March 2017 Small Goals

It’s March! I am pretty excited about this month. This is Michael’s birthday month and my friend’s wedding month. I have some big stuff coming up and I’m pretty happy about it.

February was pretty productive. I was very mindful of my goals and it lead to some good results as shown below.

1. Make Quiet Time a Priority: I am very proud of accomplishing this. I have been getting ready for bed early and turning on some worship music to do my quiet time before bed. It has helped me feel more relaxed before bed. I think it has also helped me sleep better.
2. Post At Least Once a Week: So I skipped a week in there of posting. I did not plan out the posts well so that is something that I am trying to do better with this month.
3. Use My Planner More: So having a consistent quiet time has really helped with my planner. I have used my planner for Scripture journaling and for planning. Now to remember to put it all on my Google calendar as well so that Michael is aware.
4. Work-Out Once A Week: So since I am being honest, I skipped a week of working out as well as blogging. I do feel that I made up for that week by working out three times in the last week. I am following one of the programs from Nike Training Club. I used NTC in high school and it seems to be even better now.
5. Drink More Water: I have accomplished this pretty well. I reach for water instead of other things between meals. I drink a lot of water at work, although I still do have an afternoon coffee.

So now for my March goals. I did a lot of thinking about what I wanted to put as goals for this month. It will be a busy month and I don’t want to overload myself.

1. Post At Least Once a Week: This is a carry over and I have a plan in place to accomplish this so that’s a start.
2. Interact with Other Blogs: I have been wanting to interact more with other blogs. I have been following other blogs for a while, but without saying much. I am wanting to assert myself more.
3. Finish my Real Estate Finance Class: This class has been dragging for me. It’s not hard, but it’s extremely boring and hard to get through. I am going to do it this month though.
4. Finish my NTC Plan and Start a New One: I have gotten half way through this plan and I am all set to finish it. I am also planning on starting a new 6 week plan when I’m done.
5. Plan Michael’s Birthday: Michael’s birthday is at the end of the month and while I am not planning anything big (at his request), I do want to do something nice for him. I am going to make him the Tres Leches cake I made him from the Pioneer Woman last year, but I am hoping to do something a little extra.

So there you go! I have March all ready to go.

As usual, I am linking up with Nicole over at Writes Like A Girl for my monthly small goals.

What are your goals for this month? Do you have any big plans for March?

February Small Goals

Well, it’s officially February! I want to say that I can’t believe I didn’t find the time in January to write a single post, but actually I can believe. If there is one thing I have learned in this past month, it is to give myself grace. I had some unexpected things happen at work that pretty much doubled my workload, plus the organizations I volunteer with have started up again. I have been coming home exhausted almost every night, only to be reminded that there is more on my schedule than just work. January has been a busy month professionally and personally.

All that to say, blogging was not a priority in January as is reflected below in my January goal recap:

1. Start Blogging Again: See long rant above!
2. Start Hockey Wednesday: I’m half tempted to count this half done because I started a post, but if I’m being honest it falls under blogging not being a priority.
3. Stick to a Budget and Pay Off a Credit Card: First a little happy dance for accomplishing what I marked as “a big one.” Through a lot of hard work and putting clothes back on the rack, I ended the month with my budget in tact and payed off a credit card. Now I only have one credit card with a balance and have a payment plan for it.
4. Cut Out Carbs: Another big one accomplished. While I have lost some weight, the biggest plus for me is that I feel much healthier. Through meal planning, reading ingredients and using will power, I am off sugar and things that turn into sugar.
5. Start Scripture Journaling: So I started Scripture journaling, but then I stopped. I had my alarm set for 20 minuted before I needed to get up so I could use it to journal. That 20 minutes turned into my snooze time pretty early in January. Definitely something to work on in February.

So here is hoping for a better February goal-wise. Two of these goals are variations of unaccomplished January ones.

