1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Uhhhhh. I got a new fitbit, the Fitbit Charge, since it's an actual watch (a hideous watch, but a watch nonetheless) I have been wearing it all the time. I'm trying to hit 10,000 steps 6 days a week, at least. I have been eating healthier - cut out fast food almost completely!
2. Read more. - Maybe I'm just afraid of finishing Amy Poehler's memoir. Surely that's why I haven't picked it up to finish the last 50 pages. I actually need to get on this though - one of my coworkers loaned me another Gillian Flynn novel and I need to get it back to her. Maybe over "spring break". (Did I mention how much I hate going back to school lately?)
3. Save more money. Bills, Bills, Bills. Destiny's Child got it back in like, 2001. Can you pay my bills? Can you pay my telephone bills? Can you pay my automobile bills? SON OF A BITCH. I absolutely LOVE my new car, but DANG IT A CAR PAYMENT WAS NOT SOMETHING I WANTED TO DEAL WITH.
I have been sticking with some of those savings challenges. For the months of May and June I am going to do the 5% in savings for every purchase (a "self tax" is what I call it) and avoid using my credit cards. Bah! I need to remind myself that I got them for the purpose of emergencies and that really is when I should be using them. Sales at Old Navy and buying makeup are not "emergencies".
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Still SO MUCH BETTER AT THIS! No matter how many e-mails they send me, I haven't gone into Bath & Body Works to buy candles OR handsoaps. I won't do it! I'm staying strong! I'm also eliminating shower supplies. I have successfully been able to avoid the "health and beauty" section of Target and Walmart for pretty much a year now. Which is both awesome and a little sad at the same time. And I have more 1/2 full shampoo/conditioner bottles under my sink still. Such a hoarder.
5. Ahhh. My house. I somehow managed to murder a succulent. I should not be responsible for replanting shit. Although, I have successfully grown tomato seedlings (which also falls under Resolution 1 and 3). Hopefully when it's time to plant them in something bigger or better, I won't totally fuck it up. I'm working on buying a weedeater so my yard will look a little nicer. I bought some stuff to hopefully replant where some grass has died. I need to clean up the patio and basement before too long. Kellianne is going to start moving some stuff in soon!
Friday, May 1, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
April Update
Holy cow, guys! I have been kicking my resolutions' asses this last month!
Lol - April Fools. I have been pretty much the same.
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Definitely have gotten better. Eating more at home and less out and about. Cutting drive-thru fast food completely out, cutting back to starbucks on Sundays only. Once the weather continues to be nice, being more active will be a breeze. I actually spent 30 minutes outside cutting my front lawn today, so that was a nice change of pace with activity.
2. Read more. - Nope. (COME ON, RACHEL)
3. Save more money. LOL LOL LOL. So a couple weeks ago I was driving to meet Kurt for lunch. Driving behind a big moving van/truck that decided to stop their truck and throw it in reverse. They didn't see the Tiny Car that had been following them for 2+ miles. WHAM! Crushed the whole front of my car. A week or so later, I find out my Tiny Car has officially been totaled. So the whole, "save more money" dream turned into "now you have a car payment and your car insurance will probably increase and you have to pay over a thousand dollars in taxes". The good news is that I was able to get a brand new car (2015 Subaru Forester) that I can afford (hello, overtime pay). I definitely would not have been able to sell or trade-in my Tiny Car for as much as it was totaled out for, so although I was incredibly unprepared for this to happen, it is kind of a blessing in disguise.
I have also totally been kicking butt on my savings challenges. I found one where you put 5% of everything you spend in your savings account. So I go through weekly, add up everything I have used my debit card on, come up with 5% of that total and transfer it into a savings account. It ends up being about an extra $15/week in savings (ends up being almost $800 in savings/year!) I found one on pinterest where you put a certain amount/month in savings and at the end of the year, you end up with $1,050 in savings.
Dave Ramsey says you should have one savings account with $1,000 in it. That account is for emergencies. I should probably have that.
