Gradual and Non Traditional Resolutions

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     2016 will be here soon! As in, 2 days from now I'll start forgetting the date and writing "2015" on the boards, only to be corrected by my students, which will amaze me, because they're SO observant about the date but not about the math we're learning?!? Blows my mind.
     When I sat down to write this post, I didn't really have a direction for the content. You might have heard the saying that being a teacher is like having "a web browser with a million different tabs open in your brain,"  and if you hadn't heard it, well now you have. That is how I felt sitting down to type this post. Some examples of my brain-tabs, because I love lists:

• I'm planning on baking 5 weeks worth of baking challenges this week so I can say I finished my challenge "on time." 
• I'm finally getting over congestion from colds/bronchitis/colds/allergies and ready to work out again, and I'm trying to come up with my schedule to get back into it. 
• I am wondering HOW IN THE WORLD I will be able to wake up at 6am again next week for work.
• "I really should write another blog post."
• Many future plans were discussed with family over break- totally overwhelming at the moment.
• Still planning New Year's Eve events for when my brother and his girlfriend get into town this week. Probably should get that figured out.

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      Brain-tabs like these are often the cause of our failure at new endeavors. For example, let's say your New Year's resolution is to eat healthier. Good for you! So, January 1st you get rid of all your junk food and you only buy the healthiest stuff at the grocery store. Your breakfast, lunch, and dinner over the weekend are super healthy, you're feeling great, and then you wake up late Monday morning. You have your brain-tabs going crazy because you need to get to work on time and when lunch rolls around, you finally remember you didn't pack anything. Maybe you skip it, or maybe you go out because you NEED to eat (understandable). When you get home, you're tired and just want something quick for dinner. Your brain-tabs are trying to load for quick, healthy dinner that fits your New Year's goal...but all it can come up with is "order pizza. The kids are hungry NOW." And within a week, you feel like you've failed your New Year's Resolution already. Planning to exercise more? Your brain-tabs will, no doubt, come up with many other things that you need to do before you exercise, and eventually, instead of exercising. Having worked at a gym in college, and seeing people try to just adopt a healthy lifestyle overnight, I've written reports on gym usage year after year that prove this to be true. Wanting to save more money? Unexpected expenses are just waiting around the corner and, in addition, your brain-tabs will come up with all kinds of things you need, want, or forgot about. It happens-and not just to you!

     I noticed this trend early on in life- people just don't keep New Year's resolutions. I do like the idea of having them, because resolutions are rooted in self-improvement. Establishing a mindset focused on self-improvement is a very healthy trend in which society should invest. So, instead of spurning resolutions, I decided in college to try what I call "gradual" resolutions.  I figured that maybe I could approach a resolution gradually, and surprise, it worked! I kept the resolution all year. I tried it again the next year, and it was a success again! Rather than recounting my successes, I'll leave you with a list of examples of gradual, and non-traditional resolutions. Happy start to 2016 everyone! 

Traditional Resolutions, made gradual: 

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--> If you want to EAT HEALTHIER, try having a healthy breakfast once a week, then twice a week, then three times a week...and so on. Once you're happy with your healthy breakfasts, try adding healthy dinner once a week, twice a week, etc. HELPFUL TIDBIT: Don't approach the meal plan change all at once or you will overload. Repeat recipes- have the same healthy meal once a week for a month. Then, your brain will remember the recipe, so that when you're rushed for time, you have a brain-tab to load that is a healthy option!

--> If you want to EXERCISE MORE, there are several ways to do this. New to exercise entirely? Resolve to try a new form of exercise once a week, to see what you like. Then resolve to do it with increasing frequency. Need to get back in the habit? Resolve to workout with increasing frequency, and then add in resolutions to bring a buddy, find a new place to run, set a goal (time, weight lifted, distance) and resolve to meet it. HELPFUL TIDBIT: Make a plan and post it on your fridge, so others can hold you accountable or find a Facebook or social media group to keep you accountable. Whatever you do, don't ask my husband to text you and say "get off your butt, fatty," because he WILL do it. 

--> If you want to SAVE MONEY, make it gradual by saving a little a week, cutting out part of an expense, or learning a budget software at first. HELPFUL TIDBIT: Give yourself TIME to adjust. We started using a budget software last February, and it took us 3 months to truly feel comfortable using it, and that didn't involve any saving! While it was frustrating, since then, we've been able to save for several specific things, and that has felt great! Saving money takes time and long-term commitment.

--> If you want to make an INTERNAL CHANGE (being more positive, for example), you've got to surround yourself with the mindset before you can adopt it. Find some good books or blogs you feel are positive, are about having a positive outlook, or are even self-help books to guide thinking. Reading is an important part of an internal change. Then, find little ways to implement what you've read. Pay it forward at a restaurant or coffee shop, start a daily positive reflection on Twitter or other social media, or even in the privacy of a journal. Put positive post-it notes on your mirror for daily affirmations. Find YouTube channels devoted to giving daily positive affirmations. There is a lot out there!

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Non-Traditional Resolutions: 

~ Resolve to take better care of your skin; research your skin type and try different face washes to see which ones work best. There is quite a bit of research to read on the subject! Sally beauty Supply has great products, often cheaper, to try out. This includes finding a good sunscreen!

