Moncton, New Brunswick

Strike a Pose

I adore fashion.  I don’t care as much for runway fashion, I mean, I think it’s fantastic but I’m obviously never going to wear any it because a lot of it isn’t made to be worn, it’s art, and the stuff that you can find in a Holt Renfrew or whatever is crazy expensive.  Some runway fashion is ready to wear stuff, but a lot of the high end stuff isn’t.  I love clothes.  If I won the lottery, after paying off my debt, one of the first things I’d do would be buy a new wardrobe.  I really love sites online that cater to budget friendly outfits.  The look for less, or sites like The Cheap Chicas Guide to Style, are great.  In Calgary, we have lots of H&Ms, Zara, Forever21, which are great places to get stylish stuff for good prices.  I also like looking online as ASOS, but never buy anything because I'm paranoid I'll get the wrong size.   I think clothes are an important part of the Happiness Project in terms of look good, feel good.

Want - Brights for Spring:

The Grinch Who Stole Fun Month

Number of 'fun' things I did this weekend = 0.  The truth is I really don't want to do fun month right now.  I feel like being low key, not spending money, not going out into the frozen wasteland anymore than I absolutely have to.  I want to do fun month when the weather's nicer, I want fun month to be doing stuff outside, patios, cute outfits that don't involve parkas and mitts and scarves and warming the car up.  It's still hibernation time and this grumpy bear isn't ready to come out and play.

So, I propose a radical first for happiness project: a change of the monthly topic.  Why make myself feel like a lame boring loser for wanting to lay low?  I don't need to feel guilty about not being 'fun' enough so I am taking a rain check on fun month.  That's right Cindy Lou, who stole fun month?  I did. 

March - Fun. I mean... FUN!

I think fun month will be good for me in the way that getting an annual physical or teeth cleaning is good for me.  Probably for the best but not something I’m very excited about.  I think the fact that fun month is arriving on the heels of money month has something to do with it.  I’m trying to get on track with my money and fun costs money.  Going out to eat, to a show, sporting event, trip, etc. all cost money and at the moment spending money is low on my list of things to do.  Fun month should probably have been done alongside friends & family month.  I think Melissa is going to be doing friendship this month so I guess it’ll work well for her. 

So, in the spirit of money month I’m going to try to incorporate as many free or low cost fun things as I can.  One thought was implementing a monthly game night.  We’ve had a couple games nights in the past, no, let me rephrase that, we’ve had a couple monopoly nights.  Monopoly is all fine and good but I don’t want to play it every time.  The only other games we own are Risk and some other Risk-type game.  Board games aren’t cheap so maybe we can borrow some.

Some other ideas I had include bowling and a comedy club.  I think comedy clubs are pretty cheap, especially if you go on a Thursday.  Bowling is also reasonably priced, especially if you get a decent sized group together.  I hate crowded places, especially with screaming kids so a week night is probably my best option for that.

I also thought that we could do a movie night sleepover style in which you bring an air mattress into the living room and create a giant lounge area/bed with the mattress and couches and make popcorn and watch a movie in your pajamas.   I think girl’s night would be a good addition as well.  Wine is cheap, so a chill girl’s night of sitting around at one or the other’s houses drinking wine and talking about life sounds fun to me.  I also thought about going skating.  I kind of doubt I will.  It’s freezing out and I’m so over winter that anything celebrating it is a non-option right now.  In fact, if I was making this list in summer it would be completely different.

So let’s say I try to incorporate one ‘fun’ event per week.  A games night, a movie night, a girls night, and bowling/comedy could be the weekly events for one month.  Oh wait there’s a work event this month on the 18^th.  It’s at one of those places that have mini golf and games and stuff.  I’ve seen a few of the people that signed up and a couple of the older men that work here are going.  I can’t really imagine some of them wanting to participate in an event like this... but maybe it’s frowned upon to not attend work ‘fun’ events.   Apparently half the office has to go if we want to have enough people.  I think I can bring Flash so I will because I need someone to be my friend.    It’s also good to take your boyfriend to a work event to clear up having any more weird lunch invitations, because those are NOT fun.

Okay, so movie night, games night, work event and one other thing that I will decide later.  Some of my month’s goals have become less cumulative than they should be so I’d like to try and keep up this weekly fun goal.  I’ve become quite the homebody and am happy at the moment spending my time doing solitary things like reading books, blogs, playing my video game (yes I’m a loser).  I love the freedom of having nothing to do, no commitments, nothing you have to be attending.  I also know that as an introverted personality type I need to force myself to go out and do things.  Cheers.