2017 Self Care Resolution & Life Changes

If you read my last post on The Little Red Dress Project , then you’ll know my first attempt at making my red dress didn’t fit. Which lead to some harsh realizations.

The Dress Doesn’t Fit

As you might have heard my original plan was to make the Tilly and The Buttons Coco dress using some bright red jersey I had in my stash.

I followed the steps just as I should, I pre-washed my fabric , traced out my size, grading a bit since I fall between two sizes. Cut out the pieces and whipped the whole thing together in nearly one setting.

The one thing I didn’t do was measure me 🙁

Always Measure

I mentioned this in my post on the Karri dress by Megan Nelsen. I had a lot of fit issues that I wanted to blame the pattern for, but mainly it was me.

It’s been 4 years since I started sewing and during that time I’ve been mostly referring to the same measurements I took 4 years ago. Mainly because I don’t like measuring and I usually don’t like the number get when I measure.

Needless to say, while my Coco was exactly as I planned it, it didn’t fit because I was no longer that size.

Over the last year or so, I gained weight. I’ve tried to ignore it and have been sewing more with stretchy fabrics that are more forgiving. I’ve also been narrowing the seam allowance on projects telling myself that I just like more ease.

This inability to accept the weight gain lead to a major project fail.

2017 Me First Resolution

Weight has always been an issue for me and I like to ignore it. That is until it shoves itself in my face. For example when a dress doesn’t fit. This often leads me to tears.

My husband always tries to console me at this point, but I get so angry at myself, that nothing helps. That’s when he will often tell me something along the lines of “You can do nothing and be unhappy or you can do something about it and make yourself happy”.

Wise words I’m sure. Not ones I often want to hear, but he’s right. I keep having this same tear fest every time I go into the closet. So, something needs be done.

Taking Care of Yourself

I’ve tried dieting but I can’t really cut calories since I’m a bit hypoglycemic and need regular protein and meals. While I try to exercise I usually injury myself because I have a lot of back pain issues. Then my lack of energy to exercise is confounded by my narcolepsy.

When I whittled away at all my issues I found my biggest problem is that I was ignoring me.

• I’ve been told I need a new sleep study for my narcolepsy, but haven’t scheduled it, when would I have time?
• My TMJ is bothers me when I eat or when it’s cold out, but I really don’t have time to go to the dentist.
• I can’t see because my bangs are too long. I need a trim but when can I pencil that in?
• Dang, I broke a nail, but I’ll get around to filing it later.

The list goes on and on. There always seems to be more important, work , the blog, my videos, that latest sewing project or laundry. I mean we all know how pressing the laundry can be right?

Life Changes

For my new year’s resolution, setting some weight loss goals was my first thought. However, I’ve read that setting say a weight goal isn’t a life change, which is really what we hope to make when setting resolutions.

Resolution as it is define is a “firm decision to do or not to do something”. The question is what do I want to do to make changes.

More than just losing weight I realized that I need to take care of me as a whole.

My Plans

What are my plans how will I make life changes to help me take better care of myself?

To tell the truth I don’t really know.

What I do know is that I’m going to attempt to take the month of January offline. I don’t plan any new blog posts or videos for January. I’ll probably still be on the socials because, well one it’s part of my job to manage social media and sometimes I like to share random stuff on Instagram.

I also plan to make time to get those checkups I’ve been putting off for way too long. Then I also want to plan specific days to do things. Like date night days, workout days, pamper me days and of course sewing days.

Join Me

While I don’t have a specific plan, I do invite you to join me on this journey. I’d love to hear any suggestions, tips or inspiration you all might have as I work towards taking care of myself.

Sorry if this post is rather lengthy but I thought it was something that I needed to share. Something I needed to be accountable for. In other words I shared it, I must now to follow through, right.

With that said I have one more post planned for the end of the year and then I will check back in with everyone in February. Lastly I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and good luck with all your resolutions.

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