2019 - The Year of INTENTIONAL!

As originally written back in 2016, here's a little background on choosing a single word to be the theme for my year:

So let me give you a little background. Back in 2010 my bestie, Rebecca, presented this idea to me that she had heard about of picking a word to be your intention for the entire year. We both really liked the concept and totally ran with it. I picked Peace and she picked Joy. And whoa...if we had known how powerful having a single word could be I don't know that we would have done it! Well, at the very least we both agreed later that we would have been more cautious in choosing. LOL Because we both went through a pretty crazy journey that year and our words were very prominent in that journey. I'm kind of glad we didn't know though because that's the way it SHOULD be...kind of the purpose right? At any rate, by the end of the year we were sold! And we've been doing it together ever since. If you want more information about this, just Google One Little Word (Ali Edwards has registered that one) or One Word Resolution and you'll find all kinds of info about it. I don't know who created the concept originally but whoever it was is brilliant! 

My words have been:

2010: Peace
2011: Quality (how my little blog got its name!)
2012: Strong (I did the Ali Edwards One Little Word(r) workshop that year - it's amazing - she's amazing!)
2013: Light
2014: Courage (the year I ran my marathon!)
2015: Now

2016: Grow

2017: Believe

2018: Live (blog post closing out the year of Live)

Before I can jump into sharing my word and what it means to me, I need to provide a little of the thought process that brought me TO the word. Most years I'll start thinking about my word for the coming year around Thanksgiving and will usually settle onto one before December even hits; however, this year, it was towards the end of mid-December that I even came close to settling on a word. Many had run their way through my mind, but nothing had stuck. So I realized that I needed to spend a little time thinking about what I actually WANTED for 2019. In thinking about where I had been and where I wanted to go what I realized was that much of the past several years had been determined by outside factors. First my goals were centered around getting a promotion at work. So all my goals stemmed from that bigger one - up my clothes game, go back to school, be present at work, etc. And then I went back to school with many of my goals centered around finishing my degree program. Then after I finished my degree in March of this year (2018) it was returning my focus to getting life back to normal in a post-homework world. What that basically boils down to is that since I set goals in 2016, my life has been clicking along and I've achieved the big goals that I set of getting the promotion and finishing my degree, then finally returning to a new normal. 

What I realized as I was thinking about it was that this was the first time in several years that I had to actually think about what I wanted in life! There wasn't anything else driving the car, it was up to me to decide where I wanted to go and then turn the steering wheel in that direction. Holy crap - that was a surprising realization! HA! Isn't it funny how life can sneak up on us sometimes? As I got over the shock of not having anything major in life driving my direction, it was scary and freeing all at the same time. What is this concept of getting to decide??? How does that work exactly?? And the realization that I came to was that if I had the opportunity to determine my direction this year and that I didn't have any major life goals that I needed to be working on, I didn't want to just flounder about and not care. I wanted to carve out the direction - I wanted to be INTENTIONAL in where I went even if it wasn't a major life destination. I wanted to make some small life decisions that could make a big impact, or at the very least, small life decisions that I could ENJOY living in. 

And so, INTENTIONAL became the word!

I want to be intentional about how I spend my time. I don't get a lot of "spare" time, so in the time I'm given I want to be intentional with it. What do I do and is it making me better? Who am I spending it with and does it improve my life? Am I taking the time for self-care that I need to take so I can devote myself to the pursuit of quality in my life? For example, many times in the morning as I'm waking up my first go-to is pulling out the phone and browsing social media, which can then turn into a rabbit hole that is hard to dig out of and before I know it, I no longer have time for what I wanted to do that morning like working out or spending a few minutes with the hubby before he leaves for work. So if I'm being intentional, I will set a time limit and when I hit that limit I will get off of the social media and continue on with what I want out of my day. It's not a huge change, but it's an intentional change and one that will allow me to set my direction. 

The main takeaway as I see it is that to be intentional, I have to actually THINK about what I want in each moment. It's about being thoughtful, even if it is small and inconsequential, about what each decision I make brings into my life. Deciding to spend time on social media isn't necessarily a bad thing as I have relationships there that bring meaning into my life, so intentionally deciding on spending time reading and commenting on my friend's posts can bring richness into my life - but it should be something that I actually decide to spend time on; not just something that I mindlessly do. INTENTIONAL...