I also found a money-tip blog that has a link of 8 savings accounts people should have. ... I'm lucky that I have two. (When I opened them, one was to save up for annual vet bills - two dogs + cat = not cheap. and the other was for vacation funds.) Now I need a couple more, apparently.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. SO MUCH BETTER AT THIS. I haven't bought anything new for my shower in almost a year. I haven't bought laundry detergent in forever (I think one of my roommates left a big ole thing of laundry detergent, so I'm just riding the wave). Using what I have in my cabinets/pantry and buying less groceries because of it. (At least I'm kicking butt on ONE of my resolutions).
5. Ahhh. My house. 2015 will be the year of succulents in pots at my house. I have recruited Emily to help me come up with some cute arrangements for my bigger pots. Right now, I have a couple in the kitchen and one in the living room. Kellianne will be moving into the basement in a few months, so I kind of need to light the fire to get that worked on and ready for her.
Lol - April Fools. I have been pretty much the same.
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Definitely have gotten better. Eating more at home and less out and about. Cutting drive-thru fast food completely out, cutting back to starbucks on Sundays only. Once the weather continues to be nice, being more active will be a breeze. I actually spent 30 minutes outside cutting my front lawn today, so that was a nice change of pace with activity.
2. Read more. - Nope. (COME ON, RACHEL)
3. Save more money. LOL LOL LOL. So a couple weeks ago I was driving to meet Kurt for lunch. Driving behind a big moving van/truck that decided to stop their truck and throw it in reverse. They didn't see the Tiny Car that had been following them for 2+ miles. WHAM! Crushed the whole front of my car. A week or so later, I find out my Tiny Car has officially been totaled. So the whole, "save more money" dream turned into "now you have a car payment and your car insurance will probably increase and you have to pay over a thousand dollars in taxes". The good news is that I was able to get a brand new car (2015 Subaru Forester) that I can afford (hello, overtime pay). I definitely would not have been able to sell or trade-in my Tiny Car for as much as it was totaled out for, so although I was incredibly unprepared for this to happen, it is kind of a blessing in disguise.
I have also totally been kicking butt on my savings challenges. I found one where you put 5% of everything you spend in your savings account. So I go through weekly, add up everything I have used my debit card on, come up with 5% of that total and transfer it into a savings account. It ends up being about an extra $15/week in savings (ends up being almost $800 in savings/year!) I found one on pinterest where you put a certain amount/month in savings and at the end of the year, you end up with $1,050 in savings.
Dave Ramsey says you should have one savings account with $1,000 in it. That account is for emergencies. I should probably have that.
I also found a money-tip blog that has a link of 8 savings accounts people should have. ... I'm lucky that I have two. (When I opened them, one was to save up for annual vet bills - two dogs + cat = not cheap. and the other was for vacation funds.) Now I need a couple more, apparently.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. SO MUCH BETTER AT THIS. I haven't bought anything new for my shower in almost a year. I haven't bought laundry detergent in forever (I think one of my roommates left a big ole thing of laundry detergent, so I'm just riding the wave). Using what I have in my cabinets/pantry and buying less groceries because of it. (At least I'm kicking butt on ONE of my resolutions).
5. Ahhh. My house. 2015 will be the year of succulents in pots at my house. I have recruited Emily to help me come up with some cute arrangements for my bigger pots. Right now, I have a couple in the kitchen and one in the living room. Kellianne will be moving into the basement in a few months, so I kind of need to light the fire to get that worked on and ready for her.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Oh brother, oh brother. This hasn't gotten much better. I was on a really good roll there for a while. I didn't drink but maybe 2 sodas for the whole month of January. And then I drank a little during February and now I'm drinking them again on the regular. Gotta quit that shit. I didn't go to the gym for the entire MONTH of February. I went last week and my legs were KILLING me. I'm going to go again tonight and again either tomorrow evening or Thursday evening.
