Christmas Officially Declared!

This Sunnday was our first family Christmas of the season.  Being part of an Anglo-American family has its benefits and drawbacks, both of which I've experienced.  But honestly, who can argue with 2 Christmases?  All in all, it was a lovely day spent catching up with my husband's family who we don't see nearly enough of, especially considering how close they live.

After a weekend of Christmas songs, present wrapping and festive treats I am very much in the Christmas spirit and counting down the days until we venture across the pond for Christmas, American style! 

With Christmas comes the inevitable post-Christmas let down.  Something I'm trying hard not to dwell on too much.  I always find January a hard month to get through.  This year I'm determined to put a positive spin on the start of 2011.  As chiche as New Years resolutions are, what better time to make a fresh start?  I know that many people find it hard to stick to resolutions and many are broken and abandoned before the end of January.  I'm confident that with a good plan and strong determination to improve my life for the better I can make healthy life choices that will improve my quality of life and that of my family. 

So here is my plan!                                     
My two goals for the year are to:
1. Be more positive. 
    I find myself quite often dwelling on the negative which puts me and anyone I come into contact with in a bad mood.
2. Get the balance right!  My ultimate goal is to be happy and I think a major part of this is making sure that there is enough time for everything and everyone. 

Now, that might not sound like a lot but I assure you that there will be many small steps along the way to a 100% happy Jo.  Two things I know I will need is a plan and a routine. 


With this in mind I've written a list (something I do quite regularly) of some small things that I believe will enhance my life.  Part of getting the balance right will be trying to fit these things into my daily/weekly, monthly routine. 
1. Spend more quality time with my family.  More walks, day trips, board games days, etc. 
2. Keep in touch with far away friends and family.  This I do very sporadically.  I love and miss my friends and fam dearly! I need to write more letters, emails, send pictures, videos, cards...

3. Exercise routine.  I like exercising.  I love the feeling post exercise.  I need to find a way to fit exercise time into my weekly routine.
4. Continue healthy eating habits.  Eating healthy is a sure-fire way to make youself feel better.  I'm very good at leaving junk food in the grocery store but struggle to keep my hand out of the potato chip bag when it's in my house.  If I continue making smart decisions in the grocery store then I can continue serving healthy food in my house.
5. Read books.  I read to Livyloo all the time but only pick up a book myself when on vacation.  Why not read for an hour at night instead of watching TV.  What I need is a book list, then I can tick them off as I read them and feel that sense of accomplishment.
6. Find an artistic outlet.  Photography, sketching, jewelry... something so that I can release my creativity!
7. Find a job that makes me smile.  I decided a few months ago that I wasn't going to remain at my current job past July.  I fully plan to stick to that resolution and find something that I enjoy waking up for every morning.

I shall ammend and reassess as needed but hopefully, next year at this time I will be a slightly less jaded Jo in a much happier place!

Healthy Eats

I have been feeling absolutely exhausted lately. While there are a number of possible reasons for my current zombie-like state, I'm not going to cling to excuses this time.  So I decided to attack my current laziness with tons of healthy eats. 

I nearly found myself defeated at the first hurdle when I woke up to a slightly empty kitchen.  Thankfully there was a container of my favorite fat free Greek yogurt in the fridge and some frozen mango and raspberries in the freezer.  Problem sorted with a delicious breakfast sundae!  I added just a drizzle of honey for a sweet treat!

 Shortly after that Lulu and I went to the grocery store to stock up on more healthy eats for the week.  I also bought some treats to put in the Christmas hampers I'm making for family presents this year!


Lunch was amazingly easy and very tasty too.  Wholewheat pita stuffed with hummus, salsa, avocado and a little bit of mature cheddar cheese.  

Snack was a cup of Moroccan mint Tea and a hand full of black grapes. 

On the menu for dinner, homemade wholewheat pizza with a side salad!  Pizza is absolutely my comfort food. 

And so it Begins

My first post on my first ever blog.  I love new beginnings.  There are few things better than the freedom you feel with a fresh start.  I turned 30 this year.  30.  Leaving my 20's wasn't nearly as depressing and life-changing as I had imagined it would be.  I've been married for 6 years and have a 4 year old daughter so my days of blowing a whole paycheck on Jimmy Choos and wild nights out have decreased slowly over the past few years.  Don't get me wrong, I still love beautiful shoes and nights out. If anything I think I probably appreciate them more now. 

Over all I am very happy with my life.  As do so many other working women, I find myself  trying desperately to find the enigmatic balance between work and family life.  One of my major problems is that I don't love my job. Some days I downright hate it.  On the plus side however, it's exactly 7.2 miles from my house and since I work in a school, I get the same vacation time as my daughter.  I am in awe of people who love their jobs and I hope that one day I manage to figure out just what it is that I am supposed to do in life. 

One thing that I am passionate about is healthy living and eating.  I firmly believe that what we put into our bodies has a huge impact on so many different aspects of our health.  Because of this I have recently switched to all-green eco-friendly cleaners, laundry detergents and bath products.  There are so many studies linking cleaning products and cosmetics to cancer and a multitude of other health problems.  I've found a wealth of information which I will pass on in future posts. 

Thank you for reading!  I hope that you stick with me through my journey of self improvement and my quest to find pure and natural happiness. 

In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.  ~Author Unknown