Best Of – Page 13

Categories: Best Of

2013 in Review | Top 10 Moments

This week, I’m going to spend time looking back on 2013 with a few top ten lists. Usually, I simply recap the year month by month, but I thought writing a top ten list was more appropriate. A lot of great things happened this year. A lot of growth, a lot of change. These are listed chronologically, so in no real particular order. Here we go!

One – Experiencing butterflies

It’s no secret that my dating life – and dating history – is sad. I’m 26 years old and have never been in a serious relationship. Oy. But earlier this year, I met someone over OK Cupid and we dated for a short period of time. And for that short period of time, he made me really, really happy. I got this tiny glimpse of life in a relationship and it was wonderful. Really, really wonderful. I was excited about where this relationship was heading and was the happiest I had been in a really long time. And then things went sour and it really hurt. But it’s life. It happens. He wasn’t the right one for me. But those butterflies? They were so worth it.

Two – Going 30 days without drinking soda

At the beginning of this year, I did something I never thought I could do: I went 30 days without drinking soda. This is a major accomplishment for me because I have been addicted to soda for so long. It really wasn’t all too difficult, even fighting through the caffeine withdrawals. I think I just set my mind to doing it and I did it. It reminded me how capable I am and how I can do anything I set my mind to.

Three – Buying a car

I bought my first car this year! It was a long, long time coming, especially since I don’t live in a walkable city so anytime I need to go anywhere, I have to drive. I put this off for a while, mainly because my mom let me use her car whenever I needed it (and we’re together so much, it wasn’t often I was without wheels!) and also because of money issues. But the time came when I just needed my own car so I set aside money for a down payment and found a wonderful, reliable car in my price range. Definitely a huge bright spot this year.

Four – Parasailing in Grand Cayman

My mom and I went to Grand Cayman for the third time in three years, during our cruise in May. I like to do crazy things while on cruises, and parasailing is definitely pretty crazy! It was such an amazing experience, even if it was slightly scary to be so high above the water! We had fantastic tour guides and five whole minutes to ourselves high in the sky. I thought it wouldn’t feel long enough, but it felt like the perfect length of time. I would definitely do it again!

Five – Participating in The Amazing Cozumel Race

My mom and I finally did this excursion while we were in Cozumel in May, after passing over it the other times we had been in Cozumel. It wasn’t perfect. We were paired with a girl who was a bit overbearing and annoying and all over the place. On the one hand, she was very helpful and had no problem asking locals for help (something my mom and I would never do unless it was a life-or-death situation!). But on the other, she kind of spoiled the race for us a bit. All in all, though, it was still fun and we got to explore an entirely different side to Cozumel.

Six – Writing 30+ guest posts

I didn’t make my goal of writing 50 guest posts this year, but I did wind up writing over 30 posts, which is still an impressive number (in my eyes, at least). It was a bit crazy and nuts, but I enjoyed writing these posts. I wrote about everything from my faith to reading to cruising. You can find the whole slew of posts right here.

Seven – Accepting a new job

There were many changes I wanted to happen to my life this year and one of those was finding a new job. I didn’t talk much about it, because who knows who is reading your blog, but I threw myself into job searching this year. While I loved the coworkers at my job, the position was evolving into one I didn’t much care for, and I knew I wasn’t making what I deserved. A large part of me finding a new job was to find something that paid better, simply because I was barely making it on my salary at my old job. So I went out there and searched. I put together a gorgeous resume, fiddled with my cover letter, and started applying to my little heart’s content. I set up a ton of job alerts and would spend many weekends and weekday mornings going through those emails and finding jobs to apply for. And, in August, it all paid off when I accepted a job doing SEO content creation for an online marketing firm.

I’ve been with my new job for four months now and things are going swimmingly! I love the work. I love my coworkers. I love my bosses. I love the environment. I was terrified of everything in the beginning because change and transitions are really hard on me. I felt more anxiety than excitement about starting a new job, and the first few months were definitely difficult. But I’m opening up, building friendships, and I know I am exactly where I’m meant to be. Hands down, the best decision I’ve made and the best part of my year.

Eight – Going brunette

I went back to brunette! After over 3 years of being blonde, I decided to go brunette. Being blonde was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work. (And expense.) So I spent the majority of the year growing out the blonde and then made the plunge in early October! I love being brunette and I’m so happy I made the change!

Nine – A vacation with new girlfriends

Mid-November saw me boarding a cruise ship for a fun weekend getaway with girls I met through my local book club. The leader of the book club is as obsessed with cruising as I am, and she found a great deal for a two-day cruise out of Tampa on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Of course, I was so in, as were three other members and we had a blast! The food was delicious, the entertainment was fun, and the company was amazing. I loved cruising with these girls and only hope we can vacation again together very soon!

Ten – My mom getting engaged!