2. Read more. - Nope.
3. Save more money. Aside from some annoying incidentals I had to pay for with my house and my car (flat tire, plumber, etc) I'm doing pretty good. I haven't gone and bought clothes or makeup or anything like that for a while. I have been buying more decorative stuff for my house though, which has started to cost a little bit here and there.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Getting better, but still not where I need to be!
5. Ahhh. My house. My basement has been finished for over a month and my painting table is still sitting downstairs covered in paint supplies. I just keep walking past it and ignoring the mess. I should probably do something about it this spring. I also need to clean out my garage, spruce up the basement patio and knock down a whole bunch of spiderwebs that are all over my front porch. I planted some succulents (I know it takes absolutely no work at all, but it made me feel like I did something). I have plans to plant some tomatoes in a big pot this summer and maybe actually plant some pretty somethings in the pots that live next to the garage (which I might move).
So basically I have sucked on all of my resolutions for the last 6 weeks. Whomp whomp.
2. Read more. - Nope.
3. Save more money. Aside from some annoying incidentals I had to pay for with my house and my car (flat tire, plumber, etc) I'm doing pretty good. I haven't gone and bought clothes or makeup or anything like that for a while. I have been buying more decorative stuff for my house though, which has started to cost a little bit here and there.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. Getting better, but still not where I need to be!
5. Ahhh. My house. My basement has been finished for over a month and my painting table is still sitting downstairs covered in paint supplies. I just keep walking past it and ignoring the mess. I should probably do something about it this spring. I also need to clean out my garage, spruce up the basement patio and knock down a whole bunch of spiderwebs that are all over my front porch. I planted some succulents (I know it takes absolutely no work at all, but it made me feel like I did something). I have plans to plant some tomatoes in a big pot this summer and maybe actually plant some pretty somethings in the pots that live next to the garage (which I might move).
So basically I have sucked on all of my resolutions for the last 6 weeks. Whomp whomp.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
1 month down - progress!
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. Oof! I did really really good for 3 weeks. This last week has been really stressful (oh hello, excuse!), but I'm back on the healthy train. I read a blog once from a woman who lost a bunch of weight and started gravitating towards a healthier lifestyle. One of the things she wrote that really stuck with me is when you "break" your diet, you don't have to completely throw up your hands for the day/week/ever. You just need to recognize that you cheated (maybe badly), but dust yourself off and get back on the diet horse. I need to remember that. I also need to get to the gym more. It will be nice when the weather is better and I can walk with the dogs.
2. Read more. As fun as my 1400+ page pharmacology text book is, it is hardly motivating me to read more. I'll get there. I need to avoid pinterest before bed and instead pick up a good book. (I'm looking at you, Amy Poehler's memoir).
3. Save more money. I am doing pretty good at this! One of my goals to reach before my 30th birthday was to have my two credit cards paid off. I put the travel expenses for my birthday trip on my credit card and will have it paid in full before I fly to sunny Florida! I found a good money-saving/budgeting blog while perusing pinterst and one of the suggestions was a challenge - don't use credit cards for 90 days and put 5% of whatever you spend from your checking account either towards a credit card balance or into savings. I'm a bit of a cheater, so I am only doing this for the month of February. Her blog also points out SIX (SIX!) savings accounts everyone should have... I don't know about ya'll, but I definitely don't have six and I definitely don't have the right amount of money in the ones that I do have... Going to work on that too.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. I'm doing so good with this in my bathroom - not so good with it in the kitchen. I have used up a couple bottles in my bathroom and have NOT replaced them with more! I have gotte a little better with the kitchen, but I have been trying to eat more fresh fruits and veggies and avoiding preservative-filled pastas that are stacked tall in the pantry. I'm getting there though! Slowly, but surely.
5. Ahhh. My house. I finished painting the basement! I got my stairwell painted (it looks so much better!) I have a couple thrifted pieces of furniture and have actually looked into refinishing them (spring projects)!
