My Blog Hopping Blog

Friday, January 10, 2014

Friendship Friday & Healthy Life Linky Party - Keeping it Going.

"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." ~Dory of Finding Nemo
This post is a part of

Hi! Yay, I made it to the end of my first continual week of blogging here and I am working on those goals, which I will post an update on at the bottom of this post. Overall, I did alright this week and don't feel like giving up, so that is a win.

Create with Joy has added to Friendship Friday an A to Z theme. This week is A.

Art Studio iPad App

This is an app I discovered mentioned at the blog Surfing to Success when I was looking for clip art to use in printables. After reading her blog post, I installed the app on our family iPad to give it a whirl. Woo hoo!

I then decided to use the money that I thought I was going to use to purchase licensing rights to clipart (and a few other things), to get an iPad mini and make my own stuff. A week or so later...between this app and PicMonkey (more on that on Monday), I'm having fun working on my artistic talent - or should I say, cultivating it. :) Here are a few of my creations. Borders are the most fun for me. I can do squiggles. :)

Action Toward My Goals (Weekly Goal Update)

Daily Devotional/Bible Reading - Recently, I purchased an iPad Mini, to work on creating some clip art (like the flower for the linky party) and to have e-books accessible to me. However, I have found that the biggest blessing of this iPad has been to have The Bible (in whatever translation I feel like reading) and devotions accessible to me in one slim electronic item. I even downloaded a prayer journal to keep track of my prayer requests. I haven't missed a day and I am working on reading through the Bible again. Overall: Going well.
Eat Better - I counted calories and did well all week. I used my Daily Health Tracker to keep count and it worked well for me. Overall: Going well.
Be More Active - This didn't happen. I've been fighting a cold for going on two weeks and the doctor did tell me to take it easy, so I've been following the doctor's orders. On the positive side, the cold has made it easier to adjust to my new caloric intake. :)
Focus Computer Time - Well, the cold really made it easy to catch up on computer stuff, so I didn't have set aside "focused computer time" this week but I did work on organizing things. I unsubscribed from about 20 emails that come in daily, and I delete without reading and setup some folders in my inbox to move things to so that when I open my email I'm not completely overwhelmed but then when I have the time, I will read/respond to the emails in my new folders; "Important/ToDos" & "ThingsToRead."

I invite you to join me in getting healthy or share with me how you have made your life healthier by joining my Healthy Life Linky Party. Healthy Life - whatever that means to you. I'm keeping this linky list open for the month of January and will have a new one for February. I will re-evaluate making it a shorter time, if it begins to fill up quickly.

Linky Party "~~Rules~~" Requests:
I am thrilled that you stopped by and would love for you to participate in any and/or all of the ways that work for you, below:

Top Request: Visit the blog in front of your on the linky and leave them a comment.

Join in by linking up a current or old post to our party. A post that shares about "getting a healthier life." This could be nutrition, exercise, simplifying your life, organizing your life, learning to say, "No," etc.

Comment below. Introduce yourself, if this is our first "meeting" and let me know how you found my blog. Need a writing prompt? Tell me how you are doing on your healthy journey.

Tweet about this linky party or share it on your favorite social media network. Click to Tweet.

Follow my blog via email (sign-up on the right-hand side of this page) or add me to one of your Google+ Circles.

~Christine :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Sharing my Daily/Weekly Health Tracker Printables

Well, I am under the weather big time. My head cold from a week ago decided to come back and hit my sinuses. Those sweat inducing exercise times will have to wait. That is okay, I'm not super hungry so my calorie counting is going well. (Looking at the positive).

I made these printables for myself based on my goals. They ARE specific to my own goals/chores. Just in case someone else could use them, they are available to download clicking on the links/pictures below. Feel free to use them and share them.

Daily Health Goal Tracker & Weekly Health Goal Tracker

It is funny, even though I love technology, I still find I do better with a printed or handwritten list in front of me. I'm sure there are fantastic apps for this. I've even tried some but I don't like being tied to my technology any more than I have to be. So, geeky Christine prefers paper - just like when I read books.

This post is part of Create with Joy's wonderful Inspire Me Monday. This is an awesome linky where you may share what is inspiring you this week or any creative projects you are working on. These printables were my latest creation. As for inspiring me. how about this awesome video from Kid President. He continues to inspire my daughter and I.

Don't forget to join in the Healthy Life Linky Party.

What inspires you?

Happy Sunday, all!

~Christine :)

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Friendship Friday: This Blog is Not Dead.

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus" ~Mark Twain
This post is a part of

2014 Focus: Health

First of all, thanks for visiting. Holy Cow, this is my third post. Yippee! I have considered posting on here for months, but have been unsure about what exactly to post about.

Social Media? I do LOVE social media. I enjoy learning about what is new, trying new things and especially focusing on doing it all as inexpensively as possible. However, there are so many fantastic resources out there already, and I don't have the energy to put into the blog what I could see it becoming... maybe in a few more years...hmmm.
Books? This seems to be the logical choice, since I am the mother of a young author and already have an amazing set of connections in the book blogging world. Again, there are too many great bloggers out there already doing this and I do get my fill enough of it in the Stanley & Katrina world.
Literacy & Printables? - I do enjoy making printables (and will continue to do so) but I don't know that I can blog about them continuously at this point in my life.
Pets? Oh my goodness, I LOVE the pet blogging world and would love to join in, but there is a problem... at the moment, our family doesn't have any pets. :)
Motherhood? Sure, I can comment on my life experiences and I'm sure it would entertain here and there but I'm not feeling led to do that.
More Ideas? Yes, I had more ideas but I am not feeling led to focus on any of them.

It hit me this evening, after a discussion with my husband. The one thing I need to work on more than anything RIGHT NOW is staying healthy. I need to lose 20 lbs. That is on the conservative side, too. I have already lost my first 10 lbs (total of 30 lbs to lose), but it is winter and my bear-like instinct to hibernate on the couch ~~is beginning to~~ has set in.

I do enjoy blogging, so I have decided (as of two hours ago) that for 2014, my blog focus will be on health. I will share my journey on losing the 20 lbs I need to lose. By putting it out there for all to read/see, it will hold me accountable. I am not going to wait until I have all of my social media outlets in place - this blog isn't about that. I just need to post it to get myself going.

Will I post on other topics? I have no doubt I will. It is in my nature to share things I learn, no matter the topic.

My Personal Goals*

Daily Devotional/Bible Reading - This may not be for everyone, but I need it in my life.
Eat Better - Count calories. I have to. I know what I need to do and right now the calories coming in are way more than should be coming in. I started this morning, and did well. Funny, I have more energy. ;)
Be More Active - 5 Days a Week, sweat inducing activity for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Focus Computer Time - Set aside specific times to work on projects on the computer uninterrupted, rather than off and on all day long. (This also helps me to be more active).

My true goal is to be down 20 lbs and a minimum of two pant sizes, but I want to focus on the top items more than the scale/size of my clothes. Focusing on feeling healthy and having the energy to be the best wife and mother that I can be.

I invite you to join me in getting healthy or share with me how you have made your life healthier by joining my Healthy Life Linky Party. Healthy Life - whatever that means to you.