tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81684800614826740212024-03-13T10:48:26.358-05:00Thoughts from a Village BookwormRachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-37620327269416470802018-11-28T14:40:00.001-06:002018-11-28T14:40:42.712-06:00LAST POST OF 2018!<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
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<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> I have to read FOUR books before the end of the year. EEP! I am going to hustle to make it!<br />
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<b>2. Reduce waste.</b> I feel like I have been pretty good at this.. I have been bringing reusable bags to the grocery store most of the time. way reduced my use of water bottles, plastic soda cups, and styrofoam cups at work.<br />
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<b>3. Pay off consumer debt.</b> Yep. Cranking it away. I seriously hate having consumer debt and will do my damnedest to get rid of it. I have also tried to pick up some extra shifts (so far, two of my clinic shifts have been cancelled because of the weather and i'm a little worried my overtime Christmas shifts will also be cancelled).<br />
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<b>4. Do two "low spend" months.</b> So I guess really I only did one. BUT, I plan to do one in January. <br />
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<b>5. Eat more homemade meals.</b> I was doing really, really well for a while and then I don't know what happened. I let my laziness get the best of me. Well, NO MORE! One of my goals for December is to bring my lunch to work every damn day. EVERY DAMN DAY. <br />
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<b>6. Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> Remember last month when I said how much I hated this cycle? Well. It's still true. I have hopped on and off this dang bandwagon more than I'd like to admit. The easiest way to stop breaking the cycle is to just do what's right. I am in a stepbet right now, which is good. It's definitely motivating me to keep hustling.<br />
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<b>7. Deep clean the house.</b> Dang son. I sure did clean up the unfinished side of the basement. I donated a TON of stuff! It feels so much nicer to go downstairs and not see it all!<br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Keep reading every night<br />
2. Remember to use re-usable bags.<br />
3. Continue to push through, work extra, and put the money towards debt.<br />
4. Save money!<br />
5. and 6. Keep eating meals at home. Keep bringing lunch to work. <br />
7. Put away all the random stuff in the guest bedroom.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-30539991117777824982018-10-23T09:01:00.002-05:002018-10-23T09:01:52.904-05:00I guess I skipped my October post<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
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<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> Well. November and December have a lot of work ahead of them. I have to read 6 books between now and the end of the year to make my goal!<br />
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<b>2. Reduce waste.</b> I feel like I have been pretty good at this. <br />
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<b>3. Pay off consumer debt.</b> Yep. Cranking it away. <br />
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<b>4. Do two "low spend" months.</b> Uhhh. It for sure wasn't October. Although, I am trying my best to not spend as much. I know I need to be saving money! Having such easy access to things (hello, online purchases...) makes it so easy to buy things so quickly (and therefore so hard to save!)<br />
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<b>5. Eat more homemade meals.</b> Yes ma'am. I bring my lunch to work almost every day. We haven't really gone out to dinner for a while. We've been getting meal subscription boxes, which is nice. A good way to switch it up without me having to go to the grocery store as much.<br />
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<b>6. Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> I don't know. Whatever. I get so frustrated with this cycle. I'll start doing really well, then slack off, then start doing terribly, then start up again.<br />
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<b>7. Deep clean the house.</b> I finally cleaned out my closet! Ha! This month I am going to work on the un-finished side of the basement.<br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Keep reading every night before bed.<br />
2. Remember to use re-usable bags.<br />
3. Continue to push through, work extra, and put the money towards debt.<br />
4. Save money!<br />
5. and 6. Keep eating meals at home. Keep bringing lunch to work. <br />
7. Work on the basement!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-1238348373243264612018-09-07T08:34:00.002-05:002018-09-07T08:34:27.623-05:00It's already September...<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
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<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> I've picked up the pace on this considerably! I bought a book to read on the Amazon Kindle app on my phone. I have been trying to read that instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest when I am waiting around. I have now finished 11 books (55% to my goal!) I have a couple books I would like to read while I'm on vacation next week (another quick Kindle read to hopefully work on while waiting around by myself (solo vacations give lots of time for reading!) <br />
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<b>2. Reduce waste.</b> I could probably be doing better at this again. I've tried to bring my fruit to work in a tupperware container instead of a ziplock bag, but I have really been forgetting a lot of reusable bags when I go shopping. I need to do better about that. <br />
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<b>3. Pay off consumer debt.</b> Yep. Cranking it away. <br />
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<b>4. Do two "low spend" months.</b> October!<br />
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<b>5. Eat more homemade meals.</b> Oh for sure! I also didn't buy lunch out at all for the entire month of August! That was really hard. I have a Blue Apron box coming after I get back from Florida - honestly because I hate grocery shopping and I hate trying to come up with meals every night. And it's a little difficult when there are only two of us.<br />
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<b>6. Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> Hmmmmmm. So I have for sure been walking a LOT more. And even jogging a bit. I also joined Planet Fitness and have actually been going a few times/week. But I wasn't exactly minding my WW goals and I have yet to meet a dietbet goal. BUT I have won all of my step bets! And i have a couple more stepbets currently in the works. I am hoping to take a little bit of a break from them just to lower my step goal. I'll just have to start popping my watch off after I hit 11,000 steps every day. <br />
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<b>7. Deep clean the house.</b> Well. I did the guest bedroom AND the garage! But I didn't do my closet. I think I will make that an October goal. September is just far too hectic with going to Florida for so many days.<br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Keep reading every night before bed.<br />
2. Remember to use re-usable bags.<br />
3. Continue to push through. <br />
4. October is right around the corner! Look into reducing data on cell phone plan since I'll be done traveling.<br />
5. and 6. Keep eating meals at home. Keep bringing lunch to work. Keep tracking and exercising. <br />
7. Take care of my dang closet (in October!)Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-51896315255483372612018-08-10T08:02:00.001-05:002018-08-10T08:02:28.515-05:00Looks like I skipped a month....<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
