End of the Year Update!

Holy guacamole! I feel like it was just the other day when I was typing up my January 2015 resolution post and here we are - December 30, 2015. The year has come to a close and so have some of these "resolutions." Sigh.

1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Well. I don't think I have lost much weight. I know for a fact I am the same size as I was in January. Harumph. That being said, I have absolutely been more active - going to 9round fairly frequently since May and taking the dogs out more often has definitely got me moving more in 2015. And we all know how weight loss works: Calories burned > calories in. Which means that I did pretty terrible at eating healthier this year. I am making changes though. I have cut my starbucks intake down substantially. I am trying to eat out less. I'm sure this "resolution" will carry on.

2. Read more. When I made this resolution, I meant to "Read more books." That didn't happen. I read a lot more blogs. I read a lot more articles. I did not read more books. I would like to read 15 books in 2016. I got the Harry Potter series for Christmas so I may revisit them. I just know I want to read more.

3. Save more money. So I did save more money in 2015 than in years previous. That being said, I also spent more money. So my end goal = not met. My trips this year were a little more costly than I anticipated. I did learn some new tricks on saving money/spending less throughout this year, so I am going to use those for 2016.

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Heck yes. HECK YES. I have pared my shower stuffs down by about 50%. I don't have jugs upon jugs of laundry detergent anymore. I do still have too much in my pantry, but not in my freezer! I didn't get tempted by Bath and Body Works e-mails all year. I didn't cave in to the Ulta coupons every month (not even once!) I stood my ground and didn't buy shampoo just because it smelled good. I kicked this resolution's ass!

5. Ahhh. My house. Nothing exciting happened with my house this year. I kept paying off my windows. I didn't need any major appliances. While nothing beneficial happened to my house (like new anythings), nothing detrimental happened either (like requiring new things). I did have a tomato plant this year that grew three tomatoes! I also killed quite a few succulents. I didn't paint anything. The house laid low in 2015.

6. Traveling. 2015 was a good year for traveling! I went to Las Vegas in April, Omaha in June, and Washington DC in October. I bought journal for all 50 states and will hopefully start filling it out before school starts back up.

All in all, I didn't accomplish as much as I intended for 2015. Ideally, I would have lost 15 lbs and a dress size or two. I would have some epic tale I read and can't shut up about. I would have a few more dollars saved up. I would still have way less in my shower/pantry/freezer/laundry room. I would have a cuter house or a productive vegetable garden or something. I would have traveled a bit more. But that being said, I am happy with how my year turned out. On to 2016!

December Update

1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. I have actually done pretty darn good about this in November. Killing it at 9Round (signed up for a YEAR membership!), cut back my starbucks to only twice a week (once on my days off, once on my work days), eating more meals at home, drinking shakeology every day (I have SO much shakeology!) I did start sipping on soda more... Gotta cut it out!

2. Read more. Ehhhhhhhh. Not so much. I had a goal to read 12 books this year. May not happen. Mandy gave me a couple recommendations for short books I can crank out in a couple days - I plan on checking those out. I still need to read 4 more! I would like to read 15 in 2016.

3. Save more money. Better than I was in September and October. Eating more meals at home helps this a lot. And so does cutting back on starbucks. I thought Kellianne was going to move out in December, so that spooked me a little bit and I signed up for extra hours. I picked up quite a few extra hours for the holidays.

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Yes! Finally a resolution that I have stuck with all year long! My shower space and laundry counter space is proof! Now I need to tackle the stuff in my pantry.

5. Ahhh. My house. Ugh. My house. I am trying to pay off my windows quicker. Throwing a couple extra bucks at the payments every month. I love love love my windows. I love seeing a reasonable electricity bill and having an actual, functioning latch lock on my sliding glass doors. But dang it I hate paying for them!

6. Traveling. No big travel plans in the works just yet. I think 2016 will be a trip in March and maybe a little trip in the fall. Nothing crazy though (See goal number 3).

I guess next month I will be creating a couple new goals for 2016! Or maybe I will actually hold myself accountable for these again.

November Update

1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Man I need to eat better. I think if I really worked on changing my diet I would be in good shape. Need to work harder at that.

