warriors week13

well friends, this is it. the end of the winter wonderland warriors challenge. did the last few weeks fly by or is it just me? so what the hell happened over the course of this challenge?

goals:

1. eat more fruits and veggies (five servings per day)
2. cook more; use pantry stock
3. work out more, consistently (three times per week)
4. lose last 7.2 pounds; complete six weeks of maintenance
5. keep in touch by writing letters
6. read for fun more
7. blog regularly
8. work harder on grad school
9. stay on budget
10. get back on regular work schedule

assessment: surprisingly, i did quite well! i've found a solution for getting in my fruits and veggies, which also became a part of my cooking more goal. i picked out at least two recipes every week to try. if there wasn't a veggie included, i made sure to add one. i ate a lot of broccoli, peppers and green beans :) i also made a decent dent in the pantry stock; neal even started making quinoa on a regular basis to help out. things are getting a tad better every day :) the letter writing didn't go as well as i liked, but i did try to keep it up with those who wrote back. my budget was also a  bit shaky. i reassessed to make sure all was going smoothly, but i went a little bit over in some areas this month. it all balances out, but next week is going to be tight... reading, working out and blogging were not as consistent as i would have liked. partially because of schedule issues, partially because of motivation issues. i'm still working on both factors... the remaining goals (dropping final 7.2, being a better student, being a better employee) were my worst three. my weight loss has been bouncing all over the place. i don't know what to expect week to week, which is more frustrating than anything else. days i expect to be up, i'm down. days i expect to be down, i'm up. best part? in either direction, it's always more than a pound. i'd be less perturbed if the increments were small, but gaining 2.4 is a kick in the face. i remind you that i used to average net gains of one pound per month before weight watchers. so when i gain one pound in a week, it's a big deal for me. i've been doing better with homework towards the end of the challenge. it helps that i'm working to keep the As i have already earned. can't fuck it up! conversely, the work schedule has tapered off as the challenge wound down. thanks to all kinds of shit and my own laziness, the last three weeks have seen me late more days than not. i think i've fully adjusted, sleepwise, to DST. i just need to find the morning motivation to get out of bed. spring goal: no checking twitter before work? maybe

final question: Do you feel like you had a productive winter? yes :) i realigned my priorities, and got shit done for a change. i really think this challenge was the kick in the ass i've been needing for a lot of things. i am SO excited for the spring fever challenge. i don't know why, but having challenges is always my best motivator. i should probably get on goal setting now... i hope those of you who also participated had a successful 13 weeks. for those who didn't, i hope you had a good regular winter :)

via we heart it

 {i can't wait for it to be warmer so i can enjoy some iced chai lattes}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

[crossposted]

warriors week12

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help achieve your goals?
2. With one week left, what is your plan?
3. What was the highlight of your week?
4. Did you have a down point? If so, how did you push past it?
5. Fun Question of the Week: What's your favourite television show from the past? Presently?

question 1: i was able to read two chapters of jonathan strange thanks to pre-break downtime. unfortunately, daylight savings screwed up my circadian rhythm so i was late to work all week. also made me extra grumpy in the mornings. blogging was kinda on hold, but i managed to get posts up on all of them lol

question 2: just gonna keep doing what i'm doing. i might have to bust my ass a bit more to get to work on time, but everything else is going smoothly. i know if i keep working on it, i can eventually get back to where i was two years ago

question 3: getting an interview request and spending the weekend with my honey :) especially getting to cook, watch movies and lounge around with jesse. so needed that weekend

question 4: several. i usually wallow for a couple days. then move on. during those couple days, i do get a ton of support from my online and offline peeps, which is a huge help. without them, i'd probably quit after a few setbacks

question 5: i don't have one favorite cause i love tv lol. awesome shows i could watch on endless repeat: buffy, say yes to the dress, sex and the city, community, pete and pete, the closer...

