Setting Goals

I have recently begun setting some goals for myself.

For my new novel I have the plot lined out and am currently sitting at just over 62,000 words. I find that I am very easily distracted with the goings on in my home, and setting goals for myself encourages me to focus.

My breakfast - Spinach, 1 apple,
3 hand-fulls of grapes and 1/4 watermelon.

I estimated that I could write a certain amount of words in one day, then I went through my calendar and set small goals in 5,000 word intervals. If I hit each of those days, then I will succeed in reaching my ultimate goal of over 90,000 words by October 20th. Of course, those numbers will give me plenty of leeway should there be a family function or two that takes my attention away for the day.

My snack.

The other goal that I have set for myself (as was mentioned in my blog post for Wednesday), is that of eating healthier. I must say that the juice that I have been making is actually quite delicious! 

I really like the idea of setting small goals for onesself. Nothing too extravagant that may seem out of reach, but small, easily attainable goals. I find that with the smaller goals, they happen more frequently, and therefore give us a sense of satisfaction and pride for having achieved the goal, until ultimately, we reach the large prize at the end.

My lunch - 3 leaves of kale, 1 carrot stick,
1 cucumber, 2 oranges, 1 apple, 2 celery sticks.

In the case of my novel, it is completing it, and in the case of my juice, it is gaining a healthier lifestyle and perhaps losing some left-over baby weight.

Do you set small goals for yourself or do you go for one big goal?

Juicing

Last night I watched a documentary called “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” and it got me thinking. Seriously thinking. The statistics and information that they shared was mind-boggling. I am amazed at the amount of fast food the average person eats, and the average consumption of starches, sugars, and fats, compared to that of vegetables and fruits.

The documentary started off with one man who was, fat, sick, and nearly dead, deciding to take control of his life and his future by going on a 60 day juice fast. He would ‘juice’ large quantities of vegetables and fruits for every meal for 60 days with the hopes of getting to a healthy weight and reducing or eliminating the amount of medication that he was required to take in order to stay alive. After his 60 day juice fast, he would then endeavor to maintain a healthy lifestyle, eating mostly vegetables and fruits.

And you know what? He did it! He lost his unhealthy weight, slowly reduced, then eliminated all the medications he was on (with the approval of his physician), and he maintained his weight afterwards by not eating fast or processed foods, and eating lots of fruits and veggies. It was remarkable.

Along his journey, he met some people that he inspired to do the same. Their results were similar. One woman suffered from migraines, but after juicing for 10 days, her migraines disappeared.

I can honestly say that I, personally, don’t eat enough fruits and veggies. But this documentary inspired me. It inspired me to try my own sort of juicing goal for 10 days. I will not cut out food altogether, but I will juice for breakfast and lunch, and I will eat dinner with my husband and sons. Of course, I will not eat pizzas, pastas, or junk, but I will make salads (which I make 3-4 times per week anyway), and other raw fruit and veggie based meals. That way I’m not fasting per-se, but will still consume the fruits and vegetables that my body needs.

Here goes nothin’!

Something British Monday #3: David Gandy

Good morning, Monday! Did everyone see the Olympic closing ceremonies yesterday? No? That's a shame. Yes? Well, then you must have seen the world's most successful male model, David Gandy, appear on stage.

If you follow me on Facebook, then you must know that I hold a slight tendre for the man. As I saw him revealed at yesterday's ceremony, I excitedly yelled, "It's David Gandy!!", causing my husband and sons to twitch in their seats. Let me show you what has me so enamoured...

He has sexy glasses:

He has excellent taste in undergarments:

He knows just the right spot to take a girl on vacation:

Very tasteful choice in swimwear:

He loves animals:

He's a true thinker:

He has beautiful blue eyes:

He knows the value of hydration:

He has impeccable style:

And yes, ladies, he's straight, and single! (I strongly urge you to google him...)

If you are interested in listening to him speak in his sexy English accent, check out these videos:
Interview on Jonathan Ross show
David Gandy and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Dulce & Gabbana Light Blue commercial


Rest assured, he is most definitely going to be a hero in one of my future novels.

Now I thought I would ask you: Are there any models (male or female) that you would like to see appear as a hero or heroine in a novel? Do you agree that David Gandy should be considered "David Candy"?

Oh the Cuteness!

I come across these pictures on Pinterest on a regular basis, but I couldn’t help but share these few with you. I found myself saying “Aw!” to them all.

Aw! The little Chihuahua at the bottom is my very own Lady. She's 4 1/2 years old and she's darling.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures! I know that I sure did!

Happy Friday, everyone!

A Round of Blog Tag!

I have been tagged by mywithershins! Thank you!

Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules (done)
2. Answer the questions the tagger listed for me (see below)
3. Create (or reuse) 11 questions for those I tag (Hmmm, that will take some thought)
4. Tag 11 people (I'm not sure that I know 11 bloggers...)
5. Let them know they’ve been tagged (will do)

1. What color is most prevalent in your wardrobe?

Black, pink, and purple.

2. What type of shows do you prefer to watch on TV (comedy, mystery, sports, reality…)?

I love comedies and some reality. The following are some of my favourite shows: Big Bang Theory, Red Dwarf, Top Gear (from the BBC), Hell's Kitchen, Ellen Degeneres Show, American Pickers, The Office, American Restoration, Storage Wars, Auction Hunters, Man vs Wild, and MasterChef.