2. Read more. As fun as my 1400+ page pharmacology text book is, it is hardly motivating me to read more. I'll get there. I need to avoid pinterest before bed and instead pick up a good book. (I'm looking at you, Amy Poehler's memoir).
3. Save more money. I am doing pretty good at this! One of my goals to reach before my 30th birthday was to have my two credit cards paid off. I put the travel expenses for my birthday trip on my credit card and will have it paid in full before I fly to sunny Florida! I found a good money-saving/budgeting blog while perusing pinterst and one of the suggestions was a challenge - don't use credit cards for 90 days and put 5% of whatever you spend from your checking account either towards a credit card balance or into savings. I'm a bit of a cheater, so I am only doing this for the month of February. Her blog also points out SIX (SIX!) savings accounts everyone should have... I don't know about ya'll, but I definitely don't have six and I definitely don't have the right amount of money in the ones that I do have... Going to work on that too.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. I'm doing so good with this in my bathroom - not so good with it in the kitchen. I have used up a couple bottles in my bathroom and have NOT replaced them with more! I have gotte a little better with the kitchen, but I have been trying to eat more fresh fruits and veggies and avoiding preservative-filled pastas that are stacked tall in the pantry. I'm getting there though! Slowly, but surely.
5. Ahhh. My house. I finished painting the basement! I got my stairwell painted (it looks so much better!) I have a couple thrifted pieces of furniture and have actually looked into refinishing them (spring projects)!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
2015 will be a year of change.
Every January I jot down a handful of things I want to accomplish during the year. It usually includes the same things - eat healthier, be more active, read more, save more money, use what I already have, make my house cuter/better/safer/etc. This year I looked a little closer on how I can actually do those things and decided to make some pretty big changes. I know, I know. Studies show that when people make really drastic changes in their lives, they are less likely to stick with it than if they make small changes gradually. Well. Unfortunately, I'm not that patient.
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. For a couple years in college, I didn't have a car. If I couldn't walk somewhere, I had to bum a ride from a friend. I lived on campus, so walking to class wasn't a big deal and walking to my job downtown wasn't that big of a deal either. Combine being 19 with walking everywhere and you get to stay pretty svelte, no matter how much unlimited fountain coke you drink (at least, that was the case for me.) Then I got a car. Then I moved further away from work. Then I got married. Then I... Then I... Then I... I could rattle off all of the other reasons I became less healthy, less active, and gained more weight. The fact of the matter is, I got lazy and stopped walking as much. I kept eating less healthy foods (in fact, I probably ate even more of those less healthy foods because I thought Taco Bell was more convenient than anything else). And now, many years later and many excuses later... I am finally deciding to be more proactive in making myself be more active! The hospital is sponsoring a New Year, New U Challenge that involves healthy weight loss and healthy dieting. I would like to be down a couple dress sizes in a couple months and am working on that. Trying to hit 10,000 steps every day (including my "cheat" day). Cutting back (significantly) on soda and starbucks. Completely cutting out drive-thru foods. Sticking with foods that are closer to nature. Eating breakfast. Going to the free 1-hour classes offered at the hospital about nutrition.
2. Read more. Does it count if I am going back to school? I would like to read more for fun, but honestly, Friends just came onto Netflix and dang-o is it funny! BUT, I am going back to school to get my BSN finally. Two pre-reqs this semester and classes start in June. Whew. I don't particularly want to do it, but it is a necessary evil for moving onward and upward in the nursing world.