{all my refunds came in so roomie road trip has been fully funded! now we just need some plans so i can spend my money :)}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week11

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. There are two weeks left in this challenge – what goals are you making priority?
3. Many people are on or heading into Spring Break right now, do you find it easier or harder to stay on track when your routine disappears?
4. Tell us something positive about this challenge. Could be something that happened to you, you did, you realized…etc.
5. Fun Question of the Week: The clocks sprung forward this weekend, does the time change mess you up or do you just go on like nothing happened?

question 1: all i can say is ugh. i got my letters out and was at work on time three straight days. however, all my time and brain power was consumed by homework. two two hour meetings, transcription, reading and studying to be done. guess how much actually got done *sigh* plus i didn't have the energy to really blog. i'm putting that goal on hold because things are just going to get worse. i can't even work out plans with my girls because every weekend is booked for someone through the end of may. huge bummer, but there may be skype dates in our future. i'm gonna skype date everyone at this point :p

question 2: it hit me, as i opened this post, how truly close to the end it is. and my heart skipped an unhappy beat. in the next two (and more) weeks, school is definitely going to be the focus. i have pretty much opted to put finding a new job on the back burner for now. i don't have the time or mental capacity to apply and interview. plus i'm sick of being asked the same damn questions in the same system by six different positions that won't let me just save my answers to be used in subsequent applications. straight A's don't earn themselves so homework takes top priority. blogging and work (non)shiz can wait

question 3: mine is next week, and i am gonna flounder a bit. i always do. even my free time has a designated slot in the schedule because i suck at going with the flow. not having homework is gonna throw me off my game. so i might be a nerd and work ahead... well, let's be honest. i'll be playing catch up if i do anything at all. i like structure, but i'm also lazy. hence "do your homework" being a goal in the first place :p plus i still have work so it won't be a full break. that might keep me a bit more on track than a full vacation though...

question 4: i've altered my thinking in regards to scheduling my time, and i managed to stay on task for the most part. i still go off the rails when i'm stressed, but i beat myself up about it less. i can still get my stuff done, enjoy other things and not think i'm a failure at life

question 5: it makes me very grouchy for the first week or so. i'm three for three on bad sleep habits, but i'm hoping it's all normal by the end of spring break. i hate oversleeping and waking up with headaches

via we heart it

{spring is my fave time of year. i don't care for all the extra sun (seriously, i'd rather be a vampire. it burns my poor little eyeballs), but i love new blooms. one day i'm gonna have a glorious garden filled with tiger lilies}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week10

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. New month! How are you feeling with the end of the challenge coming up soon?
3. What would you change differently about this challenge for the Spring Fever Challenge beginning soon?
   
4. What have you learned about yourself during this challenge (or past few months)?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Do you enter contests? Have you ever won one?

question 1: i finally got letters to respond to, including one that i thought had been lost in the mail. i so love real mail; response letters go out tomorrow :) it was a rough(ish) week so i had plenty to blog about. i'm feeling less tumultuous now that i've expressed some of my concerns and my period is on the horizon. i seriously hate when i'm this emotional. it really is mostly hormones, but i know it can freak people out. i appreciate all the concern from y'all. if some serious shit goes down, it's wonderful knowing i have so many people to turn to <3 ...rapid fire responses on everything else. read another chapter of jonathan strange (yippee!), fell behind on my blog faves (boo), got through a couple chapters for class (yay) and was on time most of the week(woohoo!). lastly, my budget looks absolutely insane at the moment. thanks, bonus, VA and tax refunds. you're making my bank quite happy. and later this week, you'll be making my smarty pig even happier. i'll have to relook at everything in a couple weeks since my merit increase and updated tax withholdings just went into effect

question 2: it's so weeeird that the challenge is ending soon. i don't know if this year is flying by or if that damn feb is still throwing me off. i am already thinking about what new goals to take on, but hadn't really thought about how soon they'd start :)

question 3: besides perhaps not having a specific number of goals, there's nothing i can think of to change :)

question 4: that i'm horribly whiney? just kidding. i already knew that :p i think this challenge (and my class stuff) has made me realize how poorly i stick to my plans. i have a schedule for everything, but i'm not good at sticking to them. which wouldn't be terrible, except i end up ignoring important things entirely. which, of course, stresses me out because they are things i really need to be doing (for class or my sanity). i'm trying hard to get back in to the groove because i know how much better it makes me feel

question 5: of course! who doesn't like a giveaway? silly people, that's who :p i enter plenty of blog giveaways, online contests and raffles in hopes of winning. i've won a couple blog contests, a trivia contest and a contest i'm not sure how to classify (and my response was never posted so i don't even remember what i said :p). i've never won a raffle, but i keep my hopes up for that car my dad's organization gives away every year

via milk your money

{here's to having a decent financial buffer}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week9