I'm excited to see how intentional living and thinking works for me in 2019! I'm excited for a year full of possibilities that are just waiting for me to find them. 

Will you be setting a one-word theme for your year? Tell me about it in the comments! 

Closing out 2018 and My Year of LIVE!

For anybody new to this party, my bestie and I have selected a word to be our theme/focus/resolution for the entire year since 2010. My words in recap are:

2010: Peace
2011: Quality (how my little blog got its name!)
2012: Strong (I did the Ali Edwards One Little Word(r) workshop that year - it's amazing - she's amazing!)
2013: Light
2014: Courage (the year I ran my marathon!)
2015: Now
2016: Grow
2017: Believe
2018: Live



Some years my word has really spoken to me (peace, courage, grow), and other years I am hard pressed to even remember what it was or feel any connection to it (strong, light). So, how does LIVE stack up? It was a good word! Not a great word, but a GOOD word. It served me well and I definitely think it helped that 2018 ended up just being a really great year for me. Was it because of the word? Probably not, but I don't think it hurt that I went into the year fully prepared to LIVE life fully either!

Some of the best parts? Finishing school for one! That was a huge accomplishment after a long journey. Getting my Bachelor's Degree was something that was a long time coming, and I'm just happy I finally did it. As it turns out, I'm the first one in my immediate family to be conferred with a Bachelor's Degree! I have several family members that have units towards their undergrad degree; however, I was the first one to actually get the piece of paper. For a teen mom, high school dropout that didn't think that education was in my cards, I was super proud of myself. I was also super happy to get my life back!! When you're in the middle of the challenge, you don't really realize how difficult it is. Once I was done with school I felt like I freed up some brain power to focus on simple things like being the sarcastic ray of sunshine that I am. LOL



After finishing school, I got back to running consistently again! I went to the Skirt Sports retreat in Boulder Colorado in June and hung out with my gal pals. I put on about 20ish pounds during school and when I saw pictures from that retreat I knew that it showed, so I came home in June refreshed and renewed, ready to focus on dropping the weight. I got back to my pre-degree weight in several months and feel much better! I also ran two half marathons in November and December and actually talked my middle son into running them with me! I'm already signed up for three more in 2019. Running feels REALLY GOOD again! I'm still slow and I'm still horrible at sticking to a training plan, but I feel like enjoying it is the primary goal.








I took an EPIC trip to New York City for a work conference and got to take my girls with me! I've been to NYC before and absolutely loved it, so when I got the opportunity to go for work and my girls both wanted to go, we made it happen. I really wanted for them to enjoy the trip and get the most out of being in the city as 24-year olds. Their friend Katryn flew in from Texas and met us there and it was amazing! It's too much to go into in this post, but we had a blast. They had fun during the day while I did conference stuff, and then we would have dinner and explore in the evenings. They may have hit the bars every night as well. LOL







Some of the other highlights: work was fantastic all year long...graduation took place in a different location and it allowed us to do some things differently than we had in the past like having bagpipes walk the graduates in, a balloon drop at the end. It was awesome! We also bought a new building in Temecula where we will open our third full campus in 2020. That was huge news for our college, our community, and our future students. I got a promotion to Director of Board and Executive Services (similar job, but bigger title and more responsibility).

Really, what it all comes down to is that I freaking lived the heck out of my life in 2018! I enjoyed so much health, happiness, friendships, love, family, and more this year. I felt like I tried to find ways to live in each moment, even the ones that were challenging or not so much fun.

So to 2018 I say, thank you! Thank you for giving me lots of life to enjoy. I'm going into 2019 excited to see what comes next. I don't think there's anything big on the horizon to rival all the major life events that went down in 2018; but at the same time, I'm ready to just enjoy a slower pace.

How about you - do you have a word for your year? How did 2018 go for you? What are you looking forward to in 2019?

My First Skirt...

