Currently In December

Current Book(s): I’m reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. It’s highly mediocre: just good enough so that I want to finish and know how it ends. I’ve also been listening to an audiobook called Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky. I never would have picked it out myself, but my husband brought it home for me from the library one day simply because I lived in Kansas for 4 years. It’s actually not bad.

Current Playlist: I’ve whipped up my Christmas playlist and am loving every minute of it. I hate the Christmas music on the radio, but I can’t get enough of the music I’ve acquired over the years. Here are the albums in rotation: Andrew Peterson – Behold the Lamb of God, Eleven Eleven Band – Christmastime, Sarah McLachlan – Wintersong, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Over the Rhine – Snow Angels, Your King Has Come. Of course I’m always open to new music, so let me know if I’m missing anything essential!

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Taking a complete and total break from exercising. It’s amazing how much less guilt I feel when I don’t even plan on it. I spent a couple of weeks intending to exercise every day, and when it didn’t get done I felt terrible. Now I’m just like, “Nope, not doing it right now.” (Although my plan is to start triathlon training again after the new year, so I’m enjoying this while it lasts.)

Current Color: For Christmas I like pastel greens and jewel tone reds.

Current Drink: Haven’t had any yet, but I absolutely love wassail during the holidays. Can’t wait to try making some myself!

Current Food: Christmas cookies! Time to start baking up a storm.

Current Favorite Show: I’m not watching any current shows, but David and I are still going through The Office on Netflix.

Current Wishlist: All the items on my Christmas list, but what I’d especially like right now that doesn’t fit into our budget is more good Christmas albums, some house slippers, knitted boots, and more cold-weather clothes.

Current Needs: To regain my confidence at work. An accumulation of small mistakes and unwelcome, trivial criticism has me feeling like I’m a new nurse all over again.

Current Triumphs: Completing NaBloPoMo with very few cop-out posts. My goal was to have good content every day and refrain from whining about the task. For the most part, I think I accomplished that!

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Cold weather. I’m not adequately prepared for it, and it came so suddenly! This morning my husband turned on the heat, and I only protested a little bit.

Current Celebrity Crush: I guess if I have to think about this one for too long, it’s probably not really a crush, right? Guess I don’t have one.

Current Indulgence: The aforementioned not exercising, Christmas cookies, and turning the heat on.

Current Blessing(s): A husband who knows exactly what to say to make me feel better about myself, doctors who don’t get upset when I bother them because of a silly mistake, warm socks and a warm home.

Current Outfit: My #3 soccer sweatpants from college, a blue Old Navy fleece, and fuzzy socks. In a few hours I’ll find the energy to change and venture out into the world, but not yet.

Current Excitement: I’m looking forward to seeing The Pioneer Woman this Saturday with Chelsea and Lauren. (My secret is that I’m more excited about seeing Chelsea and Lauren than The Pioneer Woman. Also, I need to buy her book, and quick.)

Current Mood: I am well-rested and intent on accomplishing much today. Happy, for the most part, although thinking about work puts my stomach in little knots.

Current Link: I love the blog Style Lush. It’s written by a group of women around my age, and features anything and everything that they enjoy or think is pretty. Recently they put out a pretty great holiday gift guide.

Happy December!