Watch the New Year

I enjoy a good New Year’s Eve party like the next person, but this year I will be attending Watchnight Service at church.

Happy New Year to me

It's my birthday! The Lord has blessed me to see another year. I say my new year starts on my birthday considering it's so close to the actual start of the official calendar year. 

New Year Foods

I just finished chatting with Papa Smurf who was in the store buying black eyed peas for New Year's Day. Naturally that made me think about foods to commemorate the day. Or more specifically what everyone in my family wants on the menu. We are a varied group.

New Year Songs

What does one sing in celebration of a new year, other than Auld Lang Syne? I couldn't really think of anything, so I decided to create a playlist of 20 songs from 2015 I really liked, as well as 15 songs that make me think of a new year.

New Year Tradition

What better way to ring in the new year than with traditions? The New Year has its own set of traditions just like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Here are a few of my favorites.

Challenge Accepted

It's almost a new year, 2016, which means people every where are reflecting on the past and planning for the future. One of the things I neglected to do in 2015 was actually post regularly on this blog. Sadly that goal was a colossal failure.

The Chief Usher

I need to get my usher outfit right!

Saints and ain’ts I almost joined the church usher board because I thought it would help me reach my latest career goal – White House chief usher. This position was just calling to me. Obviously church would be the best practice spot.

badonk-a-donk blues

Too much booty in the pants has never been a problem for me. Somehow I managed to inherit big boobs and wide hips from my family. But not the bouncy butt everyone else seems to have. My butt is wide and flat as a pancake. You can’t bounce a penny or anything else off of it. And of course family members and friends love to let me know about my butt or lack thereof just in case I thought for a second I was bootylicious.

Remember when

I used to post on this blog. Unfortunately, not on a regularly basis. I am not making anymore promises about doing better, because they are lies. I will say I am going to write more in my journal, on this blog, for the media. More could very well be just once more this year, once a month or once a week. We shall see.

Another PK rant

The PK struggle is real. I thought it got a little bit better once you're older, but folks keep doing things to irk me. Perhaps the problem is I don't call them out on it. I need to stop being passive and let them know how I feel. The main reason I don't really say anything when a person tries me is because I know I'm easily irritated and petty. It is my responsibility as a person with Irritable Personality Syndrome to not go off all the time. Honestly some of the things people say are jokes meant with no malice. But 30 plus years of the same bad jokes makes the hidden dragon come out.

I luh God but not today's gospel music

It's officially! I'm old. I was led to this conclusion after hearing "I luh God" by Erica Campbell for the first time. Actually in full disclosure, I did listen to the first 10 seconds a few months ago. I couldn't take it. Today I watched most of the music video. I hate the song. Like literally hate it. I remember joking with my friends a few weeks ago that Jesus did not die and rise again for us to sound like we're in the trap.

mortality fears

It's bad enough that I'm overly sensitive. Hearing that a close family member is sick just pushes me to the deep end. Next thing you know I'm sobbing all over the place.

oh the critics

Oh the critics. Where would we be without them? Happier perhaps? No one likes to hear negative criticism, especially me. It puts you on the defensive, makes you second guess yourself and just all around sucks. But such is the case when you publish something for others to see.

one year later

It's been one year since my grandma passed away. I still remember the last words we spoke to each other. Thankfully words of love. And I can't forget how she looked the last time I saw her face.

hey readers, hey

Remember how I was supposed to update regularly? Clearly I am the queen of  not posting. Did I even post in February? Let the records reflect I did NOT post. Shame on me. I owe you so much more than I am giving. Let me do better ASAP!

Habit recap

Last month's return to NABLOPOMO was a massive fail on one hand. I totally missed a week's worth of posts! It was my napping habit that got in the way. I take naps during the time most people just go to bed. 

However it did somewhat get me back into the habit of blogging. That's a good thing. I won't be posting every single day, but I will make an effort to post a few times a week. Yes, that's a lofty goal considering I didn't even post once a week for most of last year.

Fast chewing habit

I chew my food way too quickly. I practically inhale a plate within 10 seconds of it placed in front of me. I'm not sure when chewing so fast became a habit, but it is one I intend to break.

 I remember an episode of "I love Lucy"said you should chew your food 30 plus times before swallowing. Making it to 20 is greatly pushing it for me.  Clearly this is why I'm thicker than a snicker. I eat my food so fast until my body doesn't realize it's in there.

