Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! I’m back!

Not too long ago, I decided that my obsessive short-term goal setting needed to take a back seat to some long term work towards my future. This simultaneously allowed me to make room for some in-the-moment presence and joy. This only works if I have clear objectives that I set and daily actions towards them. When I’m working consistently toward my big goals, it not only makes me feel productive, but it curbs my itch to plan plan plan for God knows what in the coming week. Without the daily action, I spiral into an anxious scramble to “get my life together.”

I’ve been planning for next year, and everything I want to accomplish, from a wellness perspective. Here are my goals for 2019.

Routines

My healthy routines for the year encompass different areas of wellness. Here they are.

Mind: enrich my year with experiences, not things

Money: budget wisely throughout the year, cut down on debt and save

Eating: cook and eat healthily year round

Exercise: stick to an exercise routine to get in shape and lose weight

Projects

My specific projects I’d like to complete in this new year are about my house and grad school.

School: I’m signing up to take the GRE and working on my application to a graduate certificate program this year. Wish me luck!

Home: Austin and I are going to tackle several projects around the house, including putting in a backyard fence, planting a vegetable garden, and raising some ducks! I’m hoping this intentional time spent together allows us to grow closer and

Goals

Although the routines and projects are pretty vague, I do have some goals that will serve as indicators for how successful I am in keeping my sh*t together this year. Here are a few that seem to be self-explanatory:

• lose weight: go from 200 lbs to 150lbs (I know, wtf)
• pay off my credit cards
• take craft classes and join craft groups — COMMIT
• no eating out ALL YEAR, hahahahahaha we’ll see
• sign up and run an official race every month
• read a book every month
• install a backyard fence once and for all

These are just some of my goals, so stay tuned for some in depth posts on how I’m going to try to achieve these hefty, lifestyle shifting aspirations.

Recently, I subscribed to such an awesome blogger and have fallen in love with her content. One of the most recent ideas I’ve seen that she’s taken on (for a couple years now) is her Christmas Pledge. Its basically a pledge for each day in November to get something done in preparation for the Holiday season to make sure that December is free from stress, scrambling, and last minute Christmas shenanigans, as much as possible of course. Here’s Karen’s version from The Art of Doing Stuff:

Today is November 9th, so I’m obviously late if I wanted to take on this daily pledge, but I’m not giving up. These first few task items (9 to be exact) are on my catch-up list for today, so good thing I’ve taken a personal day from work because I AM SO STRESSED.

I’ve taken Karen’s version of a get-your-sh*t-together list and made tweaks of my own, so here it is in all it’s busy glory:

My Christmas Pledge 2018

1. Make a list of gifts people and card people. Also plan the gifts and cards.
2. Book all appointments for December. Luckily, I do my own hair and nails, but scheduling out this time before the business starts is going to be so helpful.
3. Saturday, the day of rest. Just like the Lord intended, just a lil earlier in the week. Also, no rest. Start making a simple ornament for work friends and acquaintances.
4. Christmas card day. Make those cards baybay!!
5. Go get supplies for wrapping. Honestly, I’m trying to get rid of some newspaper and leftovers from last year, so hopefully I don’t have to leave the house for this one.
6. Start on my gift ideas and plan for all the gift people.
7. MY Christmas List. Good thing I already made this.
8. Food for Christmas Eve and Day and visiting the fam.
9. Day of rest once again. Except for me, it’s about getting everything above worked out. And work on those ornaments.
10. Finalize the gift list — buy list and make list for gifts
11. Rest day. But really, just make sure you actually did all of the previous tasks. And make a few more ornaments.
12. Get out Christmas decorations… and go ahead… you know you want to… PUT UP THE TREE!!
13. DECORATE MORE!
14. Get cards finalized, addressed, stamped and ready to send out. Decide when to send them out.
15. Drink eggnog. Or hot chocolate. Do something fun. Oh, and make some more ornaments.
16. Decide on my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day attire. Make sure it fits.
17. Decide on the cookies for Santa. Are you done crafting those ornaments?
18. Outside decorations. Hang the lights. Make sure your wreath looks fabulous. Get on it!
19. Make at least one gift to get it checked off the list.
20. Make another gift. Also, are you sure that’s enough ornaments?
21. Oh, you forgot about Thanksgiving huh? That’s tomorrow. Pick out your outfit, and make a dessert to pop in the fridge. Also, call your mom. You need more details on how to help out.
22. Happy Thanksgiving!! Actually take a break today. Enjoy your family. Or not. Just go cook and eat. Eat and cook. However it happens.
23. Recover from Thanksgiving. Also, do some crocheting while you’re sitting there.
24. “Last minute” shopping. Shop Local!
25. Date night? Austin probably needs some attention.
26. Cyber Monday! Do some online shopping if you still have to. Hopefully not, but who knows?
27. Mail the Christmas cards out!
28. Final decorations inside. You’re probably done, but hey, let’s hang some snowflakes from the ceiling!
29. Finish up making your gifts. Lay out everything for wrapping day tomorrow.
30. Wrap the gifts. Place them under the tree. Pray to God they survive the wrath of the KitKat until the big day.