I'm a firm believer in clothes make a person. Not so much that everyone should be strutting around wearing designer clothes that cost an arm and a leg, but in that when you wear the right outfit for the occasion it can totally MAKE that occasion. Imagine if a bride showed up for her wedding in a bath robe, she probably wouldn't exactly feel like she was getting married, right? For example, I'm sure that when a Doctor puts on that white lab coat that they FEEEEEEEL like a doctor. Or when the Police Officer puts on their uniform that they get in "police officer" mode. Sure, they are still doctors or police officers without the clothes, but you see what I'm getting at here, right? When they put on those things that are very much the right clothes for the occasion, it puts them in a certain mindset. I know when I get dressed for my job and I am wearing a skirt, heels, accessories - I am more apt to act like an office professional than if I was sitting here at the desk in my yoga pants and tee shirt.

I believe the same is true when it comes to working out. Not only is it important to have clothes that will meet the form and function requirements of a workout, you want something that is going to give you that extra bit of OOMPH that will help keep you going when the workout gets tough. I know that when I feel like I look good while I'm working out, I try a little harder. It's like putting on the uniform and knowing that they are the right clothes for the occasion and now it's time to get them sweaty! LOL

But for someone that also enjoys feeling like a girl and enjoys how much more power I have when I'm fierce AND feminine, finding the right clothes for THAT job can be tough sometimes...that is until I got my FIRST SKIRT!!!

That is my very first Skirt Sports skirt right there and it changed the way I looked at workout clothes! I had just become a runner and was still buying my workout clothes at Walmart and was never quite feeling like they fit right, felt right, or made me feel pretty! I was getting lots of colors and styles, but it just wasn't doing the trick. I still felt all frumpy and like the parts I really wanted to "hide" were way too much on display! (Raise your hand if you're feeling me on that one. hahaha)

But then I saw a special Active Advantage deal to get 50% off of a running skirt with Skirt Sports. I hadn't heard of Skirt Sports and really didn't know that running skirts even existed, but as soon as I checked out the deal and saw those hot pink shorts under a black skirt I knew I had to have it!!! I mean, come on, form, function, feminine AND something that offered some decent coverage while also allowing me to not be covered from head to toe in hot, sweaty clothes through a SoCal summer??? Yes, Please!!!

My first skirt in action at the Menifee 5k!

And that's where my love affair with Skirt Sports began...but it certainly isn't where it ended! I purchased that first skirt in probably 2010 and it is a precursor to the Gym Girl Ultra, called the Kickstart. A thigh slit on the right side to show off those hot pink shorties that don't budge, flattering black, perfect length, and pockets on both legs. Absolute PERFECTION!! And imagine my happiness when I realized that they didn't just have awesome skirts - they also have capris and shorts and tops and bras and so much more!

I consider myself a true convert - I never would have imagined that I could feel feminine while pounding pavement, or that I could go from run to breakfast or errands and be perfectly okay with it! Never mind that I could wear my workout clothes to my office job on casual Friday and feel like I'm not just looking the part, but wearing it well! Finding my first skirt has led me to feeling like a different person when I workout - I'm not wearing the uniform of a gym rat, I'm wearing the uniform of a fashionista that just happens to also be running in clothes that have fit, form, function AND style!

If you want to fall in love with Skirt Sports too, use code 344GRIM for 15% off at skirtsports.com.

Relationships and Regrets...

I finally watched the movie The Family Stone and one of my big takeaways from it was how the things we won't regret at the end of the day are things, but would be memories forgotten or relationships that weren't what we wanted them to be.

The scene that got me the most was when one of the (adult) daughters lays down next to her mom that is napping and cuddles behind her and then the mom cradles her face lovingly. And what got me was that I wish I had that relationship with my own mom and my own daughters. Family relationships and dynamics are such an interesting thing. My mom was not a very outwardly loving mom - I think it was just because her own parents weren't as well. We live what we are taught, right? And it was different back then as far as family relationships go. Dads were the disciplinarians and Moms were the housewives; everyone had a role and were expected to live within that role. I have always known that my mom loves me, but we didn't have that close relationship where I could talk to her about boys or tell her my hopes and fears that would cause us to laugh and cry together. There weren't a lot of hugs and the words I Love You weren't very often said.