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. Today's the last day of the month - how do you feel you've done in February?
3. What is your go-to favourite meal to cook? Share the recipe if possible!
4. Share a quote or saying that is inspiring you today.
5. Fun Question of the Week: What's your make-up routine? Wear any? Lots? Do you have a must-have?

question 1: welp i got a few blog posts in. yay for timely inspirations :) updating here is definitely the hardest. sometimes i forget i have things to say or forget what i want to say once i open that little "new post" box. i may have more to say as the semester wears on and my job hunt continues. sidebar: perhaps i should start looking at psych related jobs, instead of something just to pay the bills. i like paying my bills, but going back to being a receptionist makes me want to cry. ugh if only i could work part time without losing a huge chunk of income... i've decided to count blog reading as my reading. mostly cause i spend 95% of my life online. i'm working on it. i think going forward, mondays are internet free nights. once i'm home from class, no laptop, no twitter. i'd say no blackberry, but that would rule out txts from J. the last two weeks, i've gone sans laptop. last night was the first of no twitter, and i did pretty ok. only got on to check new replies (yay for notifications). i also scrolled through all the overnight tweets. normally, i read every single tweet since my last check. partly for info; partly in case someone misspelled my username again... work schedule is stabilizing, but my homework schedule is wonked. gotta get back on that ball

question 2: february is my least favorite month cause it's so short *fist shake* as i said to friends yesterday: short feb messed with my paychecks, felt rushed and brought me one step closer to my midlife crisis. do. not like :p although, holls pointed out the silver lining. spring is coming, which means tee shirts, breezy dresses and flip flops :D [on the paychecks, i got paid right, but i didn't realize they split the time periods differently to make the checks equal. curse my non-exemptness]

question 3: i'm teaching myself to like new things, but i'm still a simple girl. give me a big box of kraft mac and cheese (spirals preferred), and i will be happy as a clam

question 4: i don't really have one for today, but one of my life mottos is "make yourself" (thanks brandon boyd/incubus). another is "you hesitate; you die", but this mostly applies to being 17 and convinced you can beat every car on the highway...

question 5: i practically never wear makeup these days. i used to for dance, cheering and special occasions. however, i slowly realized i have zero patience for putting it on or taking it off. it seems like a waste most of the time so i just don't bother :)

via the total bully solution

{because i am currently doing quite well in both my classes despite my lack of consistent reading of material. yay me!}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week8

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. Pretty much everywhere this past week experienced some mild weather – did this change have any effect on you?
3. Walk us through your ideal workout.
4. What happened in the last week that you have to brag about?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Spring Fever has hit the stores… what’s your favourite thing to shop for in the Spring?

question 1: not much, dude. not much. blogged and read blogs, but didn't really get my hw done. i'm behind on my readings so i might be doing some reading tonight. super boo. work schedule was wonky because i had to take time off to do class stuff. not really sure i got in my 32 for mon to thurs. now it looks like more snow is coming so this week will probably be off, too

question 2: it was mostly distracting in the mornings. my bed was even more toasty than usual :p otherwise, it made for a lovely relaxing week. can't really say my productivity overall suffered since it's been declining the last week or so anyway

question 3: can i count sex? no? well... um... a combo of cardio and lifting that leaves me sweaty, breathless and happy. i would totally strut out of the gym back in the day because i felt AMAZING. i guess my ideal workout is anything that puts a smile on my face (and i definitely count sex)

question 4: jesse loved his surprise - a trip to medieval times. i nearly ruined the experience cause i'm an asshole (not a fan of dinner theater), but he seemed to enjoy it despite me :p i curbed my comments once we were seated, which helped. plus i'm a fan of jousting and real swords (and margaritas)

question 5: sundressses, open toed shoes and shorts. i've started liking shorts again since i like my thighs more these days. short skirts would also be nice, but i'm almost 27. my booty doesn't need to be on display :p (i know at least one person who will object to that ;))

via we heart it

{i think that's self explanatory :)}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week7

