Friday, January 27, 2012

A Typical Conversation

Friday is FUNDAY so I thought I'd share a typical, but fun conversation between me and my BFF Stacie:

Stacie: So I love me some Leo but what the crap is he doing with his socks pulled up like that?

Jessica: LOL! I've noticed the young teen boys are rockin' black socks pulled up like that these days. But Leo is definitely not a young teen boy nor are those black socks. You know, even though he's not on my list, I still hold a special place in my titanic loving heart for him. 

Stacie: Oh yeah definitely. Leo is the bomb diggity. :) If only he and Kate [Winslet] would realize there undying love for each other. It’ll happen when they are both like 50 or something. 

Jessica: I know, right? When they finally get married I think we should go to the wedding. Like a pilgrimage. 

Stacie: It’s a date. :)  

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The One-Minute Rule

With the Page-A-Day Calendar I purchased for my desk this year, I received a free email version of another calendar of my choice. I chose "The Happiness Project", which is based on a book (and project) by Gretchen Rubin. I hadn't read the book, but I liked the idea, so I thought I'd give the calendar a whirl.

The first few weeks of the calendar were ho-hum. I think a lot of it would have made more sense if I'd read the book. Every few days I'd find something inspiring, but for the most part is wasn't too earth-shattering. Last week however I read a tip that I really liked:

Follow the “one-minute rule”: Don’t postpone any task that can be done in less than one minute. Put away your umbrella, file a document—such steps take only moments, but the cumulative impact is impressive.

Huh. That's a cool way to think about those tasks that tend to pile up around the house and work. I tried the rule out that day at work and I loved it! Instead of stacking things on my desk and filing them at the end of the day, I filed them as soon as I was done. It made getting out of the office at 5:00 much easier. At home, I took the recycling out right after dinner instead of letting it sit on the counter. The result was a clutter free kitchen and a happy Jessica!

Honestly, I'm probably not going to follow this rule all the time. We all slip up even when we have the best intentions. Getting some of those one-minute tasks off my plate though eases the feelings of "I have so much to do and not enough time to do it." Apparently, I do have the time. A minute here and a minute there.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Top Ten: Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

Top Ten: Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging!

10. Thinking About Blogging 
I've been having trouble coming up with blogging inspiration, so I've spent a lot of time pondering ideas. I probably should have blogged about my bloggers block. There at least would have been a lot of material to work with.

9. Working
This isn't a complaint, just a fact. There's 40 hours a week, plus commute time I'm not available for blogging.

8. Sleeping
See above.

7. Checking Facebook on my New Nook Tablet
I got a Nook Tablet for Christmas so I've been having fun checking Facebook from the couch. I also enjoy looking up things on Wikipedia that I read about in books and news articles. For example: Haviland & Co. which is referenced in A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams.

6. Writing a Novel
My participation in NaNoWriMo during November kick started my bloggers block. I just didn't have enough brain power or time to blog on a regular basis.

5. Recovering from Writing a Novel
I took the month of December off from writing so I could read, get ready for the holidays and do our annual Christmas Tour to visit our families.

4. Reading
After completing NaNo, I only wanted to read. I started Magyk by Angie Sage and then switched over to our January book club selection, The Submission by Amy Waldman. By the way, it was a terrific read! Try it out!

3. Bumping Up My Exercise Schedule
I began more serious training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer coming up this May. Those 39.3 Miles aren't going to walk themselves, you know. Additionally, I've been making more time for yoga, which is one of my favorite forms of exercise.

2. Adopting a Dog 
AW! A week ago the hubby and I adopted a Chug (pug/chihuahua mix) named Max and he's super cute! We've been focused on getting him settled, getting our other dog, Sulley, settled and working out new routines.

1. Visiting with Family and Friends
Obviously the holidays are a time to gather with friends and family. Who knew it would extend into January? I had no idea I was SO popular. ;)