#reverb14 | so much reverb-ing

Merry Christmas! We've had a lovely holiday – Christmas Eve with Dan, and Christmas Day with Rob (+ a phone call with Hope's Dad). I had a moment of "uhm, is this all just weird?" today…and then I realized that we're just really fortunate. We choose love…even when it's awkward, and hard, and weird. Love wins.

I'm going to spend the next few days cleaning, organizing, planning, reflecting, and (yes) reverb-ing. #truth – this is one of my favorite times of the year. The week between Christmas & New Years (which is also the week leading up to my birthday) lacks the pressure of the holidays, but holds the promise of new beginnings. And oh how I love a new beginning. Anyway. I'm pondering #reverb14 today, and plan to work on the prompts over the long weekend. Unnecessary note – if a prompt simply doesn't speak to me, I'm skipping it. Thanks for reading! 

Money | Where did you spend your money this year?  Did you save it instead?  What, if anything, would you like to do with your finances this year?

I had a relative sense of calm around money this year. I spent it on the usual things – bills, groceries, ordinary life. I relied on my emergency fund for a sudden trip to OK, and failed brakes. At the end of the year, I got a little fast & loose about money – too many fancy coffees, too much eating out. I'm already looking forward to tightening the belt in the new year – paying off debt, and viewing money as a tool that helps me to live the life that I want to live. As a part of my New Year routine, I'll be re-reading Money: A Love Story. 

Victory Laps | What was your biggest accomplishment this year?

Hmmm…this is a tough one. I had a few minor victories at work. I had a small victory in health/weight. I think that overall, I feel like my biggest accomplisment is that I'm happy. It's a feeling that is hard fought/hard won. 

The Plank | It has been said that you must learn to take care of yourself before you can be effective at taking care of others.  How did you take care of yourself in 2014?  How will you take care of yourself in 2015? 

I really did prioritize taking care of myself this year. I was unapologetic about sleeping in, celebrating with friends, saying no to things that didn't interest me, and seeking out solutions for self-care. I did barre sculpt at the beginning of the year. I went to acupuncture regularly. I ate (and drank) well. I cried when I needed to, and laughed as often as I could. I adopted the questions/answers of "not mine to manage" and "not about me"…and created boundaries between my lean toward super-empathy, and the draining effect that it can have. In 2015, I plan to continue to play with diet & exercise to find a balance that works for me. I will definitely sleep in (often). I will laugh & cry, and celebrate along the way. 

Leap of faith | What decision did you make this year that was a leap of faith? Did it work out? Or not?

I put my house on the market in the spring with visions of selling, closing, and moving over the summer. It's now December, and I'm still in the house. We came off the market in Oct. I took a leap of faith that moving out of this house was meant to be…and it didn't work out. A disappointment, for sure. But. I learned along the way, and I'll try again. 

Small Pleasures | What small pleasures did you discover this year?

Burrata. Satin-y sheets. Slow sunday mornings. French press coffee (which I'm sure has something to do with the boy making it). Perfectly fried eggs. Going to the movies alone. Being a "regular" at a hipster coffee shop. Really big scarves.