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<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> Still a little behind. <u>The Radium Girls</u> took quite a bit longer than I thought it would. The story just got a little hmmm drawn out (for lack of a better way to put it). It seemed to have a good pace at the beginning and end, but so slow in the middle. I recently started a book of short stories and have <u>Big Little Lies</u> on my nightstand. I bought a book to read on vacations next month. Maybe I'll make my goal after all! <br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> I think I'm doing this still for the most part. I wish amazon would consolidate purchases - I guess it's because some stuff ships from different places. I made one amazon purchase and it came in THREE different boxes. <br />
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<b>Pay off consumer debt.</b> Chipping away! I consolidated my two credit cards onto a very low rate personal loan. I plan on paying that off early. And NEVER getting into credit card debt ever again!<br />
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<b>Do two "low spend" months.</b> I can honestly say June wasn't my best low-spend month. I am going to do one in October. I am going on two vacations in September (Chicago and Florida). I absolutely will watch frivolous spending, but I am still planning on shopping a little bit and eating out at restaurants. So it will be nice to pinch pennies in October to plan for the holidays and recuperate from vacations.<br />
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<b>Eat more homemade meals.</b> YAY! I have been bringing my lunch to work almost every single day. Logan and I have been eating dinner at home almost every single night. <br />
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<b>Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> Another "heck yea!" - I dropped 3 lbs in July! I became a stepbet member and joined multiple stepbets. I think I am on my third, fourth, and fifth game right now. I also joined a dietbet transformer and while i haven't been doing a great job at it, I got a second wind of motivation after seeing that 3lb drop. I just need to kick it into high gear and power through for the month of August. And when I am home in September. I know that I will indulge in the finer foods of vacation while I am gone. <br />
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<b>Deep clean the house.</b> So I cleaned up the basement, but left the three big trash bags in the basement. I need to haul them upstairs. I also haven't touched my closet yet. I'll do that and get the guest bedroom back in working order this month. It's kind of become the "catch all" for chex mix making stuff, birthday presents, things to pack on vacation, etc. <br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Finish the books I checked out from the library.<br />
2. Keep chugging along at bringing reusable bags, cups, and straws!<br />
3. Hold tight until October and then have SOLID plans to save money in October.<br />
4. and 5. Keep eating meals at home. Keep bringing lunch to work. Keep tracking and exercising.<br />
6. Take care of my dang closet and get the guest room up and running again.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-73659873511752811602018-05-29T18:36:00.000-05:002018-05-29T18:36:14.121-05:00June! The year is 1/2 way done!<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
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<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> Still a little behind. I finished <u>I'll Be Gone In The Dark</u> and started <u>The Radium Girls</u> - it's a little slow and not holding my attention. I saw an ad for a book on goodreads.com and started it - <u>Dark Matter</u> - I'm not very far, but I have NO IDEA what is going on, which is both a little frustrating, but at least I want to find out. <br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> bags bags bags. Reusable water bottles/cups. I need to cut back on straw usage though.<br />
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<b>Pay off consumer debt.</b> Good lord. Forever my nemesis.<br />
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<b>Do two "low spend" months.</b> And it is time! The "no spend" month is far too difficult and I'm only setting myself up to fail, so "low spend" it is! My goal is bring my lunch to work every day (shouldn't be too difficult, I've been doing this already!) Only have one meal out every week. No coffee shops! No clothing! No amazon purchases! No books! Just good ole fashioned low spending.<br />
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<b>Eat more homemade meals.</b> Heck yea! I jumped back on the weight watchers train in mid-May and find it much much easier to track what I'm eating if I am responsible for making it myself.<br />
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<b>Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> Heck yea! We got back from Alabama in mid-May and I decided it was time. I'm not thrilled with how much weight I have gained in the last few years. Nursing school really screwed me up and I graduated 7 years ago. I started using my Weight Watchers membership. I joined two Diet Bets (one ends June 17, the second ends June 25). I really want to win them (otherwise I lose $30!) I've been trying to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day - the dogs are thankful for the walks! <br />
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<b>Deep clean the house.</b> Nailed it. I just loaded up another trunk full of stuff to take to goodwill. Said goodbye to some fun knick knacks that can now bring someone else joy and no longer collect dust in my house and some books I will never read again. I also threw out a whole black trash bag of old, broken stuff. My goal for June is to clean out the pantry, the shelf in my closet, and the basement.<br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Finish the books I started this month.<br />
2. Keep chugging along at bringing reusable bags, cups, and straws!<br />
3. June is my second low-spend month. Let's save some money!<br />
4. and 5. Keep eating meals at home. Keep bringing lunch to work. Keep tracking and exercising.<br />
6. Clean up the June places. Get the house ready for Logan to move in!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-18732749580762419682018-05-16T08:50:00.000-05:002018-05-16T08:50:15.068-05:00May!<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
<br />
<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> I'm still a little "behind schedule" - I just completed my 5th book for the year. I picked up a couple books while Logan and I were on vacation in Alabama. Page & Palette is my favorite bookshop, so I couldn't miss the chance to pop in. And of course while I was there, the books just jumped out of the shelves and into my arms. Can't say no!<br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> I've been using my re-usable coffee cups a LOT and trying my damnedest to use re-usable bags (or no bags at all). It's a hard one!<br />
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<b>Pay off consumer debt.</b> Forever and ever.<br />
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<b>Do two "low spend" months.</b> June is coming for me! Eek! The two weeks before vacation I decided I wouldn't spend money on eating out. I only slipped up once in 18 days! <br />
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<b>Eat more homemade meals.</b> Yes! Since I was avoiding eating out before Alabama, I was definitely sticking to this one. And since I'm back on the WW saddle, I need to stick to this. <br />
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<b>Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> Yep! I fell pretty far off this horse in April. I crept back on it, but was still not fully settled in. The time to hesitate is through though. I joined my very first Diet Bet (goal to lose 8 lbs by June 19). I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.<br />
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<b>Deep clean the house.</b> Girl yes! Did I do the goals for April? No. My basement is still a nightmare and my closet shelf is no better. But is my house still way fucking cleaner than it was in January? Absolutely yes.<br />
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Summertime is here and I have a goal to be kind to myself, put my health first, and engage my brain a bit more. I have some books I am actually excited about, a Diet Bet I'm determined to win, and money I am ready to save!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-52356453162632632842018-04-06T17:09:00.003-05:002018-04-06T17:09:42.574-05:00Well. It's April. That happened quickly.<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