1. Make Quiet Time a Priority: This may mean going to bed earlier so I can get up earlier, or turning off the TV earlier and doing my quiet time with God at night. I’m gonna figure out what works best for me and put it into action.
2. Post At Least Once a Week: So I am going to start small. If I can manage more posts in a week, then I’ll have overachieved. I just feel that this goal is more realistic than saying I’m going to post twice or more a week.
3. Use My Planner More: I have gotten away from using my planner lately. I think the empty scripture page has gotten to me, so I don’t open it any more. I had a couple times in January when I lost track of dates, so I need to get back to being a bit more organized, especially with everything kicking into high gear.
4. Work-Out Once A Week: So now that I have my eating under control, I need to work toward being more active. Once again, I am being realistic and starting small.
5. Drink More Water: I need to be better at staying hydrated. I can seriously feel how dehydrated my body is at times, especially the morning after a day that I barely drank water. The goal here is really to try drinking at least two 24oz bottles of water a day. Once again, starting small and realistic.

Obviously the theme of this month is setting small realistic goals. I already have some ideas on how to accomplish some of these, but I am always open to suggestions, especially if you have found something that works for you.

As always, I’m linking with Nicole at Writes Like a Girl! Go check out her awesome blog as well as the other bloggers setting small goals for the month!

September Small Goals

I can’t believe it is already September! I’m actually pretty excited about August being over. It was a rough month for me even though I had two vacations. I’m looking forward to a better September. Let’s recap my August goals.

1. Use Snapchat and Instagram More: So I was doing pretty okay with this goal until my phone broke and I couldn’t use it for a week and a half. Also, with Instagram stories rolling out I find that I am taking the same picture twice. I need to decide what I want to put on which platform.
2. Work-Out 2x a Week: This didn’t happen. I have been rather lazy this month with my work-out routines. I really need to get excited about working out again.
3. Maintain Monday Musings: So I am counting this as done. I missed one week, but that was because I was at the beach condo with no internet.
4. Watch Less TV: So I’m going to say this counts as half done. I’ve watched a lot of TV these past two weeks, but only because with Michael in school full-time and working full-time, I have a lot more time to myself. I have been making sure that all my chores are done before settling on the couch with my latest project for TV so that is an improvement.
5. Take Mouse to the Vet: I did this, although I seriously put off until the end of the month. I actually was considering putting off for another month until Mouse started peeing on the bed and I noticed a reddish tint to it. At that point, I had to take him to the vet and get his UTI taken care of on top of all the other stuff he needed.

So overall that makes 2.5/5 goals achieved. Not great, but I’ll take it. Let’s move on to September.

1. Spruce Up My Resume: I found out this week that I will need to find a new job by the first of the year. It’s a long story, but I need to make sure that I am ready and that my resume is ready.
2. Finish my Promulgated Contracts Class: I am currently taking Real Estate License classes online and I really need to finish them as quickly as possible. If I have my license, it will be much easier to find a better job.
3. Use To Do Lists More at Home: I use lists all the time at work and it has really helped with my productivity and focus. I want to apply this technique to my home life as well. I have a day designer planner that has a To Do List section, but I really haven’t used it. I think I would feel much more accomplished at the end of the day if I had list of everything I finished that evening.
4. Finish 3 Crochet Projects: I have 7 crochet projects total to finish in time for Christmas. I have one that is like 1/3 of the way done, so I think it is realistic to finish that one and the other two that are identical this month, especially with all the free time I have while Michael is in class.
5. Post 2x a Week: Having more time to myself means I want to dedicate some of it to my blog. I hope to be able to post at least 2x a week and have those posts planned ahead of time.

Here’s to a better and more productive SEptemeer. Also, quick shout-out to my mom! Her birthday is today! Happy Birthday, Mom. Love you lots!

As always, I’ll be linking up with Nicole at Writes Like A Girl.

What are some of your goals for September? Do you have any tips for resume building?

 

August Small Goals

It’s the first day of the month and I have two posts up already. That means it was a productive weekend for blog planning.