3. Save more money. Cutting back on soda and starbucks helps a lot. When I started at the hospital, I would get starbucks on Sundays as a celebration that it was my Friday. I had one more 12-hour shift and then it was my weekend. Then I started getting it on Fridays because it was my Monday. And then fuck it, I might as well get it on Saturdays too. And I don't get a $1 coffee. I get a $5-6 "coffee" - filled with syrup and sugar and milk and mmmmmmm. So tasty! But, it is also so bad for me (see resolution #1). What started off as a $6/week treat turned into a $20/week bill. Killing two birds with one stone by cutting it out. I'm also cutting out drive-thru foods and making myself cook more meals at home. $12.99 for stir-fry buffet when I have most ingredients at home and need to buy $5 worth of chicken (and get 3 meals out of it instead of 1) is a WAY better deal. I just found a "save money plan" on Pinterest. I am using one savings account for pet expenses, one for vacation savings, and one as an emergency fund. I'm not buying things I don't need. I get e-mails all the time from Ulta, Bath & Body Works, Old Navy, etc with "deals". I don't need any more makeup, soap, or leggings.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. When I was growing up, my mom had the habit of buying a lot of unnecessary things. The grocery store would have pasta 10 for $10. So my mom would buy 10 boxes of pasta. Do you know how much pasta we had in our pantry at any given time? About 10 boxes, because my mom would never actually make said pasta. That terrible habit of buying tons of unnecessary shit has passed through her blood and into mine. I didn't realize it until the last few years. A couple people have pointed out how much I have in my shower. Doesn't everyone have 4 different bottles of shampoo? 6 conditioners? 7 body washes? A couple face washes? Doesn't everyone have boxes upon boxes of pasta and oatmeal and hot chocolate? Doesn't everyone buy new stuff when they still have more than 1/2 of the old stuff left? NO. So, one of my resolutions (I actually started doing this last summer) is to use the stuff I have before buying new stuff. No shower stuff for a while. No pasta. No oatmeal. And holy cow is this going to help me save money.
5. Ahhh. My house. Last July I completed refinancing my house. It is all mine. Sonofabitch that is a lot of responsibility. So far, I'm handling it well. In 2014, I got new windows and doors (making it more energy efficient and safer). They also installed new shutters (making it look a hell of a lot nicer). This year I plan on sprucing up the front of my house a little bit more. Flowers or bushes or something. I am working on painting the basement (ugh. it just takes forever and is so boring). My brother may install a bathroom downstairs (would be pretty handy to have a bathroom down there). I need to start saving for a new roof/gutters. I also need to start saving to get rid of the carpet in the living room and hallway.
So that's where I am at. Being healthier, reading more, going back to school, using what I already have, saving money, making my house where i want to hang my hat.
1. Eat healthier, be more active, lose weight. For a couple years in college, I didn't have a car. If I couldn't walk somewhere, I had to bum a ride from a friend. I lived on campus, so walking to class wasn't a big deal and walking to my job downtown wasn't that big of a deal either. Combine being 19 with walking everywhere and you get to stay pretty svelte, no matter how much unlimited fountain coke you drink (at least, that was the case for me.) Then I got a car. Then I moved further away from work. Then I got married. Then I... Then I... Then I... I could rattle off all of the other reasons I became less healthy, less active, and gained more weight. The fact of the matter is, I got lazy and stopped walking as much. I kept eating less healthy foods (in fact, I probably ate even more of those less healthy foods because I thought Taco Bell was more convenient than anything else). And now, many years later and many excuses later... I am finally deciding to be more proactive in making myself be more active! The hospital is sponsoring a New Year, New U Challenge that involves healthy weight loss and healthy dieting. I would like to be down a couple dress sizes in a couple months and am working on that. Trying to hit 10,000 steps every day (including my "cheat" day). Cutting back (significantly) on soda and starbucks. Completely cutting out drive-thru foods. Sticking with foods that are closer to nature. Eating breakfast. Going to the free 1-hour classes offered at the hospital about nutrition.
2. Read more. Does it count if I am going back to school? I would like to read more for fun, but honestly, Friends just came onto Netflix and dang-o is it funny! BUT, I am going back to school to get my BSN finally. Two pre-reqs this semester and classes start in June. Whew. I don't particularly want to do it, but it is a necessary evil for moving onward and upward in the nursing world.
