Is it really July?

We’ve officially entered the hottest part of the summer here in Arizona, and it is NOT pretty. It really is super hot, but the monsoons are also here which cools things off.

Our yard is still a mess of dirt, sand, minus material, flagstone, artificial turf and rock. Our master has two walls painted and has all kinds of painting supplies laid out all over. The front bedroom has a quarter of one wall to go with the paint, and needs a trip to the store to get an accent color for the back wall. We did finally get couches but now need two chairs and some pillows to complete the set. AND I could keep going with my list of things that need to be done.

So instead of making a long, drawn out list, I’m just going to write things down as goals and get going on getting things set and done.

1. Finish editing the remaining sessions from June by the 6th of July (this Friday) – I have about 4 more sessions left to edit from my June shoots. I can’t wait to see how they turn out, and from all likelihood, I’ll have them done within the next few nights.
2. Finish painting the front bedroom, this includes the accent wall and the need to get my butt to the store to get a paint color – This bedroom was suppose to be done before my in-laws got here. I got most of it done, and then we realized that the couch we wanted to put in there wouldn’t fit, so I stopped painting and it’s set there like that for at least a month. There isn’t too much left to paint but I did run out of paint. So back to Home Depot I go.
3. Paint master bedroom  - our master is a mess. One wall is completely done and looks great, the other is 90% done and looking good, the others are half assed. We really need to get on this, as our bedroom looks like a construction zone right now.
4. Paint master bathroom – We haven’t even touched the bathroom yet, but have the paint and it’s all good to go. We just need to get on it. We’ll be able to knock it out within a day if we really try.
5. Organize spice cabinet – this is pretty much done, but I just got a bunch more spaces and now everything is crammed in there. I’ve also read that spices should be kept away from the stove and oven so that they don’t get hot and lose their flavor, well my spices are right in between my range and the double oven. SOOO I’m thinking I may need to move them.
6. Organize master closet & figure out what I’d like to do with it – this is pretty dang organized but I still have a few more boxes to unpack, and I need to figure out what kind of shelving system we want in there. We have some shelves but they are awkward. I may just need to get some bedroom furniture (dresser) to put all of our folding clothes in so that my shelf space is opened up.
7. Find paint for the office – I am pretty sure I know what color I’d like, but I may need to get a few samples to figure out if it will work.
8. Organize Office – the office is a mess of boxes right now, it needs a good organizing so that the space can be used.
9. Start working on Senior Session Promos as well as holiday promos – it seems that with the kind of weather that Arizona has, senior sessions cannot be done until after the monsoon season is over. However, it would be good to get things worked out and sessions booked for mid-August and on. Also, if there are brave soles out there we can get a few of them done in July.
10. Sell the clothing/shoes that I don’t wear – our community has a great little Facebook Page that’s an online yardsale, and people are constantly selling things on there. I’m thinking that it’s time I get rid of some of the things I have that I never wear. Maybe I can use the money to help save for our vacation.
11. Don’t drink soda. AT ALL – at one point I didn’t drink soda at all, and it felt so good. But lately I’ve been drinking some, and I really need to stop.
12. Only eat out once a week or less – there isn’t really much around us to go and eat out at, but we’ve seem to have found a way to do it anyways. I’d like to keep our eating out to one meal a week and on a weekend. Mainly because it’s unhealthy and it’s also expensive, and I’ve got a freezer full of salmon!
13. Save an additional $150.00 on top of our monthly savings – I’ve taken the advice of a good friend, Janna, and started looking at our savings account as a monthly bill. So every month, I put a chunk of money in there as though it was a bill to be paid. In addition to this, I’d like to save another $150.00 to go in there.
14. Put together a budget (clothing, food, and entertainment) – I’ve never really had to worry about a budge for these things, because my paycheck has always been an extra paycheck. It’s been my shoes and purse fund. However, having a house and needing to turn it into a home has put a damper on that fund. My paychecks now count towards the mortgage and car payments. Hence, I need to have a budget for what I can spend. I also think that a clothing budget would be good, and force me to buy pieces that I really love and know I’ll wear for a long time.
15. Find a trainer for Lilly – Lilly had a great trainer in Tucson, but it’s a long drive to go up there. So I need to find someone nearby. There’s a k9 cop that has a kennel and trains dogs so I think I’ll give him a call sometime this week.
16. Sign up for my Summer/Fall classes – this needs to be done today, as classes start next Monday. EW
17. Drink more water (2 water bottles full a day) – I’ve noticed that when my water bottle is not next to me, I don’t drink water, so now it will be dragged around everywhere with me.
18. Explore at least one new place around town – I’ve been dying to go to the mission that is next to us. Maybe Lilly and I can go explore.
19. Help hubs finish the backyard - our backyard needs to be done. My floors are continuously dirty because Lilly brings in all the dirt and dust that is out there.
20. Start back up on my P90X workouts – I found a great trainer here in Sahuarita, but with the need to pay off debt right now, I can’t really afford to hire her. AND I’ve got great results with P90X before, and I already have the DVDs soooo, I’m going to go ahead and try that again.
21. Swim at least three days a week – Our pool is awesome, there’s hardly anyone there at any given time. We’ve gone twice and taken our fins and snorkel gear to get back into shape for diving. It’s really good exercise and I love swimming, so win-win.
22. Take Lilly on walks at least 3 times a week – It’s been super hot and we’ve been busy, so poor miss Lilly has been sitting around the house. We play with her, and since there is no furniture in most of the house, she runs around and such, BUT it is probably a good idea to take her on more extended walks around the neighborhood.

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Now the tricky part is actually getting all of the above done. I do have to admit that I tend to get more done when I have things written down and goals in mind. So we’ll see how this all works out.

