march 2017.

since my mid-month attempt to make february a "no non-essential spending month" failed, i am going to begin again, at the beginning of march. march will be a month of fresh starts! i have finally finished hanging most of my art (3 gallery walls) and feel like my apartment is livable and feels like me (minus the corner of the closet that needs to be sorted/shredded/purged/reorganized). and, i love it. i will begin again with workouts before work (which are growing even more important as my frustrations with my job continue and my mid section continues to jiggle). studying is in full force...exam is just over 2 months away - eek! and, the ongoing goal of quitting. i'm going to give it a real chance. which, if i'm designating march as a no spend month, makes total sense because this habit/choice is non-essential. and church...i haven't been in months. i need my 'at least once a week' solely focused on jesus time back. he helps even me out and not constantly want to punch or kick people in the workplace (i don't, but there have been times i've been "this close" to potentially getting to that point where i've completely lost my mind and my last shred of patience).

march also brings some fun. for my mom's birthday (#65), i surprised her with tickets to the casting crowns/unspoken/danny gokey concert. she is EXCITED. i am too. and we're making it a mother-daughters' night out because my sister is coming too. i sprung for her ticket as part of her birthday present (even though her birthday's not until july). tickets were reasonable at $25.00 each (+ fees of course), so just over $100.00 for the 3 of us to go. they can buy my pretzel and soda. ;) it will be fun. casting crowns is an old favorite and my mom turned us onto unspoken. later in the month, i'll head down to the beach to see my bestie for her birthday. i love getting to spend time with her and her last pop-through wasn't long enough.

let's do this march!

fiscal.
1. pay at least $50.00 on snowball #1 paid 3/10
2. pay at least $200.00 on snowball #2 paid 3/10
3. pay at least $50.00 on snowball #3 paid 3/10
4. rent/water/misc. payment: $1041.95 paid 3/5
5. bills: car insurance, cell phone, electric, internet paid 3/9, 3/10
6. purchase birthday gifts for mom, grandma and bestie i'm glad i waited b/c both mom's and grandma's gifts were on sale ($10 off each --both getting the same thing). 
7. travel reimbursement from work for ncazo workshop means +$300.00 comes back to me (and will be split between snowball #3 - hotel purchase and snowball #1 - just because)

physical.
1. consistent sleep schedule: bed @ 9pm, rise @ 4am for weekday workouts; bed by 11pm, rise by 8am for weekend workouts
2. consistent morning workouts - work out at least 6 days a week
3. remember to stretch!
4. use R+F regularly
5. quit - if only as part of no-spend challenge
6. 31 day challenge: no caffeinated soda, no skittles...just homemade goodness :)

fun.
1. church 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26
2. birthdays: mom 3/19, bestie 3/23
3. concert 3/10 my mom LOVED her bday present! we had so much fun! :)
4. st. patrick's day 3/17
5. beach beach trip has been pushed to june -- i never get to see my bff during peak season!! time to really start working on my bikini body! :)

work.
1. town council 3/2
2. ctp meeting 3/7
3. rpo meeting 3/8
4. p&r advisory committee 3/13
5. county rec advisory committee 3/21

Mid-February Update
2/13/2017

I have designated February as a "no non-essential spending" month (even though I kinda blew that Friday when I bought 5 CDs (4 at Lifeway {1 as a gift for my mom} + the Grammy 2017 album at Target). But, after getting blood drawn, I did return over $130 worth of shoes to DSW. I still have 2 pairs of shoes that are "maybes". So, I did some returns at Michael's, DSW and Target. Buying Jesus-centered tunes...I don't know if I can consider them non-essential but the $11 for the Grammy preview, sure.

Another one of those questionable "non-essential vs. essential purchases" would be getting my hair done. I have begun splitting my appointments between hair cuts and highlights. It's a lot easier to shell out $50 or $100 versus $150 at one time. Plus, I got a gift certificate for Christmas, so I used a portion of it last month for a hair cut and the rest towards my highlights. My out-of-pocket expense was $32 + $23 for product ($55). Not terrible. And, if that's it for the month, I'll count that as a win. With the exception of 2/24 - Crush is playing that night and I'll out for sure - so count that as another non-essential purchase for cider at the bar...maybe a shot or two. K will be out of town so I'll be going home alone. Whomp whomp.

How I spent my weekend...
Saturday. I worked out in the morning, ate breakfast, cleaned the rest of the kitchen [microwave, sink, swept & swiffered]. I swept & swiffered the entry. I planned my meals for the week, made my grocery list, showered (without washing my hair). My hair appointment was at 12:45 and wrapped up about 2. I grabbed some cash and hit the Harris Teeter for Sweet Loren's chocolate cookies (they are so good and with no crap in them!) and went back to my parents' house. I had borrowed one of their cars because my dad wanted to change my oil and rotate my tires, now that my car has 90,000 miles! Eek! My sister and nephew were over there, so I stayed much longer than I normally would have...but it was fun. Then I picked up groceries on the way home. I was beat by the time I got home so...I watched tv, ate dinner and went to bed. Speaking of dinner - one of my new favorites is the Chicken and Chinese Broccoli with broad noodles from Good Foods. It's gluten free and delicious. I'm not really into pre-made frozen dinners but this is SO good. I also tried their moo shu chicken (or something like that) with little GF pancakes. Next time, I will wait until I cook the chicken to warm the pancakes because they were like cardboard by the time I got to them...didn't taste like cardboard, but still hard.