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<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> I fell a little behind. I'll explain here in a second.<br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> I would like to say that I am doing this in the ways that I can. I have been re-using plastic bags, but mostly using re-usable fabric grocery sacks when shopping. I have also been using wash cloths for most kitchen clean up rather than paper towels. Those kind of things. BUT we rented a dumpster and so I feel like by filling it with old carpet, carpet pads, bathroom counters, etc I definitely met my waste threshold for the year. Good lord. I threw away so much old, worthless stuff. All this means is that I really need to be on my a-game for the rest of the year.<br />
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<b>Pay off consumer debt.</b> Chugging along. Except that I bought $2K of flooring at home depot and put it on my home depot consumer card. Shit.<br />
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<b>Do two "low spend" months.</b> I am going to do this in June! I am also trying to do it this month - not as extreme as I will in June though. BUT for April I am going to only get coffee out and about once/week, cut back on eating out significantly, and bring my lunch to work every day! EVERY DAY. <br />
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<b>Eat more homemade meals.</b> Yikes. YIKES. I fell a little behind. I'll give my excuse in a second.<br />
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<b>Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> God dammit. I need to climb back on this horse. <br />
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<b>Deep clean the house.</b> FINALLY. A goal that I met in March. Thank goodness I stuck with one of them. I went through both bathrooms (see below), most my closet (I need to do the shelf still), the office closet, the office desk, and the guest room. For April, I am going to do the shelf in my closet and the basement. <br />
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So here's what happened in February/March. I had a little goal of updating the hallway bathtub. Pretty simple little project. There is a kit and I read some blogs/watched some videos. You buy this nasty epoxy paint and a respirator mask and go to town. That turned into have a gorgeous bathtub (its hardly brand new, but good lord, a HUGE improvement). If you have a gorgeous bathtub, you need to have a nice vanity and sink. And if you are going to update that, you might as well put down a new floor since the new vanity is, of course, not the same size as the old one. And if you are going to put down a new floor, you might as well paint the walls. And since you are painting the walls, might as well paint the ceiling. And if you are going to paint the walls and ceiling, its a good opportunity to get a new medicine cabinet. See what happened? It only gets worse. Because if you update the hallway bathroom, you really need to update the other bathroom in the house. So another new vanity, another new sink, another new medicine cabinet, new shelves AND a new toilet. Oh! And I'm getting carpet installed in my upstairs bedrooms next week. AND Logan and I put in Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring in the living room, hallway, and kitchen. Hence falling off the wagon on the reducing consumer debt thing.<br />
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And because we have been doing projects damn near every evening since mid-February, I've barely read anything.<br />
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And because I have been pooped out from home improvement projects, we have been grabbing something while we are out running errands. Or ordering something to be delivered. I legit didn't go to the grocery store for 2 weeks. Which means a lot of ordering in/dining out and leftovers. And I had to buy my lunch almost every day. Not good! And we worked on these projects every day after work and every day we were off work. Which means no 9Round for me. Yikes. The perfect storm for slipping up and failing. <br />
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But here's the good news - the lion's share of the home improvement projects are done. Which means I'm climbing back on the horse. AND I had a giant dumpster in the driveway for 10 days. So I did a LOT of throwing away. So much old stuff. So much broken stuff. I also donated a trunk full of housewares, clothing, decorations. That felt nice. I cleaned out my closet and found a HUGE box of notes/homework/lectures from nursing school. Throwing that in the recycling bin was pretty cathartic. <br />
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But now it's April and I need to get back to caring for myself!<br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Start reading before bed again.<br />
2. Keep using the reusables!<br />
3. Keep paying shit down.<br />
4. Keep applying the "low spend" mindset - start a low spend month in June.<br />
5. Restart eating at home.<br />
6. Start going to 9R again. Keep drinking water.<br />
7. Clean the April rooms.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-80084878683760736142018-01-31T09:39:00.000-06:002018-01-31T09:39:19.119-06:00It's February!<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "low spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
<br />
<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> Earlier this month I read a thing saying that if you read for 30 minutes before bed (the same amount of time you tinker around on your phone before bed), you would read about 175-200 pages every week. That being said, it should be easier to read 20 books this year! I'm almost finished with <u>The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up...</u> and am about 1/2 through <u>The Power.</u> Not gonna lie, the book about tidying up is kind of blowing my mind - I guess I've been doing it wrong the whole time.<br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> I have actually been doing REALLY good at this one. I recycled most of my plastic grocery bags. I still use some for things like animal waste clean-up (thanks, dog vomit!) and the bathroom trash cans. But I have been using reusable grocery bags so much I ran out of plastic ones! I had to pat myself on the back when that happened! I've also been using my water cup at work more (instead of getting styrofoam cups) and using my reusable coffee cups more. AND I've been working on filling the first half of my compost bin, so all of the fruit/veggie food scraps go in there. I barely had a full trash bag to take out last week! <br />
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<b>Pay off consumer debt.</b> Chugging along - my tax refund will take a big bite out of this.<br />
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<b>Do two "no spend" months.</b> (I am amending this to "low-spend months") So January was my first "low spend month" and I didn't do super great at it. The first two weeks I destroyed it! I didn't buy anything outside of necessities on my grocery list, didn't buy coffee, didn't buy clothes. The third week I started slacking and the fourth week I went down the tubes. I went out to dinner more than once/week. I bought lunch at work instead of bringing it. I went and got coffee during work a couple days a week. Better than I was doing? Sure. As good as I set out to be? Nope. It did kind of reiterate how spending less money is what I need to be doing. I think I'll set my next low-spend month for the summer time - maybe June or July.<br />
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<b>Eat more homemade meals.</b> I have for SURE been eating more homemade meals. Every breakfast and most lunches and dinners have been homemade. I feel like I have a lot more control over what I am eating when I eat at home. <br />
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<b>Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> Again, I was kicking butt at this for the first two weeks. And then I started slacking. I'm back on the wagon though! Even though Logan and I are going to grill cheeseburgers for dinner. <br />