Hope you all are having a great Monday, and if you have goals for this month, go and link up with Meghan for Go for the Goal!

Is it really August?

 

Can you all believe that it is truly August! The last official month of Summer. Honestly, I’m glad summer is almost over. While we have had a pretty mild summer… and I know some of you, have been toasting … I’m ready for Fall.

I want the cooler temperatures and pretty colors. I also want to be able to get into my car and not burn my tush on the heated up leather. OUCH!

August is a pretty significant month in our household. The 13th marks the Misters and my first date! The 20th marks the day we bought our first car as a couple. And there are a few more important days, that my brain cannot remember currently.

So here is to my little goals of the month!

There you have it. I’m trying to keep them simple so that I actually get to them and get them done.

What are your goals for the last month of Summer?!

July Goals

 

I had started doing monthly goals for a while, and then I fell off the wagon, because… well I’m a slacker and I wasn’t getting anything done. But I’m also stubborn and don’t like to give up, so when I read Leah’s post today, I got motivated to give it another try.

So here are the goals:

1. Finish reading the last two books in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I have Turn Coat and Changes left. Both the books are sitting on my nightstand, hence it should not be very difficult to finish these books.

2.  Work out at least 3 days at the gym and some form of exercise 6 days a week. I started out doing this last week, but then ended up with a massive sinus infection which rendered me useless for the rest of the week. Included in this goal is to truly finalize my workout plan, and possibly do another Fitness Challenge.

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3. Operation Closet Clean Out ( I am stealing this one from Leah as well). My closet has been needing help for a while. Since I’ve been spoiled rotten my whole life, I never had to deal with a tiny closet, so now it’s a bit of a dilemma. And the perfect solution is to get rid of things I haven’t used in a while no matter how attached I am to them.

I’m dreaming of this!

4. Set up a solid girls night out and stick to it. I miss having one night a week set out to go and have a few drinks with my best girlfriends and bitch about husbands, jobs, life and so on. We’re starting it up on Thursday!

5. Start running… sigh… again. A friend’s husband told me a few good tricks from the army and I’m going to try it out.

6. Clean out our bedroom and keep it clean. I spend hours cleaning it and within two days it is back to being a mess. I want to make sure that the bed is made on a daily basis, the curtains pulled aside to get light and fresh air into the room, and that there are NO clothes left on the floor hummm husband!

7, Sort through my photos. Make a backup of everything on an external drive and get things in order.

8. Finish this stupid class. And maybe be done with school forever?! Or at least for the next few weeks.

9. Get a job to start on August first.

10. Keep my nails kept.  

 

Come on guys! Let’s kick July’s butt! Make up your goals and join Leah and I for an accomplished July!

A Month of Goals – May Edition

 

In April, I started setting mini-goals to accomplish throughout the month that will help me in my journey of a healthier, happier and overall more positive life.

My goals included sleeping for 8 hours a day, cutting out soda and junk food, exercising daily and regularly, writing more, planning and cooking meals at home, reading at least 2 books, and organizing my closet. While, I didn’t get to all of them, I feel that I’ve made some progress.

Successes:

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I’ve cut out all soda and fruit juice consumption from my diet. I can tell you that I crave Dr. Pepper, especially when the Mister sits in front of me with a big glass of it, but I’ve been super good about avoiding all soda. I have seen a difference in my energy level, as well as my weight. I’ve lost a solid 5 pounds in the month, and I am attributing a good portion to the lack of soda in my diet.

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I’ve tried to be good about going to bed early and getting up on time with 8 hours of sleep under my belt. On most nights, about 80%, I did get my 8 hours of sleep. There were a few days here and there that I had to stay up doing homework and studying, as well as a few days where I stayed up with the Mister just because.

I sure felt the difference between getting 8 hours of sleep compared to my usual 5 to 6 hours of sleep. So this will be going on my goals for May… get 8 hours of sleep daily, no excuses.

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I’ve been super good about going to the gym, Body Pump classes, and working out at home. I had a few bad days due to my knee, but I got down to the gym at least 3 times a week. The 25 Days of Fitness was also fantastic and really kept me motivated and accountable. I also, read a ton about nutrition and exercise and increased my knowledge and obsession. Next up is clean eating!!!

Failures:

This list is a bit longer. I defiantly did not cook as much as I would have liked to, and we indulged in take out and fast food, less then usual but some non the less. My closet was completely ignored, and I’m still living in two pairs of jeans, handful of t-shirts and gym clothes. It was quite a disaster when both of my jeans were dirty… not a good day in the this household!

I also put my reading goal on hold due to the amount of homework and studying being forced upon me by Chemistry. BUT… today was my last class… Monday is my final… so this is the last push before I can read whatever the heck I’d like

May is going to be a big month!!!

Not only am I done with school but I have had several exciting opportunities come my way, including a research project that I get to work on on my own, with the Anxiety Clinical Director as my Supervisor. This is super exciting because the study is regarding eating disorders and anxiety. When the research is analyzed and papers published my name will be on them, which means I will be armed with an admissions ticket to almost any PhD program in my field. WOO!

Aside from this bit of news, here are my goals that I will be working on this month!

1. Drink more water
2. Eat at least 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of veggies a day
3. Drink protein, and take my vitamins daily
4. Sleep 8 hours a day
5. Cut out fast food. All of it. No excuses.
6. Catch up on my reading
7. Organize my closet

For now I am going to stick to these lovely 7 goals, which should be pretty easy without the extra worry of school!

Time to head to the hospital! I’ll be back later for the link up with Lindsey at Mr. and Mrs. Smith regarding the weight loss challenge.