This past weekend, my mom’s boyfriend officially proposed to her and she’s got a dazzling ring to prove it! They’ve been talking about getting married for a few months now and had been shopping around for rings all week, so this wasn’t anything crazy shocking, but still very fun and awesome. My mom actually met her fiance, Robert, on OK Cupid and while there were a lot of growing pains in the beginning, we’ve all gotten used to one another and I am so, so, so happy for my mom. She deserves this. She deserves to know what true, good, honest love is like. And he has been so good to her. Of course, she asked me to be her maid of honor, so I guess we’ll be planning a wedding in 2014! Eee!

What are some of your top moments of this past year?

Categories: Best Of, Goals

2012 Resolutions: A Review

I honestly cannot believe it is time to recap my 2012 Resolutions! Didn’t I just make these goals? How are we three days away from the end of this year? I gave myself lots of goals for 2012. Let’s see how I did!

Health and Fitness

1. Get to my happy weight (ideally 115 lbs). Nope. Ugh.

2. Run an entire 5K in under 35 minutes. The only 5K I ran was in April and I definitely didn’t make this goal. And then I took a break from running because I was hating it so much. And then I broke my ankle and was sidelined for 3 months. And then I started running but now I’m sidelined again until I can have a proper sports massage because my muscles are cramping, they are so tight. And then. And then. And then.

3. Exercise 4-5 times a week. About 70% accomplished. I was so much better at exercising when I belonged to a gym but cannot afford a gym bill anymore, so I just need to have the motivation within me. Excuses, excuses.

4. End my addiction to soda. Not completely, but I’m getting better. I want 2013 to be the year I stop drinking soda altogether!

5. Get up-to-date on all doctor’s visits. A goal accomplished, finally!

6. Give blood at least three times. Yes! I started taking daily iron pills after I went twice to give blood at the beginning of the year but my iron count was just below the cutoff. Now that I take them regularly, I never have an issue and give blood as often as I can!

7. Run the Turkey Trot 10K in November. Nope, thanks to that stupid broken ankle.

Money

1. Pay off all credit card debt. About 2/3 completed. I paid off my largest credit card bill earlier this year and just paid off my Target credit card. My last credit card is halfway to the balance, which I am hoping to get paid off sometime in January. I haven’t done well with this goal, but I want 2013 to be a much smarter year for me financially, so I’m working on it!

2. Try as best I can never to keep a balance from month-to-month on my two credit cards. FAIL.

3. Pay off my ER visit bill. I didn’t even get started on this! I want to focus on getting this paid off (or the majority of it) in 2013.

4. Set aside 5% of every paycheck into my savings account. FAIL.

Blog/Social Media

1. Switch Stephany Writes to self-hosted WordPress, with a brand-new design. I checked this one off in early March and I worked with Doniree on the switch. She took care of everything and made the process so easy and stress-free. I am so happy with the switch and completely recommend using Doniree if you want to make the switch. (I also use her hosting service, Whiskey Cloud, which I never, ever have issues with. Wholly recommend!)

2. Take one break from social media a month. I think the only month I missed doing this was September, but as I was coming back from a month-long social media hiatus, I think it’s okay. I really love stepping away and I want to continue stepping away regularly in the new year. (I’m thinking about one weekend a month.)

3. Have a weekend away with special blogging friends. This didn’t happen. Sob.

Writing/Reading

1. Write and edit a novel. When I did my resolutions recap post in October, I was 100% positive I was not going to make this goal. And then I went and wrote a novel in November. See what happens when we stop making excuses and just start doing? Pay attention, Steph. I haven’t gotten around to editing my novel, but I am super proud of writing it! Yay, me!

2. Read one nonfiction book a month. Completed! I really like reading nonfiction but I generally do not read a lot of it so I made this a goal so it could become more natural for me. This year, I’ve read: Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling, Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff, MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche, What Women Fear: Walking in a Faith That Transforms by Angie Smith, Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone, Twenty-Something, Twenty-Everything by Christine Hassler, The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe, Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman, The Joy of Less by Francine Jay, and Quiet by Susan Cain. Whew!

3. Read 75 books. I’ve read 89. BOOM.

Other

1. Fly on an airplane. Yup! Accomplished this goal back in September when my mom and I flew to Atlanta to visit family. It was a short ride (less than an hour) but I was still silly excited about it. I am totally an eight-year-old at heart.

2. Fully immerse myself in the online dating world. I feel like I did accomplish this. I’m not sure what I was aiming to get out of this goal, but I think I just wanted to put more effort into dating and finding that special someone. I connected with a few guys, went on some dates, and tried to open my heart more to love. I’m hopeful for what 2013 will bring me.

3. Find my faith again. I don’t think I ever lost my faith but I do think I was searching for something when I started this year. I was struggling with my faith and I was stuck on this idea of perfection when it came to being a Christian. While I still feel like the crappiest Christian there ever is, I’m starting to realize God cares more about my intentions, less about my perfections. I know I can do better and I want to do better, but at the end of the day, it’s about loving Jesus and trusting in Him.