If that doesn’t get you excitedly motivated, I have no idea what will! I’m pumped, overwhelmed, and honestly already tired, but I’ll update you all this weekend on how far I’ve gotten and if I can even manage to catch up. Follow along on my Chrimah Pinterest board to see my ideas as they develop.

P.S. Read Karen’s blog!!

Hello there. Today we will explore the depths of a great mind, a brilliant mind. The space within this mind flows with genius… JUST KIDDING. I’m going to show you my cubicle.

So, the photos I show you were taken today, in the middle of working, so (to me) it’s an absolute mess. I function well in a clear, uncluttered space, but when I’m in the flow of the workday, this is usually how it goes…

Here is my cube. I have awfully tall cubical walls for privacy, I think? I don’t mind it, except the way the desk is positioned, people frequently scare me to shrieks when they come in behind me all spooky and secretive. Anyway, the considerate bunch has resorted to knocking on the hollow walls, which doesn’t really do a lot of good since I’m positioned right next to an office on which many many MANY people have to knock. Anyway, here’s where all the magic happens.

SO, as you can see, I have dual screens set up for all the crazy multitasking and multimedia editing I do, but soon I’m getting a fancy curved monitor that weighs as much as a small child. I’m excited! I work at Wake Forest University in the Facilities Department as the Media Coordinator, so I’m writing articles for our website, posting to social media, and tracking all kinds of projects and events we need to effectively document and communicate out. Here are the programs I have up most often.

Notice that I have my personal calendar and work calendar synced. This is VITAL.

I don’t enjoy the harsh blue hue of the LEDs, or the erie yellow light coming from the built in lamp below my cube’s shelf, so I visited surplus (an awesome warehouse full of reusable furniture and things) to snatch a table lamp that has a softer, more pleasant light. It also has three brightness settings!! AHH! Are you not thrilled by this technology?!?!

The little things go a long way if I have a long, busy day stuck to this chair. I got myself a fake plant for aesthetic purposes, and everything I’ve brought into the space is golden because I’m at WAKE! This arrow post it is a reminder to sit up straight and practice better posture. This “choose life for you” note is a reminder to do what’s best for me at all times. I am a “yes woman” per se, so I can get caught up in people pleasing instead of focusing on doing a great job for my own goals.

Perhaps the best thing on my desk is the cube shelf with all my baybays (excluding Kit Kat for now) framed so I can gaze upon my family when I feel stressed or worn out.

This was probably SO BORING, but I come here every day and get a lot done, so maybe you’ll grab a little inspiration from my setup. Until next time!!

ad·ven·tur·ous

/adˈven(t)SHərəs,ədˈven(t)SHərəs/

adjective

1. willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences.
2. “let’s be adventurous”
3. synonyms: daring, daredevil, intrepid, venturesome, bold, fearless, brave, unafraid, unshrinking, dauntless;

To me, being adventurous means to take on what is in front of you with an eagerness to tackle the experience, no matter the situation. To quote one of my other blog posts about adventure:

I love when life throws challenges at us because with those, I have more interesting moments, more eventful days, and way more awesome stories to tell. I also find value is building the skills needed to handle conflict, no matter how big or small.