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. What goal are you doing best on?
3. What goal do you have to push yourself a little more to complete? What is your plan to do so?
4. We’ve talked about who pushes us to do better with our goals – is there anyone/thing that hinders you?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Happy Valentine’s Day! Do you have any special plans for the day? It’s okay if you think it’s a Hallmark holiday that you wish to boycott!

question 1: so very little :( this week was such a waste for me. i didn't do a single bit of homework after tuesday. i haven't even opened a book and pretended to do homework. i sent vday cards to my girls, but i didn't bother writing notes in them. KJ wrote me a quick note in response to my letter, which was sweet. unfortunately, nothing to respond to. maybe i'll nauseate everyone with my valentine's day after jesse's visit. or maybe i'll just drop this goal altogether since it requires effort from others, too. i squeezed in blogposts (one written last night) just to meet that goal. i luckily had a small bit of inspiration so both side blogs will have updates ready for this week. not much to say here since i'm still a debbie downer with nothing new to whine about. haven't opened jonathan strange, but i have gotten my google reader waaay down again

question 2: getting to work on time has become my best accomplishment. it's the goal i thought would be tied with homework as the hardest to complete. excluding the first week, i've gotten to the office by 9 more days than not. i do allow myself a 15 min window just in case i'm having a slow day or need to make a stop... i've been counting blog reading as my "me time" reading session, but i really do want to finish a book. i've had to adjust my schedule a couple times, which has allowed me more time in the evenings. most of that time is spent online, of course, which is driving me a wee insane. i know i need to unplug, but sometimes it's crazy hard

question 3: i want to say all of them :p really i need to focus on getting my homework done and taking my me time offline. maybe this week i'll start unplugging... maybe

question 4: me myself and i. i'd love to blame someone else, but it all comes down to me. i'm letting myself get too stressed out, and i'm starting to shut down

question 5: on the day (today)? no. i have class and a meeting. plus my boy is two hours away. he's coming down this weekend, and i have a small surprise for him. today, for me, is simply a monday and a friend's birthday

via we heart it

{on the list of things i'm trying to remember this week}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week6

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. New month! Fresh starts! How are you feeling in February?
3. Are you competitive? Do you find that seeing how well {or not so well} others do pushes you?
4. What is your favourite outdoor winter activity? {Southerners can answer winter if they visit the snow, or just what you like to do outside}
5. Fun Question of the Week: What would be your ideal way to spend a Saturday night?

question 1: i think it's interesting that all my goals are about doing things each week; there's only one (#4) that doesn't require action in and of itself. what did i do to achieve my goals? i just did them :) i scheduled posts for my tumblr (yay for the queue being back up) and wrote a little something for my other blog. i bought a new toy and lost a pound so there's two more posts ;) this week may be a bit harder. haven't been quite inspired yet, but i am catching up on my favorite blogs. i'm sure i'll have some food for thought soon enough... i read a few pages of jonathan strange, finished my readings for class (i'm even a week ahead for research methods :p), slightly modified my budget and got to work relatively on time. not too shabby if i do say so myself. i am struggling with my first paper of the semester, but i don't want to think about it right now

question 2: overall, i'm feeling pretty good. i hate it's short month-ness because it's a wee rushed sometimes, but i'm looking forward to celebrating valentine's day. that still seems odd to me. i don't hate valentine's day, but this is definitely the most excited i have been about it in a long ass time (if ever). can't wait to surprise my boy :D

