Sunday, January 19, 2014

Sunday Social - 3 Things

Good Sunday morning everyone!
 
 
 
I'm linking up again with Neely and Ashley for another Sunday Social. This week it's all about the number 3.
 
1. Top 3 Favorite Kinds of Food - Mexican, Fish and Salads
 
2. First 3 Things You Do In the Morning - Shower, make coffee, get dressed
 
3. Last 3 Things You Do Before Bed - Wash face, brush teeth, turn off TV
 
4. Three TV shows you do NOT miss - Nashville, Major Crimes and The Kelly File on Fox News
 
5. 3 Places You Want To Visit - NYC, Italy, Aspen
 
6. 3 People You Can Always Count On - My mom, step-mom and bestie Krista.
 
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!
 
Kim
 
 
Please be sure to visit my new blog Imperfectly Healthy, and follow my journey to better health.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Goodreads

To anyone that knows me well, it's no secret that I like to read. I have been an avid reader since I could pick up a book. My mom likes to tell the story about how I would sit on the couch looking at books instead of playing with my friends. My book reports were more like slightly condensed versions of books. You get the idea.
 
So you can imagine my excitement when I came across the fantastic website know at Goodreads. The best way I can describe it is that it is like Facebook meets your school reading list. Sort of.

www.goodreads.com
 
You create a profile on the site and then you start adding books that you've read, want to read or are reading to 'shelves.' You also can rate and review the books. I do this for all the books I've read. I like reading reviews from others, so I hope my opinion is valuable to someone. You can also explore books by genre and by different lists. I have discovered so many books this way. This is the 'school reading list' aspect of it.
 
You can also request other users to be your 'friends' like you would on Facebook. This allows you to see what they are reading and look at their reading lists. You can also join book groups. I am part of the Rory Gilmore Book Club, Read the Movie and The Smart Chicks Book Club. Each month the groups read a different book and have a discussion regarding the book. I really enjoy the threads; it's nice to get into a discussion about books. That was one of my favorite parts of my English classes, reading then discussing the books.
 
The site isn't all book list and discussions. There are quizzes and trivia to take, and you can look up some great quotes from different authors and books. One of my favorite features of the site is the giveaways. You can enter to win early releases of books. It can be a great way to expand your library with books that you might not of heard of otherwise. All they ask in return is that you read the book and review it.
 
Another thing I like is that Goodreads allows you to create a reading challenge for yourself and tracks your progress by telling you how on pace you are for accomplishing your reading goal. Right now I'm one book behind to be on pace for reading 25 books this year.
 
Overall, I think this is a pretty cool site to join. It also helps with my compulsion to have things on lists. I now have a list of books to check off. I suggest checking it out if you're a reader like myself and so many others.
 
Here's the link to my Goodreads site.
 
Kim
 

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Sunday Social 1/12/2014

Hard to believe it's already the second Sunday of the year. I'm linking up for another Sunday Social :)
 


1. What is the name of your blog? How long have you been blogging?  The name of this blog is Imperfectly Balanced Life. I chose it because that's often how I feel life is as a woman. We're trying to balance everything out and no matter how hard we try, it's never perfect. I've been blogging since July 2012, so a year and a half.

2. Why do you blog? I blog as a creative outlet. I blog to share information with others.

3. What is the first blog you ever followed? I'm not too sure, I think it may have been IHeart Organizing.  I have been following blog since before I started and have tried many of her ideas.. I think she writes so openly that you feel like you've known her forever!

4. What is your favorite post you wrote in 2013? Honestly, I didn't write too many original posts in 2013. Most of the posts I wrote were link-ups, primarily this one!

5. What are your blogging goals for 2014? My blogging goals for 2014 are to be more consistant with my posts and to post better content. I want to put more and better pictures in my posts, do more research for my posts. I want to just do a better job and gain more readers.

6. Top 3 favorite blogs to follow - I honestly haven't really been loyally following any blogs as of late.

I know this is a day late, but I hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday!
 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Treating Myself Better

It's good to be selfish sometimes.
 
