Important Dates- (S)election Day - Tuesday 11/3- Veterans Day - Tuesday 11/11- Exam - Tuesday 11/17- Thanksgiving Day - Thursday 11/26
Things To Do- Pack up Halloween decorations- Unpack and decorate for Harvest/Thanksgiving- Fill old holes
- Touch up painting
- Hang new gallery wall in Living Room (I moved the Travel/Architecture-themed pieces including my spoon collection up to the Guest Room and it looks great!)
- Tweak the Office
- Order new mirror for my bedroom and finish hanging art/+ in Master Bedroom
- Sort/organize/purge/shred...I have at least a dozen boxes/bags/storage containers to sort and so much to get rid of that I've been dragging along for the past several years- Do another round of donations to the Durham Rescue Mission
- Finish the Guest Room (hang art/mirrors) and closet (need to finish organizing; in October, I reconfigured the shelving/hanging components using what I had)
- Clean the floors and re-lay rugs in Dining and Living Rooms
- Enjoy time with family and friends
- Start working out again now that I'm starting to feel better (cold)
a personal blog about goals, achievements, hopes, and dreams...and the realization that the world as we know it, is on the verge of radical transformation.
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
November.
Thursday, September 10, 2020
September.
An update on my journey to not be a slave to my lender. Last month, I essentially used all of my points on two credit cards to get gift cards as Christmas gifts. As a result, I am done with my Christmas gift purchasing except for my nephew. :) There are a couple non-gift card gifts to give and I always challenge myself to get my Christmas shopping done early so as to not over-spend. As far as my debt, last month I refinanced my mortgage to lower my monthly payment by $300. Yay for getting more money out of my paychecks. I am focused on paying off my credit cards. I am down to just over $1,000 on one and plan to have it paid off by the end of October with the expectation that I will close that account by the end of 2020 or in January 2021. I also need to close my 3rd account that has been paid in full for well over a year...I don't have my printer set up, so I've been lazy in writing and submitting the letter to close the account. When those accounts are closed, I have just over $5,000 in debt in another account. The plan is to get that paid off in 2021. After that, I will work on paying back my parents - hoping to do that within 1 year as well (that balance exceeds $5,000). Then, the goal will be paying down my mortgage. I am ready, finally, to make the changes to my spending habits, change them to saving habits and tackle the debt and gain my financial freedom.
Other goals for September:
STUDY...my exam is quickly approaching
Exercise
Close out my home projects
Keep up with my beauty routines...other than masking, I am behind :(
Quit staying up so late...
Get back into cooking my meals...I went off track last week and my eczema told me just how it felt about those choices. :(
Hope everyone has a good month. :)
Image source: every-tuesday.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
An awakening is coming...
And it's not just political.
Here we are, 6 months into the worst time in our country's history in my lifetime. China released their lab-made virus into the world, bringing many countries to their knees and the most of the United States continues to cower in fear of a super flu. When this virus was released and spread throughout the world, fear was a common response. I know I had a little bit of fear - mostly about whether I would be able to find the things that I need to get along and thankfully I was able to get what I needed because it was a long time before you could even find toilet paper and paper towels, there was a wait list for food subscription services (so glad I joined Butcher Box when I did because they had a wait list that lasted well into the summer!); hand soap and sanitizer products are finally being restocked on the shelves, and the overall "fear" seems to have lessened, at least in the sense that people seem less stressed. It seems as if people are finally waking up to what is really going on -- I certainly know I have learned so much in the past few months...my mind has been blown repeatedly. This newfound knowledge includes human trafficking, how deep and wide the circle of pedophilia, corruption, and satanism runs in our country and worldwide (Epstein was the tip of the iceberg, and quite frankly, fairly tame compared to things I've read and seen), and just how much corruption runs rampant within our own government.
