Update

So obviously I'm not good at weekly resolutions anymore than a yearly one. And maybe that just proves that people can't follow a resolution for a year. Sure you start it with good intentions but halfway through you're just bored. The sad thing is I have a list of 52 I made up at the beginning of the year but it's on my old computer and it's too much of a pain to switch back and forth between the two... the old one is unplugged and not connected so it takes forever. I've just felt busy too. Which can be a good thing.

But I'm going to be better about posting - that is my latest resolution and maybe my last. If I get back to the weekly ones I'll back track for all the weeks I missed. Until then though... have fun making your own resolutions and let me know how you're doing.

Week 28 and 29 of the 52 Week Challenge

So I've been a bit MIA recently but I was on vacay for a week in lovely NJ. And you can say what you will but NJ is very nice and I had a fab time (thanks for asking). So I just got home and want to post something so here we go:

Week 28 - read something for fun - you read the hard book so now read something you want to read. I'm going to read Chelsea Handler's book which I've had forever and keep putting off in favor of library books.

Week 29 - this relates to my last post about starting a new blog - I'm pretty much sure I'm going to start one - I just need to finalize my name and tell everyone. But the main reason is I'm going to use it to talk about things that I don't talk about here... more on that later when I intro it. But this all got me thinking about a Cosmo article I read on the ride home - it was all about moving forward with your life. You can't sit back and hope things are going to happen - you have to take steps to make things happen. And the first step was keep a running list of things you like or things that make you happy. You keep the list for a week then look for a commonality. Maybe you like things that are creative, or you like math (haha that won't make my list but maybe if you secretly dream of being an accountant...), or you like taking photos... I don't know. So I'm going to keep a list and see where that takes me.

I don't expect to move forward tomorrow or next week even but it has been playing in my thoughts a lot recently about where I see myself in five years, ten years, etc. And yes, part of me sees myself sipping cocktails on a Caribbean island somewhere (rich and carefree) but the realistic part of me is striving for the next best thing (a successful career and home somewhere near a beach in the US). So I know part of my list will be researching beach-front living on the east coast and see where that takes me. Where do you think your likes would take you? Let me know what you come up with.

Week 26 and 27 of the 52 Week Challenge

Hello All! Sorry for the delay but just forgot about this and I'm debating starting a new blog... more on that later.

So week 26 - read a classic. I picked Lady Chatterley's Lover. I've never read it before and they had it on a shelf when I first came in the library. So far it's ok. Not nearly as boring as I expected but not as racy as anything today either. I also have a Tree Grows in Brooklyn (I think that's the name). I haven't started that one yet but I've always heard about it... so we'll see.

Week 27 - I'm hoping to get the beach again sometime this summer. And as luck would have it - I do have to go for work in a few weeks. So this week - I'm all about my new medicine ball and this ab video I have... so I'm going to make my resolution the week to do my ab workout at least once a day. K says I have to do at least 100 a day to see any kind of results. So here's to a flat stomach in a few weeks!

Week 25 of the 52 Week Challenge

This one is more for me but feel free to tweak to make it work for you. I have a few writing contest coming up that I want to enter and I need to make myself get motivated and buckle down. Procrastination may be an art I've mastered but there comes a time when a girl has to get serious. So this week my challenge is to write ten minutes a day. Ten minutes! That's cutting out blow drying my hair every morning or not checking my email or having a twenty minute lunch - I can do this!

The thing is you can do this too. If writing isn't your thing - try something else. Work out, go for a walk, sing, paint, whatever... rekindle a passion you had for whatever hobby you want. Ten minutes isn't much a commitment and that's the entire point. I think if you sit down and say I'm working on this for three hours you probably won't even try. You'll think to yourself - three hours - I don't have three hours - I need to clean my house, meet friends, cook dinner, etc. Three hours is ridiculous. But if you say ten minutes completely to yourself. You can shut the door with confidence and stay in there ten minutes of three hours (if you get caught up). So good luck!

