something about seeing a production in NYC on broadway–it’s magical.  We used to take him to broadway all the time when he was younger, when we used to live in New Jersey, but they were family musicals like The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan.  This was his first big production, adult broadway musical.  We saw Follies and the look on his face during the musical was pure joy.   That experience was better than any tangible gift we could have given him.

5.  I recorded less and stayed in the moment more.   While I do enjoy sharing my experiences on my blog, sometimes it best to enjoy the moment and be fully present–not thinking about how this would make a good blog post or even how a photo of this moment would look great in the family scrapbook.  During our holiday trip to NYC a few weeks ago, I was trying to take photos of the beautiful holiday window displays on 5th Avenue, but it was difficult because of the reflection.  My daughter said, “Mommy, you can’t get a good photo, so just enjoy the window now.”  She was so right.  I put down my camera and fully enjoyed the windows while I was looking at them.  I may not remember them exactly years from now, but I will never forget that “Christmas in NYC” day with my children.

6.  I traveled often with my family.  We went to Disney World, Club Med Sandpiper, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, London, Paris (twice!), and New York City (twice).   It was the first time that we have traveled to Europe as a family and I was thrilled to show my kids the adventure of traveling internationally.  I think they are hooked and are already talking about our next international trip.

7.  I fell in love with Paris.  I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, but somehow during my European travels as a college student I made it to (southern) France, but missed Paris.   We spent a week in Paris as a family in July and I went again with my husband in December.  Both times I was in heaven.  Isn’t it great when you finally get to experience a place that you’ve been longing to visit and it exceeds your expectations?   I know that some people don’t care for Paris, but for me it was love at first sight (and frankly I just don’t get those people).

8.  I surrendered to motherhood.  This seems silly right?  I’ve been a mother now for over 16 years, so I should have done this long ago.  Well, I did the moment my son was born….and I must continue to surrender all the time.  It’s an on-going process.  Somehow I thought this motherhood thing would get easy with time, when it fact it doesn’t; it just changes.   But as challenging as it is (and it really is right now), I wouldn’t change a thing.   Raising my kids is absolutely without doubt the greatest thing that I have ever had the privilege of doing.

9.  I started taking French lessons.  See, Paris had a huge effect on me!  I plan to go back often, so I figure I should know how to speak the language.

10.  My husband and I celebrated 18 years of marriage.  It’s not a milestone number like 25 years, but 18 seemed like a big deal to us.  It’s a long time!  We woke up that morning and felt the bigness of the number and took the family to an impromptu big, fancy celebration brunch.  It was a really good day.  My husband was even inspired to write a blog post about marriage.

Why was 2011 a good year for you?

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Today was supposed to be the day.  The day that I finally started exercising again since mid-December.  The day that I checked off at least 5 items on my incredibly long To Do list.  The day that I got back on schedule after a solid month of long aimless days, late nights and late risings due to Winter Break and Snowmageddon 2011…..11….11…11 (it sounded like there should be an echo in there).  The house is quiet today, with just me and Chili Dawg here.   Right now I should be done exercising and blazing through my To Do list.

Instead it’s 2:00 p.m. and I still haven’t exercised.  I have on gym clothes–it’s a trick that I use to motivate myself, get up and put on gym clothes right away–but it doesn’t always work.  Obviously, because here I am.  I spent the last 2 hours creating a new exercise schedule, so that’s something, if not actually something to break a sweat.

I located and read my contract on my current gym and saw that yes, I can leave without penalty and join the YMCA.  That task was not on my To Do list, but now I can make that awesome new exercise schedule come to life.

And although I only meant to read for 20 minutes while eating lunch, I read a few extra chapters of This Must Be The Place, which is a really good book and hard to put down.

In other words, I have done nothing productive.  Except write this blog post and I only did that because I didn’t want y’all to be worried about me, to think that I had finally gone over the edge after last week and send help.  The fact is that I needed a “me day,” but won’t give myself permission to take one (there’s so much to do!), so instead I silently rebelled against myself and did stuff, but not what I needed to do.

Oh well.