Anyway, let’s recap my July goals:

1. Work-Out 5 Times a Week for 2 Weeks: Yeah, that didn’t happen. I am setting a more attainable work-out goal this month.
2. Post 2 Times a Week: Another fail on my part. July taught me that I need to spend more time putting together posts if I am hoping to get them up on the blog. Imagine that!
3. Only Buy Clothes if I Sold Clothes: Okay, so I am counting this one, even though I ended up with more clothes at the end of the month. I bought one t-shirt before I made this a goal and the rest of the clothes were given to me. I did buy a pair of boots, but that’s not really clothes, right?
4. Get Ready for Quakecon: I’m also counting this as done even though my packing list is not quite complete. I had three big things that meant I was ready for Quakecon. My packing list is started and on it’s way to completed. I played a ton of Overwatch this weekend so I will be competitive by Quakecon (I’m level 23 & level 25 is competitive). I ended up getting Mouse an automatic feeder so that he will stay fed while I’m gone all weekend.
5. Finish my 3 Months of WW Strong: I’m definitely counting this as done! I managed to lose 12 pounds total in the last 3 months.

3/5 is not horrible, but I missed the mark on my two hardest goals. Hopefully, August will be better.

1. Use Snapchat and Instagram More: I am trying to be less lazy about my social media and I decided to start with these two. I use both on a somewhat regular basis, but I could do more. I’m hoping to use them both a lot while at Quakecon and on my beach vacation.
2. Work-Out 2x a Week: So here is my more attainable work-out goal. I’m pretty good about working out at least once, so I am upping that to two times a week. I’m learning that even a small quick work-out is good.
3. Maintain Monday Musings: I decided to start a regular weekly post called Monday  You can read the first one here. I really want to start strong and post one every Monday in August.
4. Watch Less TV: I watch way too much TV. In fact, I will put off chores because I just want to sit on my couch, turn on Netflix and crochet. I need to make sure I do everything that needs to be done before I turn on the TV. I’m not eliminating it, just consciously watching less.
5. Take Mouse to the Vet: For those who don’t know, Mouse is my cat. This is just a chore that I have been putting off for about 2 months. Mouse is out of his monthly medicine and his shots need to be updated so it’s time to take him.

As always, I’m linking up with Nicole for Monthly Small Goals. Make sure to check out everyone else’s goals.

What are some of your goals for this month?

July Small Goals

Half of 2016 is already gone! It’s seems like just yesterday that I was celebrating New Year’s Day and now I am celebrating Independence Day. I am pretty excited that it is a Monday today, yet I have no real plans because I don’t have to work. Anyway, this post is not about me choosing to be boring on a holiday, so let’s recap June goals.

1. Complete the Everyday Unicorn Challenge: I started out strong, but quickly lost track as I do with most Photo Challenges. I really need to stick to one though!
2. 26 Before 26 List: I actually succeeded at this and posted it to my blog! I was pretty excited about this! One of my goals: Take a picture every day! Check-out my Instagram to follow along on that progress.
3. Read Three Books: Done! I read the last two Fourline books and then another one called Terms of Use. All three were good and free through Kindle First Books and Kindle Lending Library.
4. Get and Play Overwatch: Michael bought this as an early birthday present, partially so we could play together. I am getting better at it slowly but surely. I have been playing the D. Va character a lot so I am feeling like I need branch out a little more.
5. Have an Awesome Birthday: Although the day of my birthday was not great, my friends and family made sure that the weeks surrounding it were awesome, so I am counting this as done!

Four out of five is really not bad. Now on to July goals:

1. Work-Out 5 Times a Week for 2 Weeks: My doctor said that I should work-out ffive times a week since I am heavily predisposed to diabetes and that really is the best way to stave off diabetes, so I am starting small and building up.
2. Post 2 Times a Week: I have really let my blogging fall to the wayside this past month. I need to work on sticking to my editorial calendar more! I had one for June, I just let myself get lazy.
3. Only Buy Clothes if I Sold Clothes: I need to only be buying clothes with money that I get from selling some of my old clothes. This past month I sold some stuff on Poshmark and was able to get two tops! I need to stick to this rule in order to stick to my budget well.
4. Get Ready for Quakecon: This is a goal that is more applicable for the end of the month, but still a goal. This year is the first year that I will be at the BYOC and not just stopping by to visit the boyfriend. It starts August 3^rd so I will need to pretty much be ready by the first. I need to have packing list, get really good at Overwatch and make sure Mouse is taken care of during that weekend.
5. Finish my 3 Months of WW Strong: When I started Weight Watchers at the end of April, they had promotion that if you lost 10 pounds in 3 months you got a $50 gift card. I reached that goal and then my BFF trip and birthday tripped me up a bit. I really want to finish these three months of the promotion really strong and go beyond the 10 pounds.

