366 in 2012

It is finished. I LOVE IT! I successfully managed to take a picture every day this past year as well as get them all into a shutterfly book. I just finished it and cannot wait for shutterfly books to go on sale so I can order it. I used Becky Higgins Project Life Turquoise edition for my book. I am loving her designs and the option of digitally making books rather than having to do them with actual scrapbooks. As I was finishing 2012 I was a little sad because I knew it was over, I was sad because I wouldn't have any more layouts to design, or the challenge of taking a picture every day, sooooo I have decided to continue it for at least one more year. I am taking it on a year by year basis, not committing to doing a photo a day book forever (that could get old and I don't want it to be a chore, I want to love the project). Without further ado here is a glimpse of my 2012 book. I can't wait to order it and for it to arrive so I can sit down and slowly page through it. I will probably do one more proof of it before I order it, I would hate to have stickers in the wrong place or have a typo. Either way I am jazzed.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Looking back on the year there are a few things that were important as I made my book:

• The first few weeks seemed like I was always looking for the "big moments" the major things that happened, while yes, there are a few major things that happened last year (like getting engaged) my life is really made of of small moments that leave a big impact - yes, I go to work every day and it isn't always glamorous and sometimes the messy desk is the most appropriate picture for the day
• Shoot lots of photos & shoot often - I don't always know what my photo of the day will be until the day has ended and I am looking over my photos - I shot thousands of photos this past year and in turn had to make a general 2012 album as well (or really a 2012 album is in the works - I will post it when I get it finished)
• My photos come primarily from three different cameras - I always (or 99% of the time) carry my iPhone 4s [which takes pretty good pictures], I often carry my Nikon CoolPix AW100 [which takes great pictures], and sometimes I carry my Nikon D60 [which if it weren't for operator error would always take amazing pictures] and my book is a combination of all three of those cameras 
• Play with your layouts - sometimes certain layouts look better than others 
• Work with it every week - it gets ridiculously overwhelming if you have to remember back and do more than a week at a time - every Sunday night or Monday morning I updated my album
• Go with it - not every picture will be worth a million dollars - but looking back is sooooooo much fun

Anyone else do a photo a day book?
Are you enjoying the project?
How many years have you done it?

Challenges

Recently I have been trying to be more aware of what I eat and what I don't eat, I have been trying to consume more water and less sugary beverages, I have been trying to eat more veggies and fruit and eat less overly processed things and carbs. I am working on it. It is a slow slow slow process for me. I am overcoming years of eating whatever I want and not having it effect me. There were the years that I played women's basketball at the college level and it was almost like I couldn't consume enough during those years, we would practice a couple times a day and I never had to watch what I ate. I am learning that as I am no longer the athelete I once was, I need to adjust certain things and learn how to continue to train my body so that I am happy with it again. I have to watch my portion size as well, I no longer need to be consuming way more than my body needs.

Working at a church this can be quite the challenge. For example many Wednesdays we serve a meal before church (generally it is a hot dish of some sort or a pasta dish or something along that line) the food is marvelous, however there is no limit on portion size or a balance of fruit and veggies and I should not even begin to talk about the amazing desserts. At youth group last night they had huge rootbeer floats or purple cows (substitute the rootbeer in a rootbeer float for grape soda and you have a purple cow) and they looked delightful. Last night on my way home I held my head high as I left knowing I had brought my own dinner and successfully didn't consume a rootbeer float (despite the fact that I love ice cream, and do eat it in moderation, I knew that I wouldn't be able to limit myself to a small portion). I was happy and content.

As I arrived home I called my fiance (he lives down the block) and he was just coming home from the grocery store and so I walked down to his place to help him unload and put away his groceries. As I was unloading there was a certain piece of me that was jealosu as I know his metabolism is way faster than mine and can get away with eating differently than I can.

what I pulled out of one bag of his groceries

As I pulled these out of one bag of his groceries there was a certain piece of me that was jealous that I knew that I wouldn't be sitting down with a large pile of oreos and consuming them all with an oversized glass of milk. There was a piece of me that was a little jealous that I would get to eat these things. And then I thought about it for a while and realized that for me these cookies, donuts, muffins, are not what my body needs or requires any more. I make no promises that I won't ean an oreo at some point but I know I won't eat a pile of them. Slowly but surely these types of food no longer have the temptation that they use to. They don't have the same appeal they once did.

As I walked home last night. I once again held my head high knowing that slowly but surely I am winning the battle (or at least won yesterday) over what I eat. I make choices and stick to them. I do still eat ice cream and oreos and chocolate on occasion just in moderation and with a serving size at a time rather than four or five. Slowly but surely I am reclaiming my body and feeling healthier as I do it.