Thursday, March 21, 2013

Childlike Excitement

I know we all have had those moments of longing for our youth. The innocence and the carefree nature of being a kid. Not having bills to pay and getting to play on a playground for thirty minutes a day. Now, it sounds like the life. Back then, all we wanted was to be adults. I was scrolling through a fantastic post on Buzzfeed, 25 Things That Will Make You Smile , and was confronted with this wonderful video of Madeline. I had seen it before, as I'm sure you have, but couldn't keep from clicking 'play'.



I cannot keep a smile on my face when I see this video, partly because I was her as a child and partly because I love her excitement. I was obsessed with trains as a kid and can remember taking my first train ride with my family. Staring out the window in pure bliss while the wheels rolled beneath me. It was incredible. I love that the arrival of a train made this little girl so happy. I miss that; the childlike excitement over something adults wouldn't bat an eye over. That wonder when everything is new you just want to experience it again and again.

Sure, I still have moments like these, most recently when a friend told me she's tight with Hanson (straight up child excitement right there) and I freaked out. In a bar. My point is, I wish I took more time out of my day to look at the simple, everyday things through the eyes of a child. Appreciating a beautiful sunrise or thunderstorm, getting so invested in a movie or book that at the end, you just sit there, still enthralled in that world. So here's my challenge to you, much loved readers. Take a moment everyday to let one thing bring as much happiness into your life as little Madeline at the train station. That's your Try This Thursday.


"The end of childhood is when things cease to astonish us.  When the world seems familiar, when one has got used to existence, one has become an adult" 
--Eugene Ionesco

Friday, March 1, 2013

30 for 30: Day 1

This past Monday, I splurged for one of the first times in my adult life. And by splurged I mean splurged. I bought myself a treadmill, off Craigslist of course, and got it set-up in the third bedroom of my house. Getting it in the room was a feat in itself, so now that it's ready to go, I'm ready to roll.

One thing to know about me, I'm frugal. So frugal that it took me over a year to convince myself to buy the damn machine, and because of that frugality, I've created a new challenge for myself to validate the purchase.

30 for 30 (shout out, ESPN!)

For the next 30 days, I will use the treadmill for at least 30 minutes a day. It can be walking, running, hills, walk/runs, whatever. I just have to be on it for at least 30 minutes for 30 days. Seems easy enough, right? Let's see.