in twenty-seven days…

In my year of New, I’ve been learning so much about myself and embracing the life that I have. It seems ironic really, to focus on New and through that you embrace the Old. ha! Anyhow…

I’m growing up, which is a good thing I guess, since I’m weeks away from turning thirty-eight. That’s just a number really, it doesn’t mean much to me. Once, a long time ago, I thought it would. I was sure that I would one day look have a meltdown if I wasn’t my thinnest, prettiest, smartest and most successful version of self by the time I turned 30. {then of course it was 31, then 32, 33… 34… 35… You get the picture.} But really, age is just a number. I’ve known twenty-five year olds who are so mature they put most forty-year olds to shame, and twenty-five year olds who make my 3-year-old niece seem like a braniac with a stable plan. Age is just a number, like a belt size is just a number… We put too much stock in numbers.

My husband is those same weeks, plus forty days, away from turning forty. Unfortunately for him, he does NOT have the same outlook that I have regarding age, numbers, etc. You see, I’m lucky in that I had my emotional life crisis/breakdown the year I turned twenty-five. My poor guy hasn’t had his yet, and he keeps hinting that this birthday might be his downfall.

I made a rather detailed list (with sub-lists, who have sub-sub-lists with post scripts of their very own) of goals for 2014. I wanted to be goal oriented and intentional. So far, so ok. A bit above mediocre, really, but thankfully on my list is also Be Graceful with Self, so I’m on tip-top shape there. {If you’d like to see my progress, it’s here: January}

This is my list of goal progress, new things, or out of the normal bits for me and my life in February…

– I’ve stopped baking artisan bread weekly. I’m not a baker. I kind of wish I were because I’m in love with the idea of baking, and the way baking makes a home smell and feel.* {The * is to point out that I do not like the way the process/act of baking makes me feel… Maybe I need to perfect this more. I don’t know.}

– We bought a treadmill DIRT CHEAP. (Mostly because the husband is a runner and we’re stuck in a seemingly permanent state of Polar Vortex hell.) I’ve really grown to love it more than I expect, though my knee isn’t quite a fan yet.

– Playing the Cello has been a lifelong dream of mine and I actually took a leap and enquired about lessons. I’ve gotten a quote for rentals and the lessons, all of which are fairly doable, a few months down the road, I’d say.

– I’ve been a lover of tea for ages. I’ve had every box or type of tea ever given to me (even cheap, crappy teas) because, hell0- its tea! I wasn’t ever drinking it though, and had to be honest that it was silly to hold on to the clutter and waste of it. Though it pained me (a bit less than I’d expected), I cleaned out my tea jars, tins, tubs and boxes. It’s MUCH simpler now and my home only has teas that I love.

– Gift giving is my love language. It’s how I express (and receive) love. Rewind 7-10 years ago, I bought gifts (and too many) for everyone. Today, I’m much more intentional about the gift, and very selective about the recipient. HOWEVER, it recently occurred to me that it REALLY bothers me if I’ve given a gift to someone and they never acknowledge it. I realized that there have been times that I’ve excused this completely self-centered and rude behavior but was finally honest with myself that, no- I cannot accept that sort of treatment. So no more. Love language or not. I’m done giving gifts to people unless they are a part of my inner circle.

– I’m totally a morning person now. NEVER saw this coming. It did. Miracles happen. *Insert cheesy cliché’ here.*

– I’ve begun wearing a Fit Bit Flex and i LOVE it… LOVE it! I’ve had a few friends join me in FB Flexing and i love that too…

– For our intentional date challenge we did date #2 Fondue night out (super fun!), #3 we snuck out, complete spontaneity to grab soup and a coffee and see a movie we’d already seen, just so we could talk more about it. While we aren’t new to soup, coffee or rewatching movies, the spontaneity and doing it just so we could talk more in-depth about it was a little new to us, so it counted!  and #4 went to a local mechanical museum (for vintage arcade games and displays. A little creepy, but my engineer husband LOVED it) and went to an Indian restaurant where we had one of the best meals we’ve eaten in the past eleven months, hands down! (We had some catching up to do after his January time in Australia!)

– I did begin attending the women’s group I mentioned at our church, and I love it. I’ve met some really fantastic women.

– I do not love Valentines Day, at all. I do, however, deeply love my husband. I decided to give him 14 days of (mostly) cheesy/silly gifts leading up to Valentines Day in an effort to really help him feel loved and cared for. It can be hard when you work hard or have to travel sometimes, and I just felt like he needed to know. I don’t know who had more fun, (but again, my love language is gifts so… and his is not, but he still loved it.)

– I’ve started oil pulling, in the mornings. My gag reflex hates me, for the first few seconds, but honestly the results have made me a believer. I’m hooked.

All things considered, it was pretty successful month of NEW… Now March is my birthday month, and I always try to have fairly intentional birthday Months anyway, so I’m excited to see how it pans out. (Hoping we have some warm temps and melted snow… those are pretty NEW ideas…)

Did you learn, do or try anything new this month?