So, be adventurous! You never know how it could turn your day around.

I am an Eagles fan. Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles. Defending Superbowl Champs.

Suck it Patriots.

I wasn’t always an Eagles fan, nor did I take football seriously. I’ve been a bandwagon fan because my little brothers were absolutely obsessed. I mean, Bradley can tell you the full biography of just about any of those giant humans you see on tv. Not kidding.

Bradley happened to like the Eagles, and I happened to want to somewhat be included, so I like the Eagles. (Side note: Gregrey likes the Giants, and it’s not a dig against him or anything, but yeah, not really feeling them.)

Anyway, I recently started dating ANOTHER Eagles fan, making the family’s official team the Philadelphia Eagles. Thank. You. Very. Much.

So, since Austin is absolutely the love of my life, I’m committing to this Eagles thing. I’m going to be a real Eagles fan. #flyeaglesfly

Now, how do I go from being a bandwagon, “only while they’re winning” fan to a committed follower of the birds? Here is what I’m focusing on, in how-to form, if you will.

Know the rules.

So, if you’re trying to be a fan of a team in a league you know nothing about, you’re setting yourself up for failure. I am lucky that football has been on in the background of my childhood, a common Friday night high school activity, and a topic of discussion during many meals growing up. I know the rules, the basic ones at least.

Get to know how a team wins, what they can do wrong, and what is considered respectful behavior before, during, and after a game. Examine the way a season is set up. Don’t know the difference between the NFC and the AFC? Get that down. Just get to know the basics of how this game is played, and you’re well on your way to nailing this fan thing.

Watch the games.

It may seem like a given, but it’s really not. For example, a know a certain someone who adorns their Carolina gear (Tar Heels, not Panthers) every chance they get, but totals probably ten minutes of basketball viewing time every winter. You have to watch the games. Not all of the games, though that will kick you into super fan shape. Just watch your team play. It’s the quickest way to get into to the next two steps.

Ask questions (during commercials).

So, I’m notorious for talking… and talking, and talking some more. During a football game IS NOT the time for me to go on one of my spiels about sexism in professional sports journalism or any other issue on my mind for that matter. I don’t know why I always end up thinking a good time for a rant is during a live sporting event. I’m literally rolling my eyes at myself right now.

I have worked on, and will continue to work on, my focus. When I’m trying to learn more about something Austin cares about, I especially need to pay attention. When the game is going on, I have so many questions, which makes me feel diminished a bit. I am working on embracing this lack of knowledge as an opportunity to ask questions and bond, but wait! There’s a catch. I have to wait to ask questions AFTER the play ends, and ideally during a commercial. When you have a die hard fan like mine on your hands, you’ve got to understand that a break in game play is the ONLY time to effectively get an answer to one of your burning questions.

Know key players.

This comes with all the previous steps. If you actually know the rules, watch the games, and ask questions, you’ll know the key players. After you get the hang of who is important, then it’s easy to catch onto why your guy is so torn up about an injury, a suspension, or a trade. Knowing the key players will let you form a bond with them similar to my bond with the Two Dope Queens. I care about Nick Foles as a person. That’s the level of commitment I’m talking about here.

Follow the team on social media.

Well, here’s the last and final step to becoming a true, knowledgeable fan of your boy’s sports team. Follow the team on social! It’s simple, you’re already doing it, and it’s mindless studying. Seeing a story scrolling through your timeline is loads easier than any of the steps I mentioned above. Just do it. (Haha, see what I did there?)

In the meantime, here are some things:

HOW EVERY TEAM AND DIVISION HAS FARED IN NFC VS. AFC MATCHUPS

NFL RULES — Always check the date on the rules, cause they change.

GUIDE TO THE SUPERBOWL

CELEBRITY EAGLES FANS

Hello all.