I keep saying I'm going to start eating slowly, but as soon as a plate is set in front if me I completely forget. I'm not much better with drinks either be it water and juice or wine and liquor. I slurp a cup down in 10 seconds or less.

Skipping habit

Apparently skipping posts my new habit. And I was doing so well. I wish I could say I had a super cool reason for not posting. I don't. I blame it on forgetfulness in my old age (30 is the new 60). And naps. I've been taking lots of naps. But that's a post for another day.

Repeat song habit

When I like a song I really, really like it. So much until I will repeat it over and over nonstop. I have driven for 30 minutes before listening to the same song on repeat. Usually I try to limit replays to three times. But there are times it increases. Here are a few songs I love to repeat:

Encore by Cheryl Lynn

7/11 by Beyoncé

Latch by Disclosure ft. Sam Smith

Rather Be by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne

Get Lucky by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell

Happy by Pharrell

The One by Tamar Braxton

I Feel Good by Mary J. Blige

Safe and Sound by Capital Cities

Diary by Alicia Keys

Bad driving habit

Yours truly never took the road test in driver's ed. Yet somehow the state of Florida gave me a license. Needless to say I suck at driving. It is really a bad habit. Sometimes I worry my self with my driving. This is why I am at home on a rainy Friday night. My bad driving plus rain does not mix. Actually I drive better in bad conditions. But it stresses me out. I need to practice my driving because it's so bad. I wonder if there is a range available for adults?

phone breaking habit

I missed another day! Egads!

Phones are not my friends. I just cannot keep a phone for longer than six months at a time. It seems like my favorite habit is to break my phone. I thought an iPhone would make me change my ways. No such luck. Right now I'm walking around with a struggle phone. The screen is so cracked I can barely see on it. Dropping my phone is the main culprit of how I break it. Clearly I need an Otterbox.

sad habit

I am sad. The cruise has ended, and it's back to the regularly scheduled program. I don't remember how to work.

Plus I'm sad to be leaving after spending so much time with my bestie. She lives in another city, so we have a long distance relationship. Come to think of it, the majority of my friends live elsewhere.

I'm sure it's somewhat a habit for other people to feel sad and melancholy when leaving from an awesome vacation and separating from someone they love.

At least I have lots of pictures to remind me of this great time.

fun habit

the cruise life brings out one of my favorite habits - having fun. notice how i've got my e e cummings swag going on right now. no punctuation today. just fun.

in case you're wondering what fun i've experience - karaoke, dance parties, eating (that's fun to me lol), sight seeing,  reading (another thing fun for me), spending time with friends and much, much more.

i could go on and on about the fun i'm having, but it's never nice to rub things in. so i shall spare you landlubbers the details. also if i keep writing i'll miss out on more FUN!

cruise eating habit

Remember how I was starting the habit of eating healthy? Yeah that went out the window the moment I stepped foot on this cruise. I have been eating everything in sight. It's like my stomach has become a bottomless pit for all this food. And everything is just so good. I don't think I've tasted one bad dish yet. It's like food, glorious food! I tell everyone that a cruise is a fat girl's dream. I will go back to my healthy eating when I return to dry land. As long as the seas have me, I'm going to eat.

hair habit

Each day of this cruise I have two different hair styles planned out. Some people plan their fashion. I plan my hair. Clearly styling hair (particularly mine) is a habit for me. I love a meme that says something to the extent of "Of course I can do your hair. I went to Youtube University and interned at Pinterest." That sums me up to a tee. I love, love, love my hair. I credit being natural for this intense interest. I didn't care a flip about my hair when it was relaxed. My instagram will soon be flooded with pictures showing my hair habit.

Exercise habit

I am proud to say I am exercising on this cruise. Exercising has become a habit for me this new year and I am not about to lose the momentum I've finally gained. Plus it helps keep all the weight down I would probably gain from all this eating on the cruise. This post is short and sweet, because I have a lot going on at the moment - mainly enjoying this cruise! I promise to write more soon.

Cruising habit

I'm on a boat! I'm on a boat! Yours truly is sailing on Carnival Victory even as you read this. Cruise day has finally arrived. 