3. Save more money. Cutting back on soda and starbucks helps a lot. When I started at the hospital, I would get starbucks on Sundays as a celebration that it was my Friday. I had one more 12-hour shift and then it was my weekend. Then I started getting it on Fridays because it was my Monday. And then fuck it, I might as well get it on Saturdays too. And I don't get a $1 coffee. I get a $5-6 "coffee" - filled with syrup and sugar and milk and mmmmmmm. So tasty! But, it is also so bad for me (see resolution #1). What started off as a $6/week treat turned into a $20/week bill. Killing two birds with one stone by cutting it out. I'm also cutting out drive-thru foods and making myself cook more meals at home. $12.99 for stir-fry buffet when I have most ingredients at home and need to buy $5 worth of chicken (and get 3 meals out of it instead of 1) is a WAY better deal. I just found a "save money plan" on Pinterest. I am using one savings account for pet expenses, one for vacation savings, and one as an emergency fund. I'm not buying things I don't need. I get e-mails all the time from Ulta, Bath & Body Works, Old Navy, etc with "deals". I don't need any more makeup, soap, or leggings.
4. In fact, I'm trying to use more of what I already have. When I was growing up, my mom had the habit of buying a lot of unnecessary things. The grocery store would have pasta 10 for $10. So my mom would buy 10 boxes of pasta. Do you know how much pasta we had in our pantry at any given time? About 10 boxes, because my mom would never actually make said pasta. That terrible habit of buying tons of unnecessary shit has passed through her blood and into mine. I didn't realize it until the last few years. A couple people have pointed out how much I have in my shower. Doesn't everyone have 4 different bottles of shampoo? 6 conditioners? 7 body washes? A couple face washes? Doesn't everyone have boxes upon boxes of pasta and oatmeal and hot chocolate? Doesn't everyone buy new stuff when they still have more than 1/2 of the old stuff left? NO. So, one of my resolutions (I actually started doing this last summer) is to use the stuff I have before buying new stuff. No shower stuff for a while. No pasta. No oatmeal. And holy cow is this going to help me save money.
5. Ahhh. My house. Last July I completed refinancing my house. It is all mine. Sonofabitch that is a lot of responsibility. So far, I'm handling it well. In 2014, I got new windows and doors (making it more energy efficient and safer). They also installed new shutters (making it look a hell of a lot nicer). This year I plan on sprucing up the front of my house a little bit more. Flowers or bushes or something. I am working on painting the basement (ugh. it just takes forever and is so boring). My brother may install a bathroom downstairs (would be pretty handy to have a bathroom down there). I need to start saving for a new roof/gutters. I also need to start saving to get rid of the carpet in the living room and hallway.
So that's where I am at. Being healthier, reading more, going back to school, using what I already have, saving money, making my house where i want to hang my hat.
Monday, January 5, 2015
What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before? I refinanced my house, making me the sole owner of my home. I went on a road trip with friends, went to a music festival, ate fried alligator. I went to New York and saw the Statue of Liberty. I went to Epcot!
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Same as last year - one of my resolutions was to travel more, so I did that.
Did anyone close to you give birth? No one super close to me.
Did anyone close to you die? No.
What countries did you visit? None - still just traveling stateside
What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014? Even more traveling! I would like to NOT have any credit card debt.
What date(s) from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I never remember dates. I will remember going to HangoutFest in May, New York in September, and Florida in December.
What was your biggest achievement of the year? Successfully refinancing my house. I own this bitch.
What was your biggest failure? Not starting my BSN program like I intended.
Did you suffer illness or injury? I had a really bad bout of the flu in March.
What was the best thing you bought? Uhhh, my house! Plane ticket to NY, more paint, windows & sliding glass doors!
Whose behavior merited celebration? Kristan moved to Chicago, which was a dream of hers, so that's pretty cool.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My mom got even more strange.
Where did most of your money go? House. Student loans. Travel.
What did you get really, really, really excited about? Epcot! Hangout! New York! New windows!
What songs will always remind you of 2014? Taylor Swift, probably. Ed Sheeran, maybe.
