My Strengths

I wrote a little bit about the StrengthsFinder here, but I didn't get into too much detail. A few of you were interested in learning more about it, so here you go....

The strengths finder test was developed by Gallup to help people uncover their talents. You buy the book (it's relatively cheap - usually $12-ish), take the online test using the code that comes with your book, and then read what your results mean.

And for me, it was life changing. That's not an exaggeration.

                                 

After you take the assessment, you receive a profile of your top 5 strengths. You only get 5, but trust me, that's enough. According to Gallup's statistics, there are only 8 other people in this world that have the same top 5 strengths in the same order as you do. Eight. And one might be a 93 year old woman, or a six month old little boy. Want to get really crazy? In the entire world, there is not one single other person who has the same 12 strengths as you do in the same order. NO ONE. As if you needed another reason to believe that everyone is here for a purpose (and the stress that comes along with finding out what that purpose is. Oh, is that just me??).

Here are my top 5 strengths with their short definition.

                                                          

1. Responsibility. People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
2. Activator. People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
3. Individualization. People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
4. Achiever. People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
5. Input. People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

If you have a similar experience to me, reading this list will be very validating to you. Your strengths are likely things that you value, and also things that you assume everyone else has because you have them so strongly. 

The most amazing part is really focusing on where your strengths show up. My responsibility strength is probably why I feel so guilty if I don't blog on a regular basis. Individualization? The amount of time I put into picking out the perfect Christmas gift for everyone. Responsibility + Activator + Achiever + Input = my inability to say no to any opportunity. Ever.

Focusing on my strengths has been tremendous for my happiness, my career, my marriage, and my civic engagement. I've been able to narrow down opportunities that don't play to my strengths and focus more time and energy on things that do, which makes me happier and more productive (which makes my Achiever happy).

Most recently, the life coach I've been working with (who is a close friend of mine) helped me work through what's next for me professionally. I had applied to a PhD program to continue my social work studies on a part time basis. Would it feed my Input and Achiever needs? Absolutely. Would it be energizing to me otherwise? Probably not. Together we were able to work through that it wasn't what was best for me at this point, and the weight I felt lifted after making that decision was tremendous. 

Do I sound excited? I want you to catch my enthusiasm. Hopefully you don't think this is too hokey, and I also hope that you'll purchase the book for yourself. Oooh - Gallup, if you read this, maybe you should donate some books for everyone who wants one!! Worth a shot, right?

If you do figure out your strengths, make sure you use them. We'll talk more about that, don't worry. Tomorrow I'll fill you in on the exhausting process it was to get Zac to take the test, and how it's been really awesome to understand each other's strengths. Don't lose sleep waiting for it...

My New Year's Resolutions

My resolutions for 2012 are a lot like last year - a mix of resolutions and goals. I did better than I thought in 2011, but I still have so many wishes and hopes for 2012 that it's hard to narrow it down to a manageable list. Am I the only person who has about a billion goals right now? As evidenced by your comments on this post, I'm not, so I'll console myself with that.

So, without further ado, my list of resolutions for this new year. Excuse the random pictures - this is a painful amount of words and I tried to make it more fun for you.

1. Try to "have it all," but don't go crazy when I can't. I can't stop my crazy quest for a perfect life - it would basically be against my (insane) nature. What I can do is let it roll off my back when things can't be perfect. Any suggestions for how to actually do this would be greatly appreciated by me (and my husband who will bear the brunt of it if I can't pull this one off). My mood/stress level affects our relationship so much, and I'm not going to let it do so negatively this year as much as I can help it.

2. Schedule a monthly date night. Zac and I have promised each other that we'll have a monthly date night in 2012. Since we're still kid-less, we get plenty of time alone together, but we tend to fall into a routine and forget to schedule "special" time. Zac's planning the odd months and I'll plan the even months. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, but it will be fun to focus on each other a little bit more in 2012.

Us at a restaurant. In Paris. Which is unlikely to be one of our monthly date nights this year.

3. Stick to an exercise routine. Like everyone else in the entire world, I have this goal for 2012. Derby and I are starting our third week of Couch to 5K this week, and so far, so good. It helps to have a (dog) accountability partner, and the exercise is as good for him as it is for me. I also found a cool app that speaks the intervals to you so you don't have to stalk your watch, and I stream NPR while I run. Don't knock it until you try it - it's like someone's telling you an interesting story the whole time you're running but you don't have to talk back. The real struggle here will be fitting it in when life gets busy again in January. But I'm going to do it - I have to do it.