Sunday, I stayed in bed longer than planned (alarm had PM instead of AM); thankfully, my body naturally woke up. I cleaned my tub, made the bed, made breakfast and watched the rest of The Lucky One on MTV (even though I own it)...Zac Efron just gets me every time. :) Once the clock stroke 12:00, I hit it. Cranked up the music, opened the windows and went to work. I worked on my closet and it looks quite fabulous. I still have the corner of shelves that mainly contain items which need to be sorted, filed, shredded, and/or thrown away. But, I'm thinking that will wait until after my test in May. I was even able to hang 3 of my favorite pieces of art in or just outside my closet. WIN! So, now what's left is to hang art in the living room and finish my room (hang jewelry boxes, sort my clothes, etc.) and take a load to the Durham Rescue Mission (my preferred donation spot over Goodwill). I ALMOST feel like my space is mine and that I live there. My kitchen is the cleanest it's ever been since I moved in -- all I need to do in there is install my cb2 task lighting, move my clock and hang something over the sink. Almost there...

Kind of boring but still fun. Here's to hoping the rest of February turns out fabulous. Because other than the fact that I feel like I'm eating for 2 (which I'm 99% sure I'm not), I feel great. Chubby, but great. Operation #34 kicks off this week. My birthday is just a few months away (4) and I want to be able to fit into the dress I wore last year. I may not wear it..just want the satisfaction that I could if I wanted to. :)

february.

fiscal.
**it's a 2 pay day month so money is going to be tight.**
1. pay at least $50.00 on snowball #1
2. pay at least $200.00 on snowball #2 paid 50% on 2/10
3. pay at least $100.00 on snowball #3
4. rent/water/misc. payment $1100.00+/-
5. bills beyond rent and debt payments: car insurance (2/9), cell phone (2/15), electric (2/21), internet (2/15)
6. purchase gifts for march birthdays (mom & bestie)
7. STOP SPENDING MONEY!! Take returns back to stores.

physical.
1. consistent sleep schedule - Sun - Thurs: go to sleep by 10pm, rise by 4:30am (M-F)
2. consistent work out schedule - Mon - Fri: 4:30am, Sat-Sun: 8am
3. use R+F regularly
4. improve dental regime - brush/floss after every meal; coconut oil pull 3x/week; whiten teeth
5. quit

fun.
1. church 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26
2. babysit 2/4
3. dad's birthday 2/5 | party 2/4
4. super bowl sunday 2/5
5. hair appt. (highlights) 2/11
6. valentine's day 2/14
7. crush @ WW 2/25
8. mardi gras 2/28

8 to 5.
1. website subcommittee 2/2
2. town council 2/2
3. code enforcement brief 2/3
4. website updates - ongoing
5. newsletter release 2/2 (2/6)
6. pay days 2/10, 2/24
7. path forward 2/22
8. ncazo workshop 2/27-28

unplug. delete. let go.

"Eat better. Run more. Squat more. Sleep earlier. Wake up earlier. Make a good breakfast. Drink water. Eat fruits. Read books. Adventure. Talk less. Listen more. Feel deeper. Love better. Open your eyes. Experience life. Be happy."

I took a step towards a more stress-free life. I deleted the fb app off my phone. Maybe one day I'll delete my account, but for now, just getting rid of the insta-access is a breath of fresh air. All the negativity and cyber bullying I've witnessed and experienced, especially in the past year or so with the emphasis on politics. I appreciate all the friends I have and the fact that we don't all value the same things or want the same things, but it was time. I'll continue to post on ig - because it seems to be positive real with more uplifting content. So, I'll keep posting about decor, food, work outs and good words. It's only been a day, and while it feels weird to not see what other people are doing and saying, I really DON'T CARE. The people that I really care about (family, friends) - we communicate in other ways already so I don't have to rely on social media to keep up with them.

The goal is to slowly unplug. To read more. To interact more with the "outside world." To love myself enough to get off the phone. It shouldn't be so hard to be happy and with all the stress of dealing with everyone's version of crazy..it just became too much. Too much of a burden on my heart. For someone who feels so much of everything, it was too much to bear. It was affecting my emotional health and overall happiness; which, is sad to admit. But, I care about people and want everyone to be happy and kind. We can disagree but if we're assholes to each other, and just plain cruel, no progress will happen. The 2017 Presidential election is a prime example of that. Just sayin'...