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<b>Deep clean the house.</b> I'm a little torn on this goal. One of my plans was to do one room a month. Really focus and throw things out. BUT THEN I READ <u>The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up</u> and she actually comes out and says that this plan is hugely flawed. Harumphf. Unfortunately, I don't have the time nor the space to line up every single item in my entire house at the same time. I think for the most part I can accomplish my goal by doing it one room at a time. Hi, my name is Rachel and I have too much stuff. (Hi Rachel!) Either way, my first room was the kitchen and I really did good! I was able to throw out a lot (broken things, items missing pieces, empty boxes that got put back in the pantry, etc). I think my next "room" for February will be the hallway closet, guest bedroom, and hallway bathroom. There isn't much in any of those rooms, so I don't think it will be terribly difficult to do them all together.<br />
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My to do list:<br />
1. Keep reading before bed.<br />
2. Keep using the reusables!<br />
3. Keep paying shit down.<br />
4. Nothing here - keep applying the "low spend" mindset<br />
5. Keep eating at home.<br />
6. Keep going to 9R. Keep drinking water.<br />
7. Clean the February rooms.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-46863217288883577552018-01-04T09:15:00.000-06:002018-01-04T09:15:24.817-06:00This is the new year! New goals!Hello, 2018! I am looking forward to setting new goals, honing in on some old news with new focus and new direction, and getting some shit done in 2018. Let's do this! My goals for 2018 (in no particular order):<br />
<br />
<center><b>Read 20 books.<br />
Reduce waste.<br />
Pay off consumer debt.<br />
Do two "no spend" months.<br />
Eat more homemade meals.<br />
Stick to a healthier lifestyle.<br />
Deep clean the house.</center></b><br />
<br />
<b>1. Read 20 Books.</b> I really like reading. I started thinking about the years that I read much more than I have recently. What's changed? One thing is the amount of time I spend at home - between work, 9Round, driving around to places, and Logan's house, I am not home as much as I used to be. I should really try to bring a book with me to Logan's house. Or maybe I can get the kindle app on my phone and have a book of short stories queued up to look at rather than flipping through lists of crap on Buzzfeed. The point is, I am resetting my goal of reading 20 books in 2018. I feel short in 2017 and this is something I *want* to do rather than *need* to do.<br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> In the trunk of my car, I have a laundry basket. In that laundry basket is a stack of reusable grocery bags. Do you know what I forget to bring with me damn near every time i go to the grocery store? THE BAGS. Yesterday I cleaned out the floor of my pantry. I have a few big bags stuffed to the brim with more plastic grocery bags. Easily a hundred of them. Which is stupid because I get out of my car, walk past the trunk and walk right into the grocery store, where I just get even more plastic sacks. So I decided yesterday to do better about this. I am also really bad about getting coffee in disposable cups even though I have a few reusable ones. I can do better.<br />
<br />
<b>Pay off consumer debt.</b> Ugh. In 2018, I will pay off my windows (seriously though, I am so close!) and credit card. I'm going to do it, dammit! I took a retirement seminar through work recently and even though I have heard the whole "every dollar spent is a dollar not saved" schpeal before, it really kind of sunk in. Even if I am putting that money into a shorter term savings account rather than a retirement account. It would be pretty baller to be able to just write a check for new siding or new flooring rather than have to take out some consumer loan for it. That takes me to my next goal...<br />
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<b>Do two "no spend" months.</b> I did a couple "no spend" periods last year. They are hard! As a reminder to myself, a "no spend challenge" is when you can spend money on the necessities - bills, gas, groceries - but that's where the spending stops, no matter how good the deal is. I give myself a couple allowances though. I will allow myself to have $20 on a starbucks gift card (but once it is gone, no more starbucks for the month) and one restaurant meal/week. All the other things I find myself spending money on have to call it quits for the month. That means no frequent restaurant trips, no clothing/shoes/accessories, no cute toys for the dogs (they have plenty), no extra stuff at the grocery store, no target trips. I am actually going to make my first one in January. From January 1-31st. No spending!<br />
<br />
<b>Eat more homemade meals.</b> This shouldn't be super hard to do since I can't spend money for 17% of the year! I also got a couple cookbooks for Christmas and have dogeared some recipes that I want to try. And I got an InstantPot a couple weeks ago and have really put it to good use already, but I want to keep using it! Although, I will say that it's a little misleading and some recipes are much quicker to just whip up using regular pots/pans.<br />
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<b>Stick to a healthier lifestyle.</b> The goal that is always set. Sigh. But seriously, I need to get it together. This body isn't getting any younger. Going to the gym is great, but I need to follow that up with eating better - sticking to something as simple as Michael Pollan's suggestion, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" (which also means to not eat "almost-foods" - processed foods.) I think by eating more meals at home and limiting how much I can eat out at restaurants, I should get to this goal pretty well. I'm also going to *actually* stick with Weight Watchers. And while I don't ALWAYS agree with their point system (I feel like a hotdog should be worth WAY more points than a handful of chocolate covered raisins, but here we are), I did lose weight using it. Consistency is key.<br />
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<b>Deep clean the house.</b> Similar to 2017's goal of "do little things around the house," but this one involves CLEANING. And holy cow do I need to CLEAN. I am going to give myself a different room every month to seriously clean. Get rid of stuff I don't need, want, or use. Get under the beds and into the closets and the nooks and the crannies. First month - kitchen. (I'm already a step ahead, I cleaned out the floor of the pantry yesterday. Turns out, I had a few just random empty cardboard boxes down there. For no reason. Makes no sense.)<br />
<br />
So here we go, 2018! Let's get to work!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-64840910143839676742017-12-27T09:10:00.000-06:002017-12-27T09:10:51.352-06:00<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> So while I did chip away at consumer debt, it's still lingering. I'll take care of it in 2018. For sure.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> One of the things that I told myself I would do consistently through 2017 was go to the gym. I was paying a monthly membership fee and just wasn't going. I could come up with some pretty pathetic excuses. I finally started going in the fall and I am happy I did. I have a gym buddy who works just as a ridiculous schedule as I do, so hopefully she will keep me on the up and up with going in 2018. Although, I really need to get in the habit of not depending on someone else to motivate me to go.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> I did *some* little things around my house - getting my deck fixed and painted was a HUGE accomplishment for me. It was a LOT of work, but I'm happy it happened. Also getting the cat to the vet was a big accomplishment (I slacked and she hadn't gone for years. I know she is little, but holy crap it is scary getting her into the cat carrier). I'll probably continue this as a goal in 2018, but I have a different way I am going to do it.<br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> Well. Fuck. I did NOT read 20 books in 2017. I came close though! Well, 16 books. I honestly just couldn't get into it. I spent more time on my phone right before bed, which isn't good for a few reasons (vision, being distracted by nonsense right before bed, looking at lists of cute items with the links built in and BUYING STUFF RIGHT BEFORE BED) and should have put my dang phone down and cracked open a book. I need to do better that that.<br />
<br />
<br />
