Beating the January Blues

Sometimes I have a tendency to get a little depressed during January. The holidays are over, it is cold/gray outside, Brian goes back to work and I try to get back into a routine. This year, I am proud to say that I have been trying really hard to "beat the January blues" and that so far I have been very successful. Here are a few of the ways I have been making this month a happy one:

1. Thomas. Kissing on his chubby cheeks. He just turned 7 months old and is getting so much more personality. He is sitting up on his own and playing with toys. He reaches and grabs and puts everything in his mouth. He has the sweetest smile which always brings one to my face.

2. Potty trained Maybrie. FINALLY! Wahoo! She is often found in her Belle dress, which she earned by going on the potty and staying accident free. Maybrie loves anything princess, dancing, and coloring. She has quite the imagination and I get a kick out of listening to her make-believe play.

3. Craft projects. I like to do things that help make my home cute, clean, and functional. I made a simple Valentine garland by cutting out red and pink hearts with my Cricut machine and stitching them together on my sewing machine. I also made a bow/clip holder for Maybrie’s room by attaching ribbon to a painted wooden bird. The bows were getting lost and smashed in the hair drawer… now, problem solved! The best part about projects like these is that they are free (using items I already have) and fast.

4. Goal setting. I found that most of my goals for the New Year fell into daily/weekly/monthly categories. I wanted to post them in a place that I could check back on my progress often. So I found a chart online, printed it off, filled it out, put it on scrapbook paper, and laminated it. Now I can write on it, adding specifics for each week, check off the things I get done, and do it over and over again throughout the year. It helps me feel organized and productive.

5. Recycling. I decided to recycle this year to save money on a smaller garbage can and help the environment too. I found a great drop off place at a local church and have started sorting recycled items into boxes by category. I just cleared out a place in the storage room to keep them, which should work well since it is right off the kitchen and laundry room. I am amazed by how much of our garbage can be recycled! It is awesome.

6. Laughter. There is nothing I love more than hearing my children laugh. Thomas has the cutest laugh right now, and I finally got a decent clip on camera. Brian and Maybrie are especially good and getting Thomas going. I love it when I catch Maybrie playing with Thomas and making him laugh. It reminds me why I wanted more than one child… so they could be playmates. I love that they love each other.