I have been (like always) pretty inconsistent when it comes to writing and posting content for you guys. One of the biggest reasons, or excuse for this is that my blog has not had a concrete focus, or theme. I say that I write about Jackie and Lou, and the adventures we go on together, but sometimes there’s just something else going on in life that takes over. Sometimes, like this week, I stay inside every single day because I don’t feel well. I don’t always have cool lists to share or happenings around me, but I’m beginning to recognize the value in that.

This blog doesn’t have to be only about my dogs and the trails we travel together. A lot of times, the subject matter is much more personal than that anyway. I’ve decided to reorganize my thinking on why I write, what I post, and hopefully how often I’m led to share. I want my blog to be about Wellness.

I’ll admit, I’m sort of inspired by a program at my job called Thrive. It’s an all inclusive program that categorizes wellness into eight distinct parts: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual well being. They do a great job of refocusing health from a purely fitness-minded gym junkie to a more well rounded individual.

Wake Forest created Thrive to give you the skills, knowledge, and perspective to maintain a healthy, balanced life — wherever life may take you.

I hope to take this more general approach when brainstorming content so that dry weeks or months don’t lead to a dry blog. I know I’ll still be writing the bulk of my content on my fur babies and the activities we do together, but I’ll also keep including my personal life and experiences, writing with a well being lens.

Also, in other news, I’ve changed my Twitter username, so now you can find me at @whitneysweek!

Hey hey hey!! You know I’ve been busy with this little kitty and everything, so please accept my humble apology for neglecting you to care for my new fur baby. Forgiven? Ok, cool.

So, you may not think it’s yet time to be gearing up for the New Year, but if you know me, you know I’m a preparer. A prep monster, if you will. I am SO READY to set some goals and knock them out in 2019, but I too realize I’m a few months ahead of myself, so I’m doing something a little unique.

I’m going to be testing out some of my goals I have for this next year. I’ll be dipping my toes into a regular running routine and healthier eating. I have some cool professional and personal growth goals I’ve set, but I wanted to talk to you about my diet to get back to when my body was capable of handling the mileage and rigor of regular hikes, trail runs, and hours of basketball.

I want to be really clear here. I am dieting in order to lose that first chunk of weight holding me back and making it difficult for me to get in the shape I want to be in for ABILITY, NOT AESTHETICS. I know I carry more than a couple extra pounds on me, literally weighing me down. This diet is meant to jump start my slow weight loss and healthy eating habits, not to try to become the next VS Angel.

For me, it’s about what my body can do, not what it looks like.

I gotta man.

Alrighty, so my test run of my diet is a sort of version of the Military Diet. The three day meal plan seemed super bland to me, and included things I absolutely cannot stomach (hello grapefruit), so I made some adjustments and this is my version of the military diet.

Military Diet

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Breakfast

Peanut butter toast

½ fruit

1 cup of coffee

Egg on toast

½ fruit

1 cup of coffee

Cheese toast

½ fruit

Coffee

Lunch

chicken/tuna salad on toast Cheese, crackers, & cold cuts Sandwich

Snack

Apple

Carrots

Cucumber

Apple

Carrots

Cucumber

Apple

Carrots

Cucumber

Dinner

1 cup of Veggies

1 serving of Meat

1 cup of Veggies

1 serving of Meat

1 serving of Meat

1 serving of Fruit

1 cup of Veggies

Here’s a day of their version. Yeah, no thanks grapefruit.

Obviously a three day adjusted diet plan is not a great way to actually change my eating habits, so I created a custom weekly outline to help me adjust. Here’s my weekly plan. It’s loose enough to leave the weekends flexible enough to go out, eat with Austin, or just try something new.

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wed

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

CHEAT MD Day 1 MD Day 2 MD Day 3 MD Day 2 MD Day 1 Try a Recipe

So far, I’ve eaten Day 1 and Day 2 of the diet, but it’s early. I’ll keep you updated!

I am so excited, because I just got a new roommate! Meet Kit-Kat.