I think that’s going to be one of my 2011 sayings: oh well.   I really need to cut myself some slack sometimes, you know?  I can really be quite crazy with all my stuff to do, lists and excel spread sheets of all my projects and need to yell, “Back off lady!” to myself sometimes.  ”Oh well” works too.

Like this morning.

This morning I woke thinking, “Ugh; I hate getting up.”  But then I remembered one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to “be happier in the mornings,” so I prayed for strength and a better attitude.  It worked and I sang and danced while getting the kids up and ready for school.   Then I went downstairs and my daughter said, “I stepped in something grainy on the floor.”   That would be dog poop, honey.  You stepped in dog poop.  See, it’s on the bottom of this shoe right here.

Someone had stepped in dog poop last night and tracked it in the house…through the house to be exact.  Someone had ignored my suggestion of removing outside shoes in the hall entryway.   Someone had instead walked into the living room and kitchen with poop on their shoes.   Someone was not me, but now me had to clean it up.   Me, who up until that moment was singing and dancing her way to a better morning attitude, was now scowling, ranting and vigorously mopping.  Me, who does not mop.  Me, who was now very unhappy and showing it.

The first day of “be happier in the mornings” was not successful.  The first day of “exercise everyday” didn’t happen.  The first day of “be super productive while the kids are in school and write 3 blog posts a week and be get through that To Do list by the end of March and publish this book and do that thing that I’ve been talking about and….” didn’t happen.

Oh well.

Back off lady!

© 2011 – 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I have been MIA on my blog.  Have you noticed?  I wrote an introductory Happy New Year blog post and then you haven’t heard from me again in more than a week.  Want to know why?  This:

SNOWMAGEDDON 2011!

Yes, I know that it may not look like much snow to you Northern-living folks, but under that 6 inches of snow is a chunk of pure ice.  It snowed on the evening of January 9th and immediately turned to ice; we’ve been snowed–or rather iced–in ever since.   Metro Atlanta has come to a screeching halt; the streets are undrivable and since Atlanta doesn’t have snowplows or ice trucks, they will remain that way until it warms up and the sun melts the ice.    The schools have been closed all week and the stores–if they are open–are running out of food because trucks can’t make deliveries.   We got the last gallon of milk today at our local grocery store.  I’m afraid that if the ice doesn’t melt soon, it will turn into a state of emergency.

Really, Funkidivagirl?  Is it that serious?  A state of emergency?  Let me put it into perspective for you: my kids have been in school a total of 4 days since December 17th.  4 DAYS! This was supposed to be my week, the start of my new year to get myself together–exercise, tackle my to do lists, make resolutions, research new projects, write award-winning blog posts, and basically get my brain back in gear after the long Christmas break–but instead the entire family is at home unexpectedly.  Which means that I haven’t been able to any of those things.   My husband has locked himself in our bedroom each day, using it as a makeshift office, and the rest of our house is an open floor plan; there is nowhere for me to go think.   My daughter has taken to watching Strawberry Shortcake where everything they say is “berry, berry fantastic!” I like Strawberry Shortcake, I really do; she’s resourceful, smart and sweet.   But you can only hear “berry” used as an adjective so many times.   I am slowly.  losing. my. mind.

Doesn’t that sound like a state of emergency to you?

Today, Thursday, I have finally conceded that this week is a wash.  I have given up all hope that this week is mine.  Oddly, that has freed my brain enough to at least write this blog post.  That is all I expect to get done today; everything will have to be shifted to next week.

Now, as I begin planning for next week, I have a question for you: when do you exercise?  I know that you have “exercise” as one of your New Year’s Resolutions, we all do.    I have gotten pretty good about exercising regularly and I like the results, but I still have trouble about fitting it into my day.   Usually I exercise after I get the kids off to school and eat breakfast myself, which means that I start around 9am.   By the time I shower and dress, it’s 10:30am.   If I factor in lunch, that only gives me a solid 4 hours of work time–and that’s without making any phone calls, running errands or school meetings, which happens at least twice a week.    My inclination is to use school hours solely for work time, because I can get at least 2 more hours out of the day, but then I’m afraid that after school I will be too tired or distracted by the kids’ needs to exercise.