I have two daughters and I feel like I have close relationships with them, but I can't help but wonder if I passed down the same, to a little lesser degree, space between us. I don't know how else to capture that; not sure there's a word for it. We talk; they know they can come to me for anything and we have a lot of great conversations that incorporate hopes and fears and boys. But I wish that I had just a little bit MORE and I wonder if there's something I could have, or should have, done while raising them to change that. Did I tell them that I love them enough? Did I hug them enough? Was I loving enough? Did they always know that I had no expectation other than that they be healthy and happy or did they feel like  if they show what is underneath the surface that it would surely be disappointing?

Spoiler alert - in the movie the Mom has cancer and is going to die. This makes me think about how if we knew that we only had a limited amount of time with someone, would it change how we behave with them? I would have to think that it would. We would want to hold them a little tighter, love them a little harder, share with them a little more of ourselves, appreciate a little more of them. We would want to know their life story so that when they are gone we could hold onto the pieces of them that made the whole. The childhood stories, the first loves, first kiss, the feeling of holding us as a baby in their arms for the first time. We would want to be able to know and store those inside of us. So why don't we do more to capture that in daily life???

I guess my primary point is why do we wait until time is finite to live it? Why do we take relationships for granted until they are no longer there? There is so much heartbreak in this world and we don't always know when we have our last moments with someone. Sometimes, where illness or old age is involved, we know that time is short. But there are other times that there's nothing to broadcast that THIS IS IT - you better tell those people you love that you love them because you're not going to get another chance.

So don't wait for when there isn't any more time. Do it now. Tell the people you love that you love them. Breathe in their stories, hug them tighter, love them harder, ask them about their hopes and fears.

Live like you may not get a tomorrow and make memories that will be there long after the moment has passed!

Be blessed, my friends, and make today count!

 <3 xoxoxoxox <3

The Path Worth Traveling...

Image from Pinterest

When I started my educational journey towards getting my Bachelor's Degree back in June 2016, I really felt like I was just jumping through a hoop to get a piece of paper. You see, I was poised for a promotion at work due to a retirement, and even though a Bachelor's Degree wasn't "required" it was definitely a desired qualification and I knew that I would be part of a very competitive pool applying for this position. Many of the people I would be stacked up against, especially during screening, would most likely have years of experience AND a Bachelor's Degree. The reality was that if it was something that I truly wanted, then I needed to jump through the hoop and at least be working on my degree. Hence, the journey began.

I had previously found many reasons (some people might call them excuses, but to-may-to, to-mah-to LOL) to not start down the path towards my degree, but the reasons weren't enough to be a barrier anymore. After pushing off my start date for almost an entire year, I finally began my first two classes and it was challenging for sure - but, Step One - DONE. Working full-time, taking care of a family, trying to keep up running, studying, going to class...it was TOUGH! There were definite times that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep all the balls I was juggling in the air, much less stay competitive for my dream job. 

Six months into my educational journey, the retirement took place and I was selected to fill the position as an Interim! Step Two - DONE! But you know how they say be careful what you wish for? Well, now I was learning a whole new job AND still doing all the same tasks like working, taking care of a family, attempting to run, study, go to class while training someone to backfill my previous position! HA!!! No problem, right?!? Piece of cake...or two or three, and wait, what happened to running or exercising and since when did candy bars become lunch??? 

One year into my educational journey, the permanent position flew and it was now time to actually apply and then interview for the dream job. No pressure, right?!? Thankfully, my hard work paid off and I was awarded the permanent position. Whew...Step Three - DONE!! At that point I still had about 8 months left of school, and don't think for even a second that I didn't think - hey I have the job, I don't *HAVE* to finish school now. LOL But by then, I was too close to being done and I wanted it.

And you know what else? Somewhere along the way school actually became more than just the "hoop" I was jumping through. I started to see the value of an undergraduate degree. I already had my Associate's Degree previously, but this was different. All of a sudden I was able to really see how it was making a difference in my ability to think outside the box, to reason critically, to defend my position in a thoughtful and educated way. It was no longer a hoop - it was something that was beneficial to my professional AND personal journeys! Who would have thought...right?? But for someone who was a teen mom high school dropout that never thought I would actually amount to much of anything, I started to really see differently. I had moved beyond the circumstances of my childhood mistakes and realized that I was worth having my degree. Getting it WAS for someone like little ol' me. Yes, I probably should have realized that a long time ago, but you know, sometimes the most obvious answers are the hardest to see. 

