Category: lists

All this hype for a year to begin and then you realize, you may not be sure about things you would like to accomplish with it? Here are some suggestions to help inspire you.

• Don’t wait for Spring for “spring cleaning”. Why wait? Start the year off with a clean slate, literally!
• Take advantage of the sales and get yourself some new, crispy bed sheets.
• Delete profiles and accounts from websites you no longer frequent or use.  Less e-mail!
• Pay it forward, that small gesture can be a game changer and not just for the recipient.
• Stop hoarding bullshit. You know what I am talking about.
• Say goodbye to relationships that do not reciprocate what you give to them. It is better to be alone than in company that doesn’t give you the place you deserve.
• Do something completely out of your element.
• Put your phone away from time to time. Documenting everything is taking away from your truly enjoying the moment.
• Have a bunch of e-friends you have never met in person? Bite the bullet, travel somewhere new and meet them!
• Take a road trip and stop in kooky spots to take photos.
• Cancel your cable. Less tv time and you have extra cash!
• Start a new journal for art, writing or scrapbooking.
• Do a 365 project. If it’s too much commitment, do a “once a week” project. Have the photos bound in a book and you can re-live your year in imagery.
• Speak up. You are your biggest advocate.
• Learn the freedom of leaving the house without make-up.
• Sign up for Postcrossing and exchange postcards with strangers from around the globe. Or do it with your friends.
• Tell those you love why they’re wonderful. We all need to hear it and life is too short to be holding it all in.
• Have a wishlist on Amazon or somewhere else? This year pick at least one thing and buy it for yourself. Stop waiting! If you want it, buy the damn thing.
• Call people out on their garbage behavior. In this day and age, we have to look out for each other.
• If you ever find yourself in a drive thru and some extra cash, pay for the stuff for the people behind you. Unless they have their brights on, they get nothing. Kidding! Well, not really.
• Save a life. Rescue or adopt a critter and gain a new love. Just make sure you’re ready forever, not till your next landlord doesn’t accept pets, ok?
• Take up a new hobby that is totally outside of your comfort zone: gardening, knitting, painting in a new medium. Subsequently, be that one guy in the knitting circle boys! That’s an untapped resource of ladies. HOT women knit! I know a few of them.
• See that massive influx of garbage in your email box? Yes, all those mailing lists you signed up for (or didn’t!)? Do yourself a favor, unsubscribe from all of them.
• Go through your closet and if you haven’t worn it in 1-2 years, get rid of it! Clutter is toxic! Sentimental value items like wedding garb and the sweater that belonged to your friend that passed away do not apply. Also? Replace all your wire and plastic hangers with wood ones. We’re adults now.
• Tell people how you really feel. Even the things that hurt to say.
• That print or piece of art you always admired? Get it, frame it and put it somewhere you can revel in it daily.
• Pay compliments. Tons of them. A small set of nice words in any form can make someone’s entire day… and not just to people you know, do it to complete strangers. Good slices of honesty make everyone win.
• Have breakfast for dinner, in bed. You’re an adult now! You can be irresponsible and nonsensical from time to time. It isn’t going to kill you.
• Buy yourself fresh flowers. Stop waiting for people to do it for you. Buy your dude flowers.
• Get yourself a Q&A Journal. Anyone can fill in a blank once a day. Journaling with a shortcut.
• Stop hoarding recipes on Pinterest and actually make one.
• When you want to gripe, bitch and complain on Facebook posts, stop yourself. Type it and delete it. You’ll feel a lot better when you realize you aren’t *that person* we all can’t handle.
• Go to new restaurants. We all have our “go to” joints but there is a lot of untapped gold you aren’t giving a chance.
• Start a piggy bank and every day when you get home put your change in it. When it’s full you will probably have a good $100+ in it. Take that money and do something nice for yourself with it. Yes, I am encouraging you to not pay bills with it. No point in busting your ass if you never do anything for you.
• Recycle. In this day and age it’s a responsibility. Sorry. Wait a minute, I am not sorry. You should be doing this shit already.
• Buy used, handmade, support the mom & pops, support artists, buy local.
• Write a really nice quote or love note and leave it on the cork board of your local coffee house or grocery store.
• Dance around your house shamelessly, in your underwear, while singing your favorite guilty pleasure at the top of your lungs. Don’t give a fuck who sees you. It’s your house dammit.
• Get that heavy burden off your chest. Send in a postcard to Postsecret and liberate yourself a little.
• Listen to music, anytime, all the time. Build a soundtrack to your life.
• Take risks. The only thing you have to lose is the fact you didn’t TRY.
• Make your bucket list and scratch off at least one of those things by December.
• Don’t let people dismiss your feelings. They’re yours, they’re valid and mean something.
• Tell people you love them ALL THE TIME. We may know, but it’s also nice to be told.
• All those people on Facebook who do nothing but piss you off or irritate you? Hide or remove them even! Seriously. We all have differences of opinions and not everyone is going to jive with you. IT’S OK. Your reading their feed does not equate friendship or love.
• Snail mail! I cannot stress this one enough… That note or postcard you send means a lot more than your e-mail, text or Facebook wall birthday post.
• Do something for someone who cannot repay you. Revel in the magic that is giving without receiving.
• Carry a pocket sized journal on you, write down the good you experienced that day. Go back and read it when you are having a bad day.
• Speak the truth. Dishonesty is toxic… no one likes that business.
• Don’t wait anymore. You may never get that chance again. Use this rule wherever it applies best.
• Revel in nature. Hike, climb, skip stones on ponds, stare at the sea, collect rocks and leaves. The outdoors is the best therapy you can get… and it’s FREE.
• Get a library card. You would be so surprised how many people don’t have one! Make it a habit to go and check out some books, real ones, none of this Kindle bullshit.
• If your health permits, sign up to be a marrow donor with Be The Match. Donate some blood. Make sure you are on the organ donor list. Life is a gift! As a recipient of a life saving transfusion, I thank you in advance.
• Avoid the comments sections to news articles online. Let’s face it, they’re always full of trolls, stupid and ignorant people. Spare yourself the rise in blood pressure. Arguing with strangers on the internet is about as useful as giving a fish a bicycle for xmas.
• Put more value in your health. Not everyone may be as lucky and they would probably kill to have the health you complain about.
• Listen to music on your headphones while errand running & grocery shopping. The grocery store is a whole new place when you are blasting some Prince or Cameo in your ears. Word up.
• Humility, humility, humility. It’s great to like “you”, like what you do, but don’t be a dick about it.
• Pay attention to those who love you, forgive those who have hurt you, remove those who do not serve or benefit your existence.
• Stop saying “I’m Sorry” for things you really have nothing to be sorry about.
• Learn and master the art of saying NO. So many times we find ourselves living to please others, and at our own expense no less. It’s time to say yes to yourself. And don’t feel bad about it either!
• On the other side, learn and master the art of saying YES. Yes to invitations, to blind and new situations… sometimes we end up having the best experiences over things we second guessed
• Work on putting the fear away
• Have some free time? Volunteer it! Be it with critters, people, helping a non-profit.
• Do not underestimate the power of a candlelit bath, in silence or with your preferred music of choice.
• Practice intention and be present.
• Honor your feelings. It’s ok to have moments.
• Own your truths