question 3: super competitive about select things. who doesn't like winning? in this challenge, there are definitely moments i read other posts and wish i'd done that well or better. then i remember all the stuff i am accomplishing/have accomplished. yes, i like being mayor of the apartment, finishing an exam first and being the bestest girlfriend ever. sometimes i do take time to wallow in my own disappointment. but i know i'm not going to be first or best at everything, and the things i want won't always happen. doesn't mean i'll stop fighting to be on top, but it also doesn't mean i'll chop you at the knees in sore loser fashion

question 4: snowball fight with friends :) i haven't thrown a snowball in ages, but i always remember how much fun we had freshman year of college. i lost my dorm key in that fight, but it was totally worth it

question 5: as school stress goes up, so does my desire to stay home. i want to curl up with jesse and watch classic movies. dunno how he'd feel about the classic movies, but he's not allowed to complain if i make him soup and sammiches :p

via we heart it

{i picked my positive pics this week before opening amy's email. first big assignment of the semester + upcoming meeting with my 2nd least favorite prof is giving my brain an ass kicking at the moment. must remember this isn't over yet, and i haven't lost}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week5

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. January is coming to an end! How do you think you did in the month of January? Review time!
3. Do you feel like your motivation is tapering off now that a month has passed, or are you just as motivated as the beginning of the challenge?
4. Who/what inspires you to keep going?
5. Fun Question of the Week:  What is the first thing you think of/do in the morning?

question 1: i wrote the last of my letters at work on monday, and they went in the mail that afternoon :) i'm out of stamps, but i have a feeling i'll have plenty of time to get more. not a single person wrote me back. only one acknowledged the letter at all. it's kinda sad that the majority didn't even comment. not sure if i want to keep writing now since i was kinda counting on responses. i have absolutely no updates since my first round of letters... thank god for scheduled posts (well, except with tumblr, which decided to have queue issues the last two weeks). i did draft a few other posts, too. just haven't gotten around to editting/finishing them... i read a whole 10 pages of jonathan strange last night. because i spent the ENTIRE rest of the day trying to read for research methods. it's excruciatingly boring, and i still have five pages left to finish. at least i did get most of my homework done. i have one handout to read and two assignments to write for tomorrow, which i plan to handle after lunch today. doing homework at work has worked out pretty nicely so far. it helps that i was on schedule for work most of the week (taking into account, again, the weather). yay for productive downtime!

question 2: not my best, but not my worst. i did manage to meet most of my goals each week, which i'm proud of. however, it took me almost all week to get there. not so proud of that. i'm going to keep breaking things up, and sticking to my life schedule to keep my stress as low as possible :)

question 3: i'm still a smidge motivated on these goals. i really want to get to work on time, keep up in class and stay in touch with friends. but i also really want to nap, drink tea and read for fun all day. i almost gave up on reading research methods because it's information i already know. i stuck it out as long as i could before shutting the book, making hot chocolate and reading a few pages of jonathan strange. the letter writing is going to be a toughie. i know everyone's busy, but it hurts a bit when you don't even know if the letters were received. my budget is the only thing i am absolutely committed to. i love playing with my monies, and this week comes with a reassessment based on january's numbers :)

question 4: it seems like every goal has a different inspiration: fellow bloggers and my life dreams. each day pushes me to my limits in some way (good and bad), and i remember why i want the things i want. i may hate research with a passion, but it's one class out of many i have to crush to become a counselor. knowing that i will one day get the chance to change kids' lives keeps me going. i don't always have something pertinent or a-maz-ing to say, but i love engaging with the blogging community. making new friends, learning new things and stretching as an online personality/offline person is an experience i have grown to crave

question 5: "uggggh don't wanna." i'm not even close to being a morning person. my bed is snuggly, and i keep the electronics within arms reach. i'm trying to set a time limit on myself, but i usually spend the first hour awake checking email and twitter from my phone. i'm an addict; we all knew that ;)

{finally got my snow day... image from somewhere in ohio. thanks, google}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week4

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. How are you feeling about the goals you set for yourself? Overwhelmed? Too easy? Just right?
3. Do you prefer to exercise inside or outside?
4. Are you a self-starter or do you need a little push?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Why did you decide to start a blog?