                             

Damn, Pinterest. Why you gotta be so dead on right and mean sometimes?

4. Make enough time for my hobbies. When I get busy, I get tired, and then I get stressed. I also tend to neglect the things that relax me when I need them the most, and I want to get away from that this year. Vegging out in front of the TV has its place, but I've wasted way too many hours doing that in 2011. Sewing and reading are my two biggest priorities here... and I'm setting a goal of doing both, for at least a little while, at least once a week. Nothing crazy, but I need to make this a priority. This also includes another quilting visit to my gramma in NY. 

                                        

This won't really be me. We have electricity. But you get the point.

5. Stick with our budget. Now that we've got our finances on track, sticking with our budget is a lot easier, because new clothes and an occasional Starbucks treat are built into it. The next stage for us is adding more cushion to our savings account and watching as things like new cars, vacations, and large home projects become a reality. This isn't a hard goal at all -- I freaking love this one!

                                                        

Me with all our budgeted money. Holla!!

6. Stay present. My new boss is a huge fan of meditation and mindfulness, and I'm so excited to learn more about this from her. I spend a lot of time thinking about things that have already happened, and an embarrassing amount of time worrying about things in the future. I need to focus on being present in the moment, not worrying about things unless they need to be worried about, and staying calm and un-frustrated. Easier said than done, but do-able.

                                                       

7. Stay organized. When I feel organized, I feel better. Period. I'm a pretty organized person, but there are always things I can do to help with this. Picking up a few things each night so our house stays clean, taking time at the beginning and end of each day to plan for the next, packing my lunch the night before, and re-evaluating each month to see what I can improve.

8. Take a vacation. We don't have the logistics of this one worked out completely yet, but I want us to take a real vacation (ie: not just visit family) sometime this year. I don't want the year to get away from us without ever making this a priority. And I desperately want to go back to our honeymoon spot. Not sure yet if that's do-able, but I'm willing to eat Ramen noodles for three months to make it so!

                               

9. Stick with my blog. This wasn't a great posting year for me, but re-discovering this blog over the past month has felt great. I really do love documenting our lives, and I love the community it brings me from all of you. So thank you for reading, and I'll do a better job this year of keeping this bad boy updated (who am I kidding? This blog is obviously a girl). If I don't follow your blog, leave me a comment so I can start!

That's my not-so-small list of things to focus on in 2012. This year, I'm going to actually remember to look at it more than once between now and the end of the year. Is there anything else I should include? 

Potato Soup -- YUM!

When I saw this recipe on Kim's blog Newly Woodwards a few days ago, I instantly sent it to my husband requesting it for dinner. That night. He does all the cooking, remember? I know, I'm insanely lucky. He does a lot of other stuff too. He pretty much rocks. (And he still doesn't read this blog, so there's no ulterior motive for me saying that).

Kim's a better photographer than I am, so I am stealing her picture:

Seriously Kim, you have photographic talents. 

We made a few changes. We didn't have any green onions, so Zac used regular onions. We actually didn't add extra sour cream or cheese to the top, which if you know me at all, you'll know that those are two of my favorite foods and that's surprising.

And (if you know Zac at all), it won't surprise you that he added bacon. I thought that made it less of a quick, weeknight dinner, but we always cook our bacon in the oven, so he did it at the same time as the potatoes and it wasn't really much extra work.

Side note: if you don't cook bacon in the oven, you need to start. Immediately. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet, lay out your bacon, cook for 10 - 15 minutes (until it looks done) at 350 degrees. Cook longer if you like your bacon crispier. It tastes better, it's much easier, and you don't have to degrease your entire kitchen when you're finished. Win-win-win.

The best part about this dinner? It's going to be even yummier when I have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! I love soup in the winter. Do you have any fantastic soup recipes I need to add to my recipe box?

I've been avoiding you.

It's not personal. Really, it's not. It's just that I don't have a lot to write about. Don't get me wrong... I have a ton of stuff going on, but none of it is really "write about it" worthy.