3. If you could become any creature (real or imaginary), what would it be and why?

Oh boy... I'll have to think about that one. Hmmm... I'd like to be an Animagus (from Harry Potter). That way I could have magical powers and be able to turn into an animal. And if I got to choose the animal that I could turn into, it would be an eagle, because flying/soaring would be wonderful.

4. Do you have a regular time in which you do your blogging/writing (morning, evening…)?

I do my blogging while my sons are content, fed, and rested. AKA the morning, just after breakfast. I also only do my blogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

5. If you could spend the day in someone else’s shoes whose would they be and why?

I would pick the Queen's, because I want to know what the inside of Buckingham Palace looks like.

6. What is your favorite place to spend time and why do you like spending time there?

My favourite place to spend time, believe it or not, is on the couch with my kids on either side of me.

7. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Oh boy. Another tough question. Well, I am not certain that I can think of one specific occasion, but I loved watching movies with my mom and my brother. We'd stay up late, curled up on the couch, watching movies and snacking on popcorn.

8. What did you always want to be when you grew up and did you become what you wanted to be?

When I was little I wanted to be either a teacher or a writer. I ended up going to college/university and graduating with an Applied Business Technology degree, then worked in an office for a few years. But after I had children and decided to stay home, I once more found my love of writing. So here I am, a self-published author of my first Historical Romance novel, and in the middle of writing my second!

9. If you could travel to any time in our history or future, when would you like to go and why?

No hesitation here... I'd go to Regency England. I've been reading Historical Romance novels since I was 15. I love the period, I love the fashion, the traditions, the rules of society, I love horses... the list could go on. I basically adore everything about Regency England, and would go there in a heartbeat.

10. Would you classify your decorating style as modern, classic, futuristic, rustic, or eclectic?

I'd say that I'm a mixture. I like to think I'm modern, but I also love antiques. My home now is filled with Ikea furniture and childrens' toys, so it's not classified as much. But when I get a bigger home, I'd like to imagine that I would fill it with antique furniture and beautiful paintings, with a kids recroom filled with all their stuff. :)

11. If you could meet the person you most admire (living or dead), who would it be and what would you say to them?

If I had the option, I would see my Meme (grandmother) again. I miss her terribly. She passed away when I was still very young, and now that I am older, I wish that I had asked her questions about her life and had gotten to know her better.

Now it's time for me to post my own questions to you!

1. If you could travel to one place, where would you go and why?

2. Where is your favourite place to read or write? Why?

3. What is your favourite novel and why?

4. If you could choose to add one room to your home what room would it be, and what would you put in it?

5. If you could learn one skill instantly, what skill would it be?

6. What is your favourite food and why?

7. If you could be anybody for a day, who would you be and why?

8. If you could have one superpower, what would it be, and why?

9. Where is your favourite place to be on a hot, summer day?

10. If you could travel to any time in our history or future, when/where would you go and why?

11. What type of shows to you prefer to watch on TV?

I can honestly say that I don't know 11 bloggers. In fact, I am hard pressed to find 1 that I think would respond to this post. But I will make the attempt!

Ravena Guron

Danielle Harmon

Serena Akeroyd

I'm afraid that these three fabulous bloggers are the only three that I could come up with. Please enjoy!

Fishing Adventure

This is me with the ocean scenery.

Our first crab!

As I said last week, I had left my kids with my mom and had gone on a spontaneous fishing trip with my husband. It was a wonderful opportunity to get away from the noise of our house and into the peaceful surroundings of the ocean.

 We didn't catch any fish, but boy did we catch some crabs!

 There are some restrictions, of course, with regards to what one is allowed to bring home. You are only allowed to keep the males, and they have to be a certain size. They've got a measuring post on the dock that you must measure your crabs by before you can put them in the 'keep' pile.




The crabs we caught were called Red Rock crabs, and boy were they delicious! They were smaller than the average Dungeness crabs, and their shells were much more of a challenge to get into, but it was certainly worth it!






Have you ever gone crabbing or fishing? What did you catch?

Let's Go For Coffee

Lately I have noticed that friends, acquaintances, and I have been agreeing to make plans to ‘hang out’ or ‘go for coffee’, but nothing comes of it. I have begun to suspect that some of my friends say they want to get together but don’t truly mean it. Others, I can tell that they are sincere when they wish to make plans.

It is when I say something like “great! What days are you available?” that they respond with “oh, well I’m pretty busy, but I’ll get back to you" that I realize that they probably don’t really want to get together; they were just trying to be nice.

Has it become a social convention to simply say those words, “let’s get together sometime”, when no one really means it? If so, why do you suppose we all fall in with that trend?

I, myself, never say it without meaning it. When I tell a friend that I want to get together, go for coffee sometime, or get our kids together for a playdate, I genuinely mean it. I’m a stay-at-home mom; I generally do not speak to adults in my daily routine until my husband gets home from work. I need the social interaction. So when I try to make plans with a friend and they don’t follow through, it does more than disappoint.

I know that my friends do not mean to insult. They are simply busy. I understand, as I have been busy myself from time to time. But when I am too busy, I endeavor to make alternate plans for the next week or another day.

I am beginning to fear that this social convention is to become a permanent statement in the average conversation. I hear it everywhere, and not always directed at me. Old friends from highschool or old acquaintances will bump into each other at a coffee shop and say “wow, it’s so great to see you again! We should get together and catch up!” But do you truly believe that they’ll ‘get together’? Probably not.

How about you? Do you use this statement on a regular basis? Do you ever follow through with it? Do you, like me, fear that this statement is here to stay? Have you ever been on the receiving end of this statement and been disappointed with the outcome?