I’m definitely excited for this second half of the year! Check out everyone else’s goals on Nicole’s link-up!

H54F: Shopping and Animals

It has been a really long week this week. Nothing huge really happened, but it has been long. I’m excited for a fun weekend though. I get to hang with my older sister tomorrow before we head out to celebrate my dad’s birthday with dinner and a movie. I’m also excited for the Mothers’ Day picnic we have planned for my mom.

Here is my High Five for Friday recap of the week.

Shorts: Gap through Thred Up (similar)/ Top: Target through ThredUp (similar) 

1. I got my order from ThredUp that I mentioned in this post. I absolutely love the red shorts I got! I have been wanting a pair of colored shorts for a while. I can’t wait to wear them this weekend! I thought the teal shirt was a fun color as well. I got to wear to work today with my jeans. Love Jean Fridays at the office.

   

   Hat: Target (exact, similar)/ Purse (exact, real leather similar)/ Shoes: TOMS (exact, similar)

2. This month I decided to stay away from buying more clothes. Since I am working on losing weight and I have my spring/summer essentials, I decided to spend my budget on accessories. I got this adorable sun hat for summer days and a cute saddle bag for casual weekends. I also got these adorable TOMS flip flops in my latest Trunk Club. They were a bit pricey, but they do have some arch support which my feet need.

   

   I think he’s adorable!

3. Wednesday night was Work-Out Wednesday. Michael and I started this a while back and then stopped for a while when we got really busy. We started again this week. My legs still hurt from the lunges, but after the gym Michael made dinner. We had some yummy Pork Tenderloin and mixed veggies.
   

   Can’t get to me here!

   

   I want on your lap too!
4. Michael left for DreamHack in Austin yesterday, so that means I am watching the Chewie monster for the weekend. Mouse was not too happy about seeing his “friend”. He took to hiding behind my bike to get away from the dog. Eventually, he came around. Although the fight for my attention lasted all night and I got very little sleep.
5. Today is my dad’s birthday! We are celebrating tomorrow, but I wanted to give him a quick shout-out! Like I said on Instagram, he fostered my love for the important things in life: Jesus, hockey and Star Trek. Quick hockey note: the Stars won in overtime last night!!

As always I am linking up with Tif, Katie & Della as well as Meet at the Barre!

Do you have any big plans for Mothers’ Day weekend?

H54F: April Showers Bring May Flowers

H54F: April Showers Bring May Flowers

I can’t believe it is already the end of April. Since this blog is new, it is still evolving quite a bit. Now that I am regularly doing H54F with Della, Tif & Katie, I will no longer do my mid month and end of month recaps! You can catch up on my weekly life every Friday now!

It has been so not nice weather here. We had a major storm on Tuesday and ever since then it has been muggy and gray. I just heard some thunder. More storms tonight!

Sunburn!!

I love him!

1. Saturday, we pretty much spent the whole day outside. We went to my little brother’s baseball game and I got sunburned! I put on sunscreen, but not very well apparently. Then after ice cream with my Uncle and his daughters (they live in OK so I don’t get to see them that often), Michael and I headed out to Date Night in Farmers Branch. They have food trucks set-up and then after dark they have a movie. We went with two other couples and had lots of fun.
2. Sunday was sister time with the little sister. We had lunch with my mom and then went window shopping while my car was in the shop. We also caught the end of the Stars game and watched them win to advance t o Round 2 of the playoffs. They play Game 1 against St. Louis tonight! I, also, went on a 7 mile bike ride when I got home. My city has some great trails really near my apartment and I love it! I saw ducks with little ducklings. I love being out in nature and enjoying God’s beautiful creation.
   

   Chicken Sausage and Peppers

   

   Apple & Carrot Slaw
3. Tuesday, my older sister and I started Weight Watchers together. We both have been struggling a lot recently with our weight so we are doing this together. I found some fantastic recipes and had yummy food all week while staying in my points.
   