Week 24 of the 52 Week Challenge

So I know late again. I promise to be better. I just need to de-stress first. This week - try something new. I've already got my new thing planned. I'm going white water rafting on Saturday. How fun, right? So I'll let you guys know how it goes. I really want to take a camera but a. don't want shots of me in a bikini unless I photoshop my head on Jennifer Aniston's body and b. I don't want to damage my camera. I'm thinking I might get a disposable water camera - if I do I'll post those - minus the bikini shots of course!

And speaking of cameras for my birthday gift to myself I got a new camera (yay). I've been wanting one forever and had my eye on two Nikon's. I did all the research and I got... a Nikon I didn't research. The deal was great though - it does everything the camera I wanted does except the zoom is 7 instead of 10. But the camera came with a case and a memory card. It's so much smaller than my last camera and takes amazing photos. I'll try to take a few to post soon. But if I was doing a favorites post today - my favorite thing would be Nikon. I've had two digital cameras and one film camera from them and they all still work perfectly (ok one digital camera is like three days old so I hope it still works)! I've never had a problem with any of them. I was actually wishing my digital would die so I could have a reason to buy a new one!!!

Week 23 of the 52 Week Challenge

I know late but I have a valid excuse this time... personal stuff I'm not getting into on her. lol.... Anyway, I have a great idea for a week but again I have to save it because I just don't have the time or energy this week. Sooooo frivolous and easy it is. I don't know about you but I am a magazine junky. I'm probably who magazine people want in focus groups. I will subscribe to magazines like they are candy. Those puppies aren't cheap. I currently have 4 subscriptions going - although one was free and ending so I'm on the prowl for a new magazine (I'm debating between Shape and Self - thoughts anyone???).

So with all these magazines lying around I got to thinking how often I actually try something other than a recipe in them. And came up with the challenge this week.... drum roll please. Find a magazine and try one suggestion they have - whether it be a recipe, a friend date, a sex tip, a make-up tip, a hobby idea, I don't care... you can pick whatever you want.

I've already nailed a few options. Glamour (my current magazine of choice - I'm only hoping one day they'll read this and see what a brilliant guest columnist I'd be and that they should give me free mags for life) - had how to do an easy messy updo and since my pin-straight hair is usually down - I gave it a whirl on Saturday. I haven't worn it out yet because I feel a bit like a ballerina but it was super easy and I loved it for summer. Basically it's a bun - what did you think I'm going to actually curl and pin it into something elaborate??? And I also tried the "it" nail color of turquoise - I do have to work so it's on my toes and I'm not sure I love it as much as my go to dark purple in the winter but it's a cute unexpected alternative to white. On the nail polish note - I swear I think these mags have a deal with OPI because the "it" color changes more frequently then change socks. It's green, it's yellow, its grey, its purple... hows a girl to keep up.

One thing I'm not trying? Cosmo (a magazine I'm debating dropping) suggested that a hot make-up tip for summer was different color lips, red on bottom, pink on top or some other combination. If the model can't pull it off - I know I can't. Seriously whoever thought that up was ridiculous. It's def. a runway thing that cannot be pulled off in real life. She looked ridiculous.

So let me know what you try. I think this one could be fun.

Week 22 of the 52 Week Challenge

This week is one I've been toying with for awhile. For a couple of reasons 1. budget and 2. time. But I'm going to go with it and say "plan a weekend road trip". Reading it you don't even have to go - I could plan a trip and decide later never to actually leave so it's perfect - budgets remain in tact. But I will say planning this takes like little to no effort. K and I took a random Thursday off last week and went to the beach for the day. Costs minimal. Planning next to none.

Also this will get me to look into a surprise for K's bday. I really want to take him somewhere - hopefully some friends can tag along too. Anyone have good ideas? I'm thinking if we drive a nice skiing trip (early December so early in the season) - maybe rent a cabin, get a ski pass, go to a winery (are they open that time of year??). If we fly then I want somewhere nice and warm where I have no worries except where to go for dinner, whose making margaritas and how long to lay on the beach. Both sound delightful in their own way.

