#EveryDayWithShae: Week 1

I don't need to point out that it's been a hot minute since I've blogged... October, but who's keeping track, right?  I almost forgot what it feels like to come to this little corner of the web and fill a blank box with words, stories and memories. To be creative. Don't get me wrong - the creativity is flowing - it has to every day at work when I'm challenged to design something new, create something better, engage a diverse audience. It just hasn't been flowing in this direction.

I began blogging to chronicle my daily adventures - the exciting ones, the mundane ones, the sad ones. I started blogging five years ago, wanting to celebrate the every day sprinkles and glitter of life. Over time, blogging began to feel like a chore or competition (strangely, because those don't usually go together in my mind), and that's when I knew I needed to unapologetically take a break and allow myself to find my creativity in my own time. I had to come to a place where I didn't feel like I had to force myself to blog about the expected topics every weekday - I want to desire to come to www.shaeken.com and write about my life - what's happening, what does it look like today? What's exciting? What's not? What do I want to write about today? Do I want to write about the awesome TV show we watched last night (Criminal Minds and Gilmore Girls have my full attention right now)? Do I want to write about the newborn calves out on the Kennedy Farm (FLUFFY COWS!!! Sorry, Dad)? Do I want to write about the totally failed dinner I made - or the amazingly awesome one (I've finally mastered a grilled cheese!)? Do I want to write about how Matt and I have an office/craft room/bedroom for our dogs that I'm still trying to figure out how to make work for all 3 uses? Or maybe I just want to write about the pretty sunrise I rarely get up in time to see, the way God spoke to me today, or wish a loved one happy birthday.

All of that to say, I'm going to start writing what I feel like writing, and not feel like I have to fit some "lifestyle blogger" mold. I'm going to celebrate the sprinkles & glitter. I'm going to use this space on the web to again fuel my creativity, challenge myself, and to share with family and friends what I've been up to - you all know I have the tendency to get long-winded in my storytelling.

With that, I decided to start my first challenge of the year on January 1: #EveryDayWithShae. I'm going to be Instagramming some part of my day, every day, then I'll come here and share it. And on that note, I give you week one.

On January 1, we celebrated KoKeMo Christmas! KoKeMo is an easier way of saying Koger-Kennedy-Mortimer :) The 3 of us pictured, Christy, mom and me, were supposed to run a 5K on this freezing morning with Christy's brother, sister-in-law and one of her nieces. Thankfully, the people organizing the race postponed it because of the glaze of ice coating parts of Oklahoma. Instead, we had yummy breakfast food and enjoyed time with friends family. Although, come January 17, supposedly we're running the rescheduled race. I really need to lace up my tennis shoes... 

On January 2, my OSU Cowboys took on my Uncle's Washington Huskies in the Cactus Bowl. I don't think I've ever been more excited watching a game that started after 9:00 (I really like an early bedtime)! I only slept during a little bit of the game and saw all the important parts... like everything James Castleman did. I mean, really, is there anything the guy can't do? For more on the game, check out Pistols Firing's 10 Thoughts - he sums it up well. 

On January 3, I promised Instagram I would blog soon...while drinking my hot chocolate. Here, I'm making good on that promise. For more thoughts on this, see the top of the post. 

I told you Gilmore Girls is totally my jam right now! After church, lunch, cheer practice, grocery shopping and a shower, I decided to end my weekend with Luke and Lorelai's engagement! Apparently I'm not the only one of my friends who's taking advantage of Netflix's offerings - anyone want to get together to binge watch season 6? :) 

On Monday nights when Matt has class and I don't go to a basketball game, I like to make a delicious meal for dinner, then have what's left over for lunch for a few days. I made Paula Deen's Baked Potato Soup in the crockpot this week. Oh, goodness. The house smelled heavenly when I walked in from work...cozy, inviting, and like I needed to sit by the fire with a good book while I enjoyed my mug of soup. So I did.

Hashtag is the sweet pup we adopted in August, and she loves snuggles. Probably more than I do. She prefers to snuggle as close to your face as possible. For reference, my phone was on my nose for this picture.

We have a chalkboard in our kitchen that I enjoy decorating every week. Sometimes I put verses on there, sometimes I put quotes, often times it's something about OSU, and this week, it had to do with the cloudy skies outside when I got home from work. It's approximately negative eighty degrees in Oklahoma (just kidding, but it has been at or below freezing most of the last week). If those gray skies would just bring some snow I wouldn't mind!

And this is just a bonus picture! On New Years Eve, I took Hashtag to the groomer while I was at lunch and picked her up after work. She's wearing a hot pink jacket and we picked up these adorable leg warmers on our way out of PetsMart. With her bow and fresh haircut, I think she just looks too sweet! This was right as I put her in the car - after I bucked up, I looked over at her in the passenger's seat and saw she'd already made herself comfortable by snuggling into the blanket I keep in my car during the winter!