I have some new goals for 2018 - they are a bit more focused and specific than the goals I had for 2017. Hopefully I can use this focus to stay heading in the right direction for 2018 and actually accomplish some things. Hey, a girl can dream!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-8703700011503111192017-12-05T17:58:00.001-06:002017-12-05T17:58:44.644-06:00<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Guess what is going to be the main goal for 2018? Ding ding ding! Fuck you, credit card.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> Holllllllller! I've been going to 9R 2-3 times/week. <br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> Nailed it! I set up my little garden in the basement with a plant lamp and a heating pad. I am growing some herbs and I just planted a few different types of salad greens and some cherry tomato plants. I hope it grows and grows and grows! I am bringing my citronella plant back from the dead - such a bummer that the cold weather snuck up on me when I got home from vacation in October and it got the best of my citronella. My mints and lavender are still chugging along. <br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I have to finish 4 books by the end of the year. I don't think I will make it. Eep! Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-9720542492674265302017-11-06T16:32:00.000-06:002017-11-06T16:32:39.086-06:00Hello November!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Still chugging along. I tell you what, I will never never never let a credit card get the best of me ever ever ever again.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> So this slowed down the week before, the two weeks of, and the week after we went on vacation. I worked my butt off the week before we went on vacation, up until the day we left. I'm honestly surprised I didn't forget to pack something. While we were on vacation, we walked a TON (14 miles one day!) and I was not about that gym life while on vacation. The week after we got home I felt like absolute crap. My allergies/a cold got the best of me. But my first day off work that I didn't feel like crap I went. And I plan on going more and more.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> Maybe I should make cleaning out my closet a thing to do before the new year. I did move my plants into the basement so they are somewhat protected. The downside is I didn't do it before my citronella plant died. So I have to figure out how to revive it. I did however buy an air purifier, which I think has made a difference in sitting around my house - cleaning up the allergens from the animals. Oh, and this kind of counts, but I am finally going to wrestle the cat into a carrier and get her to the vet this month. <br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> Well. Shoot. I have a few books to go and I just don't know if I will make it! I need to stop watching TV and pick up my books instead. I am currently in the process of reading THREE different books right now. My goal for November is to finish those three.<br />
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The year is almost over! In January I will get to look back at what I accomplished, what I still need to wrap up, and what I need to work on for 2018. Holy cow, time sure does fly.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-28612360702433165712017-09-30T09:55:00.004-05:002017-09-30T09:55:58.767-05:00Goodbye, September!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Still working on it. The goal that never ends. After vacation I need to hop back on a spending freeze. Hopefully while we are on vacation we can find some cool christmas gifts for people. Logan and I have saved up for the vacation and kept it separate so we aren't dipping into our budgeted checking accounts or using our credit cards.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> Holy crap. I have gone to the gym 3x/week since late August. I haven't noticed a huge huge huge difference, but I'm just proud of myself for going. <br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> Well I for sure did not clean out my closet or paint the front door or touch up my deck. Maybe I can do that one one of my TWO days off from now until vacation in 20 days. <br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I have actually had to remind myself to put my dang phone down and pick up a book before bed. It's just so easy to get sucked into the abyss of social media and news sites. Or as I am reading, I will pick my phone number to text someone back and then i absentmindedly click into those apps. Ugh! <br />
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October is going to be a good month!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-34249200614316575482017-09-07T09:48:00.000-05:002017-09-07T09:48:12.691-05:00Another Quick End-of-August Update<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Working on it, but making a dent!<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> Guys. GUYS. I have gone to the gym 3x a week for 3 weeks. A couple weeks ago I was sitting in my living room. I was scrolling through the same two or three social media apps. I was watching the same episode of Arrested Development I have already seen a dozen times. I had 4 hours before I had to go to work. So I made a decision - and an important decision at that. I decided to go to the gym. AND THEN I ACTUALLY WENT. By myself! I typically really don't like going by myself. I like going with someone else who can motivate me and laugh with me. But I did it. And then I went again. And then AGAIN. I decided I will go 3-4x every week. I even got two co-workers to sign up!<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> Last weekend I cleaned up my office. Well, most of it. I still need to clean up the closet. But I finally cleaned off the futon and the big catch-all chair. My goal for September is to clean out the office closet and my bedroom closet and throw stuff away or donate it. I also want to touch-up the deck and paint the front door.<br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I just finished my 14th book! I have a book set aside for when we go on vacation in October and I really, really want to read it now, but I will wait. I have a couple little books on my kindle to read and one that I am reading at work (it's about patient satisfaction, which sounds really boring and I honestly wouldn't curl up by the fire to read it, but I actually don't mind it and think it is pertinent to the current climate of care delivery, which is my job!) I just might exceed this goal.<br />
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<br />
I started thinking about 2017 and what I have done with my year. I graduated with my BSN. I continued to navigate my new job, learning a lot along the way. I have done a bit (I think it's more than I've done in the past) of self-improving. Things I have wanted to do and just haven't. I recently started going to the gym. In May, I started the online Weight Watchers program and have lost 9 lbs! I started and will finish my Invisalign treatment, giving me a straight-toothed smile! I've always been self-conscious about it and I finally did something about it. I have become more aware of my budget and where my money goes. Last year I changed my retirement contribution and opened an actual savings account that I actually put money into. I feel like I have made some good changes!<br />
Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-36853846974566719932017-08-22T09:26:00.000-05:002017-09-07T09:32:22.657-05:00Well I just forgot an end-of-July post altogether.Well. I completely forgot to doodle up a post about the end of July and beginning of August. So I'll just do an end-of-July + end-of-August combo.<br />
<br />
<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
<strike>Look into more schooling.</strike><br />
<strike>Eat less meat.</strike><br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> I will be working on this all fucking year. <-- same as always! Although I *did* start picking up extra hours at the rehab hospital here. I usually sign up to work 8 and they only need me for about 4, but I like working there. It isn't as much as working at the other hospital here in town, but I didn't like working there at all. I took all of my last check and put it straight toward my credit card. I plan on putting 50% toward vacation and 50% toward credit card debt. I'm also doing another spending freeze. Giving myself a $20 allowance on snacks/lunches/coffee every week. But no clothing, stuff for the house, nothing! for 30 days. That gets me to the end of September. And then the only things I need to get are a couple for vacation in October. I would rather hold on to that spending money for while we are in Florida.
