Fun Friday- My 2015 To Do List

I am optimistic that this year will be the best ever for me.  I am closer to God than I have been in years past and I am praying more and more.  I believe that He will use me to do great things this year.  They may be difficult but I have to trust that everything he wants is for the greater good of myself.  

I don't really have a lot of confidence when it comes to my appearance.  I have been overweight my entire life and hearing negative comments about myself for years has really taken a toll on my self esteem.  I need to remind myself that even though I may have some changes to make when it comes to my appearance I have to love myself first or it's difficult for anyone else to.  I have gained some great friends over the last year and I have found that it is so much easier to say "thank you" when they compliment the way I look versus being negative and saying something like "uh no, I look like crap."  I need to be more positive. 

So, about 6 months ago I decided that I wanted to start sewing.  I was really excited and Chris bought me a really amazing sewing machine and all the accessories that I needed to accomplish my projects.   My first project was an apron and let me just tell you it's UGLY.  I messed up somewhere along the way and the pockets are stupid.  Immediately after finishing that project I got the materials needed to make a set of pajamas for my best friend's son.  I got everything ironed and cut out.  I am literally ready to start the sewing process but I have been putting it off because I don't want this project to turn into a disaster like the apron did.  I know that's not fair to the boy that I promised them to but I would hate to give him anything less than perfect.  Chris recently asked why I hadn't been working on them and I expressed my fears about falling short again.  He made a great point that no one does everything perfect the first or even second time.  It's about practicing and getting it done.  So I have vowed to make more time for sewing projects, my creative outlet.  

I have a hard time doing things that most would consider adventurous.  My mind immediately goes to all the things that could go wrong.  That's just my personality I guess.  I'm trying to be better about that.  Chris is a total adrenaline junkie and would love to try anything once.  I am definitely the voice of reason but often I just push all my fears about the situation onto him.  He is pretty fearless however and my concerns don't ever seem to faze him. 

Example:  

My reasoning- You could die.  

His reasoning- You could die drinking your coffee.  

Me- That's a bit dramatic. 

Him- So is pointing out the  0.001% of people who have died doing this. 

Me- Stop making sense.  I don't like it.  

I am going to try to be more adventurous this year.  I can't NOT live life to it's fullest because of my fears. 

I REALLY don't like vegetables.  I just didn't eat a lot of them growing up and I don't care for many of them.  I have made a point to try things a lot more though.  I have found that fresh, steamed vegetables taste a lot better than canned.  

I am going to try to be better about sending snail mail in the form of hand written thank you cards.  I feel giddy when I get a piece of mail that isn't a bill or another credit card offer so, I'm sure that other people feel the same way.  Now, where did I put the stamps?

I am a big believer in "you get what you pay for."  I have started buying more high end quality pieces that will last for a very long time versus items that are inexpensive, cheaply made, and will fall apart after a season.  

I want to try to go out of my way to say something nice to everyone I encounter in my daily life.  You never know what a person is really going through and my kinds words could help them smile.  

I have been to many beautiful places in past years but this year I would really like to focus on hitting places in the States that I haven't been to.  Chicago, Boston, New York City, Orlando, and a few others.  

We are often so busy with our own lives that we can be pretty rude to strangers around us.  How much time does it take to smile?  

I'm serving every week in my church's nursery but I want to find something that uses my skills.  Maybe I could cook some meals for some families that are less fortunate.

I'd like to take some classes to be able to cook some things that are more complex, like a souffle or risotto. 

  Sometimes, just being somewhere when someone needs you makes all the difference in the world.  

You can definitely learn from your own mistakes and triumphs but you can learn from others as well. Another person may have some great insight to a problem that you are having.

Simplicity is hard for me to wrap my head around.  Whenever I head to a friend's house for a party I normally take the time to make something from scratch to take with me.  I have a few different dip recipes that I like to make but I found when I brought a basic french onion dip (soup packet mixed with sour cream) more people raved about that than my super complex and time consuming spinach artichoke dip.  Maybe keeping it simple really is the best route to take. 

Alright, so what's on your 2015 To Do List? 

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day!