New Year, New Me

It's the last morning of the last day of 2011, and I am going over my list of resolutions as I drink a cup of warm coffee. I'm sure there are too many of them--I have heard that making too many or too ambitious resolutions sets you up to fail--but in a way I think it's good to want things, especially good things for myself. So, here are a list of some of the things I want to be new in the new year.

1. Stop smoking, for good
I know, I know. I had quit for many years but this year was stressful, and in a moment of weakness I picked up a cigarette. Then another one. And another. I was ashamed of myself, but it was an old, old, old habit that was SO familiar. I have cut back to 1 every other day. It's time. I love myself and my body, and cigarettes don't make me feel GOOD in the way that I want to.

2. Lose 10 pounds
Typical resolution, and probably not the best one since they say you gain weight when you quit smoking. But I have a whole year to do it. I should probably focus more on being healthy than achieving a certain number on the scale, though. Which leads me to resolution #3.

3. Be more active
This is as much for my mood as my health. I know that I love walking outside, playing with my family, having Wii competitions on Friday nights at home, going camping and hiking and biking. I am not and probably never will be a competitive sports person. I am not planning to run a marathon or become an extreme skier. But just moving around--especially outside--makes me feel alive. No more excuses this year.

4. Be more grateful
I have had this resolution before, and I think it's still a work in progress. I get so caught up in the little annoyances of daily life and all the things I wish had happened, that I forget about how wonderful my life already is. Even this list of resolutions is sort of like that--focusing on what I lack rather than what I have. I have to be careful not to let my desire to be better become a way of feeling sorry for myself. It's such a fine line. But at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for. My health, my friends, my family, my cats, a lovely home, a safe neighborhood, yummy food and drink, fresh air, sunrises and sunsets, intelligence, empathy, experiences, enough money to be OK... these are the things I should focus on. I will try to do that more this year.

5. Be more giving
As our finances took a dive in the past few years, I found myself no longer giving to the non-profits and organizations that I usually gave to. Even though it was rarely very much-- $20 here and there-- it was important to me, and I'm sure it added up for the cause I cared about. Not only did my financial giving stop, but I also haven't been volunteering as much as I used to. This must change. Even if I can't spare a lot of cash, I can spare an hour or two at least once a week to help someone. I know from experience that I get more out of these "volunteer" acts than I ever could give. It brings me into touch with people I would have never met otherwise, and teaches me about different people's experiences and lives.

Those are my top 5. A lot, I know. I'm starting with #1. Hopefully #3 and #4 will help with #1. And #5 I can start today. #2? Well, maybe #2 will happen on its own if I focus on the rest. Maybe...

Contest: $10 Macys Gift Card!

Just because I'm in a good mood, I'm giving away a $10 Macy's gift card, good for purchases in store or online. To enter, follow me on google friend connect, post a note below that says something you might buy with the card (gloves, socks, a new lipstick), and/or tweet this message:
"I want to win a Macy's gift card from @creep4ward and HJ's Time blog! #HJsTime"
You can leave a separate comment for each thing you do. Be sure to leave an email or be visible as a gfc follower so I can contact you if you win!
This giveaway will end on Friday, September 16th at 5pm Eastern.
Open to everyone!!! Good luck!!!!

review to come: Hairmax products!

Won these cool Hairmax products and can't wait to fill you in on how they work! It's a 4-part system and I want to give it some time to work, but check back later and I'll post a full review for you.

Hairmax products are made to help you grow hair. They are probably best known for their laser device that helps people who are losing hair or have thinning hair. I don't have the laser (sorry) but I do have the products, so I'll let you know how it goes!

I the meantime you can follow Hairmax on twitter @hairmax or visit them at Hairmax.com .

Review: Secret Clinical Deodorant

I'm smelly. And greasy. I admit it. And I often find my deodorant to be, well, lacking. I got this great trial pack from klout.com to see if Secret's Clinical deodorant worked any better than the other brands.

Let me tell you: it did. And now I know why. They added more of the main ingredient that most deodorants have, so it works better. They call it "clinical" because you used to not be able to get this strong of deodorant without seeing a doctor. But they changed that, and now you can buy it over the counter.

Secret clinical costs more but it is SO worth the expense. I can even feel the deodorant still working when I'm in the shower, 1 or 2 days after I put it on. It's really incredible.

If you are super sweaty like I am, you should give it a try.