I am so excited, because this is only my second cruise in life. Who gets to 30 without having been on multiple cruises, especially someone who lives in Florida near multiple ports? This girl right here. 

I was supposed to go on a cruise last March but my grandma passed away. Thankfully everyone in the family is healthy right now. 

My first cruise experience was on Norwegian Cruise line, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now all I ever want to do is cruise. Family Reunion coming up - let's go on a cruise. Bachelorette party idea - cruise away. Family vacation - how about a cruise. 

This may become a habit, and I don't want to break it.

smoothie habit

A couple of years ago I developed a fondness for green smoothies. Not only are they delicious, but there are health benefits.

This year I started back making a smoothie for breakfast every morning. Unfortunately it's cold, but I am sticking to this habit.

It took me several tries to get the write recipe together. I  love spinach and eat it any way possible. It is at the heart of  my go to smoothie for breakfast. Right now I'm experimenting with using kale instead of spinach. It's interesting to say the least. I like kale, but it can be somewhat overpowering to the rest of the fruit.

At any rate, give this a try:

2 handfuls of spinach
1 cup of frozen mixed fruit
1 banana
8 oz of apple juice
1/2 cup of oatmeal
7 pieces of ice

praise habit

These last few days were starting to look like Toni's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Week. I was in pain, lost my debit card and was told some concerning medical news. It was just getting to be too much for me, so I cried last night and went to bed.

I am happy to say today things are much better. Granted I'm still in pain, but not as bad as before. And I found my debit card. That was a huge weight off my shoulder considering I leave tomorrow for a cruise.

Sometimes I seem to forget that God is in control, and I just need to turn it all over to Him. Finding my debit card and my pain getting better reminded me of that fact. So right now I'm giving God praise for helping me through my situation. For some it might seem minor, but it's the little things.

But it's not simply enough to give Him praise when things get better or going well. A song I really like is "In the Middle" by Issac Carree. The chorus simply states, "Praise Him anyway. In the middle of it." "It" being anything good or bad you're experiencing.

One habit I am working one is praising God no matter the circumstance. Of course it's easier said then done. Bad as I was feeling lately, all I wanted to do was cry out to God for help, not praise Him. I am learning praise should be my first response especially when I'm going through.

Sick habit

I was supposed to post this Monday but life happened - mainly I was wallowing in self pity.

I used to be a very sickly person. It was mainly due to allergies. As a child if my parents had the air running the next day would see me with a sore throat. Whenever the seasons changed I would get sick with a cold, sinus infection or even bronchitis. Airplane rides  always made me sick.

It would probably be accurate to say being sick was a habit for me. Friends knew to expect me with tissue in hand at all times. I was never sick for long - a few days in most cases - but I was always sick it seemed. Being sick was just a state of being for me.

One day I decided to change my situation and get somewhat healthier. I started taking vitamin C in 2013 and have slowly but surely gotten much better. Gone are the things of the weather making me sick. I don't have to haul tissue around as an accessory all the time anymore.

The only problem now is when I do get sick, it lasts for days or turns out to be something major. Such is the case now. I've been going to the doctor and getting tests done since October because of some results. Most of these visits have been pain free. At least that was the case until the visit on last Monday. Whatever procedure the doctor did has left me feeling terrible. And the follow up CAT scan wasn't much better.

Now I'm in pain and discomfort all day and there is now another issue that is going to require more testing at the least. I was fine until my appointment but now just two days before I leave in a cruise I not only hear disturbing news but have to deal with unexpected pain.

It's like my sick habit had returned with revenge.

music habit

I love listening to music. Love, love, love it! My focus will seem off if I don't have music playing softly in the background at work. I also must have music at home, while I'm in the shower, cleaning and so on. And of course I have the music going on in the car. Music is playing even as I type this post.

Typically I like a mix of old school R&B and gospel music. There are times I will mix in some new R&B, pop music and even a bit of hip hop.

Usually I just listen to the music, but occasionally I will sing to my heart's delight. I totally sound like Beyonce (if she couldn't sing).

I have a stash of CDs as well as music on my iPhone, but Spotify is what I regularly use to listen to. Before that it was iHeart Radio. I think I like play lists better than radio stations. The radio will play the same seven songs 11 times. That's not so bad if it's a song I love. But imagine the torture if it's a song you despise.