To illustrate my point:

1. I had no idea how exhausting having a puppy was going to be. He is nonstop. He's adorable, but he's adorable wanting to play with you 24/7. And we're taking him to puppy school which means we spend a lot of time practicing what we learn at puppy school. More exhaustion. And I don't want the only thing I do on this blog to be post pictures of the puppy!
2. I just got a promotion at work! Good, I know, but it means more responsibility and more stress! Cue additional exhaustion.
3. The only things I've been sewing are gifts, and I can't show them to you yet! Know that I'm not just a bump on a log, I am making things, but they are secret things!
4. I start a 20 hour / week internship for my MSW program next week. In addition to my full-time job. And whatever other "life" I'm going to piece together! The most exhaustion is from even thinking about this.

Don't worry, I'm not leaving forever. In fact, I might not be leaving at all. I just don't want to feel guilty when I don't update. I'll do it as much as I can - I promise.

To hold you over until next time...

Mac & Cheese is my favorite...

I have a confession to make. I've kind of been avoiding you. It's not personal. It's just... we got this amazing camera for Christmas. And we don't know how to use it. So most of the pictures I take are blurry. And difficult to get off the camera onto my computer.

I'm just making excuses. Our life has also been kind of boring post-wedding!! I do have a few things to share with you, so if you can bear with the poor quality of my photo-taking skills, hopefully it will be worth your time.

For tonight, I'll bribe you back into being my blog friend by sharing the recipe for this awesomeness:

It's mac and cheese... and delicious. And not too terribly bad for you. Hey - it has 1% milk instead of heavy cream. I'm going to call that victory.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces)
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add Gorgonzola, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt; stir until cheeses melt. Discard bay leaf.
• 2. Preheat oven to 375°.
• 3. Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes or until almost tender, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to cheese mixture, stirring well. Place about 1/2 cup pasta mixture into each of 6 (1-cup) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Top evenly with remaining pasta mixture. Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Spray lightly with cooking spray; sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until heated.
• 
  
• Add veggies and chicken if you want.... and then enjoy!!!

I need a break.

So, I"ve been a horrible blogger. I realize many people probably didn't even notice that I haven't been updating, but I felt like you deserve an explanation.

Turns out full-time job + graduate school + getting married in 6 weeks = disaster! Shocking, right?? I have officially hit my breaking point and I'm starting to lose it!

Worst of all, I have nothing to share with you. Zac hasn't been working weekends this month, since that's when I usually sew, I haven't been making anything. Unless you want to hear me recite the ten questions you should ask if someone is suicidal or read a paper I wrote about immigrant women and domestic violence, not much is going on! Sigh.

But, the budget is still going strong, as is my Biggest Loser workout. Both books were a hit at my book clubs, work is still crazy busy...  everything is just happening all at once!

So now I'm watching Toddlers and Tieras and a woman is spray-tanning her 15 month old and gluing fake nails on her fingers. What the heck is wrong with this world??

Long story short, I'll be posting when I have things to post, and I won't be gone long. Just need a few days (weeks?) to catch up on my life.

Because I'm getting married in 6 weeks!! AHHHHHHH!!!!

Weekend Update

I've been a neglectful blogger lately... between thank you notes, class, work and the tornado that ran through my house, I didn't have much energy to do anything else!

We had a great weekend. Zac didn't work at all, and we got all of the gifts (and other stuff) put away, laundry done, errands run - it feels nice to sit down in an orderly house!!

Friday night we had dinner with our mentor couple from church, and it was wonderful. All almost-married couples are matched with a couple who has been married for a long time, and it has been such a great experience for us. Diane and John are just wonderful, and they are so supportive. We are very lucky to have such special people in our corner.

I'm hoping that this week I'll be back to blogging normally... I have a few things to share with you! I hope you had a great weekend, too!

GO PACKERS!!!

Do you like my blog?

I am so excited to be part of a very unique blog hop. Gail @My Repurposed Life and MeganDVD @ Beauty in the Attempt are hosting “The Bold and the Beautiful-your blog reviewed”.

Please take a look around my blog, check out the layout, pages, buttons,  sidebar and gadgets. I would love for you to gently critique my blog. I’m hoping you will leave me some positive feedback about my blog. It would be great if you could give me constructive criticism but be sure to tell me what you like about my blog too! Do you like my pictures? Does my blog load quickly for you? How about the font?  All tips and tidbits welcome!

