I choose happy.

Oh hello! Are you having an awesome Friday? I hope so.

You know, the world of weight loss can be a really scary, really upsetting, and a really lonely one. At least for me. It can feel like no one understands you and no one really cares. And then when you (read: me) sit and dwell on that feeling, the world comes crashing down around you. Because you know what? Even though you are doing what you need to do to lose the weight, the world is still going on around you. And you shouldn't miss out on the things that make you wonderfully happy, just because you (read: me) feel like you should punish yourself.

So what I mean is, I'm changing my attitude. And honestly, by choosing to focus on things that make me happy, I've actually been eating better, cooking my own food, and moving more. Funny how a simple attitude change can create a waterfall effect.

You know what makes me happy?

Open windows with sunlight shining in:

Open windows like mine make me want to clean my house, and a clean house makes my heart happy.

Shopping for greeting cards: 

I say this, because I just spent time in Walmart shopping for Valentine's cards to send to family members. I love opening every card and imagining them read it. I usually want a lot of room, so that I can write sweet things. <3

Bible Studies & Hot Chocolate:

Oh actually, this should have been on the list first. This is what is changing my life. I'm doing two Bible Studies a week (a women's one and a 20s & 30s group). And putting God first is changing it all. It's inspiring me to make better choices in my life, mostly with my attitude problem. Honestly, you know what I worry about? I worry that when people talk about me when I'm not around, they aren't saying great things. I want to live a life that makes people want to tell others how loving I am, how selfless I am, etc. And...considering I'm one of the most selfish people I know, I have some work to do. And also, who doesn't like hot chocolate on these crazy cold days?

Memoirs:

ooooooooooooooh how I love memoirs, real stories from people's lives, especially when they're funny. My favorite memoir is Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. But after that it is Tina Fey's Bossypants and my current love is Yes Please by Amy Poehler. *sigh* I could go on for days.

I know this post was a little different from the normal. I could tell you a thousand things that make me smile. And maybe I'll do a post like this every once in a while to remind myself of all the wonderful little things in the world.

I hope you guys are inspired to start focusing on the happy more often.

MOVE IT.

Oh man, did I have a wake up call yesterday. One of my biggest fears is coming true. My child is picking up my bad habits, he's going down the same path. I swore that I would never let that happen when I had kids. I don't want them to have the same weight struggle, the same pain I have dealt with my entire life. Every time I walk into the kitchen (which is where a lot more things are for us, like our washer/dryer, access to the garage) he throws a tantrum for food. Unfortunately, it's because every time I go that way, I come back out with food. He expects food, all day. He also is starting to sit on the couch.... a lot. Like me. Like my husband. He throws fits when we drive past fast food. Oh man, that's the one I'm most ashamed of, he knows what fast food is from a distance.

So today, today I cooked all of our food. Today we went on not one walk, but two. Well, the second one was forced, but whatever.

First, we ate lunch and we went for a walk:

And let me tell you something, YES. We were totally those parents with our kid on a leash. And I don't, for one minute, judge myself. Because he is two and he's a psycho that runs off and hides in bushes. I know this, because I tried that. So if it means that my child gets off his booty and walks, then he's on a leash. Now, it was a nightmare, because he thought it was a blast to spin in a circle and get tangled up, BUT WHATEVER. But he was still moving. He walked a lot with us. Then I figured I could be a nice mommy and let him play:

Then, we came home, he took his nap and then we made dinner! And then our entire complex's power went out and he wasn't havin' any of that, so we went for another walk:

And oh how he loves to move. How he loves to explore and be outside. I never want him to lose that.

So, I vow to make an effort to move WITH my child every day at least once a day.

How do you move? Are you alone? Do you take someone with you? Are you trapped inside or exploring our world? No way you move is wrong. Just MOVE! If I can move, you can move.

GET UP! (after you read my blog and share with everyone you love, duh.)

So tell me, what's your plan to get moving?

I am so lazy.

In fact, I'm pretty positive I'm the laziest person I know (minus my dog, Wiggles). After spending a few days at my in-laws, I have realized how much I sit all day. My wonderful mother in law spends her days running around the house, serving us and doing all kinds of wonderful things for everyone. When she's not doing that, she's doing her exercises, or fixing herself something healthy to eat (she's lost over 100 pounds on Weight Watchers). And I realize, here I am. Sitting. Not doing anything. Not exercising, not fixing myself healthy food. Not doing anything for anyone, sitting. Maybe sometimes I'm sitting on the floor, playing Legos with my kiddo.

And I think to myself, that's sad. It is so sad that my child is spending all day with me, seeing me sit. This will be the norm in his mind. And that's not okay. Also, I need to get off my butt and exercise. I need to move. MOVE. It was so cold outside today, my MIL couldn't go on a walk like she usually does. Do you know what she did instead? She walked around the house. Seriously. Around the kitchen table, around the living room, down the hall. She walked, and she kept walking. My son followed behind.

I admire my MIL so much for that. She knows what she needs to do to achieve what she wants, and she does it. Sure she has days where she doesn't stick to the plan, but I am more than certain she has more motivated days than others. I know this, because I have seen this woman in action.

Outside of weight loss, she is still moving. She's cooking and doing crafts and she's serving. Oh what a wonderful servant's heart she has. She is the most giving and loving and serving woman I know. She is quite the woman to be admired. Such a Godly woman. A woman who has qualities that I would like to have. Not only do I want to be making my weight loss goals happen, I want to be a servant of God. I want someone to look at me the way I look at her sometimes. Like I am the image of what God would want me to be.

This post turned into a love letter to my MIL it seems, I don't even know if she reads this blog. But, that's not the point really.

Sometimes the change you need to make in yourself isn't just for weight loss, instead it's a change that will effect every move you make, to be for the better.