February.

Priorities
Get the office ready for some heavy study sessions
Order/purchase mirrors for living room (above bar) and stairway


January 31 - February 2

got some stuff done but not enough; watched the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.

February 7-9

got a lot done except for going to church and studying. 

February 14-16

got a lot done except for going to church and studying.

February 21-23

meh. spent time with the guy (Friday), shopped with my mom (Saturday), and played racquetball with my mom (Sunday)

February 28 - March 1
Friday = gym after work (Y), meal plan/make grocery list
Saturday = clean the bathrooms; hang mirrors; grocery shopping; Lauren Daigle with my mom in G'boro
Sunday = STUDY

Other...

Cancel other PIF account

Call HVAC guy to move thermostat

Call garage opener guy
Call electrician about adding outlet in garage for freezer & updating some lighting

Pay HOA for Feb-June ($700)

Mid-January Update

It's about halfway through January. Since I am all about making this year one of the best ever, I thought I would start doing a mid-month check in to make sure I am staying on top of my monthly and yearly goals and intentions.

It's only been 2.5 weeks but I am going after my intention to be consumer debt free by the end of February, and have at least 3 of the 4 accounts closed by June. In order to do so, I essentially cashed in some investments left over from when my grandma passed. I didn't take everything at one time because I didn't want to blow it and have nothing to show for what she'd done for me. I'm glad I waited. Because as Dave Ramsey says: "Debt is not a math problem, it's a behavior problem." Isn't that the truth?!? So this year, I'm trying to be INTENTIONAL - not only when it comes to my finances, but also with every other area of my life. To be more mindful of how I spend my time and with whom I spend it. To be mindful of the limited days before my next attempt at the certification exam and to go all in on the effort -- lots to read! To be mindful of my emotional and physical health -- making the time to go to the gym and to rest, to read. With all the good things that happened at the end of last year to really set this year up for success, how can I not take these goals seriously?!

I've been at my new job for almost two weeks and I gotta say, being a newbie is HARD. It's been a long time since I've been new anywhere (over 7 years) and I'm in this weird head space. I went from being one person in a small town doing a bazillion things to being one in a zillion with not much to do (yet). I will say that I LOVE being downtown -- other than having to pay to park ($14 a day!), it's everything the small town was missing -- places to eat for lunch, GF options, things to do after work (hello happy hour), my bank is literally a skip away with the YMCA in between. I hope the 8-5 picks up and pushes the weirdness out.

**UPDATE Thursday, January 16: The only real update I have as of today is that I am SUPER close to having one of the two remaining credit cards PIF. I made my last $1,000.00 payment this morning, so I have less than $300 to go! Then, once that account has a zero balance, I will leave it along for 60-90 days and then go ahead and close the account. Because...two other accounts that are PIF and one has been just sitting there since September 2018 with a zero balance. Talk about LAZY! :( So, the goal is to get the first two closed by the end of February and then have this account closed by May.

I am gearing up for the long weekend. It will be the last long weekend until April, so I need to make the most of it! Hopefully I will be able to check a lot of tasks off my January list come Tuesday. :)

**UPDATE Friday, January 17: It's official! One account is closed. One down, one to go! :)

**UPDATE Friday, January 31: <$2,000 to pay on last account; mailed check to cover HOA dues for the next 5 months; shelled out $$$ for a new exam prep course & books.

New Year, New Decade

more reading, less scrolling.

more social, less media.

more celebration, less comparison.

more prayer, less grumbling.

more rejoicing, less ruminating.

more purpose, less deadlines.

more moments, less stuff. 



It's hard to believe the new year has begun -- and a new decade! The end of 2019 was pretty fruitful and I was/am excited for the arrival of 2020. Everything is really starting to come together and it's looking like 2020 is going to be a great year...at least the first part anyways. :)

My goals for the new year are mostly the same as I seem to make every year, but so much has been happening that it feels like it will *actually* happen this year! These goals include becoming debt free (except for my house), passing my certification exam, conquering "Murph", reading a book a month, and staying on top of my household chores. Oh, and finding a good guy to spend time with because as much as I don't "mind" being single, I am tired of wasting my time on the wrong ones.

JANUARY - JUNE 2020
1. Pay car insurance in full
2. Close two credit accounts
3. Pay off balances on other two credit accounts by end of February (thanks Grandma!)
4. Close fourth account (let it have $0 balance for 60-90 days before closing)
5. Conquer "Murph" in May
6. Pass my certification exam in May (STUDY! STUDY! STUDY!)
7. Have a garage sale (& promptly donate whatever doesn't sell)
8. Pay HOA for February - June (funds hadn't rolled through yet for January payment)

BIRTHDAYS
- Dad (February)
- Mom (March)
- Bestie (March)
- BIL (May)
- Me (June)

JULY - DECEMBER 2020
TBD

OTHER GOALS...
a. Read at least 1 book each month (studying counts?!)
b. Attend church regularly (Saturdays?)
c. Get sweaty/burn calories at least 5 days a week (my gym, racquetball with Mom until it's warm enough/light enough for tennis), YMCA after work)
d. PURGE A LOT: shredding, throwing away, donating or selling! I have WAY TOO MUCH stuff!
e. Call garage guy to fix wall control for my garage door
f. Call someone to come tweak my shower (trade the tiled wall for glass)
g. Get my personal e-mail inbox under control!

Purging seems to be the theme for 2020: Purge the debt, the excess clothing, accessories, home decor, the excessive content in my inbox, etc... and to read more, do the things that give me joy! 