question 1: i didn't quite finish my letters last week so i brought them to work. i wrote the last one and sent all three plus two birthday cards. quite a productive afternoon on the personal front... more scheduled posts and an impromptu vlog helped me meet my goal. i'm also doing some window shopping so there will be more planner posts forthcoming... reading. oh reading. i've gotten my reader to a comfortable simmer, but i'm still struggling with book reading. i just don't think about it :( ... welp, we had some snow/ice conditions a couple days so i went in later than usual. i may like mario kart, but i'm not in the mood for a real life ice course. i'm checking it off the list

question 2:i liked them at first, but now i'm really showing my lazy colors. it's only been a few weeks, and i can only half keep up. none of them are too easy or too hard. i just don't have 100% motivation to stick with them consistently. the letter writing is not hard at all once i start, but sitting down to write them takes some effort. and the books... ugh. that's all i can say. just ugh

question 3: inside

question 4: depends on the task. at work, i'm a self starter. give me all the pieces, and i'll hit the ground running. in school, i'm a lump. very little motivates me to go above and beyond. getting kicked in the proverbial face repeatedly by grad school does not bode well for my continued excellence as a student. everything else? i need varying levels of prompting, depending on what needs to get done and what mood i'm in

question 5: after starting skinnier bitch, i realized that i'd kinda outgrown my livejournal. i've had online diaries/journals since high school. and, at every stage, i moved to a new platform. something about growing as a person always seemed to warrant the change. i wanted to keep skinnier bitch strictly about my weight so i created desultory diversions. which spawned a twitter account, a tumblr and a secret blog. addicted to the internets, one might say :)

{a reminder from Book of Art}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week3

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. Do you find that your motivation/mood changes in the winter? If so, what do you do to help/avoid it?
3. Do you have any advice for your fellow challengers on staying on task?
4. What day{s} of the week/month do you find it difficult to stay on task/motivated?
5. Fun Question of the Week: If you were going on a road trip {longer than a day} who would you take with you? Where would you go?

question 1: i got my ass to work on time four days out of five. i had to skip a couple morning showers, but i did it :p i wrote two out of three letters over the weekend. i realized how little i have to say to some of my friends, which is probably why i haven't talked to them in ages. it's sad when it seems there's little or no substance left in your conversations. although, i'm not sure i care to inject more in. the status we have is comfortable, and i don't want them any closer. i know that sounds sad and unfriendly, but it's the truth. i did zero book reading, but i finally got my google reader down to zero. i was also struck with inspiration for blog posts last monday. i have the next two weeks covered after whining the other day. i'm probably going to do the "accents vlog" this week to get another post in :)

question 2: in non-weight related motivation, i say no. i practically never want to read for class or get out of my jammies any given day of the week. i have accomplished a couple things in the last few weeks that require minimal motivation. cleaned out a good portion of the tivo, baked cupcakes and played with my budget. i've slowly shifted my schedule to sync with my upcoming class schedule change (one more week of fun!), which takes little effort but maximum motivation in the mornings. it'll require less motivation as time passes though because it'll just be routine. i like having routines

question 3: have a routine. in my experience, the more regularly you do something, the more likely you'll keep doing it... except class stuff. that always drops off because i'm not the best student. meh. get up at the same time, work out at the same time, eat at the same time. if i keep doing the same things repeatedly, it requires less motivation to get started

question 4: days starting with the letter s. sundays more so than saturdays. saturdays have always been my get shit down around the apartment days, but sundays are for lazing and football. now that the season is winding to a close (ack football withdrawal), i'm hoping to get in the habit of doing stuff. i'm making sundays my library day. four hours at the library and two hours at home for homework. the rest of the day is for tivo and fun reading. we'll see how long it lasts ;)

question 5: roomie road trip! we haven't really started planning, but neal and i are going on a road trip this summer. the last bestie hurrah! ...well it won't really be our last hurrah, but it'll be the biggest/longest of our friendship. we don't want to let this chance pass us up just because we thought we had plenty of time