This crazy kitten is about 3 months old and loves to cuddle and play. I didn’t think I’d love having a cat this much!

She’s super friendly, though she avoids Lou right now because he’s way too crazy and confused. She loves to sit on my balls of yarn, distract me from crocheting, or kick around Jackie’s tennis balls. I love how she’s so silly and stubborn, but so sweet. She’s the purrrrrfect little girl, and Austin says as long as she stays that way, we can keep her. HA

Check out my whole playlist of Critter Clips on YouTube. There’s plenty of doggie clips for all you loyal dog people, too.

Well well well. A post about policy and current events…

I never thought I’d be writing about something like this, but I recently got into a discussion with my favorite human about Facebook’s data scandal, data mining, and the government’s responsibility to protect people from these sorts of breaches. When we started talking, and my opinion was strong.

I firmly stated that data mining is a common marketing technique that almost everyone who uses a computer will take advantage of to advertise, that nobody did anything wrong in targeting voters in our last election, and that the government has no responsibility to protect those who hand over their personal information like candy to a baby. Needless to say, my opinion has changed.

I read a ton of articles, many academically driven, and took notes on both sides of the story. Austin helped jump start me with this video.

The biggest thing I didn’t realize until watching that video is that Cambridge Analytica did indeed break Facebook’s rules. It also seemed to be more about how they used the data than actually obtaining it in the first place, but it was still vague. So, my research was (and still is) cut out for me.

Let’s start with a few definitions of this thing called data mining.

Wikipedia: Data mining is the process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems.[1]

SAS Insights: Data mining is the process of finding anomalies, patterns and correlations within large data sets to predict outcomes. Using a broad range of techniques, you can use this information to increase revenues, cut costs, improve customer relationships, reduce risks and more.

Dictionary.com: the process of collecting, searching through, and analyzing a large amount of data in a database, as to discover patterns or relationships

At first glance, it seems to make sense and be completely harmless. It’s common for anyone trying to reach an audience to search for and understand patterns of behavior and preferences from a sample size of actual people. Now, why does data mining have a bad rap?

After searching further, I have come to understand that the wrongdoing of data mining stems from a lack of transparency. When businesses collect and use people’s data, they are doing so to improve business practices and make money. This makes our information a monetized tool. Information is a valuable resource, and when businesses use it, we should at least know and agree to effectively sign over our rights. It is OUR information after all.

During my research, I stumbled upon on one of Khan Academy’s Help Center pages where a gentleman made a few great points in his long winded, sarcastic response to a suggestion that they offer a class on data mining. He said about the nonprofit tutoring service, “It’s free. But users do pay a price: In effect, they trade their data for the tutoring.”

He went on to explain the ways in which sites like Khan Academy will write up intentionally confusing terms of service or privacy policies to vaguely explain how they collect and use user data. “Parents and teachers typically turn to companies’ privacy policies to try to figure out what student data is being collected and how it could be used. “

“Clarity is a rarity.”

To understand why this matters and why we so often click the “agree” button, we’ve got to know what the terms of service document really is. Here’s a pretty accurate definition written by
Christian Sandvig and Karrie Karahalios in an article about the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

“Terms of service are corporate documents written by individual websites to advantage themselves. They often prohibit research by third parties, they prohibit visitors to websites from copying the information found there, and they have even prohibited users from criticizing a system’s owner publicly.”

Basically, if a company leaves their terms of service or privacy policy document in a grey area that cannot be understood, then it doesn’t count as letting people know. Nevertheless, we agree to it pretty much every time we visit the wonderful world wide web. The second and most awful part about these privacy policies is that they can instantly change without notice.

That proves that this game is absolutely unfair from the get go. The entire structure of data collection is wrong, but it’s not punishable because we “agree” to it. In fact, we as individuals can be punished for breaching any part of the terms of service contract without even knowing it because we aren’t aware that it has changed. Anyway, that’s a blog post for another day. So, how do sites get in trouble (or more often get away with) improperly using people’s data? The way the data is used is what actually gets people in trouble.