Compared to this time last year, are you...
i. happier or sadder?
ii. thinner or fatter?
iii. richer or poorer? Happier, the same, and the same. I'm working on being happier, healthier, and richer.
What do you wish you'd done more of? Saved more money. Travelled more. Ate healthier and been more active.
What do you wish you'd done less of? I wish I had worked less.
How did you spend Christmas? I worked 12 hours.
Did you fall in love in 2014? Nope.
What was your favorite TV program? Walking Dead, probably.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Hate is such a strong word.
What was the best book you read? I didn't read anything that wow-ed my socks off.
What was your greatest musical discovery? Lana Del Ray.
What did you want and get? I wanted to go places I had never been - did that!
What did you want and not get? I wanted to travel even more than I did.
What was your favorite film of this year? What If.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old? My roommates took me out to dinner at Stadium Grill. I turned 29.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Traveling more.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014? Cropped pants. Riding boots. Uggs. Moccasins
What kept you sane? Friends, working, pets
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Daniel Radcliff
What political issue stirred you the most? All these "anti-rape" products.
Who did you miss? My dad.
Who was the best new person you met? I don't really know - Tyler. I didn't meet him until October though.
Was 2014 a good year for you? It was okay.
What was your favorite moment of the year? Sitting on the beach with Gianna the evening I got to New York. Or watching the fireworks at Epcot on NYE.
What was your least favorite moment of the year? Breaking up with Tristan. Ugh. He did not make that easy.
Where were you when 2014 began? I was at Room 28 with Lauren and Ashley and Hannah. I was the sober driver and I was in a really bad mood.
Who were you with? A lot of people from the hospital - Lauren and Ashley and Hannah were really the only people I chatted with.
Where will you be when 2014 ends? I was asleep in my hotel room after a 15 hour day at Epcot with Sharida and Kellianne
Who will you be with when 2014 ends? Family.
Did you break up with anyone in 2014? Just Tristen (Tristan? I don't even remember how to spell that).
How many different states did you travel to in 2014? New York and Georgia
Did you lose anybody close to you in 2014? Not really.
How many concerts did you see in 2014? I saw so many bands at HangoutFest. And then I saw Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zereos a week or so later.
Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2014? Nope.
Did you do a lot of drugs in 2014? No
Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? No.
What was the worst lie someone told you in 2014? My mom telling me so many lies about so many things.
If you could go back in time to any moment of 2014 and change something, what would it be? I would have added more time to my September vacation and went to a couple more states around NY while I was there.
What are your plans for 2015? Quitting the law firm, picking up some more hours at the hospital to make up for it. Starting my BSN (ugh). Going on a birthday vacation! Living with Kellianne. Maybe going on another trip in the fall, but probably not another trip in the winter. Paying off all of my credit card debt. Losing weight and being healthy!
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Same as last year - one of my resolutions was to travel more, so I did that.
Did anyone close to you give birth? No one super close to me.
Did anyone close to you die? No.
What countries did you visit? None - still just traveling stateside
What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014? Even more traveling! I would like to NOT have any credit card debt.
What date(s) from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I never remember dates. I will remember going to HangoutFest in May, New York in September, and Florida in December.
What was your biggest achievement of the year? Successfully refinancing my house. I own this bitch.
What was your biggest failure? Not starting my BSN program like I intended.
Did you suffer illness or injury? I had a really bad bout of the flu in March.
What was the best thing you bought? Uhhh, my house! Plane ticket to NY, more paint, windows & sliding glass doors!
Whose behavior merited celebration? Kristan moved to Chicago, which was a dream of hers, so that's pretty cool.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My mom got even more strange.
Where did most of your money go? House. Student loans. Travel.
What did you get really, really, really excited about? Epcot! Hangout! New York! New windows!
What songs will always remind you of 2014? Taylor Swift, probably. Ed Sheeran, maybe.