I truly believe music helps the world go round and round (no Tevin Campbell).

lazy habit

Today, or should I say tonight, I don't feel like doing anything. Not my hair, not read a book, nothing. I had a very busy day, but now I am dirt dog tired. I barely feel like writing this post. It doesn't help that I'm feeling a little under the weather as well. Let us hope me being lazy does not become a habit.

Gaming habit

Help! I've become addicted to Candy Crush and Temple Run 2 ... again.

Yes, I know it's been ages since both games came out. For some reason I decided to download them back to my iPhone. Big mistake. Now it's become a semi-regular habit of mine to play the two.

At least with Candy Crush I stop once my lives run out. Unfortunately you can endlessly play with Temple Run 2.

This can't be healthy. Granted I'm not too worried about it. I stopped playing both cold turkey after about six months of intense gaming. Apparently that didn't work because here I am again.

Whoever invented both these games is a genius (or the devil). Now back to the game I must go.

Sleep habit

I am trying to get back into the habit of having 8 hours of sleep. Of course it would help if I actually went to bed on time. Instead I stay up late. Doing what you might ask? Reading. It's an addiction. Unfortunately it is one I need to break before I started getting bags under my eyes and end up looking 40. Fun fact I turned 30 on Dec. 30th. My brother keeps telling people I turned 40. They may very well start to believe him if I don't get the proper amount of rest. So I'm going to end this post and get at least 7 hours of sleep.

packing habit

In exactly one week yours truly will be sailing the high seas for a five-day cruise to the Western Caribbean. I'm leaving from Miami and heading to Key West and Mexico. The packing process has already started in anticipation of the event.

Once upon a time I used to be the person who packed at the very last moment. And by last moment I mean an hour or so before I was supposed to leave. Surprisingly I never forgot anything important. Granted there were a few occasions my last minute packing caught up with me and I had to break down and buy something I already had a gazillion of at home. I blame my parents. They pack hours before leaving. Needless to say I copied their example for many years.

It wasn't until August 2012 I started to get into the habit of packing in advance. My best friend and I were going on a cruise. It was my first cruise ever. I packed a couple of days in advance for fear of leaving something that I wouldn't be able to find on the seven seas. By the time my Europe Trip in 2013 rolled around in March I had packed almost two weeks in advance. Now at the very least  I pack a week in advance for a trip.

Packing for a major trip makes me excited. Sometimes it's so much excitement that I forget something. So it's a good thing I pack well enough in advance, complete with lists to check off, to make sure I have it all together. Heaven forbid I  end up ready to board a plane or the boat and realize my passport was left behind.

irritable habit

Folks I am one irritable individual. Or maybe I should say I am easily irritated. It seems like being irritable is a habit I just can't break. I even made up a disease - Irritable Personality Syndrome - because of how much it effects me.

I know irritable personality syndrome must be a real thing because I suffer from it on a regular basis. A PSA for IPS would probably read like this: Did you know 1 in 3 Americans suffer from Irritable Personality Syndrome?

 Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a cure or even a support group for IPS. So I am trying different coping mechanisms to deal with it. One of them is Jeremy.

Recently I decided to create Jeremy, my very own personal assistant. Jeremy is a composite of all the people who irk me. Instead of taking my irritation out on them or resorting to my bad habit of calling people imbeciles, Jeremy will now bear the burden of it alone. Surely this well help aid me in ending my irritable habit.

I'm not sure why I picked the name Jeremy. Probably because he's a cousin of Jeff, the invisible teammate. Have you ever wondered who your favorite QB was throwing to when the ball landed nowhere during a football game? It was Jeff, the world's worse teammate. But I digress.

Just like Jeff can do no right, neither can Jeremy. Right now all I can seem to yell at him is, "You only had one job Jeremy!" For some reason it makes me feel better and less likely to bite someone's head off. I keep threatening to get rid of Jeremy, but at least he serves a useful purpose for channeling my irritable energy.

cooking habit

You've surely noticed by now that I am following a writing theme this month. Each post has been about a habit I am working on. Habits are so much better to think about than goals for me. So seeing this as the topic for January NaBloPoMo was awesome. It's giving me an opportunity to really think about my habits. But I digress.

