november 2014

besides the fact that it is in fact october 31st, also known as halloween - can i ask where october went?! tomorrow is november 1st which means we're less than 55 days until christmas and less than 65 days until january 1st. crazy! i've already started thinking about my goals for the new year (mostly financial, of course). but here are my goals for november

* make my bed daily
* finish trimming carpet
* homestead: bathroom reno, bedroom reorg, office reorg/move to bedroom
* start/finish paintings for family & friends (christmas gifts)
* rearrange living room (mostly because i like the tv on the long wall, but also to make space for my christmas tree)* kitchen overhaul/reorg: empty every cabinet/drawer, clean everything, then reorganize cabinets/drawers
* work nook reorg
* clear out my "hoarder" stash of cardboard boxes (only keep what i need to ship/wrap paintings)
* limit my phone time/data usage//read more
* adhere more strictly to my budget (only purchase "extras" that are christmas gifts/supplies)
* have ECU sweep their AAC opponents (Temple, Cincy and Tulane) - at least they beat Tulane?!

It's Friday!!

It's Friday.
It's Pay Day.
I got my first longevity check this week.
I just paid off my small debt in full, on time.
I will continue to get better, get more sleep and heal from my recent ailments.
No matter what the outcome of the news from my doctor is, I will not treat this day like I did the last pay day. I am fortunate to have life and will live it to its fullest, no matter what. But...I still pray for a good report.
I will work on the apartment - continuing with my "to do" list without over-extending myself.
I will root for the Pirates tomorrow as they take on conference foe #2 usf. Did you hear about their homecoming committee making the t-shirts purple for homecoming (this weekend)? The Pirates are purple & gold. FAIL.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

october 1-31

make my bed daily
finish trimming carpet
for balcony: plant mums/pansies
take donations to drm/goodwill
pay off my small debt
home
- work on bathroom redo
- work on my room
paint (now for christmas gifts)
- jacob (2)
- ian
- joanna & andy
- diy (2)
finish "fall's here, let's clean" semi-annual clean fest

sept 1 - 30

8.28 - 9.4 my grandma's here
9.1 labor day / office closed
9.10 last day to renew my lease
9.23 fall officially begins
9.24 my 2 year work anniversary
college football season begins!

to do...
make my bed daily
finish trimming carpet
shred fest
take any empty bins/misc. home
for balcony: plant flowers, hang lights, add a table
make longer curtains
read a book for pleasure
read a book b/c i NEED to return it(!!)
bag/tag/take donations
paintings
- baby jacob (2)
- baby ian
- jo & andy's marriage
- diy (2)
spend some time at the homestead
- paint and redecorate bathroom
- SORT my room
- reconfigure/add storage so that my room looks like a room & not a glorified storage unit
- PURGE
money matters...
pay off balance (again)
renew renter's insurance
renew my lease (hopefully at the same rate)
lose the pudge...
change sleeping patterns/bedtime
go for a walk 2x/week
30 reps each, per day: squats, sit ups, push ups
5 min. minimum mobility/stretching per day
wall sits/hand stands 3x/week

brief update

before this once again becomes a place to keep track of my monthly "to do" lists, i'll give a life update.
- my family welcomed jacob riley into the family in july on the day they were going to induce. he's super cute, the first baby of my immediate family...and already a month old!
- i broke up with the boy last month before he left for vacation. i just...couldn't do it anymore. there was a part of me that i felt was missing, maybe that i hid on purpose because i knew he wouldn't like it or something. i tried to convince myself that it was just part of growing up - older and wiser - but the bottom line was that i wasn't happy. how can you agree to spend your life with someone without being happy? and i've never been "into" marriage and kids so to me, it almost seems like i'd be settling. not settling on him because he's great. but settling on the situation - time is running out if i want to have a child. and i certainly am not too keen on settling and letting go of life's ambitions and desires. i guess there's a chance we could get back together, but at this point, it's not looking like it.
- i will celebrate two years at my job next month. whoop whoop!
- i am finally starting to get my apartment to feel like home. maybe once i've been in it a year, it will be all good.
- i met someone fun. totally different than what i'm usually into but fun. and by accident. neither one of us is looking for a relationship, so it's just...fun. i assume it is going to be an interesting experience b/c he's into some..interesting..things.

that's me in a nutshell as of recently. and, i must say that last weekend was the best time i've had in a long, long time. i felt like i have found the part that's been missing and i feel so ALIVE and happy. actually, genuinely happy. part of me feels bad that i couldn't have this feeling while with the boy, but i needed this time away. and, i'm glad because this time it was worth it. this time, progress is being made. and if it's progress that pushes him and i further apart, then that's what must be done.

yay for it being wednesday!!

august 1 - 30

pay day - fri 8.1
pfc meeting - wed 8.6
town council - thurs 8.7
planning board (solo!) - 8.14
pay day - fri 8.15
unrba - wed 8.20
pay day - fri 8.29
make my bed daily
finish "trimming" carpet
mid-summer clean fest
- dust for any cobwebs
- spray for bugs that keep coming in my busted door
- wipe down baseboards
- vacuum
1) tweak furniture placements
- bedroom
- living room
- coat closet
- add vertical storage to coat closet, laundry room
2) sort, purge, organize, & SHRED
- receipts (save/file or shred)
- credit offers (shred)
- brown bin (empty & take home)
- clear bins (take home)
- update files (if necessary)
3) hang art
- spoon rack
- tweak entry
- gallery wall #1 & #2
- bedroom
- living room
4) donate or toss as much as possible
5) create a true "work nook"
- decorative storage solutions for office supplies
- add a little lamp (target)
- storage below desk?
- minimally add decorative accessories

take another load to dry cleaners
steam clothes w/ my new steamer
write recipes on cards and add to recipe book
read & return LAM
read & return HP book
pay a chunk on llc ($300 min.)
attend church service at least 2x/month
read jesus > religion
finish paintings
- baby (2)
- marriage (1)
- personal (2)
exercise (for real, yo!)
pvc oh squats, sit ups, pushups
- 30 reps each day 8.1 - 8.15
- 60 reps each day 8.16 - 8.30
5 min. minimum stretching & mobility
go for a walk
- 2x/week 8.1 - 8.15
- 3x/week 8.16 - 8.30
work on wall sits & handstands

ECU football begins - 8.30

july 1 - july 31

town council  - thurs 7.3
office closed - fri 7.4
independence day - 7.5
baby bacon's due! - 7.7
sister's #37 - 7.9
boss' due date - 7.24

make my bed daily
diy wreath for front door
finish "trimming" my carpet (i dropped a hot iron!)
tweak living/dining area
- make room for west elm find (it's a hamper but i'm using it for an end table)
  (i found a round wood piece at lowe's that i'm going to prime & paint and put on top)
- move dining table?
- hang a "gallery wall" above keyboard
tweak bedroom
- add bookcase for jewelry display/storage
- hang art
spruce up outdoor space i think i'm going to wait until the fall & also plant some flowers
- hang solar lights
- "plant" bug zappers
- add a 2nd chair/stool
- will a small table fit?
take bags to goodwill
pay off smallest balance hooray! :)
take a round to the dry cleaners (winter)
read & return historic preservation book
church
- attend service at least twice
finish jesus>religion
baby paintings
- baby bacon
- "you are my sunshine"
- baby brunkhardt
wedding painting
exercise
- 31 reps each per day: sit ups, push ups, oh squats
- wall sits/work on hand stands
- 5 min. stretching/mobility per day
- 2x/week go for a walk