At least, that's what I should keep telling myself. As a mom, sometimes it's very difficult to remember that I need to take care of myself just as much as I need to take care of my son. After all, it's hard to be the best mom you can be when your not at your best.
 
By nature, I'm more of a giver than a taker. Add a kid in there, and it seems that's all I do. Give. To everyone else. Well, this year, as part of my goals, I have decided to make a point to take care of ME better. I know that I will be a better mom, employee, friend and daughter.
 
1. I will not feel guilty about having a family member watch my son so I can have some time to myself. This has been so difficult for me. But I know that it's okay to have my parents watch my son so I can go get my hair cut or a pedicure. It's okay. In the end, he's not going to be mad because he hung out with his grandparents for a couple hours so I can get a hair cut.
 
2. I will buy things for myself. I usually put off buying myself clothes, shoes and accessories. So my wardrobe has been lacking for a while. But it's a fact that when you feel that you are dressed well and look good, it shows in the way you present yourself. I'm a big fan of solids, so it should be easy for my to accessorize. This is what I'm going to focus on, getting myself some good basic clothing items and getting some really cute accessories.
 
3. I will do my hair and make-up everyday. My normal routine is to just put on moisturizer and throw my hair in a bun. This goes along with #2. If I take the time to actually dry my hair and put on at least a little make-up it will make me feel better about myself and that will translate to the way I carry myself.
 
4. I will get my hair and nails done on a regular basis. I actually love getting my hair done and I love getting pedicures. But I always put them off because I feel like I don't have anyone to watch my son. So one of my goals is to make regular appointments and keep them. And as with my previous goals, it will make me feel better about my appearance and that confidence will project.
 
5. I will take the time every day to 'go to bed.' I often am so tired that I just lie down and pass out, often with the TV on. I should be taking the time to wind down every night, by enjoying a cup of tea and reading a book, then cleaning myself up before bed.
 
The main goal of all of my resolutions is to be a better me, so they somewhat intertwine. Like eating healthier and being more active are ways for me to treat myself better. But the specific goal I wrote about here, treating myself better, is really about my taking them time and money to spoil myself once in a while and not feel guilty about it.
 
On an additional note, as I started to write this post, I actually took a break to read my devotional. My devotion for the day was aptly titled 'Setting Goals for This Year' and talked about how we get so involved with meeting the needs of others and often forget ourselves. It talked about how, on airplanes, they advise you to put on your oxygen mask first then help others, realizing that if the adult isn't getting enough oxygen, then they cannot properly help the child and both will perish. Then posed this "Are you getting enough "oxygen" in your life to be of maximum benefit to those around you? It is not a selfish gesture to set goals allowing you to "refill your cup.""
 
I read that and felt it was a sign. A sign that if I can't be the best me I can be, how can I be the best mom, daughter, friend, employee? 

Friday, January 3, 2014

Becoming a Better Gift-Giver

If you read my post from January 2nd, you would know that one of my New Year's resolutions is to become a better gift giver.
 
I enjoy giving gifts to people. And I know people enjoy getting them. Even if it's just a simple card with a note inside. People like to know that someone was thinking about them. I know I do. I love getting home and seeing an envelope that's not a bill or a box. It makes me happy.
 
Anyway, back to me and my steps I will be taking to become a better gift-giver.
 
1. Keep a gift-giving list. I have already started to do this. I have a small notebook and I have given my closest family (kids, parent, sibling) each a page. As the year goes on, I can add things as I hear people say they would like them or I get a good idea for a gift and I can scratch things off if they get the gift or are no longer interested in it.
 
2. Buy birthday cards in advance. The first birthday I have to worry about is my nephew's towards the middle of the month. So, my plan is to buy birthday cards for people having birthday's in the next few months. I also have a Greeting Card Case from the Container Store.
 
 

I purchased it a couple years ago with the intent to use it. Yeah, it didn't work so well. It probably didn't help that I kept it in the back of the closet. So I'm now going to keep it in a place more accessable.
 