   
4. Wednesday was Administrative Professionals’ Day. I am as close to an Admin as we have in the office so my bosses showered me with gifts: flowers, balloon and a couple gift cards. That night, we went to the local ECHL team’s, Allen Americans, Game 7 of Round 1. They won and also move on to Round 2!
   

   
5. Last night was relax night for Michael and I. I think I am fighting off some sickness, so instead of hitting the gym we took Chewie on a long walk in the nature preserve near Michael’s apartment. We cooked some chicken and spinach for dinner together. It was great to cook side by side! Then, we went out with Michael’s roommate to get Bahama Buck’s. Soooo good, especially if you get their sugar-free Thin Ice flavors.

Well that was a full week! Check out my post from earlier this week about my new clothes for the season (includes the outfit in the cowboy hat picture).

Things I’m looking forward to this coming week: Terry Annual Picnic & the start of the National Bike Challenge!

I’m also linking up with Meet at the Barre with Amanda.

H54F: Camping Edition

So last Thursday was Michael’s and my 2nd dating anniversary. We decided to take the weekend for ourselves and go on a camping trip. It was so much fun and really the highlight of my week, so I am doing my whole High Five for Friday on the camping trip and what I loved about it.

1. Purtis Creek State Park: The park was beautiful and really not that far from home for us. It took us only an hour and a half to get there in 6pm Dallas traffic. Check-In was relatively easy. There was a short line and the rangers on site were really talkative with everyone. They have three different types of camp sites. They have some have a lot with electricity and water hook ups that you can drive right up to and park your RV if you have one. They also have sites with just water hook up. The parking is a few yards away, but the site has a tent pad, lantern pole, picnic table and fire ring with an attached grill. This was the type of site we reserved. The last type is their primitive sites. These are a mile or so from any parking and only come with the lantern pole and fire ring. The fire ring does have a grill attachment that can swing over the top for use.
2. Sleeping in a Tent: We got a large tent, but I was still pretty nervous about sleeping in it. I had an air mattress and I slept through the whole first night without any problems until about 6am. I woke up with a full bladder and the restrooms were a good five minute walk from us. I ended up going back to sleep for an hour before the need was absolutely dire. I was surprised how well I slept and how refreshed I felt in the morning.

   

   This picture makes me want to get back to working out more!

3. Canoeing: We went canoeing on Saturday morning. There is a small lake that is part of Purtis Creek SP and they have canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals. Canoeing is a lot of work, but also a super fun way to get some good exercise. We stayed out there for a few hours and had our pre packed sandwiches for lunch. I was amazed by the beauty all around me. Anytime I find myself surrounded by nature, I am so overwhelmed with what a beautiful world my Lord has created. We saw some turtles and frogs which I loved!
   

   
4. Cooking Over a Fire: Saturday night, we made camping Mac & Cheese. We used this recipe I found on Pinterest and added ham to it for some protein. Michael is an Eagle Scout so he was a master at making a fire. We bought some fire wood on site that afternoon after taking our showers (the showers were pretty nice for public showers). He built a great fire and then made our dinner. It was so great. We even managed to watch the Stars playoff game through the Slingbox app on my phone hooked up to a portable charger (thanks Sprint for unlimited data).

   

   Where I spent most of Saturday afternoon.

5. Overall Relaxation: This was by far the most surprising benefit of the whole trip for me. I had always thought that camping would be really stressful for me. I am not super high maintenance, but showers and washed hair are an everyday thing for me. I wasn’t sure about sleeping practically outside and dealing with all the bugs. Plus what would I do for the whole trip? It turns out the trip was one of the most relaxing things I’ve done in a while. Saturday afternoon I spent reading on my Kindle. I finished the book I was reading and started a new one. I think it helped that I went with an experienced camper. Michael knew what to do in all situations which meant I just had to be helpful and not come up with the ideas. I came home Sunday feeling fully relaxed and refreshed (after shower in a private bathroom, of course)

   

   We saw so many of these. They kept falling on my chair and Kindle.