<b>Go to the gym.</b> OMG I am awful. Although I have "closed my rings" on my apple watch most days. I've been taking the stairs at the hospital a lot more. I mean, no excuses with this one. I have just been flat out lazy.<br />
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<strike><b>Eat less meat.</strike></b> I am going to go ahead and cross this one off. I have been making Scout and Watson a real-meat-and-veggies addition to their dog food every week and it has pretty well turned me off to eating meat a lot of the time. Boiling bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will really gross me out.<br />
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<strike><b>Look into more schooling.</b></strike> Wiping this one out too. I just can't financially afford to do this right now. I wouldn't be able to pay for tuition out of pocket and I will be damned if I take out any more student loans. I hate those fuckers.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> I will do a deck-touch-up day in September once it's cooler. I haven't really done much else to the house. I'll probably put another coat of red paint on the door in September too. <br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I fell behind! I have been reading <u>The Magicians</u> and it has taken forrrreeeevvvverrrr to get through. I liked it quite a bit at first and then the main character started getting depressed and self destructive and annoying, tbh. It definitely lost my interest. I am going to pick it back up again and try to power through. <br />
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I am going to be quite honest, I am happy summer is almost over. The only thing I don't like about summer being over is that students come back and Columbia gets a bit more congested. But I am excited for boots and plaid and pumpkins and having the windows open and *fall smells* and hoodies and vests and fires. Bring on autumn!<br />
Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-71762297782126694612017-06-30T10:49:00.001-05:002017-06-30T10:49:49.089-05:00Oh hello, July!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Look into more schooling.<br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> I will be working on this all fucking year.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> I still suck. I am actually dreading going to the gym. It has been so long, I'm worried I will be so bad at it. I will wear myself out, I will be sore and winded and then I won't want to go again. I need to get over it though and just go.<br />
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<b>Eat less meat.</b> Still on track. Actually better than I thought I would be doing!<br />
<br />
<b>Look into more schooling.</b> There is a pretty good chance I will start a graduate certificate next year. I started looking into them and there is one I am pretty interested in - the Participatory Health Research graduate certificate seems pretty cool. I just don't know if it would be *worth it* though.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> We fixed the deck in May/June! I still have some touching up to do - I need to buy another gallon of this paint stuff we used, but since it's so hot out, I will probably do it in September after it cools down. It's just too hot to do anything right now. BUT the broken boards are fixed!<br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I actually think I am "on track" right now with this one - I got sucked into a couple TV shows that ate up more of my evening free time than I planned. I'm usually not much of a TV watcher, but the Handmaid's Tale really got me. (I read the book this year too). I'll for sure read 20 books this year though!<br />
Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-53531389706374981352017-05-27T10:21:00.000-05:002017-05-27T10:21:23.324-05:00Holy Cow, it's June!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
<strike>Look into more schooling.</strike><br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Bleh bleh bleh. Still working on it. I am going to have to get a lot more serious about a budget soon. Also, this "second job" of mine hasn't really paid off. I have literally only gotten to work about 15 hours in the last two months. And i sign up to work almost every weekend.<br />
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<b>Go to the gym.</b> I still suck. Lauren and I made a bet - we both want to lose 15 lbs this summer, so we are both going to try. Her and New Mexico and me in Columbia. At the end of the summer, whoever has lost more (and has to be at least 15 lbs) wins. And the loser has to buy the other one a massage or mani/pedi. Sounds like a good deal to me. Maybe that will be some motivation.<br />
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<b>Eat less meat.</b> Still on track.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> I am going to fix the deck this month. I am going to fix the deck this month. I am going to fix the deck this month. I am going to fix the deck this month.<br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I am STILL ahead of schedule. And holy cow - when I went on my graduation road trip last week, my friend and I stopped at a few independent bookstores. Two of them really hit the spot. One of them was a store of only signed copies, most were first editions. And since I am a paperback snob and first editions are hardback, it kind of struck out for me. BUT the other three we went to, Star Line Books in Chattanooga, A Capella Books in Atlanta, and The Little Professor Bookshop in Birmingham were all A+. I think my favorite was The Little Professor. They had a HUGE selection for being a small, independent shop and were so friendly and sweet. I got my travel mate on goodreads.com and she bought a handful of books too! Now that we don't have school work harping at us every few days we will both have more time to enjoy our hobbies - both of us like reading so much! I am trying to decide if I should increase my goal or if I should keep it 20 books and if I go over, I will shoot for that for 2018. These are the decisions that keep me up at night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMua0-lLgq6PRToLy4u9AjsXmVu819zyW0m-MCMo5_A9vregUnM9YZD4qxCnXx-VtkMIhdX3vdosq81SIUrJl7Szp93Fo_s2DWQ-jgfdihouRjSf4GQ4lNIW_Tt6MCBiCpffDzpmXKbg/s1600/Reading+Gives+Us+Someplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMua0-lLgq6PRToLy4u9AjsXmVu819zyW0m-MCMo5_A9vregUnM9YZD4qxCnXx-VtkMIhdX3vdosq81SIUrJl7Szp93Fo_s2DWQ-jgfdihouRjSf4GQ4lNIW_Tt6MCBiCpffDzpmXKbg/s320/Reading+Gives+Us+Someplace.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="564" data-original-height="752" /></a></div><br />
Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-65600666277585573692017-05-02T10:31:00.000-05:002017-05-02T10:31:14.690-05:00Heading into May!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
<strike>Look into more schooling.</strike><br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> I chipped away at this some more. I did not get to pick up as many hours with the staffing agency as I had hoped, so this is not going as quickly as I had hoped. I am trying to turn this around on weekends though. It gets a little tricky - you don't want to sign up early in case they offer bonuses, but the longer I put off signing up for a shift, the more time i have to talk myself out of it. I need to just do it enough to start making some serious headway at my credit card, invisalign payments, and window payments. Man, I sure as heck don't want to have to deal with something like my window payment again. It's good motivation to save up the money BEFORE making the home improvement. I am also putting myself on a spending diet - No starbucks. No clothing. No house stuff. Only groceries and gas for my car. <br />
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<b>Go to the gym.</b> Oh brother. I suck. Even if I don't go to the gym, I need to do Betty Rocker (it's only 15 minutes a day, lazybones). Or do a bike ride with Logan (it's been too rainy the whole last week!) I went to the gym on day this month and I WAY overdid it. Sore for days! I need to get back into usual workouts so I'm not so miserable for a week after.<br />
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<b>Eat less meat.</b> Doing this one! I have just been kind of turned off to meat in general. It just doesn't sound good most days. Logan and I will start grilling a lot more, we will switch it up more this year. I'll have to figure out some good grilled veggie meals.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> I am going to fix the deck in June. I am going to fix the deck in June. I am going to fix the deck in June. I am going to fix the deck in June. <br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I'm ahead of schedule! I just finished my 7th book of the year. I will probably increase my challenge. I will have more free time once school is over in May. I am trying to read <u>Seven Habits of Highly Effective People</u> and I don't like it so far. I need to give it a chance though.<br />
<br />
Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-55149348821462638652017-03-31T17:57:00.000-05:002017-03-31T17:57:23.112-05:00April<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
<strike>Look into more schooling.</strike><br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Doing it! Slowly, but surely.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> Still pretty stinking terrible. Like, terrible terrible. There is a new walking challenge starting on April 3. I am on a team so I have to step it up (no pun intended). I think the goal is to get 12,500 steps a day. I can do this, especially now that the weather is getting better. <br />
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<b>Eat less meat.</b> I am also doing this pretty well - I don't think it's too terribly difficult, but I don't like being so limited to doing it all the time.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> Still getting there. I wish it wasn't as rainy as it has been. I am going to plant some more stuff in the front flower beds. It was a pain in the butt to kill all of the weeds I had in there, so now I have a fresh start in the front flower beds!<br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> Still chugging along. I hope that I can make this goal. Netflix has eaten away more time than I anticipated (damn you, Shameless). <br />
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I just got home from a 7 day vacation - Logan, Sharida and I went to San Francisco and then Logan and I headed to Orlando for (another) Universal trip! We only spent 1-1/2 days there, but it was enough! I ended up getting absolutely dreadful blisters on both of my feet and it was pretty close to miserable. We stayed at a hotel on the north side of the park, we liked it a lot more than the other places we have stayed, but the 1.5 mile walk sure did do me in. It was good to come home - I missed my animals!<br />
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Now on to April, for a walking challenge, making more money working with the agency, and getting some plants up and running!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-72600918123420637222017-03-02T22:35:00.002-06:002017-03-02T22:35:46.032-06:00March!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
<strike>Look into more schooling.</strike><br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> Getting there! Made considerable progress on this in February. And I am *actually* scheduled for orientation for a travel agency.<br />
<br />
<b>Go to the gym.</b> Nope. I sucked at this in February. Absolutely terrible.<br />
<br />
<b>Look into more schooling.</b> I can officially scratch this off my list. I am not going to go back to school for my masters right now. I am pretty burnt out on school as it is and I would rather pay off the student loans I already have.<br />
<br />
<b>Eat less meat.</b> I've actually done pretty well here too. I had a couple bad bites of chicken that have totally turned me off to eating it. And I've been making Scout and Watson chicken thighs to go with their regular dog food and it has really grossed me out.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> I cleaned up my office. And tidied up the unfinished side of the basement. And I took out all of the dead plants from the flower pots on the deck. I have quite a few plans for planting this year! I think Logan is going to help me make a raised garden to put out on the patio - going to plant some vegetables and hopefully have a bountiful little garden. Or it will tank like most of my plants last year.<br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> I'm on track. I've gotten pretty into the books I have read so far this year. I have been trying to get some of my books on my to-read list crossed off before adding MORE books to my to-read list. <br />
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If I had to describe February in one sentence it would be "In February, I spent more time at the dentist than in the last 3 years combined." Now, that's not because I haven't gone to the dentist regularly. I literally went in for a routine check up and cleaning. Then the next week I went and got a couple cavities filled. Then the next week I went in for an Invisalign consultation. That's right folks, The Rachies is getting her crooked chompers fixed up! They were a little concerned that I would need a "t-rex appliance" to help widen my upper mouth (which was going to cost EVEN MORE money - like, almost $2K more), but they called me a couple days after the consultation and said I was a candidate for invisalign, wouldn't need the extra appliance and they could order my invisalign treatment right away. I *might* have to wear rubberbands on my invisalign appliance to straighten out my cross-bite. Hello, speech impediment! Goodbye jaw popping, teeth grinding, crooked nightmare!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-7974552286747517292017-02-03T09:05:00.000-06:002017-02-03T09:05:00.854-06:00It's already February!<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Go to the gym.<br />
Look into more schooling.<br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>Pay off credit cards.</b> I'm working on it! I've actually made considerable progress. I did the thing where I only give myself so much cash and use that before any of my cards (including my debit card). It actually has kept my spending in check, even though I get nervous having cash on me (what if I lose my wallet? What if I get robbed?!)<br />
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<b>Go to the gym.</b> Uhhhh. I'd say I gave this about 50% in January. I can paint this with a bunch of excuses, but they aren't good ones. I should have done better.<br />
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<b>Look into more schooling.</b> I did this! I looked into a master's program - yikes. I really don't want to move on to another degree. I know it will make me a more competitive candidate for other positions, but ugh. I did look into some graduate certificates, which I'm leaning towards a bit more. They are awfully expensive though. <br />
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<b>Eat less meat.</b> I've actually done pretty well here too. I haven't hit the goal of having 1 day a week that's completely meatless. But I'm getting there! I've made myself more conscious of what I'm eating, where I'm eating, when I'm eating, etc. I've been pretty disappointed in myself, which is a crappy way to feel. I know I can do better.<br />
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<b>Do little things around the house.</b> Sort of... *shrug* - it's been too cold outside to really get things done. However, I did do some stuff inside that I have been putting off for a while - like cleaning up my "office", going through my closet, etc. I have a list of things I want to do this summer (especially working on a raised bed garden) like hunt down this mole that has been tearing up my yard, fix up my deck, etc. <br />
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<b>Read 20 books.</b> This might be a little lofty. I have a <u>lot</u> going on with school this semester and I am hopefully starting a PRN nursing position soon. I have picked up some fun stuff from the library though, which makes me happy.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-70321081149340201102017-01-01T11:57:00.000-06:002017-01-01T11:57:53.514-06:00January 2017 - New Goals!Every year I set a handful or two of goals for myself. A list of things I want to have accomplished in a calendar year. Last year, some of them were easy and fun (traveling!) and some of them were a little challenging (eating something from my garden - I have a heck of a black thumb) and some of them were left unaccomplished by the end of the year (save more money...)<br />
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For 2017, I am making my goals more specific. For 2017, I am holding myself accountable!<br />
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<center>Pay off credit cards.<br />
Got to the gym.<br />
Look into more schooling.<br />
Eat less meat.<br />
Do little things around the house.<br />
Read 20 books.</center><br />
<b>1. Pay off credit cards.</b> Yea, that's right. Plural. I became a sucker for getting credit cards that offer points or cash back or "get approved now and automatically get a $___ credit"). I very much enjoy having a credit card for emergency purposes (we'll talk about this in a second) and I very much like having a credit card for some automatic payments (cell phone, gym membership) - I have been victim to the decimal being put in the wrong place by a computer glitch and 10x the amount due is removed from my account. Call me crazy, I'm sure there are much smarter people than me out there who think credit cards for any reason are a horrible, horrible idea. I just need to pay them off immediately or only use them to buy gas for my car. I had some shit happen in 2016 (some necessary, some unfortunate, and some irresponsible) and now I am paying for it. Literally. (Having a "convenient" way to pay for things when you don't quite have the money is nice. But now I am inconveniently working my butt off to pay them off. Lesson learned the hard way.)<br />