Today's habit is cooking. I hate to cook. I love to eat, but the effort of getting there annoys me. It is my heart's desire to one day be rich enough just so I can employ a personal chef. Cooking soothes some people. It causes stress in my life. I already have enough stress, and don't need to add on to it. Mainly it's because I'm not that great at cooking. I have no desire to be Betty Crocker and it reflects in my cooking. Sure there are some things I do really well - cranberry sauce, oven fried chicken, banana bread - but most of what I cook sucks. So I don't do it that often.

This year I am trying to change that and get into the habit of cooking at least a few times a week. It's healthier and cheaper than going out to eat all the time. Tonight I made pizza biscuits. It was fairly simply to throw together. I tend to look for recipes with less than five ingredients that can be made either in the crock pot, or in the oven in 30 minutes or less. The pizza biscuits fit the criteria perfectly.

Here's what I did: I baked the biscuits (yes, canned ones) for 10 minutes, opened them and put Alfredo sauce (about a 1/4 a cup to cover four), three turkey pepperoni and a piece of kale on one half and mozzarella  and two turkey pepperoni on the other. I returned them to the oven for another seven minutes and voila, dinner was served.

On Wednesday I'll make something in the crock pot. I think it will be my specialty - chicken and vegetable stew. My cooking habit is already off to a good start.

Bible habits

Reading the entire Bible is a habit I have attempted several times now. I have yet to read all the way through. I always start off strong at the beginning of the year, but then somehow it gets pushed to the side. Each year my dad reads the Bible all the way through via a different translation. One day I'll get like him.

I blame the devil. Well mainly it's due to laziness and a lack of dedication on my part. Sure some of the books are a lot drier than others as far as reading goes (I'm looking at you Corinthians). That's no excuse to just stop and let the reading fall by the wayside.

This year, I am determined to finish reading the entire Bible. I'm going to do it! I just bought The Message Bible for my Kindle. I used to read this translation online, but I felt like I needed to actually own it. The Message Bible is one of my favorite translations because it is easy to comprehend. Sometimes the wording cracks me up, because it really brings a verse alive. King James is just not for me. New King James isn't much better.

 Today is the day I kickoff the reading, mainly because my plan is based on days not dates. I'm starting where I left off last year (Jeremiah). Once I finish, I am going to try a different Bible Reading plan. The one I have is just straight through. I am motivated to form this habit.

Night life habit

Guess who is trying to increase her nightlife habit? This girl right here.

Normally I don't spend my evenings doing much of anything. Reading dominates my night life activities. This time I actually went out and about.

 I am hanging with my friends some old and some new. This has been a great way to end my Christmas break.

 Here's hoping I keep up this habit of actually doing something each week.

Reading habits

Tracking my reading has become somewhat of a habit over the last two years. An avid book lover, such as myself, needs someplace to record what she has read in a year. I use Goodreads because it allows you to set a yearly reading goal.

I started with a goal of reading 104 books in 2013. I actually exceeded that goal by more than 20 books. My list it was filled with fiction ranging from mysteries to romance novel. Adding the Kindle app to my phone and laptop is what really pushed me way over the goal. Getting an actual Kindle for Christmas was also a game changer. The Kindle is perhaps the best thing since sliced bread.

Sadly I didn't make my goal for 2014 - 140 books. Life happened, and I had a period of inactivity regarding reading (and apparently everything else in my life). I think I finished with a little more than 132 books. That wasn't too bad.

My goal for 2015 is to actually read 140 books. That averages out to about three books a week. Really that should be a cake walk for me. I don't watch TV that much, and love to spend my time reading.

Mainly I read historical romance novels, but this year I want to incorporate other genres. Woman can not live by romance alone. But I do so love reading a tale or two about a dashing duke, magnificent marquess or valiant viscount. Alas, I must make it a habit to expand my reading horizons.

Back in the habit

In 2014 I took a break from writing. I didn't write in my journal (the horror), on my much neglected blog or even on Facebook.
It's time to remedy my sabbatical from writing. At the very least, I plan on journaling again.
There wasn't just one thing that made me stop writing, but I don't plan on making excuses in 2015.
Let's just say last year was the worse ever. The absolute worse.
I am hopefully optimistic that this year will be the best ever.
For the next month I plan on posting regularly to help me get back into the habit of writing.
Who would have imagined I could lose my zeal for writing? Sadly  it happened, but out with the old in with the new.