And if I can't make it work - I do want to plan a trip with friends for next summer. I feel like we're slowly creeping our way into adulthood (ok maybe we've been there for awhile but the reality of it is sinking in). I think part of me still thinks I'm 21 but now everyone is getting married, having babies, etc and I feel that I'm closer to 31 than 21. And I haven't done a friend vacation in a really long time. I just think a big group on the beach or going to some new location to explore sounds amazing. Now I just need to win the lottery.

But hey - I can start to plan now and worry about saving later!

Week 21 of the 52 Week Challenge

Sorry - very late with this post. I've been feeling stressed and a bit burned out lately. I could really go for a nice spa day - a facial, massage, some relaxing water with limes, a hair cut.... ahhh (oh and a vacay to somewhere tropical). I can tell I'm stressed: I forget things, I start snapping at people, I retreat a bit - reading more, spending time alone, my face breaks out like an angry 14 year old and my energy wanes. I felt pretty good this long weekend - I wanted to relax - no plans - nothing. I went to the gym three times for 45 minutes to an hour each time. My legs ached in a good way, my blisters in a bad way. So now I need new running shoes and to lose a few pounds before I have to prance around in a bikini I'll be doing good.

So this week's challenge... it's going to have to be something quick (since I didn't post on Sunday) and something relaxing (since I obviously need a break). Let's go with try meditating. I know you could say it's stupid but I did find when I was doing yoga a couple times a week things seemed to slip away more. I find myself stuck between an extrovert and an introvert in real life - my mood changing with the scenario and the introvert in me benefited greatly from all the meditation. So this week - take sometime to be alone and be quiet. Or if you're more relaxed dancing in a club with pounding music and lots of people do that. Both are probably beneficial in their own ways. As for me I've already decided to play hooky tomorrow from work. There's something so delicious about being off randomly in the middle of the work while everyone else is slaving away. I'm really looking forward to it.

Week 20 of the 52 Week Challenge

So how did we all do with the fruits and veggies? I'm not sure I got exactly the right amounts each day but I was more aware and tried to eat more fruits and veggies so that counts. I'm hoping I can keep it up. I really need to get my butt in gear and get to the gym if I want to lose a few lbs before bikini season is here (I mean is it really next weekend - yikes!). I will say keeping with the get healthy theme - I've been reading lots of magazine articles about how great all these fruits and veggies are for you. One was bragging about watermelons so I had to go out and scoop up one of those - super yummy! I'm sad strawberry season is pretty much over - what was that one week?? - but I'm going to be on the look out for other good summer foods.

Anyway... onward to week 20... a new challenge that I need to make up and try my hardest to follow. This week - well I'm already feeling a bit burned out and I feel amazingly (good in a way) that my days are fast filling up through July. I was going to pick a hard challenge this week but we'll hold it for a week that I feel more inspired. And we'll go with no junk food. 7 days of zero junk - no candy, no cookies, no chips. Yikes. I was really enjoying my hummus on whole wheat chips (I might have to slide a bit on that one... I mean whole grain is healthy right??).

I think I'm good on the sweets front. I'm not much of a sweets girl. I can easily say no to ice cream and cake but that big bowl of Fritos might be chanting my name. That being said... since I'm big on moderation - I'm going to say I can have one day to cheat if I need to. Need to meaning bad day at work that is only solved by scarfing down a handful of chips and hummus. haha love that my go to bad food is semi healthy. So anyway... get to eating healthy and keep me posted on how you're doing!