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<b>2. Go to the gym.</b> I know. I can hear it, "but Rachel, you had a gym membership for all of 2016 and look what happened!" That's why it is a new goal for 2017! I want to go to the gym (or do some sort of physical activity - walking the dogs on the trail, riding my bike, etc) <u>twice a week.</u> I know that isn't super lofty of a goal. But maybe if I dig it and I'm having a great time and loving physical activity, I can update my goal and increase my days. All I know is I don't like buying new pants. So if it means sweating it out and eating less potatoes, I guess that's what I'll have to do. (I'm going to go ahead and say that stuffing my body into a pair of pants that are *a little* too small is definitely learning it the hard way.)<br />
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<b>3. Realistically research a Masters Program or a Graduate Certificate.</b> The thing about school is - I really don't hate it. I currently work in a hospital that provides me with a tuition discount. Even if I look into these programs and decide I don't have time or don't have the money or whatever, I need to actually look into programs and admission requirements and make a decision rather than just hide from it. When I first started college in 2003, my parents went on and on about how if you didn't have a Bachelors Degree, you were pretty much fucked in getting a decent job. Then I graduated and had the letters behind my name and it still didn't matter because I didn't have the *right* degree in the *right* subject. So I had to get a degree in something that I could use to find a job. My Associates in Nursing found me a job paying twice as much way quicker than my BA ever did. (Another lesson learned the hard way.) To move up in the nursing world, I have been wrapping up my Bachelors in Nursing (Graduation Date: May 14, 2017). And now that I am almost done with that pesky thing, my colleagues tell me how I should really get a Masters. And since some of my colleagues are really smart and have lived full careers in nursing, I should probably STFU and listen to them. Before I have to learn yet another lesson the hard way.<br />
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<b>4. Eat a pescetarian diet.</b> ..once a week. Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down. I'm not going all veg. I could do it again, so I can't say that I *can't*, but I don't *want* to stop eating meat. BUT I think it would be good to challenge myself one day a week to not eat meat (but I can still eat fish. What can I say, I'm a bit of a cheater.) It will be good for things like my health and cholesterol levels and stuff that I have to think about now that I am in my 30s. The absolute last thing I want to learn the hard way is getting an avoidable health problem because I love cheeseburgers and steak too much.<br />
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<b>5. Do the little things around my house.</b> I have a list of things I need to do around my house that I just never fucking do. I will sit on my phone looking at the same 5 apps over and over and roll around the couch thinking about how bored I am. But I sure as hell won't make a new kennel cover for the dog kennel. Or order pictures for the empty frames in my "office" (heeeeey, maybe if I start doing a Masters or whatever I can ditch the quotation marks around "office"). Or replace the burnt out light bulb in the oven. Or clean all of the air vent registers or replace the boards on the deck or repaint the front door or or or. I just need to shut up and do it.<br />
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<b>6. Read 20 books!</b> in 2016, I initially set a goal of 13 books (I think) and revised it to be 16 because I was chugging along so well. I am going to read 20 this year. Logan got me a couple books for Christmas and I have quite a few book lists I have pinned to give some suggestions. I really like reading. I like lounging around on the couch or outside when it's nice outside and getting lost in a good book. I need to make more of going to the library again and less of buying books. My little bookshelves are bursting at the seams - maybe one of my "little things around the house" will be cleaning out the bookshelves. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.<br />
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So those are the six goals of 2017! I may add some as I think about them more, but I am looking forward to what I've jotted down so far!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-66095279622410879692016-12-26T09:44:00.001-06:002016-12-26T09:44:49.666-06:002016 overallWell. 2016 is in the books! I personally had an okay year. <br />
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I accomplished most of the things I wanted to accomplish. However, I didn't accomplish the really big things, like saving more money, losing some weight, etc. <br />
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I am going to hammer into those a little bit more (and STICK WITH THEM) for 2017. <br />
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I'm not completely sure on my goals for next year though. I'll be starting the year off with travels (yessssss) to someplace I've never been before (YESSSSSS). I will (hopefully) be getting a second job to melt away some of my tuition/home repair bills. I was grandfathered in to a really good Black Friday deal at my gym from 2015, so I need to make the most out of it and go more often. I have quite a few Book Lists pinned to my Pinterest boards, so I hope to expand my horizons a bit.<br />
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I grew up a lot and had a lot of fun in 2016. Now to set some goals for 2017!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-52859533955868378292016-11-30T18:53:00.001-06:002016-11-30T18:53:34.835-06:00December 2016<center>Lose weight.<br />
Save more money.<br />
<strike>Read 16 books.</strike></center><br />
<b>Lose weight</b> - I have a bad, bad habit of letting one slip up turn into a day full of slip ups. Rather than recognizing that I ate an unhealthy, cheesy, nacho-y lunch and then move on, I just decide that the whole day is trashed and I should just keep slipping rather than pick myself up, dust myself off and move on. Not a good habit. I don't think I am going to keep "Lose weight" as a goal for 2017. I definitely want to have some sort of physical health goal. I'm just not sure what it will be yet.<br />
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<b>Save more money</b> - The thing about being a nurse is that there are a lot of opportunities to make extra money. Making extra money gives an opportunity to save more money. I would like to pay off some bills (windows, tuition, credit card) completely in 2017. No more monthly payments!<br />
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<b>Read 16 books</b> - I did it! The last book I read <u>You Are A Badass</u> by Jen Sincero and as goofy as I think Self Help books can be, I do think this one has given me the chance to change my perspective for 2017 a bit. Yahoo! Going to head into 2017 with guns a'blazing!Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168480061482674021.post-73563136153495073322016-11-02T17:45:00.000-05:002016-11-02T17:45:31.493-05:00November 2016<center>Lose weight.<br />
Save more money.<br />
Read 16 books.</center><br />
<b>Lose weight</b> - Not even a little bit. If anything, I got way worse in October. I was promoted to a new position, which caused quite a bit of excitement, but then quite a bit of nervousness and stress. So I did not treat my body well in October. <br />
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<b>Save more money</b> - Also did not treat my bank account well in October. <br />
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<b>Read 16 books</b> - I also did not finish <u>American Gods</u> because I just having been as into it as everyone else. I think it's a good story, but then there are some strange applicable tangents that are distracting. Not to mention this new job I started and school this semester has really wiped me out this month. Pretty sure all I have done the last two weeks is wake up and go to work, eat something unhealthy for dinner, and sleep only to wake up and do it all over again.<br />
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I plan on November being a better month. I'm getting into the swing of my new position (which came with a pay increase, so hopefully "save more money" will be a feasible goal for 2017), I'm working on getting ahead of school this week to get a bit ahead of the game instead a little behind the game. I'm hoping to finish this book this weekend and move onto something I like a bit more. Harumphf.Rachel Effhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08518272091510012074noreply@blogger.com0