Blog Award!

I am so excited to have received the Trendy Blog Award from the lovely  Biz at Busy Biz Blogs! Her blog is tons of fun, and you'll love the recipes she shares!

In order to accept this award, I need to pass it on to ten of my favorite bloggers. In no particular order of wonderfulness, I'm sending it to:

Kim at Newly Woodwards

Clare at A Day in the Life of Clare (a friend in real life, too!)

Jenny at DIY Newlyweds

Brandy at Jumping Jack

Beckie's new adventure, Knock Off Decor

The lovely ladies at Kojo Designs

Rae at Made by Rae

Mary Ellen at Mostly MEllen (another friend in real life!)

Sarah at The Ugly Duckling House

Amanda at Kuzak's Closet

Go visit some of my favorite blogs to read - I bet you'll find some that you love, also!

Giveaway Winner

Wow - thanks to everyone who participated in the CSN giveaway! Without further ado... our winner is...........

Comment #7, congrats Karie - enjoy your yoga equipment!!!

Karie, send me an email so I can forward you the information you'll need to redeem your gift certificate.

Everyone else, thanks for entering! Hopefully I can have another giveaway soon. In the meantime, I'm off to organize my sewing room - wish me luck!!

The Best of 2010

It's hard to believe that 2010 is already coming to an end! This has been such a wonderful year for us. Here's some of the high points.

1. I started a new job! I started working at Leadership Scholars on January 1, 2010. I can't believe it's already been a year, but I'm so grateful for a wonderful job that I enjoy.

2. I started this blog! I thought about starting this blog for months before I actually did it. I had no idea that it would become such a huge part of my life, and introduce me to an incredible online community. My favorite part has been "meeting" so many wonderful people from across the world!

3. We bought a house! It was sort of accidental... in that we weren't really looking to buy a house. That being said, buying this house was one of the best things we've ever done. I absolutely love it, and it's been fun to tackle home improvement projects together. It's far from finished, but we've in love with it!

4. I decided to go back to school. Getting my MSW through a part-time, UK program was a great decision, but it definitely has led to some adjustments in my day-to-day life.  I think it's going to get worse before it gets better, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

5. We got engaged!! July brought the most exciting thing yet... an upcoming wedding! Planning the wedding has been a lot of work, but it's also really exciting.. especially since it's just 100 days away!!

We also made new friends, spent time with old friends, worked on our house, attended weddings of people we love, played with new babies, went on vacation, volunteered, found a new church... oh, and I somehow found time to sew every once in a while too!

Wow - what a year! I guess I should spend the rest of it resting up before it starts all over again in 2011! Happy New Year, everyone!

Going Global

I added this little widget thing to the bottom of my blog that tells me where people are reading from. Don't worry, it doesn't give me your home address or anything, it just gives me a general area.

This is pretty cool:

Pretty cool that there are so many readers outside of the United States, and that there are people who live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where there appears to be no land, who read my blog??

My last final is tonight, and then I promise I'll really be back. This has been a pathetic positing month, but the end is in sight!!

Fun Feature!

Today my festive bow wreath is being featured at one of my favorite places - Polly Want a Crafter! Seriously, is that not one of the cutest blog names ever??

Please stop by and say hello to Chassity!

A winner!!

I know you've all been eagerly anticipating the winner of my first giveaway! The moment of truth...

Note: You'll have to trust me that I used a Random Number Generator. I did, I just couldn't figure out how to get a picture of it to show up here!

The moment of truth.......... the winner is -- GeekGoddess!!

GeekGoddess said...1

Pick me! You've always been one of my favorite peeps and I am glad I found your blog!

OCTOBER 24, 2010 11:21 PM 

This is especially fitting because Melissa also happened to be my 100th follower!! Congratulations, Melissa - and send me your email address! Amanda will be contacting you about collecting your goodies.  Thanks to everyone who participated... hopefully we'll have another giveaway again soon!

If you're bummed you didn't win, visit Amanda's shop and order one for yourself! You'll receive 10% off through November 15 if you mention this blog!

Can we talk about ebates one more time?

I know I've mentioned this before, but I just have to bring it up again, especially with the holidays looming just around the corner.