2. Read more. I read two books in October! I actually did finish one of the books I started in August. Maybe I will keep chipping away at the others I started a while ago. They just aren't holding my interest. I made a goodreads goal to read 10 books this year. I need to read four before 2016! Which makes me kind of lucky that I have three sitting here next to my chair. Maybe I will reach that goal this year, which is not too shabby seeing as I did poorly until like, May.

3. Save more money. Gross. I don't even want to talk about it. I'm hoping for a good tax refund early next year. Lol.

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Still chugging along at this one. I did buy some candles though, but only when they were on sale and only after I used up my inventory.

5. Ahhh. My house. One day my windows will be paid off and I will spring for new siding and a new roof. In the mean time. Sigh.

6. Traveling. No big travel plans in the works just yet. I don't plan on doing another trip until March - I'm not 100% sure that one will fall into place either. I kind of need to sit tight and save save save before I skip town again.

October Update

1. Keep kicking ass at 9Round
2 Finish reading two books that I started in August
3. Work overtime
4. Hit the trail a couple times a week
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Sticking to it! I've actually started to notice more progress as far as my physical stamina goes. We have been walking a TON in DC (more than 15,000 steps every day) and I have yet to have an achy day!

2. Read more. Ooof. Maybe once it gets cooler outside I will do this more. It will be that goal to cuddle up with the dogs on the couch and read. I have bought two more books in DC. And I bought three a couple weeks ago. Now I just need to get into them! (And I need to finish the books I started back in August...)

3. Save more money. Oh. Yikes. Notice monthly goal number 3 - Work overtime. No joke. This DC trip was a touch more expensive than I thought (totally my fault. I tried to limit the souvenirs, but honestly, I will probably only ever be here this one time.) So I am working some overtime shifts. I am also working the big holidays (Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day) to get the holiday pay + overtime. Gotta pay the bills!

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. This may be the only "resolution" I have stuck to consistently throughout the year. I have yoyo-ed on trying to eat healthier, trying to read more, trying to save more money, trying to get things done to my house. But I am using all my dang laundry detergent and all of my dang shampoo. I need to tackle my pantry.

5. Ahhh. My house. Lol. What a joke.

6. Traveling. I'm actually making this blog update from Baltimore, Maryland! Sarah and I have been planning our DC trip since March-ish. We drove through the night and got here on Monday the 5th. Checked in and hit Capitol Hill as soon as we got here. I'll have to make a second post about it all once i get home. Yeehaw! Bummer it will be my last trip of the year, but it has been a doozy!

September Update

1. Keep kicking ass at 9Round
2 Finish reading two books that I started in August
3. Clean house super well
4. Pay off credit cards (I'm so close!)
5. Clean out flower beds
6. Feel better about myself.
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. I've still been going to 9round a couple times a week. I wouldn't say I'm really eating healthier, but I'm trying. I went on vacation last week and really set myself up to fail. When I go to DC next month I am going to bring some healthier foods so I don't totally destroy everything good I have done.

2. Read more. I had so many plans to read on the beach. And then I forgot my cool beach chair. And there were flies biting me. So I didn't read very much.

3. Save more money. Back in the swing of things! I picked up an extra shift here and there so hopefully this will be easier this month. I need to keep my souvenirs in check when I go to DC.

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Still doing well at this! I haven't had to buy laundry detergent or conditioner in over a year! I'm starting to do this more with my pantry and freezer. I didn't think I would develop such a strange habit (buying things before I really need to and then having an abundant supply), but looking back at my mom's hoarding habits, I'm really not surprised.

5. Ahhh. My house. I'm hosting a baby shower in two weeks. I need to tidy some shit up. My flower beds look horrible and are covered in weeds. I need to do those things that polish my house up a little. I did finally (FINALLY) rearrange my "office" so it is more user friendly. I am going to check out a couple office chairs to get for my table. The wood chair I have is definitely not comfortable enough.

