Alright! I'm getting my butt in gear for September - workout gear that is!

Stephanie, Steph, and Ashley have created the goal setting link up starting this month and I'm going to do my best to participate.



The challenge for September is fitness which is ever so perfect for me because Chris and I are having pictures taken in October and I'd like to at least look semi-presentable.

We've had zero professional pictures taken - I mean why would we? No major life events for us here - but after 8 years and a cute little house together, I'd like for there to be at least one picture of us on the walls that isn't a selfie or include a beer can. I'd like there to be pictures on the wall period. But we'll save that for another month's goals.

So back in July I made an appointment with a photographer who I've been stalking following on Facebook since she photographed my cousin's wedding. Her work is amazing and not cheap. My rationale is that if I'm going to pay for these good-looking photos I better look my best.

Have I gone to the gym?

Maybe twice.

Have I ate healthy meals?

The Wendy's drive thru employees recognize me when I pull up.

It all stops NOW!



1. Track every meal with my Weight Watcher's app - not a morsel of food shall be left out, even if it blows my points budget to smithereens. I will also try to stay within my points budget of 26 points a day. Goodbye Dr. Pepper.

2. Attend Zumba class every Tuesday and Saturday.

3. Go to the gym at least two more times in the week.

4. Continue my gluten free diet and make healthy choices whenever possible (we've got a variety of social engagements this month, I need to stay away from apps and zerts.)

So that's what I'll be doing this month - and hopefully I'll be picture ready come October.

Are you up for a challenge this month? Maybe something small like walking a certain number of steps everyday, parking farther away from the grocery store entrance, or trying a new workout class at the gym. Get to it!

It's check in time with Stephanie at Bourbon and Glitter! July is just about over and I will say I did a pretty good job at completing some but not all of my goals.

The biggest task completed: 12 hours of grad school credit!


HOLLA! I may have only just finished my classes on Wednesday but they are done and I'm ready for a nice little pay raise when I return to work in August.

I also found some time to get crafty in July, prettifying my teacher toolbox steal.
Washi tape is my new jam, it's going to be all over my classroom this year.

The pool and I got acquainted in July but unfortunately we didn't become BFFs. Three trips total including one at a million dollhair mansion. Gotta love when the boyfriend's mom housesits for Richie Rich!


My birthday is only 20 days away and so I did update my wishlist on Pinterest. Can't wait to ease the pain of turning 28 with some retail therapy.

Things that didn't get accomplished: going to the gym 3x a week and updating the bloggy blog. But there's always next month!

Stephanie over at Bourbon and Glitter has gotten all inspirational with her 101 in 1001. While I don't quite think I'm ready to make my own list of 101 goals, I can take some baby steps and create some goals for my last month of vacation.

I've really got to get focused so I don't feel like my vacation was wasted watching reruns of Law & Order: SVU while simultaneously browsing Pinterest for hours on end. Even though well all know how fufilling those activities can be...
1. Finish my online classwork and remember to never take 12 hours of grad school credit in one summer ever again.

2. Make over this tool box for my classroom.

 I'm thinking of spray painting it white and using washi tape to add some cuteness.

3. Attend at least three gym classes each week.

4. Create my birthday wish list.Only a month and half 'til 28!

5. Update the blog with something new - header, background, signature, something. I recently added some social media icons over there on the right so it easier to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Bloglovin'.

6. Go to the pool and enjoy summer!

I don't know about you but reading other people's goals makes me more motivated to get my own stuff accomplished, what about you? Motivating or deflating?

What the what? 2012 is just about to call it quits. Time to look back on my 2012 resolutions and see how I did...good, bad, and ugly style!

The Good: I finished my Masters degree! This has helped me tremendously, not only in my classroom but in the salary department as well. Holla!

Also, I spent more time at the gym than ever before.Over the summer, I didn't even feel like I had arthritis because my body felt so strong because I was exercising everyday. While I'm never really a numbers person when it comes to weight, the scale has been pretty friendly this year.

Aaaannd in the last four weeks I have quit smoking! That's right...I'm calling myself a quitter!


The Bad: Making some decorating decisions. Well, uh....work in progress? One of my specific goals was to get rid of the vertical blinds through out the main level of the house. I only succeeded in half of one room.

Before: Vertical blinds and a random hanging light. After: Golden yellow damask print curtains and no light!

We have some plans for 2013 that will hopefully add a little more warmth to the house, including sprucing up our bedroom and upgrading some kitchen appliances.

The Ugly: Goal wise - I don't think anything really belongs here for 2012. There were some low points of course but no use in rehashing. Bring on the new year!

So...what's on tap for 2013?

1. Continue my healthy lifestyle by heading to the gym whenever possible.
2. Continue to be cigarette free.
3. Try one of those "Green Monster" smoothies I see on Pinterest. Yes, seriously, vegetables scare me so much I have to make a resolution for them.
4. Reduce our debt monster by paying off Chris' car and two of our student loans and continue using our zero based budget.
5. Wash my face and floss everyday. I'm hygienic, I swear but sometimes it is just so tempting to go to bed before doing either.
 6.  Get together with my girlfriends at least once a month. We did have a standing date every month but we kind of fell off the wagon these past six months. We have to make the effort!
7. Continue blogging regularly. Again, I doubled the amount of posts I made in 2012. It makes me so happy to look back week after week and see what's going on in my life.
8. Take 15 more hours of graduate credit by the start of the 2013 school year.
9. Go on some kind of vacation, nothing major but at least be able to go somewhere.

There. Challenging but yet totally doable. What kind of goals are you setting in 2013?

2013. That sounds so weird to even say. I remember in 4th grade, our teacher let the students design the monthly bulletin board and we came up with "Wacky School Year 2000" for reasons I can't quite remember (it was 1994). The two thousands always sounded so zainy and now here we are thirteen years in. Cray.

Happy new year!

Look what arrived on my doorstep this past week.



While I wish I could say this was some great find as part of my goal to start searching out great pieces at local Goodwill's and antique stores, I can't. It was my boyfriend's mother who found it. A woman she works for was getting rid of it and Chris' mom had no room for it so to our house it came! And it was free! Picture me doing the happy dance.

Not quite sure if I will leave it be. I dig the yellow but Chris wasn't quite feeling it. I just keep yelling throughout the house that "We NEED some color!"

For now I have moved it into our spare bedroom that currently has no other furniture, hopefully within the next few weeks I will figure out exactly what I want to do with it. Maybe a nice coat of white paint and some sleek chrome drawer pulls and handles (although I secretly lurve the clear ones) We shall see!