Happiness Project: February

Remember Love!
Marriage

Alas   the presence of babies and teenagers puts alot of pressure on marriages, but that doesn't mean that you can't have a family and a great marriage.
The best movie I've seen on marriage is called Fireproof and you should definitely check it out! Since I am  only 15 and am obliviously not married I decided to do these steps on my sibling and parents or really just anyone!

1) Quit Nagging
It may shock you but I am pretty bossy at least with my siblings. I consider myself Meg's (my 4 year old sister) second mom. I know my parents so well that I'll just say what I think they'd say for them, they don't like it too much. In the book Gretchen and her husband sit down to watch a movie and she decides to start filling and licking the Christmas letters to send to the family and when she asks whether he wants to fill or lick and he says, "Please dont make me." Going with her goal, she decides not nag and he greatly appreciates it, this saves her energy! One antinagging technique is to just do it yourself.

2) Don't expect Praise or Appreciation
Ugh this one is hard for me:P  but really it's better to give appreciation to others. How you treat others is a great way to show others how you want to be treated. Also what helps me is that just because someone doesn't praise you for something, that doesn't mean they done appreciate it.

3) Fight Right
This one made me confused, shouldn't you not fight at all? But really I think the author ment that 1) don't fight about alot of silly things like who's turn it is to do the dishes and 2) if you do "fight" be light hearted not about to explode. It's really sad how the people we love we treat the worst.

4) No Dumping
This is referring to talking. Dont dump your problems and woos on your partner( and/or friends and siblings).Writing helps me to vent sometimes. I dont think you should never talk to others about your problems just dont do it often and do it when your calm.

5) Show signs of Love
AAAaaaw lol. Pierre Reverdy said "There is no love; there are only proofs of love" You will love and grow closer to someone if you show you love them!

Valentine's Day!!<3

I love Valentine's day because i love, chocolate, hearts, pink and sparkles!!! They all are a pretty big thing in February. However many of my friends do not like Valentine's Day!! I am writing this to tell about my view of Valentine's day and hopefully make other people like it more. Now if you do not like Valentine's day because you don't like pink or hearts, I cant really help you, i'm sorry for your lose, really:)

However some of my friends just dont like Valentine's day because they dont have a boyfriend or girlfriend. I dont have a boyfriend and never have and still love the holiday! I still have guys I have crushes on, but I dont focus on that for Valentine's day. I still think of it in the Elementary school way. In Elementary school we all gave Valentines to each other saying nice things. Valentine's day is the time to love everyone!!!:)<3

If you still want to be romantic you can try to get to know more about your crush(es), but think of loving others. Since I dont have a boyfriend to be my Valentine I focus on my friends. I tell them i love them and maybe serve them that month!! This way makes Valentine's day for everyone, because everyone has friends!

Happiness project: January

January's happiness goal is to boost your energy!

Go to bed earlier

We all love sleep but we dont usually get much of it. A study mentioned in the book says that one extra hour of sleep each night can do more for a persons happiness than getting a $60,000 raise! Wow! But it doesn't just end with going to bed earlier, there are things to do before bed that help you sleep.
1) Turn off the Lights!
Don't stay up doing things on your phones and make sure your room is almost completely dark when you sleep. Lights from electronics can confuse  your bodies sleep cycle. Also before bed dim the lights around you.
2) Stretch
I've done this a few times and it really does help. Stretching tires my body out and helps me sleep.
3) Don't do work that requires alert thinking
4) Keep your bedroom slightly chill

Exercise Better

Exercise by itself releases happy hormones. Exercise can be as easy as walking around the house or lifting weights. It's hard to get into an exercising routine but once you get in one, not only is it worth it but it also becomes easier to do. The book centers on walking as a great exercise. It is a great way to relax  and think. I've learned from previous reading that walking or being outside, there is a smell that releases a happy hormone.

Toss, Restore, Organize

Ok I'll admit, when I saw this I groaned. My last organization project did not go so well. I tried to tackle my whole room and got to exhausted put stuff neatly away so I shoved it back were it was:P But this part of the book is so entergeetic!! I can feel the authors excitement as she tackles the cleaning of her house. I realized though it may be more obvious to somme, that I could take my room one part at a time. This would ensure that I wouldn't get too exhausted and would give each area more attention!! The author has some ideas that may help you declutter. 

1) Not piling up things in areas, clear them off and make sure it does creep into a clutter mess again

2) act like you are about to move what would you keep and what wouldn't you?

3) Have an empty drawer, haven't yet tried this out yet but it sounds fun!!

4) before gong to bed tidy up the place so when you wake up you'll see thecleanliness and be more happy and calm.

Act more energetic!

I love acting so this sounds super fun!! To me it's fake till you make it. Most people think we act the way we feel but we can also feel the way we act! So do some jumping jacks, think happy thoughts and getpumped there's a whole day to be happy, so act like ur happy and you will be!:)

  

                                                                                                           

New Year's Resolution of 2014

So this year i'm taking on the new years resolution i failed last year, to complete the Happiness Project.  It's a book by Gretchen Rubin that my parents read last year and I was drawn too. Each month it has a theme to follow that will help you become more happy. Last year I couldn't keep up with the reading and the rest of my life so I forgot about it, but what I did read really helped me. So this year I'm going to try harder and succeed in being happy. I will try my best to also post the theme of each month and the things I've learned so you can try to improve your happiness too!!

Christmas Vacation of 2013!

I have just returned from an awesome winter vacaion to Utah where my family lives. Our family hasn't been to utah during the summer for about 9 year, since we ussually go every other summer. So I was very excited. We always drive to Utah which is about 24 hours! Our first stop was my Aunt Shannon's who lives in what used to be my grandma's house and is the same house my mom and her family lived in for all of their childhood. It used to be in the midle of a feild but now there is a nieghborhood on one side and an elementary school on the other. 

I had lots of fun with my cousins, and since I'm older i was able to connect better with my older cousins and uncles. One of my Uncles that I thought was shy turned out to be a clown and trickstir. He scared me at night, shoved food in my face and once put me out in  the snow in my Pjs. My other uncle who's 23, we competed at Just Dance and had fun. 

I also got to go snowboarding for the first time! That was super fun! It was fun to plow or carve down hills and through the snow, but it hurt Alot. It was lso kind of scary, becaue one time I was on a mountain and  would keep falling forward hard and hitting my head and stomach hard, and i freaked out. I said i couldnt finish and started crying. But my dad and uncle helped me get through it. I went really slow and started to forget my fear and then i did a very unSadie like thing, i wanted to try again, by myself! And i did it!!

Our second stop was St. George Utah where we would have a picture family reunion! It was so beautiful in St. George with the canyons! We went hiking and got family pictures in the red rocks. My brother and cousin tried to get acrossed an icey pond which was entertaining;)

We also looked at old pictures of the families and drew a family tree with each person!

I was sick for most of the rest of the trip but i still loved it and cant wait till next time!!!:-)