{this little birdie [get your own] brightens my sad little cube. also reminds me of my twitter addiction ;)}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week2

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?
2. Are any of your goals repeat offenders (i.e., have you made them before and not succeeded)? If so, what do you intend on doing this time to ensure you achieve them?
3. Do you have a support system in place to help you achieve your goals?
4. Are you a planner when it comes to meeting your goals, or do you tend to “wing it” and hope for the best?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Who knows about your blog? Are you on blogger lockdown or do the “real” people in your life know about your blog/read your blog?

question 1: it was surprisingly quick to write the first letter, and i actually had things to say. of course it took me several days to start my second letter. i got them done and sent, which is all that matters right... blogged like i wanted to even though i had so little to say. i still need to work on jotting notes, if not writing entries, when i think of things. even if i don't post immediately, i should put the thoughts down while they're still fresh. otherwise, i end up in this quagmire of derailed trains... i've been reading blogs all week in an attempt to finally catch up with all of them. i've also been cleaning out the tivo. so jonathan strange was neglected. however, as i was thinking about these questions and prepping my post, i decided to get off the computer and get cozy with a couple of magicians instead. we didn't get far :( ... the budget may be a wee over because of the cooking extravaganza. i've already spent half my groceries budget in the first week of the month! either i'll have to adjust the food limit or rethink my cooking strategy. on the flipside, i discovered that i have more wiggle in my budget this year before my raise and bonus. i've already increased my monthly transfer to smartypig for my grad school goals :)

question 2: getting to work on time has been an unofficial goal for AGES. i slowly got off schedule because of grad school and my disdain for our company. getting back on schedule has been the hardest thing in the world it seems. i was successful only one day the entirety of last week. i've got my fingers crossed for three on time days this week... of course, the budget is also a continual goal. however, i rarely set out to increase my savings. mostly because i didn't really have savings to speak of until last year. now that i do, i want to keep siphoning money into it

question 3: my girls, my mom, jesse and neal are always there to congratulate me on good days and build me up on bad ones. silver lining bitches :p i love my little circle of awesome

question 4: lol you tell me ;) it's one of my issues with accomplishing goals. i spend more time worrying about the how and when that i never really get to the doing. this is especially apparent when i deal with grad school stuff, which is why it's on the list


question 5: all my important people know, but i don't think many of them are following. i was just thinking the other day how much i love that jesse reads my blogs. i referred to it as a mutual ego stroke. he gets to see all the nice things i say about him, and i know that at least one person is paying real attention to me. hahah cause i'm an attention whore and need the internets to love me ;)

{i did it! as of this very morning, i fulfilled my first SmartyPig savings goal. that right there is my tuition for the semester. to be paid next week :D}

my progress plus all the weekly questions on skinny (goals 1-4) and desultory (goals 5-10)

warriors week1

this week's questions:

1. What are your ten goals for the WWW challenge?
2. Why did you choose them?
3. Are you making a New Year’s Resolution beyond the WWW challenge?
4. What does this challenge mean to you?
5. Fun Question of the Week: What did you do when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve?

questions 1 & 2:
(weight loss/fitness)
1. eat more fruits and veggies. i've majorly fallen off the bandwagon so my goal is to eat my five servings per day. gonna start with two per day and work my way up

2. cook more, try new recipes and use the crap in our pantry. i am a creature of habit, but i keep pulling wonderful recipes that i never use. i want to start cooking more just so i can say i tried. i also want to clean out the pantry. we have so much stuff that just doesn't get used. most of it's neal's so at least i'm not wasting my money :p

3. working out. training for the komen walk forced me to workout at least three times a week. guess how much i've worked out since... my goal is to get back up to three times. i won't be walking 18 miles in a day, but i'm gonna do something. i just bought wii fit plus and nfl training camp to push me. the plan is one short workout and one long workout with either turbo jam or rev abs plus one game workout each week

4. become lifetime on weight watchers. i have 7.2 lbs left to go, which is a little over a pound a week for seven weeks. and then i'd have six weeks of maintenance. how convenient that the WWW challenge is 13 weeks ;) i plan to use the above goals to get me to this milestone