Week 19 of the 52 Week Challenge

So still part of my get a bit more healthier... and perhaps Britney abs (circa 2000) for the summer... this week's goal - eat more fruits and veggies. More... being?? Well apparently the food pyramid is no longer one size fits all - thank God because I was never going to be able to eat like 10 cups of fruit a day - ridiculous! So you have to go over to www.mypyramid.gov and click on My Pyramid Plan. You fill out like maybe four questions and then it spits out your own personal chart. Pretty nifty if you ask me! So mine says 3 cups veggies and 2 cups fruits. I love fruits a lot more than veggies and honestly I was hoping this goal could just be I eat the 5lbs of strawberries I picked on Saturday. But alas I need more vegetables.

So Sunday I was probably ok - I had mixed veggies with dinner and a piece of corn. Lunch I had leftovers from Sticky Rice which was mainly carrots and snow peas... so maybe 2 cups?? 1 1/2 cups that day. Fruits - does eating your body weight in strawberries count? Easily 2 cups.

Today... Veggies - I'm going to say tomato sauce and more leftover Sticky Rice counts so I'm probably at 1 cup if I'm lucky. Fruits - again a round the clock diet of strawberries (even my yogurt was strawberry flavored).

So it's def. a challenge.

One note on The Pyramid - maybe you guys are better than me but I have no clue what 7 ounces of grains are - seriously can't they just say you can have 2 slices of bread or 1 cup of pasta. I don't have a scale and I'm not about to get all anal and weigh every piece of food that goes into my mouth. More people would get healthy if it was easier to understand all this nonsense.

Week 18 of the 52 Week Challenge

Since summer is around the corner and with that brings bathing suits... my next few challenges are about getting healthy. I did some research early this weekend and can't find an exact amount of water that you need a day - does anyone know? It appears that some people think enough to replenish what you lose, other says 8 oz 8 times a day and then there was a third site that was saying it depends on the person. Since the 8 x 8 is the rule I've heard most often - I'm going with that. This week - we'll even start Monday - the challenge is to drink 8 oz of water 8 times a day.

I already have my favorite water bottle ready. It's 26 oz so to make it easy on myself (if my math is right) I need to drink to drink 3 whole bottles of water from it a day. Not too bad - right now I typically go through 2 full bottles a day... I'll just increase my trips to the water fountain by one.

Good luck!

Week 17 of the 52 Week Challenge

These are getting harder to come up with so any feedback or help let me know... because hello 52 resolutions no matter how big or small is a challenge to even think up much less do. So the savings thing - I totally forgot to change my automatic deductions (I know - bad)... but I'm going to go in and do it now - I haven't been in a real computer mood recently. It's too nice out.

So this week the challenge... drum roll.... get outside. Enjoy all this nice pre-summer weather. Take the puppy for a walk, go to a festival, sit and enjoy a glass of wine on the deck... all the perks of summer before it's full on too hot to do anything but lay in front of the AC. Enjoy!

Week 16 of the 52 Week Challenge

This week is a little bit harder - because we can't have them all easy or where's the challenge? My computer is a dinosaur - in computer years it should have been extinct about three years ago. Nothing is wrong with it per say except the monitor died last week and its incredibly slow. I had to turn it off today for a storm and I just waited fifteen minutes for it to boot up and load Internet Explorer so I could write this blog. Yawn. I almost gave up. Anyway, K and I decided to bite the bullet and let my cousin pick out a new computer for us - its supposed to be coming this week - yay! Of course computers are crazy expensive and I never know what to get. I feel like its one of the most confusing purchases ever - what's good, what's bad... and everyone has different opinions. Anyway, K and I are splitting the costs and for my half I'm going to use the money I was going to put towards Bride's wedding but since she kicked me out.... well..... money is now going towards the computer and it will actually make my life easier. However, I still need to kick in extra money to cover my half, not to mention K is paying me back in installments, so.... my already tight budget just got tighter. That brings me to this week's challenge.... Save more.

What? How can you save more when there is barely anything to save to begin with? Remember back a few weeks ago, we made a budget (or we were supposed to make budgets)... well now, try to cut something. I don't care if it's $5 you would have spent on lunch or coffee. You have to start somewhere. I'm going to increase my automatic deductions by $10.