3. Put a monetary value on gifts to people outside my immediate family. I have several close friends with children and depending on the amount in my bank account, I will spend different amounts for their children's birthdays. This isn't exactly fair. I'm putting a $20.00 limit on cash and a $30.00 limit on physical gifts.
 
4. Send more cards. I want to start sending cards to my friends and families on Mother's Day or for other occasions that warrant them.
 
5. Actually mail out holiday cards. My intention has been to get my son's Christmas pictures done and use those for the cards. (I like doing picture cards.) But this year, I think I'm going to use pictures from things we've done over the year.
 
So this is my plan of attack, per say, to be a better gift giver. I'm sure I'll think of more to add to this list and possibly modify some of it. But for now, this is it. I will be following up on my progress with this goal.
 
I hope everyone is having a safe, happy and healthy 2014 so far this year.
 


Thursday, January 2, 2014

My New Year's Resolutions

HAPPY 2014!!!
 
I hope everyone's 2014 is going amazing so far.
 
Since my son was born, in 2010, I've had a really difficult time finding balance to my life. It's a very difficult task balancing being a mother, employee, daughter, friend, woman and significant other. I have so much respect to those who can do it. I have not been able to. And I'm finding that not only am I not able to balance my life out, but that I'm not excelling in any area either. So I sat down the other day, thinking about my resolutions and what I wanted to accomplish in 2014. And I decided that I wanted to work on balancing out my life the best I can. So I have made some goals for myself for 2014.
 
 
1. My goal is to eat a healthier diet, primarily cutting out high fructose corn syrup and fried foods from my and my son's diet. I actually want to eat a more 'clean' diet and have been doing some research and I am trying to plan child-friendly meals that sync with clean eating. I am also trying to drink more water. I won't give up the coffee though. Sorry, not happening.
 
2. My goal is to be more active. For now that will be primarily walking while my son rides his new bike. Eventually, I would like to get a bike and ride with him and join a gym. The only reason I'm not planning on joining a gym right away is two-fold: we all know gyms are very crowded during the month of January and February and because I currently feel very self-conscious about being in a gym. I am comfortable with using the equipment, but with the way my body looks now, I don't feel very comfortable.
 
3. My goal is to be better organized. I used to be EXTREMELY organized, almost to the point that I felt a bit OCPD (which is different than OCD). Honestly, I like being that way. I do like having that control over my life. When things get messy and disorganized, I just sit there and feel helpless and like I just can't function.
 
4. My goal is to be a better gift-giver. Before my son was born, everyone I was close to would get a birthday card, mother's day card, father's day card.... You get the picture. My close friends and family member's got a thought out gift for their birthday's and holidays. I sent out Christmas cards. I want to do that again. I've already started this goal by keeping a gift-giving list in a notebook. I plan to keep an ongoing list of gifts for my immediate family and as an event comes around, like a birthday, I will look to my list and pick an item or two for that person.
 
5. My goal is to be a better friend. Not that I'm a bad friend, I just think I can be better.
 
6. My goal is to treat myself better. I have this mentality that my son is my responsibility and that having anyone watch him when I'm not working is pawning him off. And his father works 12 hours days, for a few weeks at a time and often out of town. So the majority of the hands on parenting is left to me. I need to learn that it's okay for him to go to his grandparents or to one of my friends how while I get a haircut or my nails done or whatever I want to do for a couple hours a week. I also want to spend more time reading books and I would like to learn how to knit.
 
7. My goal is to be a better, more consistant blogger. I think blogging can be a good way to help someone be accountable for thier goals. That's one of the reasons I set up my other blog, Imperfectly Healthy, to help my chronicle and be held accountable for my health and fitness goals. I also enjoy having a creative outlet that I can get feed back on.
 
 
I plan to write a post about each of the non-health/fitness resolutions on my list. This will give more detail about my plan of attack for each one.
 
What are some of your New Year's resolutions? Leave some in the comments below.