(relationships)
5. keep in better touch with friends. hannah always sends letters when she's bored at work, and i get super happy getting them. so i'm going to start writing my own letters to friends at least once a month. a "happy birthday" on facebook and christmas card are not cutting it

6. blog regularly. since (re)starting grad school, my posting has dropped off because it's a lower priority. however, i miss it. i don't have any particular schedule i want to keep between all my blogs. i just know i don't want my last substantial post to be from two months ago. for now, the goal is twice per week on my main blogs and once per week on my side blogs

7. read more. this is more about making time for myself without a computer or blackberry involved. i have sooo many books i want to read, but "never have the time". lies of course. my free time is spent tweeting, watching netflix and napping. not terrible, but i tend to feel like a waste of space after. my hope is to one day read all the books on the banned books list because i think banning books is asinine. for now i'm starting with just finishing a book. back in the day, i would never dream of picking up a book until i had finished the one prior. somewhere in the last four years (six if i include the ever daunting unabridged count of monte cristo), i got sidetracked by too many books. i finished the girl with the dragon tattoo and the girl who played with fire so i have finally turned back to  jonathan strange and mr norrell. after that i'm going to finish only revolutions (i blame this book for my waywardness) and make another stab at the count of monte cristo. once i finish these, i'm going to start in on the books i've bought/received in the last three months

(profession)
8. work harder at grad school. i'm trying to be a better, more focused student. so far i have not done very well because i'm still a lazypants. i am going to spend more time in the library, take productive advantage of downtime at work and spend more time acting than planning. the semester doesn't start for a couple weeks so i'm going to attempt to get all my lazy out beforehand

9. stay on budget. i started goals to save money for each semester of grad school. mostly the goals are filled with VA money [the old man's a vet so i get dependent benefits], but i will eventually have to pay something out of pocket. i refuse to take out another education loan so i've been saving a couple hundred each month in anticipation of those costs. in 2011, i want to ramp up my savings goals, even the nonschool ones. based on 2010's numbers, i am going to readjust my original projected budget. i am not changing my deposit schedule, but my hope is to slowly increase the amounts over the next three months

10. get my work hours back on schedule. this is a little but extremely necessary goal. i tweet all the time about being a terrible employee, rolling up as i choose, and i'm over it. starting this week, i am going to get back on an actual schedule. no more "oh i got her at 930/945a, i'll just stay until 6p" bullshit. i hate getting home late evening so i need to start getting my ass to the office before 9a again. if i try hard enough, i can get back on my "out of the office at 4p on fridays" plan 

questions 3: nope :)

questions 4: it's a kick in the face reminder that i can improve if i really want to. i've gotten tired of my own whining, and i need to do better. new years always have a rejuvenating quality. so i'm attempting to harness my newness for positive change before old bad habits set in 

questions 5: kissed jesse, opened a bottle of sparkling cider and put on another movie. it was perfect

{we celebrated our 1st anniversary on saturday: spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sauce, homemade red velvet cupcakes and donnie darko}

[crossposted]

happy new year

welcome to 2011. so far it looks just like 2010, complete with sleepyhead next to me :p ;)

i've been doing a lot of catching up on my blog reading while i have the time. hooray for school breaks and vacation from work. over the last month several people have been reflecting over their 2010s. some organized, some not. people have also posted 2011 resolutions. i still don't really believe in resolutions, so i'm sticking with being a better me. however that evolves throughout the year doesn't matter. the point is to keep moving forward in the building of self

to kickstart my year, i'm participating in a challenge "to be the best we can be in the midst of winter"

my goals focus on my weight/fitness, personal relationships and professional aspirations. as such, i'll be posting on both blogs. don't worry, i'll try not to overlap too much. wouldn't want to bore/annoy anyone ;) i simply adore challenges and can't wait to put up my first post on monday. it's going to be a very interesting 13 weeks, which i hope leads to an interesting 39 following weeks

it's time to start winning 2011