Be kind to one another. It's the least we can do.

january.

fiscal
1. pay at least $200.00 on snowball #1 minimum paid 1/13 (need to pay $175.00 more to meet goal)
2. pay at least $200.00 on snowball #2 minimum paid 1/13 (need to pay $9.00 more to meet goal)
3. pay minimums for car insurance, rewards account
4. rent/+ payment = $1100.00+/-
5. pay my bills on time and in full (accidentally missed cell phone payment in december): cell phone; electric; internet
6. pinch my pennies & fill my piggy bank :)

physical
1. sleep/work out consistently
a. sunday - thursday: bed by 10pm | monday - friday: up at 4am to work out
b. monday - friday: work out 4:30 - 5:30am | saturday - sunday: work out by 9:00am
2. use R+F regularly
3. pill it up! (b12, vitamin c, probiotic) (do i need to add a magnesium supplement or what about iron?)
4. improve dental regimine: brush/floss after every meal; coconut oil pull 3x/week; whiten teeth
5. annual physical (+12 hr. fast) 1/17

fun
1. attend church at least twice: 1/1, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29
2. finish setting up new apartment
3. dry cleaners
4. love tribe 1/14
5. sort/organize file cabinets (update files)
6. set up calendars/studying schedule for exam

work
1. town council 1/5
2. p&r advisory committee 1/9 cancelled
3. county rac + joint county rec & greenways meeting 1/12
4. path forward committee 1/25
5. cwep 1/31
6. website subcommittee
7. office closed 1/2, 1/16
8. pay days 1/13, 1/27

2017.

goals for 2017

pay off snowball #1 (Jan - Mar)
pay off snowball #2 (Jan - Nov)
close both accounts
reduce rewards balance by at least $1000.00
give at least $100.00 to good causes (A21, ALS, LLS, etc.)
attend church at least 2x/month
read at least 4 books (1 every 3 months)
pass certification exam (May)
pay car insurance in full for July
purge! donate! learn to live with less... (make at least 3 donation runs to DRM)
quit!
whiten teeth (using coconut oil and smile sciences)
splurge with a massage at least 3x/year (3 x $80 = $240 + tips)
continue to focus on ME (consistent work out and sleep schedules, better meal prep, try new recipes, etc.)

december.

This year has just flown by! It is already December 2...I have been so busy with my exam prep and moving, I've hardly had time to breath. This first week back at work has royally sucked. But, it could be worse I guess. Next year, I'll be vested at 5 years - almost the longest I've worked anywhere, which is slightly sad because I really enjoyed my years at Z Gallerie (5.5-6) even though I got paid peanuts. I didn't have the need for a gym during that time because a) I was in my 20's and still had a reasonably high metabolism and b) I ran around that place at a feverish pace most of the time. I really did love that place. ANYWAYS...back to the present. Here's what's happening and my goals for the last month of 2016.

fiscal.

1. Last rent payment for old apartment - lease ends 12/7. $254.00

a) W/S/T payment +/- $60.00 

2. First full month's payment for new apartment. $999.00

a) This payment includes rent, cable, trash, and pest control fees

b) Waiting for water/sewer bill

3. Bills: car insurance ($90), cell phone ($75), internet ($55 -- with a portion from old apartment)

4. Debt: rewards ($60 m), snowball #1 ($25 m), snowball #2 ($200 m)

5. Christmas: All gifts have been purchased by 12/1 and some even wrapped!

a) Shipping gifts to Colorado, Florida and North Carolina 12/12 - 12/16

6. Exam: Early bird window 12/1-12/7. $75.00 (to retake exam May 2017)

physical.

now that my exam is over and the move is done, i can refocus and center myself yet again. even with the holidays, hopefully i won't overindulge and/or overdo it.

1. Sunday - Thursday: in bed by 9 pm | Monday - Friday: up at 4 am to work out

2. Monday - Friday: work out 4:30 - 6:00 am | Saturday - Sunday: work out by 9 am

3. Quit

4. R+F: get back on track with this as well...my face has been going a little crazy over the past month or so with inconsistent applications

5. Pills, pills, pills: empty the pill box every week (B12, vitamin C, probiotic)

6. Floss/brush after each meal, even at work | coconut oil pull 3x/week | whiten teeth

fun.

1. church: 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 12/24

2. play in new apartment! :) [sort/organize/purge, hang curtains, organize clothes, storage, hang art (after thoughtful consideration)]

3. dry cleaners

4. repair walls, clean old apartment 12/3-12/5 | turn in keys by 12/7

5. Christmas Eve 12/24 | Christmas Day 12/25 | New Year's Eve 12/31

6. iron/steam clothes

7. mail Christmas cards by 12/15

work.

1. town council 12/1

2. pictures with santa 12/2

3. ctp meeting 12/6

4. senior christmas social 12/8

5. planning board 12/8

6. website committee meeting 12/12
7. pfc meeting 12/14

8. rpo tac/tcc meeting 12/14

9. gtc meeting 12/15
10. boa meeting 12/15

11. office closed: 12/22, 12/23, 12/26

12. pay days: 12/2, 12/16, 12/30