If you're already using them, ebates.com is a website that rewards you for making online purchases but giving you cash back. You just get to the website you were already going to by clicking the link, and then depending on the store, you get a % cash back.

You guys, I just checked my account, and this year I've gotten $48.00 back. As in checks in my mail for money. For purchases I was already going to buy anything.

I swear there's no catch - it's just awesome. If you haven't signed up yet, do it - just click HERE! Oh... and don't forget to use it when you buy things online!

OMIGOSH WE HIT 100!

Hi everyone! I have to say that I never thought I'd see the day when my blog had 100 followers - holy cow!!!

I promised you a great celebration, and here it is - my first giveaway! I found Amanda's etsy shop, Our Humble ABowed, a few months ago, and I've been hooked ever since. She makes the most beautiful custom prints that are so charming and modern and classic, all at the same time. You can check out her blog here.

Case in point?

Yeah, I know. You're drooling. I was too. They are even more beautiful in person!

Want a chance to win?  Here’s how it works:

Prize:  One 8 inch by 10 inch customized print of your choice.

To Enter:  Leave a comment below saying something nice! That's it!

Contest Closes:  Tuesday, October 26th at 9:00 pm, eastern time.

Number of Winners:  One!

Ships:  Anywhere in the U.S.

Other Info:  Only one entry per e-mail address.  The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Wednesday, October 27th.  

This is fun.... too bad I can't win! Good luck, everyone!

I'm blushing!

Sunny, who is one of my blogland BFFs, highlighted my blog today as one of her Top 10 Fresh New Blogs! She seriously rocks. Last week she bought a giant glittery skull at Homegoods. What else do you need to know about her to know that she's awesome??

Thanks, Sunny - you made my day!

I am looking forward to a great weekend! Tonight Zac is going to Lexington to see some friends, so I have a hot date with my sewing machine! Tomorrow, my little sister is coming home for a visit and we're headed to a Halloween party. So much fun!

AND - WE ARE ONLY 3 FOLLOWERS AWAY FROM 100 AND A REALLY GREAT GIVEAWAY! Tell your friends! =)

We're almost to 100!

Hi everyone!

Wow - I just checked out my sidebar today and can't believe I have 94 followers! When I started blogging 6 months ago, who ever thought that would happen??

I have some exciting news... when we reach 100 followers, we'll have our first giveaway! And it's awesome. But I'm not telling you what it is until we reach the magic number.

Stay tuned.......

Social Media Revolution

I consider myself to be pretty social media savvy. I'm on Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In. I have a blog. I access all of these things from my mobile phone.

But this information even surprised me. Who knew 1 in 8 couples married last year in the US met via social media? There is definitely a social media revolution going on!

Blogging advice I've been given (and given)

When I started my blog, I had no idea what I was doing. Hence my terrible first few posts. In the past few months I've learned a lot about myself and about blogging, and gotten some great advice from other bloggers. Some of the best things I've learned:

1. Post every day! This is especially important when you're first starting out. Post every day until writing on your blog becomes a habit, and something that you look forward to.
2. Take a camera everywhere. At first, I'd get places and think, "This would make a great blog post, but crap, I forgot my camera!" The plus side to this? At the end of the year you'll have countless pictures documenting your small, every day experiences that are really special.
3. Make blogger friends! When you find new blogs to read, comment on them! When you do, include a link to your blog. Every time someone comments on my blog, I go check out theirs. Chances are, if my blog interests them, their blog will interest me.
4. Update a lot... but not too often! I have un-subscribed from blogs for a few reasons. First, if you fill my google reader with clutter, I'm taking you off my reading list. Also, I stop following people who aren't interesting or who seem to just write the same thing over and over. 
5. Keep your controversial opinions to yourself. Unless you're writing a clearly political blog, keep your views under wraps. I've been reading a great crafting blog for a few months, and when the blogger did a "20 things about me" post, one of them was her serious hate for one of our famous elected officials, who I happen to like. Ever since then, I'm less likely to go to her blog, and knowing that about her has soured her blog a little bit for me.

Other rules apply - be yourself. Have fun blogging! What other blogging tips have you found that are helpful to new (or not so new) bloggers??

Oh - and Linda over at Craftaholics Anonymous is doing a series about blogs right now. I'm learning a lot... check it out!