Let's talk automatic deductions - I love them. It takes the guess work out of savings. I don't have to remember to transfer money or squirrel it away under my bed.... just kidding - that's not safe and you're not earning any interest! I set up my accounts to take money out as soon as my paycheck is deposited - it's like it was never even there! So, before Sunday, I need to go in and increase the amount. Tough - I know - but I figure I can eat lunch at my desk one more day a month and cover the additional money. Plus, I can't stress enough how important it is to save for down the road.... which could be retirement, a vacation... or yes, even a new computer.

Good luck!

Week 16 of the 52 Week Challenge

I know I need to get better about actually posting on Sunday. A lot has been going on recently and I haven't felt the desire to keep a running log of it. Extra stress makes me collapse into a really good book and I hope to poke my head out once it's all over. So this week the challenge is to stop and smell the roses. I get this idea because my Real Simple from last month was all about time - more time for what you love, less time for the mundane, getting more time, and taking more time. It was a nice reminder that sometimes you just need a break - those precious five minutes where you just breathe in and be thankful that you're alive.

This is the best YouTube video I've seen in awhile. Check it out - here's the link in case embedding the video (see Christian the Lion post) doesn't work (never shows up on my computer so let me know if you can see it!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE

A Lesson In Being Nice

I thought I was doing really great this week with this whole be extra nice to others thing... I hadn't written any mean emails, I had smiled at strangers... I had basically done a whole lot of not going out of my way to be super nice.

SP is having a cook out tomorrow. I had said I would bring a side dish. Since my computer died on Tuesday (lovely... thank God for work laptops) and I'm hoping to track my computer expert cousin down tomorrow morning I had to go to Kroger today. A part of me loves grocery shopping - just pushing the cart up and down every aisle and imagining all the yummy things I could make - the other part of me hates it and wants to get out of there as fast as I can.

The check-out people are always nice - asking how your day is, sometimes complimenting you on something, etc. But as I was leaving the man that packed all my groceries in my bag stopped what he was doing and said "do you have small kids at home" and he held out a lollipop. I smiled and said "no I'm sorry." Although why I apologized I'm not sure. He handed me the lollipop and still smiling said "that's ok, have a sucker anyway, it's Friday." I had replied that I hoped he had a great weekend. He told me his name and said to let him know if there was anything in the store he could ever help with and to have a blessed weekend, too.

It really made my day. It was so simple. And yet he didn't have to do that. He could have just said have a great weekend or hi... but this simple two minute if that exchange left me feeling happy. It actually even made me want to go grocery shopping there more often (shout-out Kroger)... And it made me think, how simple things like giving someone a lollipop is all you really need to do to step out of your box and be a little bit extra nice.

The thing that struck me is to do his job all he had to do was say hi and have a good day. He didn't have to give out lollipops (they don't say Kroger on them), he didn't have to offer help next time I was in the store. He simply had to do his job and smile occasionally. But he did more than that and that is what makes a difference. I hope that in my last two days of this challenge I can make a difference. That I can take that extra step to make someone else smile and maybe influence them to do something nice in exchange for nothing in return.

Week 15 of the 52 Week Challenge

I forgot to do this Sunday and with all the drama yesterday I didn't do it then either... so this week is appropriate I think and pretty easy. Be nicer.

Nice always gets a bad rap. You're looked at being the girl (or guy) that gets walked all over. Or maybe the second choice as in, girls may date the bad guys but they marry the nice ones. But we could all stand to be a little nicer. My mom always used to say to us growing up - if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all.

So this week, or what's left of it, I'm going to try to be nicer. Which means I won't type back an angry email to Maid (see previous post). I won't scream nastiness (even if it's just in my car) to the bad driver in front of me. And I'll try not to say anything unless I have something nice to say. This does not mean I'm going to let myself be walked all over and there are sometimes when you just have to stand up for yourself - but if that happens - I'll say it all as nicely as possible.