January.

january 3-5

- work on the office
- prepare for my 1st day at my new job! (i.e. paint my nails & don't stay up too late sunday night)
- racquetball with my mom

january 10-12
-   rearrange the living room
-   vacuum (i LOVE my new vacuum!)
-   laundry

january 17-19 holiday weekend
- finish the office (furniture arrangement, hang art/+, organize the closet, etc.)
- work on master bedroom (rearrange, assemble new horizontal bookcase, vacuum, etc.)
- clean the bathrooms (guest, master)
- clean the kitchen (top to bottom!) + add shelf(ves) in pantry
- racquetball with my mom
- meal prep (monday)

january 24-26
- finish the office (maybe move tall bookcases into guest room?) (furniture arrangement, hang art/+, organize the closet, etc.)
- work on the guest room (especially if moving bookcases and console back into the room)
- gym (friday night & sunday morning)
- SAR @ WW (friday)
- church (saturday)
- clean the kitchen top to bottom!
- movies on sunday (little women)
other...
- pay off balance on c.o. account
- call/write to close first 2 snowballs
- call the garage opener guy -- the wall clicker hasn't worked in MONTHS!
- call the HVAC guy - to move the thermostat downstairs -- it is still in the way!

december.

the last 31 days of the year - of the decade! the last chance to make this year what i want it to be. it's also the time to begin looking forward and planning my goals for the new year. who do i want to be? what do i need to change? what fun things do i want to do, places i want to go next year?

december 6-8
- work on friday night (annual pictures with santa event)
- holly days holiday market at athens drive high school
- work on guest room & closet
- sleepover with my nephew on saturday
- work on office & closet

december 13-15
pay day
- laundry

december 20-22
- hair appointment on saturday
- finish closet
- finish office & closet
- blow off porches (front & back) and garage
- hang ladders/+ in garage
- CLEAN (bathrooms, kitchen, garage)
- hang art & mirrors

christmas holiday ~ december 24-26
- work on guest room and closet
- christmas eve service @ bay leaf
- christmas day at M/D's
- VACUUM!

clean out my office, put my desk back together, etc. because i start a new job come the new year.
december 27-29
pay day
- write thank you notes & take to post office
- shred fest
- finish guest room and closet

new year's eve ~ december 31

other
- final application deadline for exam ~ december 30
- call broker
- close 2 credit accounts

november.

less than 60 days left in the year! time really does seem to just fly by. as i get ready to close out another year, i like to take a look back at the previous year and see what i've accomplished (if anything), what's realistic for the last few months, and what will likely be carried over to the next year. BUT, i don't want to get too far ahead of myself and miss the last two months! here's what's on tap for november:

november 1-3

pay day

- get more bricks (fri)

- wash & detail my car

- buy painting supplies (overhead roller!)

- work saturday evening (annual campfire)

november 8-11

veterans day weekend

- buy paint (fri)

- paint the garage (walls & ceiling)

- install shelving, ladder brackets and hose holder in garage

- CLEAN the bathrooms (powder, master and guest)

- pack and store halloween decor

november 15-17

pay day

- babysit friday night
- junior league shopping spree saturday
- empty, clean and organize master closet for fall/winter

november 22-25

- work on guest room & closet
- finish the master closet - organize and fill with rest of fall/winter
- decorate for thanksgiving
- change drapery panels downstairs (to black!)
- install extra arm for shelf, brackets to hang ladders, shovel and trellis in garage
- pack away stuff downstairs...

november 28 - december 1

pay day
thanksgiving (i'm hosting this year!)

november 27
- de-germ the downstairs so my mom will be comfortable (lol) = de-clutter, sweep, clean the floors, clean the powder bathroom, vacuum the stairs, vacuum the rugs and runner, 

- pack and store harvest/thanksgiving decor
- finish master closet - organize and fill with rest of fall/winter
- work on guest room & closet
- decorate for thanksgiving
- change drapery panels downstairs

november 29-december 1
- pack up and store thanksgiving decor
- decorate for christmas
- work on office/closet
- finish the garage
-- find and install 2nd arm for shelf
-- install hooks and hang ladders (2), snow shovel & trellis

other...
- call to close LLC/LOFT account
- call to close Chase account
- book a massage
- call broker

ECU Schedule
11/2    vs. Cincy (L)
11/9    @ SMU (L)
11/16  bye
11/23  @ UConn (W)
11/30  vs. Tulsa

Record
4-7-0 (1-6)

October 2019.

This year is flying by! It's hard to believe it's already October! September feels like a blink - minus the terrible heat we've had in North Carolina with temps still into the high 90's. It's supposed to drop to more seasonable temperatures (70's) this weekend, which will be great.

This month, I am planning to make some serious progress on the upstairs...changing out the wardrobe will help calm everything down since it essentially hogged the guest room for the past 6-8 months. *hand covering face* I finally want to get more art hung and start gathering items for a potential yard sale. Also this month, I have some financial decisions to make and some fun planned for Halloween weekend which happens to be ECU's Homecoming -- I'm my bestie's +1 for her reunion. :)

October 4-6
- organize & pack away spring/summer wardrobe
- returns: loft & madewell
- pick up another hang rod for my closet in preparation of wardrobe switch
- pull up mums & replace with pansies in green pot
- pick up the kitchen
- watch Mary Poppins Returns

October 11-13
- decorate for Halloween
- install shelf in garage & clean up garage floor
- clean bathrooms: master, guest, powder room
- organize fall/winter wardrobe
- organize master closet

October 18-20
- organize guest room
- organize guest closet
- organize the office
-- try to square up bookcase
- hang art
- touch up painting

October 25-27
- ECU Homecoming Weekend


ECU Schedule
10/3 vs. Temple (L)
10/12 bye week
10/19 @ UCF (L)
10/26 vs. USF (L)

ECU Record
3-5-0 (0-4)