Recently, in my coffee-less state (this is important because everything seems worse without coffee), I have started to feel a growing discontent with some areas of my life. Not major things, but little things. I’ve kind of hit a plateau in a lot of areas and it’s bringing me down.
I don’t have a lot of extra time or money, and I’m really good about cutting myself some slack because of it, but I’m at the point where I think some productivity and changes could really benefit me mentally. Here’s what I’m thinking about:
Home
Here is our home. We’ve lived here about three years, and I love it. But we never finished furnishing it, and there are a couple rooms that aren’t being used at all because of it, and more that are just plain boring or ugly. I love being at home, and I want it to be a place that inspires me and makes me happy.
There are some bigger projects that need to be done: new carpet, new tile, redo or update the bathrooms, and (lower on the priority list) updating the kitchen. But right now I just want to get the whole place furnished and somewhat decorated.
Thinking about it as a whole is overwhelming, so instead I think I’ll just take it a room at a time. First up is the living room. It gets used a lot, and it’s one of the rooms we’ve done the most with already.
(Sorry about the bad lighting in these pictures.)
Here are some things I want to do in this space:
- Get a large jute rug
- Style the coffee table
- Style the mantel
- Style the buffet area
- Purchase bar stools
- Switch out the sheer curtains for something with fresh color
- Add some plants
I’m not going to let myself think or stress about the other rooms until I finish with this one.
Personal Style
So, I’m not a stylistic nightmare, but I do have a long way to go before I really feel comfortable and confident in this area. I wear scrubs every day so it’s hard to get excited about clothes and accessories when I hardly get to wear them. But I went to a wedding the other weekend and I had a hard time really feeling polished, and I’d like to change that.
>Hair: I have fine, straight hair that just hangs and won’t hold a curl. I’ve never been very adventurous with it, and I’m not willing to spend much time on it unless it’s for a special event. This weekend I’m going to get it cut, and I’m thinking a bob along these lines:
Images found here, here, and here.
At the moment I already have sideswept bangs and they really bother me at work, so I either clip it aside or wear a headband wrap. Once I get it cut I’ll work on how to style it for every day wear and for nice events.
>Makeup: I have deliberately cut back on the amount of makeup I wear because I like the way I look naturally and I don’t enjoy the process of putting it on. Most of the time I only wear mascara and mineral powder foundation. Sometimes I apply eyeliner and blush. I’m fine with this. However, I want to learn how to look fancy. I want to have the products at my disposal and be able to look a little more glamorous if the mood strikes. If you have recommendations, or have written about your recommendations before, please share!
>Clothes: This is going to take some work. Although I lost almost all of my weight from pregnancy, the sad truth is that my body will never be the same again. All of my nice things were bought pre-pregnancy, and most of them just aren’t right anymore. I’ve been doing some thinking about what I want my wardrobe to look like, and I’ve determined that I want to stay mostly with a classic, conservative style with elements of sporty and hippie thrown in. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but it sounds good to me.
Steps to achievement:
- Go through my closet with a critical eye. Get rid of lots of things. I do this a lot so it shouldn’t be too hard; I’m not overly sentimental about clothes.
- Consult a wardrobe essentials list and determine the items that I lack (including jewelry, handbags, and shoes – I need it all).
- Um, save up some money.
- Shop – preferably sales and thrift stores!
Lifestyle
Some other things I want to make an effort towards:
>Exercise: I’ve been an athlete all my life, and I find myself in a place where I haven’t exercised in a year. I have a really nice bike that is sitting in the garage unused. This is not okay. I really think it’s feasible for me to go running with Meredith in the jogging stroller three times a week right after work, and then take one bike ride on the weekends. I wanted to start this week, but the weather was terrible the first half and then Meredith got sick. Blah.
>Cooking: I don’t cook. My husband doesn’t cook. What do we eat? Breakfast is oatmeal, lunch is provided for me most of the time (drug companies, woohoo) and if not I have a Lean Cuisine (David eats out), and dinner is something like cereal, sandwiches, eating out, or at a family member’s house. I’m not happy about it, I’m worried about providing food for Meredith, and I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve tried to start cooking before and it never lasts. I don’t even want to think about it, but I’ll have to pretty soon.
>Church: We’re semi-committed to a new church now, and I think I’m ready to start getting involved and making friends. There’s a small group that is for young families that my friend (and doula!) attends, so I’d like to visit. We also need to start tithing again.
I guess these are kind of like my goals right now, even though I didn’t set any sort of deadline because that would just stress me out. I’m totally open to any kind of advice or recommendation on anything. I hope to keep updating as I make progress, because progress WILL be made!