Let's talk about politics for a moment...There are people literally lighting our cities on fire, murdering people in broad daylight and local governments literally gutting police departments across our great country. A majority of these cities are run, and have been run for decades, by democrats. The democrats had their national convention last week and this party will not denounce the violence, rioting, looting, domestic terrorism that reigns in these cities. They will not arrest these people and hold them accountable for their actions. Most of these so-called activists are young people raised, quite frankly, to be buttheads. This occurs when parents don't discipline their children, teach them right from wrong, try to be their friend instead of their parent. There is a video online of young white 20-somethings raising their fists and shouting in the face of a seated woman, in the name of black lives matter. Part of that same video is a young black woman shouting in the face of a young white man seated at a table outside a restaurant, badgering him to put up his fist or be declared a white supremacist. She and the crowd continued to mock and intimidate him even after he put his mask on. If THIS is the kind of country you want to live in, then by all means, vote for the party of empty promises. The party that withheld financial assistance for its citizens in the name of adding excessive non-virus related demands to the bill. The party that wants to keep schools closed, churches locked, and businesses closed while the retail giants continue to get richer each and every day. The party that supports killing babies that survive abortions. The party that continues to put the divide in racial divide. This is the party filled with hate, although they boast tolerance. The party that WILL NOT DENOUNCE the violence, looting, mobs, bullying, and further destruction of American cities. By and large, they are the most intolerant people I know...their way or the highway and you be damned if you don't fall in line. You may not like our current president - I certainly don't always like his approach but applaud his no-fear approach to the job. We didn't elect him to be a politician and he has lived up to those expectations. He has done more for our country in nearly 4 years than his opponent has done in over 40 years. A record I will support. Certainly, republicans are not perfect --- this was especially obvious at the list of unsealed documents released after G. Maxwell's supposed arrest. There are 100 names of local, state and federal officials on a list of mostly men arrested for child trafficking, molestation, pedophilia and general crimes against children and women; and it is equally split between democrats and republicans. I had to take a break from that research because I was so disgusted by the evil that lives among us - and the biased corruption of our justice system. Offering mere months of probation for crimes against a child is heinous and that judge should be disbarred (that one happened in NC by the way).
Well, it is time for people to be independent thinkers. To push back against what mainstream media (MSM) shoves in our faces -- they are told what to report and do as they are told. They are the ones that helped caused paranoia and fear when news of the virus was released to the public. It is time for us to rise up and be the voice for the voiceless - the men, women and children being bought and sold into slavery (which extends to work containment camps, sex slaves, pornography). It is time to stand up to the elites and take back our freedoms, to say "no more", and to require they stand trial for the crimes they have committed. It is time for the censorship and so-called cancel culture to take a hike. The truth is coming out and it is time for us to accept that this world is not what we think it is. It is time for us to TAKE OFF THE MASKS, to get closer than 6 feet and demand our businesses be reopened. The audacity of our mayors and governors to pick and choose what can open and what must remain shuttered in the name of "science" is beyond treasonous. I know that in NC, ABC stores were considered essential from day 1 of our shutdown while churches, restaurants, small retail businesses, gyms, service-related businesses were considered nonessential. Even now, a restaurant can serve alcohol, the ABC stores are open, breweries/distilleries are open yet bars remain shuttered. Traditional gyms are shuttered while CrossFit gyms are open. Even today, you can't find a weight online without paying an arm and a leg for it...I finally found a 3-pc kettlebell set from Kohl's that should arrive this week.
This is a virus with a 99% survival rate. It's time to stop acting out of fear and use common sense. I know so many intelligent people and I have watched them lose their minds over this virus. It's a virus with particles that are smaller than the weave of your homemade mask. You know the cure for a virus? It's not a vaccine -- the same vaccine owned by one of the richest men in the world, being rushed through the testing process and filled with absolutely grotesque ingredients. A healthy immune system is the cure for a virus. Eat a balanced diet, exercise, get adequate sleep each night, get outside, wash your hands, don't touch your face and don't make out with strangers.
Friday, July 31, 2020
August.