Compared to this time last year, are you...
i. happier or sadder?
ii. thinner or fatter?
iii. richer or poorer? Happier, the same, and the same. I'm working on being happier, healthier, and richer.
What do you wish you'd done more of? Saved more money. Travelled more. Ate healthier and been more active.
What do you wish you'd done less of? I wish I had worked less.
How did you spend Christmas? I worked 12 hours.
Did you fall in love in 2014? Nope.
What was your favorite TV program? Walking Dead, probably.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Hate is such a strong word.
What was the best book you read? I didn't read anything that wow-ed my socks off.
What was your greatest musical discovery? Lana Del Ray.
What did you want and get? I wanted to go places I had never been - did that!
What did you want and not get? I wanted to travel even more than I did.
What was your favorite film of this year? What If.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old? My roommates took me out to dinner at Stadium Grill. I turned 29.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Traveling more.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014? Cropped pants. Riding boots. Uggs. Moccasins
What kept you sane? Friends, working, pets
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Daniel Radcliff
What political issue stirred you the most? All these "anti-rape" products.
Who did you miss? My dad.
Who was the best new person you met? I don't really know - Tyler. I didn't meet him until October though.
Was 2014 a good year for you? It was okay.
What was your favorite moment of the year? Sitting on the beach with Gianna the evening I got to New York. Or watching the fireworks at Epcot on NYE.
What was your least favorite moment of the year? Breaking up with Tristan. Ugh. He did not make that easy.
Where were you when 2014 began? I was at Room 28 with Lauren and Ashley and Hannah. I was the sober driver and I was in a really bad mood.
Who were you with? A lot of people from the hospital - Lauren and Ashley and Hannah were really the only people I chatted with.
Where will you be when 2014 ends? I was asleep in my hotel room after a 15 hour day at Epcot with Sharida and Kellianne
Who will you be with when 2014 ends? Family.
Did you break up with anyone in 2014? Just Tristen (Tristan? I don't even remember how to spell that).
How many different states did you travel to in 2014? New York and Georgia
Did you lose anybody close to you in 2014? Not really.
How many concerts did you see in 2014? I saw so many bands at HangoutFest. And then I saw Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zereos a week or so later.
Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2014? Nope.
Did you do a lot of drugs in 2014? No
Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? No.
What was the worst lie someone told you in 2014? My mom telling me so many lies about so many things.
If you could go back in time to any moment of 2014 and change something, what would it be? I would have added more time to my September vacation and went to a couple more states around NY while I was there.
What are your plans for 2015? Quitting the law firm, picking up some more hours at the hospital to make up for it. Starting my BSN (ugh). Going on a birthday vacation! Living with Kellianne. Maybe going on another trip in the fall, but probably not another trip in the winter. Paying off all of my credit card debt. Losing weight and being healthy!
Monday, July 21, 2014
My divorce changed me. My life immediately after my divorce was an under water blur. For about three months, I didn't like the person I was. As expected after a divorce - I was short-tempered and depressed and hesitant and gray. At one point I think I thought that I was afraid of the person I was becoming. Life changes. Fuck.
But just as my divorce temporarily changed me into a monster I hated, as time went on I got better.
I realize now as I am typing this that unfortunately, a lot of my happiness stems from my divorce. Not necessarily because I'm happier not being married to my ex-husband, but because I have changed SO MUCH. And rather than allowing my divorce to define my happiness, I am just going to look at it a little differenty.
Some things that have happened
Painted four rooms in my house. Next is my basement (it's going to take forever and I am going to say I hate it, but really I like it. I like knowing I am making something better for my liking) and the guest bedroom. NO MORE RED ROOMS!
Went to Texas!
Went to Alabama (three times)!
Bought a ticket to New York!
Have lived with FIVE people.
Celebrated living in my house for 5 years by getting it refinanced! Getting an estimate on new windows and sliding glass doors! Planning on new siding and gutters in the next year or so! Thinking about a new roof and deck! Yahoo! This house is starting to feel like MY home. And I'm fucking pumped about it.
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