Becca's Closet

While I was cleaning the closet yesterday, I found a few things from my past that have been in the closet gathering dust.

Prom Dresses!

There were five dresses in the hallway closet still in their garment bags. Two I kept...one that I could possibly wear again (what can I say, I was a prude in high school so that dress is still age appropriate!) and the other held sentimental value since I wore it to Junior Prom - the dance I went to with The Hubs. The third looked a little old, so I put in the give away pile.

The other two, however, I thought looked in good condition, so I started researching the possibility of donating them to an organization that gives prom dresses to girls who can't afford them.

I headed over to Donate My Dress (link found in Better Homes and Garden) and found an organization fairly close by that takes dresses.

The organization is Becca's Closet and they have a high school in Tracy and one in Modesto that will take dresses. Only problem is, they say the dresses need to be from 2005 to present so that they are "current styles".  (Ugh! Makes me feel SO OLD!)

Anyways, I looked at the dresses I again and I really don't think they look that out of date!

See for yourself...

Blue shimmer dress I wore to Senior Ball - 2000

Detail at the top and better idea of color. It's like a shimmer blue/black.

Black strapless dress with flower detail. Can't even remember what I wore it to!

I really hope these are donation worthy! I'd love to make a difference in the life of teenager by giving them a fun dress to wear to Homecoming or a Prom!

What do you think? 

Do you think these dresses are donation worthy?

Doing Things for Myself

I've been following Gretchen Rubin's - The Happiness Project blog for some time. There was awhile there where I was reading books all about happiness (including The How of Happiness and Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment), trying to figure out ways where I could make my life happier. At the time, work was really crappy and the unhappiness of it seemed to leak into every portion of my life.

That was before her book The Happiness Project came out and although I haven't yet read the book (I figured I would get most of the info in it on her blog), I've been filing away little tidbits of what she's learned into my daily life.

The latest thing I'm trying to incorporate to make my life (and marriage) happier was found on Tip Wednesday a couple of weeks ago.

Gretchen wrote an article about the 5 mistakes she continues to make in her marriage and even though I could identify with Every.Single.One of them, I worked on just the first one over the weekend.

I always want to be recognized for what I do around the house, something Gretchen calls "Demanding Gold Stars". Like her husband, mine is also not very good about handing them out. He normally doesn't care if the house is super tidy or that the sink is free of dirty dishes.  Those are things I appreciate. So instead of getting annoyed when he doesn't do something, I've been just trying to do things for myself that I know will make me happy. For instance, this weekend The Hubs washed his car and then took it out for a drive and didn't wash mine at the same time. So while he was out, I went ahead and washed my car myself. I felt such a sense of accomplishment and it made me happy that I had a nice, sparkly car (that got rained on today!) It's the little things people! :-)

From now on I'm going to try to give myself gold stars both at home and work when I check something off a To-Do list or accomplish something I think is significant!

Image Source: The Happiness Project

The next mistake I definitely need to work on is Number 4 - Scorekeeping. I'm always keeping a tally of all the thing I'm doing around the house and I'm oblivious to the things The Hubs IS doing around the house. He gets annoyed that I only see what I do and that I don't see what he does. Anyone else have this problem?? I think if I followed the rule above about doing things for MYSELF, we'd BOTH be happier!

Are any of you guilty of one of Gretchen's "Marriage Mistakes"??

Have any of you read The Happiness Project? Is it worth reading even if you follow her blog?

I Give Up...

 

For Catholics (and those who love a challenge) everywhere, Ash Wednesday (Today!) marks the first day of the Lenten season. The forty days that lead up to Easter has become the time of year where we challenge ourselves to do without something that we don't really need. 

Since I've grown up Catholic, I have had many opportunities to try (and fail!) at giving up something that I truly love. When I was younger, it was often chocolate or candy. As I've gotten older, I've been better about highly qualifying what I give up (something I learned from my mom who often gives up candy - specifically Tootsie Rolls. Bit sized Snickers or Milky Ways are fair game!). Last year, I gave up Starbucks Mochas. I did really well, didn't cave once, and saved a pretty penny on top of it!

This year, I was planning on giving up all alcohol for Lent in order to "practice" for when the time came when alcohol would be a no-no. But I think that I would be just setting myself up for failure considering I have some already planned occassions coming up where I may just want a glass of wine (i.e. - an "I quit my job" bash for one of my best friends and a snow trip with my other best friend).

I've already started to cut back on the wine intake, so I plan on continuing that. In fact, to continue with the cut back, I think I'll give up all alcohol at home, including when we have company over (there's qualification at its best!). That might be a cop out, but The Hubs and I do enjoy a lovely Thursday or Friday night glass of wine after a long work day, so I think it will still be a challenge.

I still would like to give up something else, but couldn't think of anything in time to start today. I'll keep you posted if I come up with something.

Also this Lenten season, I want to make sure I don't eat meat on Fridays, another Catholic tradition. I'm usually pretty conscientious about this, but I think I might go a bit farther and make it no fish/seafood also. Perhaps it will give me the incentive to try out some new vegetarian recipes that I have come across that I can share. Or maybe you all will share some good vegetarian recipes with me! Hint, hint! :-)

What is everyone else giving up for Lent? Do you think your will power will get you through the next 40 days or are you a little worried about following through, like I am?

