I Went for a Walk Around Atlanta

I proclaimed yesterday that I would be going for a walk. The gals were at camp. Dave was at work.

With a high of 61 and not a cloud in the sky, I dropped the gals off at dance camp, and set out. My plan was to stick to the Beltline, but as soon as I got to Piedmont Park, I couldn’t resist a romp in the city.

The day was grand and I walked over 12 miles. The air was crisp, my step was upbeat. I enjoyed my time alone, had a nice little reset, and remembered why I love this city.

Bring it on holidays.

Here’s some of my adventure:

Going for a Walk

I’m going for a walk tomorrow. Ideally it would be up a mountain. Instead it will be more of the urban variety. I’ve taken off the rest of the week for Thanksgiving, but my family is still on the go. The gals will have their last day of dance camp and my husband has to work. This means…*GASP*…I HAVE THE DAY TO MYSELF.

For those who know me, this does not happen. Days off BY MYSELF do not happen. So I’m going to live it up as best as I can.

I tried to think of all the things I’d like to do. All of them involved spending large amounts of money on myself, but y’all know that is not in the cards. I previously mentioned hiking, but we are a one car family and the closest mountain requires a car ride. So the next best thing in my mind is hiking around the Atlanta Beltline until it’s time to pick up the gals from camp! I have several podcasts to catch up on and I’ve downloaded a new book to listen to from the library. My favorite Pandora stations will be on rotation. Snacks will be packed and maybe I will cross-stitch or journal during a break. All in all, I’m excited for some time to myself. Great for reflection and a reset before the chaos of the holiday season descends upon us.

I’m a big fan of Instagram stories {@happytubbs}, so feel free to follow my solo adventure around the Beltline. I’m hoping to log some quality miles, especially on the unpaved sections that I haven’t visited since it’s early inception.

Thanks Dance Camp!!!

Experiences

The idea of two of everything when the gals were about to be born was so overwhelming. I remember having a mini-meltdown while organizing an oversized mound of hand-me-downs. So much STUFF. I’d like to think my minimalism roots started here. The idea of two of everything seemed so opulent, but it just boiled down to wasteful. We lived in a small space, and I’d like to think that we did the best that we could to keep it simple.

But now the gals are older. Our home is still small, so we crusade on. We talk about donating to those in need. We have a regular donate bag by the door that leaves monthly. If we don’t use or need it any more, into the bag it goes. Do I think there is still too much stuff in their room? Yep, of course I do! However, I want them to adopt my philosophies by choice, not by force. I can continue to guide, and hope that they too will understand that “things” are not important. People and experiences are what matter.

Today they found a left behind fidget spinner at the park and “Whoa Mom look at this! It’s so cool! It’s a Figgey Spinner! AHHHHH!”

So they aren’t immune. I get it.

In the long run though, I hope that they don’t think this day at the park was grand because they found a fidget spinner. I hope they think it’s grand because we hiked to the park on a beautiful day, found magnificent leaves, played catch, ran fast, practiced gymnastics, had snacks, kicked the ball, chased friends, and had fun as a family.

That's Enough

I’m trying to avoid the blog post with the explanation of where I’ve been. I’ve always been here, but struggle to find time to put everything into words beyond the easy Instagram post.

Post a picture with a caption.

That’s enough.

Satisfy the masses…

…or at least the grandmas?

Yet, I continue to have this never ending inner monologue. I am writing in my head, and sadly, none of it goes further. No pen to paper. No typing on a computer. So here’s the commitment to myself. Write for at least 30 minutes a day. Whether it be just a journal entry, or something much more, but in the long run, I’d like to get more of our experiences out there. I know with every challenge I’ve faced, there is someone out there that can relate.

I’ve contemplated for quite some time if this new blog will have a theme, and honestly that’s just too constricting at the moment. I enjoy so many experiences lately, that having one thing define me is overwhelming. I’m more than a mom, more than a runner, more than my job, more than a minimalist.

I’m more than that.

2016 Goals

I’m not the “roll your eyes over resolutions type of person.” I love making them and I love supporting others in their endeavors for the year as well. I think it’s all because, in the last several years, I have been successful at sticking to them. Personally, I enjoy at attempting to make myself a better person.

So here it goes! My goals for 2016…

Health:

In the past, a lot of my goals have been health related. Mind & Body. I’m in a comfortable space now, and realize that maintenance in that area will always be a constant. I will always be an active person. I love to compete, but I still struggle with my food choices. So my wellness goals for the year are to be mindful of what I eat. If I want to indulge, do so only once a week. I always seem to fall down the slippery slope of bad eating habits, and find it hard to pull myself back out. I’m hoping 2016 will be a better year in that sense. I’m currently doing another round of whole30 with my friends to jump start it all.

I NEED to stop biting my freaking nails & cuticles. In fact, keeping my hands out of my mouth all together! It’s such a bad habit, and this week with the cold, I made my fingers physically hurt. This has to stop. I bought a gambit of nail products and polish to help with this matter.

Athletics:

In 2015 I PR’d my half marathon & completed my goal of coming in under 2 hours!  I finished the Jeff Galloway 13.1 in 1:57:44. I was really excited, especially considering I ran the Atlanta Thanksgiving Half Marathon a few weeks earlier 10 minutes slower!

EVEN JEFF GALLOWAY WAS PROUD OF MY PR!

I’d love to expand on that and start running miles in 8 minute range consistently. I want to be more diverse with my training this year. I got slack about strength training when I was training for the half marathons and I shouldn’t have. I also want to weigh the pros & cons of the triathlon. For me it’s all about the road block of buying a quality bike. It’s a huge investment for us, and I want to make sure I am serious before I go ahead.

Home:

I have this really bad tendency, after dinner and the gals’ bedtime, to just veg out and play on my phone. Then all of a sudden I realize it’s time for bed, and I haven’t done much for getting ready for the next day, let alone finish the dishes that have built up in the sink. (In our house, whoever cooks, doesn’t have to clean up the mess, and since Dave is usually home before I am, he is the chef.) So my goal here for the year is to nightly take that 10-20 minutes it take to clean up the kitchen and have everything ready for the next day. I want to expand upon that and daily clean one area/item that doesn’t get cleaned often. I leave things too long, then everything is a mess, and it stresses me out. Taking the time to do it in small chunks should help this.

I want to decorate my home. I’ve always moved after 1-2 years in a place, so I’ve never collected “cute” decorations or had the time to really make it ours. Maybe I will crack open that wacky Pinterest site I can’t stand for some inspiration…

To do lists. I love these at work. Time to bring them into my personal life.

Relationships:

Dave and I have decided we will try and have at least 30 minutes of game time every night. Tonight, for example, he easily kicked my ass in UNO. The gals are finally old enough to play several board games, so a weekly game night with them will be started. I want to make a big deal out of it. Popcorn, treats, puppies, kitties, and rainbows.

Blogging:

At least one blog a month.

Hobbies:

Reading – I met my goal last year of 20 books. This year it’s 30.

Cross stich – finish the 3 projects that have been collecting dust in my desk drawer for the past 3 years.

Photography – I have this fancy camera, and I love to take pictures with it, but I barely know how to use it. This year I learn how to use it properly!

Photos – So if I figure out my camera, then I really need to start doing something with the photos that are currently taking up almost 200 gigs of space in the cloud. I want to start making yearly books for the gals and boy do I have some catching up to do.

That’s it…I think?

Whoa, that’s a lot to accomplish, but hey I’ve got a whole year right?