The year is flying by...so much has happened this year that it is kind of a relief we are past the halfway point. This month officially kicks my focused studying into high gear...just 3.5 months until test day (just before Thanksgiving).
Goals for August 2020
Beauty + Health
- Do a face mask at least 3x a week, each week = Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings
- Use facial tools much more often!, at least 3x a week: zit zapper, zit sucker, exfoliator, dermaplane, tweezers, etc.)
- Use creams and serums consistently
- Walk + WOD at least 3x a week. 4x is good, 5x is best. Walk at least 30 minutes followed by a Home WOD, alternating between body weight and weight training
- Continue going to bed earlier so I'm getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night
- 31 Day Challenge: No HFCS soda + No bread/gluten + No drive-thru or take out meals + Drink more water + Reduce Ensure Intake to help with bloating (i.e., actually have breakfast!)
Home
- Finish guest room, guest closet, office, office closet, and master bedroom 7/31-8/2
- Move Diverging Diamonds mirror from DR to above bar in LR 8/8
- Move Isabella mirror from stairs to DR 8/8
- Hang metal daisy trio on stairs 8/8
- Add white flower 3D art in guest bathroom 8/9
- Add art to master bathroom 8/1-2
- CLEAN master bathroom 8/1
- Bag/tag clothing donations for DRM 7/31-8/2
- Pack up all the clothes/shoes/accessories for F|W and S|S 7/31-8/2
Other
- Refi Closing 8/24
- Send in parking receipts
- The countdown begins to 11/17 aka TEST DAY!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
July.
As for me, I completed the 6-month probationary period for my new position with more than half of it spent working mostly from home. I was able to transfer my certification exam from May to November thanks to the virus. In the next week, I hope to finish my seasonal chores, finish the guest room and finally hang my favorite pieces...so that I can start studying (after I mail off my taxes). That will allow be a solid 4 months of preparation and studying for my exam. *Crossing fingers*
Monday, June 1, 2020
June.
The "end of the world" virus erupted, putting everything on hold for months. This virus struck fear in so many people, caused massive unemployment, churches and schools closed their doors, and businesses were shuttered (unless deemed "essential". Those fortunate to still have a job (like me) were forced to work from home, losing daily contact with our families and friends. To say it was an exhaustive, stressful time would be an understatement. In May, it finally seemed like things were headed in the right direction, normal was coming back - albeit slowly, but coming nonetheless. Then, the world sank.
On May 25, a police officer held his knee on a man's neck for 9 minutes in Minneapolis and contributed to his death. A man few knew but will never be forgotten. Another case of a Black man killed by a White officer. People were rightly shaken, brought to their knees being filled with emotions. Emotions ranged from anger, sadness, rage, empathy...and some just indescribable.

As is the standard, here's what I hope to get done this month...
Beauty
- Do a mask 2-3 times a week
- Use zit zapper, zit sucker, exfoliating tool 2-3 times a week
- Use creams and serums more consistently
- Sleep. This is the hardest beauty goal -- I am a night owl. But, I'm tired of having dark circles and my parents telling me I look tired. The common theme in my life -- tired.
- Now that salons are open -- get my eyebrows waxed/shaped!
Home
- Do the guest room (clean out/organize/hang art/figure out storage/etc.)
- Touch up painting and repairs (ceiling (DR, LR), walls, doors and trim)
- Kitchen island project
- Clean the windows inside and out
- Paint the dining room
- Move mirrors (diverging diamonds will move from DR to above the bar, large square mirror will move from the stairs to DR)
- Have a yard sale and/or take a lot of items to be donated
Fitness/Health
Since the gyms remained closed...I need to become more disciplined about home workouts.
- Consistently take my B12 vitamins (3 per day, 3 days a week)
Other
- Do my taxes!
Monday, May 4, 2020
May.
september.
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7 Quick & Easy Ways to Avoid Procrastination Procrastination is an extremely common problem, and every one of us will have experienced i...
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interview. tomorrow. *p.s. i turn 27 on wednesday!*