There are few places that bring me as much happy as my home office does! Sure, I’m not thrilled to be doing homework, but this little space of mine that is full of all the things that mean something to me makes it so much more bearable. From my little bear made from the robe my mom wore during my childhood, to the happiness candle from a friend, to my Star Wars Pez dispensers, my Skirt Sports beanie, photostrip pictures of me and my bestie and so much more. This space is my comfort zone. ❤️ #findyourpeace #findhappy #myspace

A post shared by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Nov 21, 2017 at 4:30pm PST

So there I was, working in my dream job and absolutely LOVING it, working towards my degree and not always loving it, but appreciating what it meant for me, and realizing that this was a path that was SOOOOO worth traveling!! And now here we are...and I am so pleased to say...Step Four - DONE!!! On March 4th I officially finished my last class, but I actually turned in the last of my assignments on February 28th. I will walk with my class on May 20, 2018 and I'll be graduating Magna Cum Laude. I wrapped up with a 3.9 institution GPA, but with transfer units I had an overall 3.74 GPA. Not bad for a teen mom, high school dropout that never thought getting a Bachelor's Degree was something for even remotely achievable. 

My overall summary of the experience - wooooorth it!

Just a little graduation present to myself! Wanted to be able to show my school pride...especially now that I’m done and can truly be proud of finishing this leg of my journey! @brandmanu #brandmanuniversity #graduate #orgleadership #classof2018

A post shared by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Mar 9, 2018 at 4:14pm PST

Closing Out 2017...and It's Been Awhile!

And here we are...in 2018! The last time I posted a blog was in September 2016. Holy Schnikes!!! That's absolute insanity! So what have I been doing since then? Well, pretty much what haven't I been doing would be easier to answer. And that comes down to two things: 1) blogging LOL; and 2) running consistently. I have been buried in work and school so priorities dictated that a few things fall to the wayside while others took precedence...and here we are! So rather than try to be all blah blah blah let me give you a recap of the past 15 months, I'll just start from where I'm at right now and that's closing out 2017.

From Pinterest

At the beginning of the year I selected my one word after closing out a year of NOW in 2016. The past year was a year of BELIEVE and it was a good word in many ways, but in many ways it was a blah word too. I think I took the easy way out on that one, but it seemed like a good word back in January 2017 as I entered a new realm in my life with a promotion that I had spent, well, pretty much my entire career working for. And the sole reason I was back in school working on completing my Bachelor's Degree. That job started as an Interim position in January 2017 and became permanent end of July 2017. Hallelujah!! I also felt like Believe would be an important word as I spent an entire solid year in school pushing hard to complete in early 2018. And there were many days that I had to dig deep and believe that it was first, the right thing to be doing, and second, that I could complete what felt like a monumental task. I was reminded often that timing was everything as I was super thankful I wasn't trying to raise small children in the middle of this. It was a pretty challenging year - but I had an AMAZING year in my career and school! Tough, and many times I felt like I just might have bitten off more than I could chew, but in the end - so. good.

I ran some, but really not much. I thought that BELIEVE would get me through keeping up with my running, at least minimally, but alas, it had to take a backseat and I reminded myself often that what I believed wasn't always going to be reality. Many times throughout the year I found out that I was having to remind myself what my word even was because it just never was in the forefront; but that's kind of how everything was this past year. The only thing in the forefront most of the time was just getting through one day and then the next. I never really felt like I was in control this past year - the activities surrounding my life were driving and it felt like everything was "when I'm done with school I will [fill in the blank]...run again, spend more time with the kids, enjoy summer, have Friday afternoons of TV, watch that show, watch that movie, eat healthier, drink more water..." You name it, I've probably said it this past year. Everything has been a giant INHALE while waiting for school to be over. It's kind of felt like an all-consuming fire many times and I'm just trying to fight through the flames to find the Exit door. But when I pause, I can say that I've enjoyed a lot of it!