Refreshing!

You know the saying "You don't know what you've got until it's gone."? I know it's mostly used when talking about relationships, however, I've found its relevance in my professional life.

As you know from a previous post, I've been working crazy hours - like 10am to 9pm crazy. It's been happening for about 2 weeks straight. It's exhausting and annoying.

However, today  I am grateful for it.

Why you may ask?

Because, yesterday I was able to work a normal 8am - 5pm day and OMG was it REFRESHING!

I was able to leave and come home when it was still light out.
I was able to enjoy both the sunrise and the sunset on my drive to and from work.
I was able to go to lunch at a normal hour and hit up the gym so I could get home early to hang out with my husband.
The day flew by and when it was 5 o'clock I was outta there (and didn't feel guilty).
I got a lot more accomplished because I could go back to my good ol' morning routine.
I was able to go to Starbucks and get a morning snack.

I know that I likely have a few more 10am-9pm's  in my future, but I think it will really help me appreciate the normal days that I often used to despise.

If you had asked me last week if I would be grateful for working crazy hours, I would have given you a big "HELL NO!".

I hope this new perspective will help me continue to see the things I should be grateful for in any challenge, obstacle or negative thing that occurs in my life. I know it won't be easy, but now I'll have the post to always come back to and remind me!

January - Goal Update

Can you believe that January is already over? I sure can't! Even though the work days seem to drag by, time still seems to be flying!

The last day of January seemed like the perfect time to reflect on how I'm progressing with the goals I've set for myself for 2011 (plus a few I added along the way) and also how I'm doing without the 11 things my life doesn't need in 2011 (probably one of my favorite #reverb10 posts!).

Goals Accomplished!

Personal Training - A week or so ago, I finished the 8 personal training sessions The Hubs got me for Christmas. I had a really awesome time learning new workout skills and techniques. Even though I hated being pushed by the trainer while I was in a session, I always felt so accomplished afterward. When it came time to sign up again, the trainer was pretty hard core about getting me to continue, but the true cheap skate in my passed. I feel like I shouldn't let money stop me in my training goals, but just the thought of dropping $600 - $1000 for a month or so of sessions is really hard for me... We'll see where this goal goes for the rest of the year. For now, it's transformed into a resolution to get into the gym 4-5 times a week and doing both cardio AND weights.

Take a Trip - Although we haven't yet gone on or even planned a big trip for this year, I DID spontaneously plan a trip to San Luis Obispo this past weekend. It was a great way to unwind after what was a crap work week for me. It is amazing how even a short trip recharged my battery, even if it was only a little bit. I think it is probably the reason for me not coming into work today crying my eyes out (which happened pretty much every day last week!).

Avila Beach - Jan 2011

Take a Class - I took a meditation class in the beginning of the month, which I really enjoyed. I do however need to find more time to practice what I learned. I would like to take a class a month, if possible, so I need to start doing research into what classes are available in the topics I want to study.

Buy Stuff - The Hubs and I bought an area rug for the living room...a small step in the right direction (see before and after below). We still need curtains for the bedroom and a TV console, but research has begun in at least one of these areas.

Living Room - Before

Living Room - After

New Habits Started

Flossing! - I started flossing twice a day at the beginning of the year and I'm happy to report that the habit has stuck! I did skip over this past weekend since we were on vacation, but I got right back on the wagon last night and this morning. It is amazing how quick of a task flossing really is and how much cleaner your mouth feels after!

Making the Bed Daily - I had read on BlogHer awhile back about changing up your morning routine for a better day, so I thought I would start by making sure the bed was made every morning. It takes a little bit of extra time, but I have found that if I start making the bed, The Hubs will usually help out making the process a lot faster. I love that it makes the room look clean and less chaotic. I need to get a habit like this started in the kitchen by dealing with the dishes sooner rather than later!

11 Things

I haven't had soda all month! It has helped that we haven't had any available, but I do know that The Hubs has some in his truck. I almost caved yesterday and had one, but stopped myself before I even had The Hubs go get it.

I have been fairly good about not using plastic bags at the grocery store. I've been better at remembering to bring in my reusable ones or I go back to the car to get them if I do forget. One hard part has been remembering a reusable bag when I go to the drug store or to the mall, places where I don't normally bring them in. I ask for no bag when I have a few things that I can just carry to the car, but this is hard to do at the mall when a bag is necessary if you are going to continue shopping around. Plus, you don't want people thinking you are stealing things. I'm not quite sure how to deal with this part of it yet...

Celebrity blogs are no longer on my blogroll, but I do occasionally peruse them when I need some mindless thing to do.

Cursing and harboring animosity are still things I'm working on getting rid of, as they are harder habits to break, but I have been trying to be more aware when I find myself doing either one of these things...

I'm still working on getting rid of the other 8 things. I either haven't had time to get to them or they are substantially harder to do.

