I Love Fall

Things I LOVE about Fall: Halloween, oversized sweaters, long walks, cool nights, rainy days, bonfires, pumpkin-flavored everything, changing leaves, soups, warm beverages, apple cider, decorations….The list goes on and on.

Fall is my favorite season.  And, while Alaska doesn't boast the same amazing Fall colors that the Midwest is famous for, there is still beauty to be found everywhere.  The leaves are changing, the fields are turning brown, and the snow is creeping down the mountains.

There is much to be thankful for during my favorite season.  It is spectacular to see how Fall progresses here, in the 49th state.  I can't help but compare the changes to those that I experienced growing up in the heart of the Midwest.  I am not sure which place is better for celebrating this season but I do know that I love them both :)

Questions: 
What is your favorite season? Why?
What do you LOVE about Fall? 

Reviewing My 2013 Resolutions

In 2013 I made some lofty New Year's Resolutions.  Maybe a bit too lofty?  You can check out the link  here and see exactly what my reasonings were behind choosing these specific goals.  Since it is June, the halfway point, I wanted to review my goals and evaluate if I had/had not completed any of them. So, here is the list.

1.) Re-Start Couch to 5k: I have been doing this program again!  However, I have been doing it only about 2x per week, which isn't how the program was intended.  I am doing it with a mix of yoga, hiking, and walking though so I feel like my exercising goal is happening, just in a different way.

Cooling down after a jog on the beach. 

2.) Recycle: Check! Cody and I are now recycling glass, cardboard, and aluminum (basically Cody's soda cans and our group effort collection of adult beverages).  Our next goal will be to take on plastic and paper :)

Our new bins! 

3.) Plant a Garden: Check! Well, sort of.  It snowed until the beginning of May this year so my garden got started a little bit later than intended and is much smaller than my original plan.  But, it did get started! Pictures to come at a later date :)

4.) Give Back To The Community: FAIL! I haven't done much giving back to my community.  During Family Night's at my school I was on standby for childcare, which really is part of my job, so I don't think it counts but at least it is something (kind of).

5.) Plan My Wedding: Umm…I think we decided on July 2014 as opposed to June 2014. Does that count? I did find a couple dresses that I liked and looked at a couple venues too.  But, not much progress has occurred. Then again, I am not much of a wedding person.

6.) Spend More Quality Time With Cody: Check! Ever since Cody switched jobs we have spent a lot of real quality (out having fun/one-on-one) time together! Since we both work in the school district and work the same schedule/hours this has naturally improved without a ton of effort on our part. Basically, we have tons of time to goof off and do things like this….

Umm….need a little help? 

7.) Write Letters to My Family: I have sent TWO rounds of postcards.  Not a huge amount of progress but at least I have made the effort.  I probably would have sent more but my mail gets returned to me all them time and it is a huge hassle.  The Alaska mail system totally blows.

So, there you have it! A wrap-up of my goals for 2013.  Not a huge amount of triumph but I have at least made some progress. I think I have decided that instead of doing yearly goals I am going to switch to doing monthly goals for myself.  I got the idea from the blog Peace Love & Oats (check it out!).  Doing monthly goals is just WAY more realistic.  I am more of a short-term planner and year-long goals never seem to pan out for me. Check in on July 1st for my first set of monthly goals!

Questions: 
Do you make yearly goals? 
If so, do you stick with them? 
If not, do you make monthly goals?

Becoming A Minimalist

Recently, Cody approached me with the idea of living a more minimalist lifestyle.  It intrigued me to say the least.  We already do many things to lower out "footprint" such as recycling, eating vegetarian, carpooling, etc. But, we are creatures of habits and "things."

When we first moved to Alaska (almost) a year ago we only brought one carload of belongings.  What didn't fit in our car simply didn't make the cut.  There were a few boxes of keepsakes and important things (like my record player) that my parents stored for me.  Overall though, we packed the car and that was it.

Packing our car for the move from Illinois to Alaska. 

Some time (not-so) later we managed to accumulate a ton of STUFF.  It is a little sad and a lot silly.  So, we decided to condense many of our belongings.  We took a load of books and clothes to the thrift shop this weekend.  And, we intend to continue to downsize.  We cancelled our cable (except for basic channels) and downgraded various other "plans" that we had going on in our lives.  We started a garden and began to really think about saving long-term and downsizing long-term.  It has been a freeing experience! It is still all new to us but we are liking it so far.

We are also looking into EarthShips quite a bit.  We probably won't be able to build/buy our own home for another 8-10years.  But, long-term we would love to build a sustainable "green" home. Check out the links and let me know what you think!

Here are some cool links about the topics:
Minimalist FAQ's from mnmlist.com 
The Everyday Minimalist
Project 333
10 Reasons Why EarthShips Are Awesome

Questions
How do you feel about living a minimalist lifestyle? 
Would you ever consider this lifestyle? 
How awesome are EarthShips???? 

Inked

Cody gifted me with some new ink for my birthday.

The idea for this tattoo stemmed from a necklace that was gifted to me by a dear friend who passed away two years ago.  I wore the necklace for a very long time, but I always worried about loosing it.  So, in the end I settled on getting it tattooed just under my collar bone (close to where the necklace naturally sits when I wear it).

I have always been a fan of tattoos.  Cody has a large chest piece, which I love.  And, he is constantly planning new tattoos.  Personally, I have three different tattoos and I am always in the works for a new one. Many people will ask why I choose to get them, the answer is always the same... I think tattoos can be beautiful!!

What are your thoughts on tattoos? 
Do you have any tattoos?