~ Resolve to give whenever you get. Birthday coming up and you've asked for electronics? Donate some of your old ones (research online where to donate different items). Shopping spree and you've bought  a lot of clothes? Clean our your closet and donate to friends or family in need, or to thrift stores. 

~ Resolve to question media and fact check. Find out which sources are reliable and which are not. If you hear something on the radio, don't take it as gospel because you heard it from your favorite morning show host- check it out in other sources to see if it holds up. 

~ Resolve to learn a new skill. Did you know there are websites, YouTube channels, blogs, and all sorts of free resources on the internet to help you learn just about ANY skill? People make a living providing online resources for learning, and you can benefit from them- for free! Want to learn a new instrument? Try your hand at Calculus again? Learn the art of photography (not just Instagram), cooking ridiculous foods, writing poetry, or travel trivia!

~ Resolve to be more thankful. Start by buying a bunch of Thank you notes from Target's dollar spot. Keep them in a place you spend a lot of time (by the couch, in the kitchen, etc.) to help you remember to use them. Make a list of people's addresses and print it out to post somewhere easy to find in your house. USE THEM. Ultimately, some part of a resolution involves YOU doing something YOU want to keep doing!

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CHEESY REFLECTIONS

I'm glad I finally started a blog this year! I had thought about it quite a bit, but wasn't sure I could make the time commitment. The first 3 years of teaching really are a bit of a mess, especially in terms of managing time to give yourself actual personal time. I know the blog title is a bit unorthodox but I truly believe it fits my plans for this little space in the internet. I've realized my writing is CRAP. I used to write so much, both for school and personally, and I've totally lost touch with my writing style. Writing at work is either on an average 5th (or lower) grade level, so ALL students understand, or it's writing legal documents (IEPs), both of which  leave zero room for practicing creative pursuits. I have a few followers and I plan to pick up the pace with posts, projects, and followers in 2016. Cheers!

A Crafty Christmas: Kids' Felt Christmas Tree (no-sew!)

     This was such a fun project! I saw the idea on Pinterest, looking at different DIY Christmas decorations, and immediately I thought, "I have to make this!" This felt tree has felt decorations that stick to the tree, so that it can be decorated and re-decorated throughout the holiday season. It is perfect for little kiddos who want to mess with the real tree decorations, which may or may not be something you want them to do. 

Now, I do not have any children. And despite the fact that my husband and I act like children half the time (examples: please note in these photos the Ikea "kids' track start line" rug which this crafting took place upon), I could not justify making this to put up in my own house. However! I am a teacher and therefore work with many people who have young'n of their own. My co-teacher and I got to work one afternoon making the trees and ornaments for our other co-workers. We gifted them just before our Thanksgiving break so that their cuties could decorate their own tree to start the holiday season! 

Photos

LEFT: The finished project, up on the wall and decorated 

RIGHT: A few ornaments. Some were plain cut outs (we used cookie cutters - heart, circle, bell, stars- to create patterns to cut out) 

  LEFT: We sewed glittery Christmas colored pom-poms on some of the ornaments. You could also sew on riff-raff (the zig-zag ribbon), ribbon, or other felt shapes if you wish. I recommend sewing instead of gluing, especially with the pom-poms, because those could be swallowed if they fall off!

RIGHT: Some glitter glue was fun for making the ornaments sparkle, and add personality. 

LEFT: The star atop the tree! 

RIGHT: How I hung the tree on the wall in a secure fashion that was also removable when Christmas is over. See the description below of how I used velcro and command strips to make sure the tree stays up!

Products

(for 1 tree)

~ 1/2 yard green felt (use the weekly coupon at a store like Joann's to save a bit on this!)

~ 1 package multi-colored felt

~ glitter glue (red, silver, gold)

~ spray adhesive

~ velcro sticky back squares

~ command velcro strips (refill pack)

~ glitter pom-poms

~ needle and thread, if attaching pom-poms or other decoration

~ hot glue and glue gun

~ newspaper or old cardboard (to put things on when you're spraying them with adhesive)

Process

1. Cut out the tree first. This way you know how to size your ornaments afterwards!

     Pro Tip:  Fold your fabric in half, and draw a tree outline on the fold. I did this by hand without a template, but you could search for a template to use if you needed one! Cut out the outline and open it up- voila! A tree!

2. Cut out a trunk for your tree from brown felt. I used the fold method again, so it would be symmetrical. But you don't have to be that attentive to detail...

3. Attach the trunk to the tree with hot glue and let it cool. 

4. Make your ornaments! Cut out various shapes in different colors, then decorate them with felt cut-outs and hot glue, pom-poms, or glitter glue! This is the fun part. Here is also where I sewed on the pom-poms. 

5. When your glitter glue is dry and you are waiting impatiently to be able to practice decorating, find some newspaper, old cardboard, or a concrete patio outside (but NOT on a windy day). Lay your ornaments pretty side downward on the work surface, and follow the directions on your spray adhesive for a "temporary adhesive." For mine, this meant spraying from a distances of 10 inches away and letting it dry completely before moving it. 

6. Spray the backs of the soft sided velcro squares and attach them to your tree. 

     Pro Tip: Place these at the top of the tree and then on the edges of the branches so the branches don't droop in once you place ornaments on them.

7. Once they are completely dry, place the command strips on the velcro squares so they attach, and then place the whole thing on your wall. Now you have a tree that will be easily removed when you want it to be (just peel it off of the command strips) and take the command strips off the wall.