I am very proud of what I've done so far, although I still have a long way to go and quite a few goals to accomplish and things rid myself of for the rest of the year. Writing this has reminded me of what I want/need to accomplish to make my life brighter and to be a happier person (which is sometimes lacking these days...).

For those of you still reading this, thanks! I love that blogging makes me accountable to all of you for keeping on top of myself to continue growing and accomplishing!

How have all of you done on your resolutions/goals so far this year?

Dream, Believe, Soar!

Over the weekend, I attended a retreat at the East Bay Mediation Center that was focused on discovering your life's purpose. I found out about the event from my friend Teresa who knew I had been struggling with finding excitement and passion at work. We both had tried signing up for the retreat in December, but were both wait listed. It wasn't until Friday, the day before the event, that we both found out we were in. (We later found out that there were 80 people who were wait listed! Guess it was meant to be that we got in!)

Now at first I was skeptical and a little apprehensive about attending. I know that mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to curb anxiety and stress. With all of the self help books I've read over the years, I knew how mediation works with deep breathing, clearing your head, and allowing yourself to recognize thoughts that come into your mind with no judgment and then letting them pass. I'd never meditated for more than a 5-10 minutes at time though, so I was a bit intimidated about attending this all day event. I was really afraid that I wouldn't fit in.

I was SO surprised when I got to the event and discovered that the attendees were from all walks of life, of all ages, and most of them were NOT the stereotypical "hippie" that my mind automatically conjured up. Instead it was a group of people who I identified with! People who weren't happy in their current careers, who were reluctant to make a change for fear of failure, and some who also had issues with anxiety. These people were like me! How comforting to know that I am NOT alone!

My favorite part of the event was where we explored our dreams by reflecting on what things or activities in our childhood brought us joy and put a smile on our face. We formed groups and were required to talk for 4 minutes each about whatever came to mind. At first this seems like a LONG time to talk, but once I got started I remembered more and more things that I hadn't thought about since I was a child.

I remembered that I loved reading. I loved reading so much that I would read textbooks, even when it wasn't required. (Below is evidence of my love for reading...me reading a book upside down when I was barely 1 year old!) I loved going to school and was upset anytime I was sick and had to stay home. I loved learning new things and worked really hard to master any subject I was studying. I realized these are things that I still love doing today, although I don't really get to do any of them daily.  Now I'm going to try to find ways to incorporate these loves either in my work day or in other activities I choose to participate in.

What was more interesting were the things I had not remembered I loved....

When I was younger, I was bossy, REALLY bossy, so bossy that my Kindergarten teacher told my parents that sometimes it seemed like I thought I was the one running the class. I liked being a leader. I loved dancing and performing in front of groups of people. I was the girl who always want to do solos or duets, even if I wasn't the best dancer in the class. While remembering these things, I realized it seems I have lost these "loves" as I've gotten older. I now shy away from being a leader and although I still like getting up in front of people it is not with the same level of inhibition as I did when I was younger. After contemplating why this was, I think it has to do with being conditioned over the years to know the sometimes HUGE consequences of failing when being a leader or in a high profile position. I also don't want to look stupid in front of a group of people. My fear of failure has caused me to step back both in my professional and personal life and not take risks that I might have taken when I was younger, something I really want to address in 2011.

We also practiced visualizing what it is we think we'd love to do if there was nothing stopping us and we fully believed in ourselves. We explored our fears and what was holding us back from truly soaring. The fears activity was intense as we partenred up and required to ask our partner continuously "What are you afraid of?" and only respond to their answer with a "Thank You" for 7 minutes straight! It really caused each of us to get deeper to the root of all of our fears.

Now I don't think I found my life's passion in this one day retreat, but it did give me a lot to think about and provided me with some excellent techniques for exploring my core values - the first step to finding your passion. I also learned more about mediation and hope that I can continue use mindfulness as a way to deal with my common overreactions, constant worry, and stress.

Have any of you tried meditation? Did you find it helpful in either dealing with stress and/or anxiety? Have you used meditation as a method of finding your core values and determining what you were really meant to do?

Wishful Thinking All Day Long!

Here's our second of four opportunities to have a day full of wishes. (I forgot about New Year's Day since I was caught up with the holiday and all...)

Wish Days

1-1-11

1-11-11

11-1-11

11-11-11

I'm allowing myself to wish REALLY BIG at 1:11 am/pm and 11:11 am/pm, since the power of the 1's collides at these times.

So what am I wishing for??

For Today
A good work day that flies by and where I feel accomplished.
To take things as they come and look at all challenges as learning points.
To learn something new and interesting.
To take a little time for myself to read, meditate, or do whatever I feel like doing - for myself.

For Forever
To find what I am passionate about.
For patience with my family (including The Pup), my friends, my coworkers, and myself.
For positivity to flourish in me and worry to subside.

I'm sure I could think of TONS more, but that will do for now. If I only got a fraction of those wishes, I would be happy!

And now that I've shared, I'm curious... 

What are you wishing for??? 

Leave a comment since sharing our wishes propels them into The Universe and helps make them come true! Teachings courtesy of The Secret! :-)

Image Credit: We Love It