Work at home parents: when do you exercise?  How do you effectively use your kid-free hours?   My children are my priority when they are at home, but I still want to use my quiet hours to write, research and even tackle household projects without distraction.   And I don’t want exercise to fall by the wayside.   As I am structuring my 2011 schedule (whenever my life returns to normal), I would love to hear how you do it all.  Please share.

Oh, and if you haven’t heard from me by next week this time, assume that everyone is still at home and I am sitting in the corner slowly beating my head against the wall.  Send help.

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Today I’m participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop: 1.) What word will you choose as your theme for 2011?

Not one word, but words.  The words of this passage.  This passage that I found years ago, in a card for my husband, that lifted him up when he most needed it.  This passage that I copied for myself and carried in my purse until I put it in a drawer and forgot about it.  Discovering it again yesterday was not an accident, but a reminder of what I need to do in 2011.

Be mindful.  Be gracious.  And CHOOSE how to live my life.  It’s a choice that I get to make, prayerfully, blessedly, each day.

EACH DAY
by Max Lucado

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments, the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose….

I CHOOSE LOVE…
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY…
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE…
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. I will be kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS…
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My spouse will not question my love.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF CONTROL…
I am a spiritual being… After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I know, we’re already well into the new year, but I really couldn’t think until my house was back to normal…the kids back in school, the husband back to work, the decorations put away and the clutter cleared after having 4 people at home 24/7 for two weeks.

Now I can say it:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We had a good Christmas break. We were at home most of the break and just spent time in Atlanta going out to eat and to the movies and theater.  We saw Tron, Tangled and Naria: Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the movies and live theater productions of Madeline’s Christmas and A Christmas Story.

We did take our annual weekend trip to Ritz-Carlton Lodge Reynold’s Plantation and had a wonderful time as usual.  It’s just so chill there that 2 days really seems like a long time.  We don’t have an agenda when we go except to get the spot in the lobby by the fireplace and stay there as long as possible, often late into the night.  I love Ritz-Carlton because even though we were rolling deep–16 adults and 16 children ages 3-15–they were most gracious and accommodating with our last minute requests.  Gingerbread houses, hot chocolate, s’mores, board games and friends–what a wonderful way to kick off our winter break.

We went to church on Christmas Eve.  The church performed an awesome concert–using only iPads as instruments!  Very impressive; check it out:

On Christmas Day we didn’t even leave the house, but instead spent the entire day in our pajamas opening gifts, playing, eating and just chilling.   I don’t think we have done that in about 10 years, but it was wonderful.  The kids got so many gifts, but this pillow is one of my favorites.  My daughter had seen these dog-face pillows at a street festival and loved them.  I took the artist’s card, held on to it and when I was brain storming gifts for her, I remembered the pillows.  I contacted the artist through her Etsy shop to have a custom pillow made of our puppy, Chili Dawg.  I think she did a fantastic job; she even managed to capture his mischievous personality.

My husband wanted us to get out of town for New Year’s weekend, but the kids didn’t want to leave home; they enjoyed lounging around and doing nothing.  Me?  I don’t do nothing too well and was getting antsy.  So after spending a festive New Year’s Eve with the kids eating Korean BBQ at The Honey Pig,

and a fun New Year’s Day morning eating breakfast out in our pajamas (don’t worry; the whole restaurant was pajama clad–even the waiters),

my husband and I dropped them at the grandparent’s house and went to the St. Regis Hotel.   Now that was a good move!   The kids were happy spending time with their grandparents while my husband and I enjoyed the beautiful hotel.  The room was very luxurious with a plush bed, a chaise lounge, a deep bathtub and a TV in the bathroom mirror.  Very cool.

We had spa treatments, went out to dinner, sat by the fire and drank champagne.  It was the first time we saw champagne opened by saber.  That was special!

More than anything, we enjoyed precious time together.   I hope that we get to do more of that in 2011.

I’m using this week to organize and plan the first quarter of the year.   I don’t have resolutions per se, but I’m planing to do some new things, finish some old projects, maintain the good stuff that I have going and all the while try to keep my life in balance.  I have some more thinking to do this week about how to make that all happen.

What about you?  Are you enjoying the new year so far?  Have you set goals or aspirations for 2011 yet?

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.