The reason why Facebook is in trouble is because Cambridge Analytica was allowing Russia (allegedly) to target voters, and push people toward Trump ( allegedly). That crosses a few lines that the government is not ok with, and rightly so. Facebook let Cambridge Analytics do whatever they wanted, and therefore is wrong in subjecting its users to basically being hacked without knowing. Even if Cambridge Analytica was breaking Facebook’s own rules, Facebook still cashed the check so to speak, letting it go until the scandal broke.

Of course, I’m only scratching the surface here, but this is a pretty concerning topic of conversation, especially if we as people have no control over what we see, what we don’t see, and what is happening behind our screens. What do you think?

Disclaimer: Now, you know I’m not a public policy scholar or a computer science nerd. Take my opinions with a grain of salt. I’m out of school, so I am not looking to be graded on accuracy or persuasiveness. Buh bye.

Every dog is different. Every dog is different.

I repeat this sentence to myself as I once again leave my sweet boy Lou at home and drive off with Jackie, tongue wagging as we zoom to the dog park. You see, I hate separating them. Ever since taking the plunge of adopting a second dog, I try to be a fair puppy parent and give the each the same treatment, the same play time, the same treats, the same toys, the same everything. I’m just now realizing that’s not what they need or even what they want.

The Essentials

So, I’m pretty lucky to have two very similarly sized and shaped dogs. Jackie is a 60 pound black lab/shepherd mix, and Lou is my 50 pound border collie mix. Both are super sweet, but show their affection very differently. When it comes to treating them the same, the essentials are simple. They eat the same food and the same amount. They both have the same size crates and dogs beds that they sleep in (gates open). They both take up the same amount of space in the back seat of my CRV. All of that stuff is simple. Their personalities are what makes our relationship increasingly complicated (and honestly, much more interesting).

Jackie

So, I adopted Jackie when she was about 3 months old from a very nicely funded shelter near where I attended college. She was an only child from the get go.

It was just me and Jackie for a year and a half until I found Lou boy at a struggling shelter about an hour from where I live now. Jackie is well behaved and very well adjusted to people life. She’s basically a self sufficient pet except when it comes to eating. Jackie doesn’t like to get wet unless we’re swimming, she’s not a cuddler, but loves attention when we play fetch, and she is great at walking off leash, staying pretty darn close for a dog who would rather not be touched.

Lou

Lou was housed in a crowded cage with two much larger dogs and had a nervousness about him that could only come from a tough past life. He is territorial, standoffish, and untrusting.

After reading that, you’d probably be taken by surprise when Lou meets you and immediately jumps into your lap, refusing to let you leave him after you’ve settled into a seat on the couch. He’s extremely affectionate and clingy when it comes to the comfort of our home and his family. Otherwise, he’s a “guard dog in training,” trying to fend off any strangers (dogs) and simply putting up with human attention. He also tends to wander when he’s off leash. Weird right?

The Difference

Because of these weird personality differences and some general preferences each one of my fur babies has, I have been forced to give them a bit of a different experience. Jackie goes with me to the dog park because she thrives in social situations with other dogs and playing active games like fetch. She even brings the ball to strangers (often kids) to get them involved at the local park. This sounds great, but it’s not an ideal situation for Lou.

Lou is uncomfortable around new dogs and gets ridiculously nervous in crowded dog parks. I know this because he’s become sick on multiple occasions and when I pay close attention to him, he acts out more often when he’s forced into situations where he has to meet and interact with many new doggies. He’s so much better suited for a trail run or a long hike in the woods. He loves the stimulation of smelling and exploring, and he handles pretty rigorous activity much better than Jackie does.

I’ve had to adjust routines slightly and activities are now planned for one dog or the other, instead of me trying to force the two together on the premise of treating them “fairly.” My dogs are different and they need different things. I’m getting used to that idea, and I know they appreciate it.

What to Look Out For…

Our family went through a change recently where we switched from keeping the dogs locked in the house at all times to the pups spending most of their time outside. Look out for my Outside vs. Inside Dog post. Stay tuned!