Oh and as for Maid, I did a trick that helps me vent, I typed up an email of all the bad and not so bad things I would say to her - starting with I want an apology for your rude and uncalled for behavior and I hit delete. Tip - if you are going to do said email to someone you know - don't actually type their email address in the to field. You may accidentally hit send and regret it later.

Week 13 of the 52 Week Challenge

So how did you do on reading the news? A big fat fail for me. I seem to have this mental block to the news - like my brain immediately shuts down while chanting boring and flashing pictures of Project Runway or entertainment blogs... I know real up on current events... I do go check news sites at lunch everyday and I was trying to pay more attention to what the articles said and not immediately click on the about town links or entertainment. So I will say I read the headlines a lot more, I didn't immediately start to twitch when K tried to watch NBC, and I watched the Today show during breakfast on Friday (which totally counts because they talk about news for about .5 seconds).

So this week - we're going with exercising at least three times. And by exercising - I mean any physical activity for at least 30 minutes. Walk around the block, go to the gym, play Wii Fit, do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 at night... I'm not that strict so any and all of the above count. I'm on this workout kick because I went two days in a row (slight miracle) to the gym and walked C both days. I figured combined that's a lot of exercise - I'll look like a V.S. model in no time (lol). I got a bunch of work-out DVD's so will give me an excuse to break one of those bad boys out and maybe even review them if I like it...

So good luck! Here's to getting bikini ready.

Week 12 of the 52 Week Challenge

Hanging in there? Are you even still doing these? Ok I'll admit I kinda skimped on last week - I partially did a puzzle at lunch... does that count? So this week - read the news and find three current events each day. Why? Because you should know what's going on.

Week 11 of the 52 Week Challenge

I'm getting bad at this posting on Sunday stuff - but in my defense this weekend was a little busy. So I'm going to cheat and make this week easy. All you have to do is some sort of brain teaser puzzle - Sudoku, cross words, word search... I don't care. Just pick one and do it. I'll try to find an article to link to but it's good to keep your brain active and learning.

Week 10 Update

So I didn't go to the book festival. I know... I know... I should have. Think outside the box and all that... Well here's the thing. The weather here was gorgeous. I'm not talking about just an ok spring day where the weather is somewhat sunny and warm. This was full on spring with a hint of summer. I couldn't make myself sit inside all day. So I took the time to run some errands instead.

One thing I got into last year was growing my own herbs. It sounds like such an English garden - I love it. Plus I have fresh herbs for all my new recipes. So I went to Home Depot and although its a little early picked up a pot of Lemon Thyme to plant in a spare pot. So far I have, English Thyme, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Balm, Lavender, Sage and Rosemary. The Rosemary has done the best - maybe because I use it the most in recipes. It's huge! I also had Basil but the bunnies ate it about a week after I planted it. Last year I had two Cilantro plants - yum! My mom had said Cilantro was an annual that dies about mid-summer. I had let it go to seed thinking I could use the seeds to plant next year (did you know Cilantro seeds are the spice Coriander?). Well this morning when I was adding a few new plants to our beds I noticed all these baby Cilantro plants coming up - Surprise! :) I was so happy. I've been googling it all morning and apparently it is an annual - the only thing I can think is because I let it go to seed some of the seeds sprouted. So happy for all the tacos and salsa I can make.

So my getting outside of my box?

I've applied for and I have an interview for a new job. I don't want to jinx anything so we won't discuss it right now but I'm excited and nervous. And I had to go get a new suit - which is super cute - I'll try to find photos later.

I bought a lottery ticket - I never buy lotto tickets. It's such a waste of money but I was hoping I would suddenly get a shot of good luck and win - but alas... I didn't.

I think that's everything I can think of right now. We're going to see Wicked tonight - so excited. I'll try to do a post tomorrow about it.