I definitely recommend camping to anyone who hasn’t tried it. I am pushing it as an idea with my family for an easy weekend trip. If you leave nearby, check out Purtis Creek, but I definitely recommend making a reservation.

I’m hooking up with High Five for Friday with Katie, Tif & Della, Meet at the Barre with Amanda & Five on Friday.

April Small Goals

Okay! So March was not a good month for goals! I failed at a majority of them, but it’s all about trying again in April, right?

1. Finish the 30-Day Pilates Body Challenge: Fail! Unfortunately! I was doing super well until Easter weekend. I missed a couple days and figured I would make them up, but then I missed most of the rest. But I did sign up for The Balanced Life Sisterhood, so hopefully I can stay on track with that monthly calendar
2. Write 5 Blog Posts: I did 5 exactly in March. I’m not counting my April 1st post even though it was supposed to go in March.
3. Drink 96oz of Water a Day: My March water consumption was seriously lacking.
4. Lose 5 Pounds: I don’t even want to talk about this aka I gained a little weight in March
5. Finish “The Game” by Ken Dryden: Finally!! Such a good book for anyone who loves hockey!

 

So on to April! This month I want to concentrate on forming good habits that I can carry on into future months.

1. Develop an Editorial Calendar: So this is something I have yet to do. I really like organization and this will help me organize my blog a bit more and keep me on track with posts.
2. Post 2x a Week: I am trying to be consistent now that I am up and running
3. Take More & Better Pictures: Currently, I am using my phone, but it has a pretty decent camera. I need to remember to take more pictures. People don’t want to read a blog without pictures. I want to learn how to take good pictures and how to edit those pictures.
4. Do Cardio Once a Week: I love Pilates, but I am realizing that I really need to work some cardio into my workout routine. When I was running 6 miles a week, I was seeing some change in my body. So I am starting again slowly. It helps that my boyfriend let me borrow his bike trainer so I can ride my bike inside on rainy days or lazy days while I watch TV.
5. Do My Hair Once a Week: So I am very very lazy about doing my hair. I have really thick hair that I wash everyday, so to dry and straighten it in the morning is a lot. I tend to prioritize sleeping for thirty extra minutes instead of doing my hair. I usually let it air dry and eventually pull it into a ponytail every day unless I am going out. I want to make the effort to get up earlier and do my hair for the entire day at least once a week.

Hopefully, I reach a majority of my goals this month. We shall see!

Also, check out the link up on Writes Like A Girl!

I want to hear from you! What are your goals for April? What format do you use for an editorial calendar? How do you edit pictures?

March Small Goals

So during my blog research (which I did extensively before starting my blog), I came across the Writes Like a Girl blog and her monthly goal link –up. I have decided to try this. I am all for goal setting! I love making lists and making a goal list will help me be accountable. So without further ado here are March’s Small Goals.

1. Finish the 30-Day Pilates Body Challenge: If you have looked at my Instagram, you know I have been participating in The Balanced Life’s 30-Day Pilates Body Challenge. I have really been enjoying it and I am still going strong on Day 11! Hopefully I can keep it up the rest of the month.
2.  Write 5 Blog Posts: I really want to try and write some good content for this blog. I’m hoping to have at least 5 posts up by the end of the month. I’m still trying to figure out what posts I want to do regularly and what will be just as inspiration hits.
3. Drink 96oz of Water a Day: I am really trying to drink more water and less other stuff. I really love my Diet Coke, but water is so much better for me. There was a time I was regularly drinking this much water and I need to get back to that.
4. Lose 5 Pounds: Okay this is a big one for me. I really need to crack down on my eating to do this. I have a Gala coming up at the beginning of April and I will see some people from my college days and I want to be at least 5 pounds lighter than I am right now. I still have 15-20 pounds I would like to lose total, but 5 is a good starting place.
5. Finish “The Game” by Ken Dryden: My dad let me borrow this hockey book a long time ago and I just haven’t finished it yet. It is a super interesting book about hockey that ties in the Canadian politics at the time, but I don’t set aside enough time to read. More reading, less TV is my real goal here.

I think these are some pretty attainable goals for me. I am really concentrating on my fitness this month, so we will see how it goes!