Our Step Towards Minimalism

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I talked previously about my desire for less. It really can be a struggle. We're conditioned taught that in order to be happy, we must have more. More money, more things, more everything. Well, I'm tired of more...especially more clutter, more junk. I want to live simply, organically.

Even though the thought of change gives me anxiety, I'm ready for it...actually I'm aching for this change in our lives. I mean, it seems like the natural next step for me but Will was always on the fence. He has made a lot of changes because of me (the guy had never eaten broccoli before we got married...how is that even possible?!) but sometimes familiar habits are hard to break. Well, about a week ago, he stumbled on the Zen Habits website and something clicked with him (even though I've talked about the same concept repeatedly but that's marriage for you).

So as of right now, we're taking the steps towards a more minimalistic life for our boys and ourselves. I'm excited for this change (there have actually been a few changes in our lives but I'll talk more about those in a different post). I'm even more excited to share this change with you guys.

Back to the Basics Life Diet

Earlier this month I wrote a post about making conscious decisions. Well, Will and I have decided to actually embark on a bit of a journey together. We're calling it our "Life Diet" and I figured what better way to make it real than to put it on our blog. Our goal with this "diet" is to simplify our lives a bit while enriching it.

We plan to make the following changes starting tomorrow (Friday, Oct 10th since we'll have the long weekend to detox and start a bit of a routine):
     •No caffeine or alcohol
     •Mostly vegetarian diet (meat on weekends)
     •Whole foods/Little to no processed food
     •Cut down on sugar
     •Exercise 3-4 times weekly
     •More Will and Jaye time
     •Cut down on electronics
     •Follow schedule
     •Be nice, be kind and have fun

I'm actually excited to give this a shot. This is the first time that Will has been 100% on board with the changes I've wanted to make in our lives. To give him credit, this diet was actually his idea. I think the hardest part for me will be the caffeine, sugar and electronics but I plan to give this my all.
So, if I am writing about hating the world in a few days, don't worry. It's probably just caffeine withdrawal.

Making Conscious Decisions

I have neglected this blog. Honestly, I never really knew what I wanted from this space. I knew I wanted to share our lives but I also wanted to use this space as an outlet.

Over the last year, I have lost myself. Being a stay at home mom was never in my plans. Even though I didn't work a traditional full-time job when we were in the states (I worked as a Breastfeeding Counselor as well as served at my Guard base), I still had an identity of my own. Moving to Germany and staying home definitely changed that. I finally realized that I need to reclaim my identity. Don't get me wrong, I love staying home with my boys but I know that I need to make some changes in order for me to be the best possible mom for them. I feel like October is a good month for change. It's the first full month of Autumn (one of my favorite seasons), the leaves are changing, the weather is changing so why not implement some changes/self-improvement as well.

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1. Release negativity from our lives. 

This means breaks from Facebook (the main source of social media I use) and removing negative people and conversations. I'll also make a conscious effort to put out a positive energy. 

2. Eating sensibly

I know that clean eating means so many different things. To me, it means eating less processed foods and using whole, organic ingredients whenever possible. I tend to hold the boys to a stricter standard than myself but that will change. If they can't eat it, neither can I. 

3. Take care of myself

This is the one I will have a hard time doing. I have let myself become such a low priority that I have forgotten who I am. I'm going to invest time in myself, doing things I enjoy. I think that will make a world of difference.

I'm hoping to use this space to document this journey, to express my feelings, fears, insecurities and to share our imperfectly perfect lives.

An Uncertain Future

I am a creature of habit. I hate change and I hate uncertainty. When something in my life (especially something I had planned for the future) changes, I worry non-stop. I go over numerous situations in my mind, thinking of every possible outcome (and usually the bad outweighs the good).

Our future is up in the air right now. We'll be in Germany for another two years but after that, we don't know. Will is leaning towards getting out of the Army but honestly, life outside of the military scares the living crap daylights out of me. The military has always been a part of my life. My dad enlisted when I was two and even though he only stayed in for four years, I grew up right outside of an Army base. I enlisted into the Air Guard at 18 and stayed in for 10 years only getting out because we were moving to a completely different country. When Will and I got married in 2010, he had already in the Army for almost three years. No matter where my life has taken me, the military has always remained a constant, a certainty.

I understand that being military gives you a false sense of security at times. You feel as though you can't survive in the civilian world when in reality, people survive everyday. I don't know if I could. I just don't know if I'm ready to leave the world I know to enter a world of unknown.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (Maybe)

I am contemplating a huge hair change tomorrow. This change has been in the making for a few months now but I think the time has come to finally take this huge step.
Since I was about 14 years old, I have been chemically straightening, or relaxing, my hair. Over the last couple of years, I have tried to take better care of my hair. I became a YouTube junkie, bought tons of hair products and spent hours upon hours in the hair salon (literally). Now, I never had an issue with my naturally curly hair. Mostly I kept relaxing it because that's what I had to do. Relaxed hair doesn't revert back to curly so once you make the decision to use chemicals to change the texture of your hair, you are making a commitment to the upkeep that comes along with straighter hair.
One of the main reasons I decided to "go natural" is that I am trying to live a healthier life. I want to eat better, live better and limit my families exposure to harsh chemicals. I had to admit that the chemicals I was putting on my hair every 6-8 weeks was not healthy at all. I frequently suffered from burns on my scalp, headaches and to be honest, my hair suffered at times. The final straw came when I realized that I had severe breakage in the center of my head. I knew that it was time for me to make a change and try something different.
It has now been about four months since my last relaxer. I have about two inches of "natural" growth which doesn't look like much when your hair is tightly coiled. After talking things over with Will and my mom (who actually just cut all her hair off recently), I plan to cut all my hair off tomorrow. I plan to go to a barber shop and explain my situation to them. I want to keep my little two inches of growth but the rest of it can go. I am not the type of person who likes to hang on to something I no longer feel I need (or want). Besides, it's only hair. It will eventually grow back (and hopefully be better than ever). Although this is a big move, I'm excited to make this change. Plus, I think this will make doing my hair much easier while in Germany. Wish me luck!