The other night I heard Josh get out of bed. I am a light sleeper thanks to the kiddo, so I hear it all. Josh gets up and makes his zombie way to the bathroom where all of a sudden I hear a thud promptly followed by what sounded like “Shitfuckgoddamit!!! “. I might be wrong about the exact words but one thing I did know, he wasn’t happy. I immediately knew what it was.

I have said this before but I will re-share for posterity. I have a horrible habit of leaving doors, cabinets and drawers in their open position and no doubt that Josh, in his half asleep stupor, walked into something I left open, this time a drawer. I am glad it was his foot and not his balls. Just now I looked over to the kitchen and this was what I saw: 3 cabinet doors, the door to the laundry room and a drawer. Josh is a saint for putting up with it.

More weird tidbits about me…

If a stranger sneezes within my general vicinity, I can’t help myself and spontaneously say “bless you”. I am not in the business of blessing people, I am not even religious. This is something I have just instinctively said for the longest time and can’t seem to break it. Most of the time people look at me like I am a complete and total weirdo.

I do not wear mascara on my lower lid and haven’t since my 20’s. It grosses me out and it ends up flaking and making me look like I got punched in the eye. Contacts gross me the hell out too… there are so many things I would rather do than stick slimy shit in my eye.

When I clean the house I don’t focus on one room at a time. I just do little things across the house and at some point, most of it is done. I’m like that with a lot of things, a spoon in everything. It will all get finished, eventually.

Not sure where this one weird spoon came from, but there is one metal spoon that doesn’t match the rest of my cutlery. It just showed up in my house. All I do know is that it is my preferred spoon for yogurt consumption and coffee stirring. Funny enough, my Dad has the same habit… he has this one spoon he loves and he has gone as far as to travel with it. I think I am not like him and then stuff like this happens.

Sometimes when I have had enough caffeine, I may send my friends videos on their birthdays of me singing “Las Mañanitas” with mariachi backtrack. That’s the Mexican Happy Birthday. It always goes over well cause who can’t laugh at me making a fool of myself? It helps I curl my lips in really kooky ways and gesticulate a lot when I sing and talk.

When I was a kid I wouldn’t eat strawberries or anything with edible seeds because I believed that plants would grow in my stomach.

I know what a full body cast feels like: itchy as hell

I know what drowning feels like: Yes, your life flashes in front of your eyes

I had my wisdom teeth removed with only local anesthesia. I heard every rip and crunch. I don’t advise anyone do this, ever. Unless you are a complete and total masochist.

I have had to learn how to walk twice.

Tequila and I do not get along and yes, it is for the very reason you are probably thinking.

I have never received a speeding ticket despite my bat out of hell ways. I have been pulled over, had warnings, got an administrative fine but nothing on my record. Can I make it to 40 without one? We shall see!

Tell me something weird, kooky or eccentric about you!