6. Traveling. Sarah and I booked our condo for DC. I finally used airbnb.com. I have looked at them a few times for imaginary vacations (Remember my plan to go to Orlando for my 30th bday? Lol lol) but never actually pulled the trigger. Hotels in DC are bananas expensive. Like, more than $100 a night for a shitty motel that is far away from everywhere. We found a couple places using airbnb and other websites that are the same concept. What's shitty is when you find a place that is awesome and get a reasonable quote and then go to book it and there is an extra $250 in "charges and taxes". We finally found a condo with no hidden charges or fees for $400 for 5 days and nights. We will have to drive to a metro and then take that everywhere, but we kind of planned on that when we decided to drive. Like I said, DC is kind of expensive. LUCKILY, almost everything we want to see and do is free!

August Update

1. Keep kicking ass at 9Round
2. Spend a bunch of time at the beach
3. Read two books in August
4. Pay off credit cards
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. I slacked for a minute there in July. But then I went to the doctor and found out I have actually lost 6 lbs! My coworkers have mentioned I look like I have lost weight. I don't really super feel that way, but I do feel like I have more muscle tone, which is awesome. I started drinking a meal replacement in the mornings, which actually doesn't taste terrible. And when I was drinking it regularly I did notice that I felt better.

2. Read more. I started reading Aziz Ansari's Modern Romance, which is unfortunately about online dating, which I hate. I can usually read about 15 pages and then I get frustrated. I KNOW THIS LIFE, AZIZ. I also started reading Lena Dunham's book. I've just always been a little annoyed by her, but so many people sung this book's praises. I just don't know.

3. Save more money. Oh man did I fuck this one up.

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Holy cow I am still doing this! This seems like such a minor thing, but I am making a lot of progress with it and feel pretty good when I get to throw things away.

5. Ahhh. My house. I painted Kellianne's room. I got rid of almost everything from the basement. I finished my office table. My tomato plant has three legit tomatoes on it. I keep thinking about how I need a new roof and new siding and new gutters and new new new. It's a little stressful when I start thinking about it, but really because I only go down the rabbit hole. I wish I was handier.

6. Traveling. I'm hitting the beach this month! I have been picking up extra hours at the hospital, which is great. Making that paper. BUT I haven't had a traditional 4-off/3-on week in a really long time. They posted the August schedule, which includes a 4-off week! Beach time beach time beach time. It will be a little stressful coming back - travel day, two alabama days, travel day, work three 12-hour shifts! But if my Alabama days include beach time, I'm all for it.

July update

1. Paint Kellianne's room
2. Get my stuff out of the basement
3. Read two more books this month
4. Finish office table/desk
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. So I have had a few sodas. And a couple more white mochas than I should have had. BUT I JOINED A KICKBOXING GYM. And I've actually been going and putting forth legit effort. I also started doing an upper body workout at home on the days I don't go to the gym. I know if I go too frequently and get sore I'll not want to go as much. I've been going twice a week - this week I'm upping it to three times. I've also been trying to walk the dogs to get them some exercise. I want to not be embarrassed in photos. Workin on it.

2. Read more. Yes! I did it! I decided I was going to read/finish two books in June. I finished Amy Poehler's memoir, read the last Gillian Flynn novel a co-worker loaned me MONTHS ago, and I read a book about the Columbine school shooting. I decided I would make a goodreads goal of 10 books for 2015. (4 down, 6 to go!)

3. Save more money. Doing it still. I backslid a little bit, but I'm back on track!

4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. I *might* have gone to Bath & Body Works last week and bought a couple candles. Maybe. In my defense, I have blazed through (no pun intended) the candles I bought last year. My house now smells like something beach related. So much better than smelling like dogs.

5. Ahhh. My house. I transplanted my tomatoes from a little pot to a couple of bigger pots. I hope they don't die. It's too soon to tell. I am going to paint Kellianne's room this month. I started to work on refinishing a dining room table to put in my office. I didn't get too far on it. At all. It's now sitting in my garage like a workstation that I'm working on. Maybe I'll make that a July goal!

6. Traveling. Might have another little road trip in the works for August. My dad suggested Minnesota/Wisconsin - only 9 hours away! And turns out the Mall of America has an aquarium. So that might happen. Still gotta work out more details for October trip. 2016 will probably be limited to the Mexico family vacation. Maybe a small one in the Fall. Okay okay, I'm getting ahead of myself.