I saw someone running this morning while I was driving to work and it was one of those moments of mixed emotions...jealous that I wasn’t out running too mixed with guilt for how very seldom I get workouts in these days. I just wanna run... #realwomenmove #skirtsports #ambassador

A post shared by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Oct 25, 2017 at 7:22am PDT

I really enjoyed learning and feel like, as much as I hate to admit it because I waited so long to do it, that getting a higher education degree does make a difference! I started out jumping through a hoop, but learned along the way that it has broadened my critical thinking skills and to look at situations from a different frame of perspective. Whaddya know...education does PAY! hahaha I also got to know a lot of awesome people and know that I'm going to be graduating in May with several that have become lifelong friends! I also joined the Student Advisory Council on the advice of my favorite professor and participated in several online activities and meetings to assist the Career Center in meeting the needs of their students and graduates. It has been such a rewarding time but I won't lie - I can't wait to be done on March 4th! Two more classes in 8 more weeks starting back up on January 8. Sooooooo close!!

This is what my Wednesday night looks like...lucky charms for dinner and a side of homework after a long week that is only three days in so far. But you know...life is good and I'm glad for the reminders of how important it is to live in even these moments. #studytime #brandmanuniversity #livelifelovelife

A post shared by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Sep 13, 2017 at 6:59pm PDT

I don't want to write a novel, so I'm going to wrap it up and say that even though 2017 was full of challenges figuring out how to do a new job, be a leader, go to school, take care of the house, give the family some time and attention, work out and care for my physical self, eat healthy(ish) and more, it was a pretty darn good year and one that I'm happy to tie a neat little bow around. It was a year of growth and believing in myself even when it felt like all the balls I was juggling were going to fall to the ground. Goodbye 2017! I'm looking forward to 2018 being even better!

This Crazy Life...

My life is crazy bonkers right now between, well, between pretty much everything!! I'm feeling a little like Dory these days as I keep reminding myself to "just keep swimming".

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I haven't worked out since Monday morning, I'm averaging about 6.5 hours of sleep each night, and I'm taking in copious amounts of caffeine just to keep moving. So what's happening these days? I started working on my bachelor's degree (finally) with Brandman University and have made it through my first 8-week term completing two classes with A's in both of them. I got a whole week off that was absolutely GLORIOUS, but started back up this past Monday...and I don't know why, but the first week of the term is always a brutally rough re-entry that leaves me feeling like I will spontaneously combust at any moment. (Side note: how bizarre is it that "combust" has a red wavy line and is not recognized as a word at all?!? It wants me to change it to com-bust. What kind of dictionary is this using anyways?!? hahaha)

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Work is also crazy busy these days. The semester started a few weeks ago and as everyone settles in, business really ramps back up, so there's lots of projects and meetings and other tasks to contend with.

I do have a family, but I barely see them right now. So I'm pretty sure they exist...I just can't confirm that through actual time spent with them. HA!

But other than feeling like life is kinda outta control these days, I'm plugging along. I had an awesome week-long exercise streak that I'm glad I got so I could at least SEE that it was possible...never mind that it was during the break between terms so it probably isn't likely to happen again anytime soon.

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Since it is all kind of like a train hurtling towards a brick wall, I'm getting back to the basics as much as possible: writing to-do lists, getting time in nature as much as possible, eating well as much as possible, getting a somewhat decent amount of sleep, getting workouts in (okay, not this week, but starting tomorrow I am rectifying that situation!), and listening to relaxing music. I've got this...I know I do. I just need to focus on the things that matter!

I've recently found an artist that I've had on my iPhone for the past several years and never really listened to! A friend of mine had shared him with me and I remember listening to it, but not really getting into the groove of it and quickly bouncing off to something else, never returning to it again. But then about a month back I was doing some homework in Starbucks and this song came on that just completely GRABBED me out of nowhere, so I asked Siri what song it was and lo and behold, it was this artist that I recognized the name of, and knew that I had his album in my library but had never listened to. So I started listening to the album, only about 4 years after getting it, and it just was perfect for the time in my life right now. It's always funny to me how sometimes music is like that - we hear it at a specific time in our life and it just doesn't click, but then later, we hear it again and it's like it was created just for this moment in time. So that artist is Ben Howard and the song that I heard in Starbucks is Gracious...take a listen and enjoy!

Keep on swimming, friends...just keep on swimming and stay gracious!