4. Join a book club, Bible study, or some type of social group. Yes! I started attending a woman’s Bible study at my church in the earlier part of 2012 but wasn’t able to make it to their Fall or Winter sessions, due to scheduling difficulties. But I also joined a local book club that I’m totally loving. Yay!

***

In total, I accomplished 12 of the 21 goals I set, or about 57% total. I failed miserably at the health & fitness and money goals and surprise, surprise – they are a major focus for me in 2013. But there were a lot of goals on here – like writing a novel and joining a social group – that I really hoped I could accomplish but didn’t have a lot of faith that I could. So it’s pretty neat to be able to cross them off as complete!

I really love making New Year’s Resolutions. I love sitting down at the end of the year and evaluating what goals I want to make a priority in the new year. It’s no secret that I love, love, love goal setting and creating New Year’s Resolutions gives me a focus for the upcoming year. I know I’m not going to achieve every single goal I set, but I was able to achieve 12 major goals this year. I am thrilled about that!

Stayed tuned – next week, I am bringing you lots of 2013 goodness. I will reveal my theme for the year (including the vision board I worked on this past week!), as well as my intentions for 2013. I have some lofty goals for this upcoming year, but I know I have all the power within me to achieve them.

What are some goals you set this year that you accomplished?

Categories: Best Of

2012: A Year in Review

January

I spent the first weekend of 2012 in Orlando, cheering my mom on as she completed another marathon. I went to Disney World with my mom, my brother, my brother’s fiance, and my 3-year-old nephew. It was his first time at Disney World and experiencing this magical place through his eyes was the best. I joined a new woman’s Bible study.

February

My mom and I hosted the Super Bowl party where we happily watched the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots again. (YAY!) I started attending a boot camp with my mom which was a billion trillion times better than the boot camp I attended at my gym. I got a surprise bonus at work. I reactivated my Facebook account after four months away. I started working with Doniree to move my blog over to WordPress. I babysat my boss’s dog. My mom had a terrible fall during a run downtown that caused a visit to the ER.

March

I launched my blog on self-hosted WordPress with a brand-new design and a new header designed by the extremely talented Ashley of Little Leaf Design. My mom and I shopped for her mother-of-the-groom dress. I went out for brunch with local bloggers (that turned out to be a disaster). I started a low-sugar diet. I spent a day at Busch Gardens with a coworker. I went to Epcot for the first time ever!

April

I colored eggs with my nephew. I went to a sunrise service on the beach for Easter. I had a terrible allergic reaction to a slew of bug bites on my feet. I ran a 5K.

May

My brother got married and I was a bridesmaid. My mom and I babysat my nephew while they went on a mini-honeymoon. My mom and I went on a fabulous cruise! We rode bikes throughout Key West, zip-lined and rode a bobsled in Jamaica, and kissed sting rays and dolphins in Grand Cayman. It was the best week of my life. I got sick right after getting back from my cruise (my only illness of 2012 – booyah!). I started a new boot camp.

June

I completed the Spartan 500 challenge – which is 50 jump squats, 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, and 200 burpees all in succession. I went on a movie date with my brother. And I went on another cruise! Zip-lining in Cozumel and spending time strolling through all the tourist-y shops.

July

I started minimalizing my stuff, starting with my room and walk-in closet and continuing through the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. I met Allison and her husband. My mom and I signed a lease for a new apartment. I had my heart broken.

August

I took the entire month off of social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and blogging. I had a heart-to-heart with my boss. I booked a ticket to Atlanta. My nephew came over for a sleepover. I had a rough month full of hard changes and setbacks.

September

I took my first airplane ride! I visited family in Atlanta, where we hiked a mountain and spent a fun day at Six Flags. I broke my ankle on said hiking adventure. My mom and I moved into our new apartment and absolutely fell in love with our new little place. My nephew turned four.

October

I started using ProActiv and had an allergic reaction (side note: now using their sensitive skin line and it’s working out great!). I had my one-year review at my job, which went fabulous. My cousin had a baby and she is perfection. My mom and I took Dutch to a pet event downtown for Halloween. My mom and I carved an adorable pumpkin. I disabled my OK Cupid account for a few weeks. I joined a new book club. I had my first therapy appointment.

November

I voted in the election – and cheered when Obama was declared the winner. My mom and I took Dutch to another pet event, where he participated in “Running of the Wieners”, a race dedicated solely to dachshunds. I wrote a novel. My mom and I hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving meal. I turned 25 and celebrated quietly at home. I started The Holiday Council 2012 with Molly of Stratejoy.

December

I went to see the So You Think You Can Dance? tour, and cheered loudly anytime I saw Cyrus. (Love. Him.) The car my mom and I drive died, and my mom bought herself a brand-new 2013 Ford Focus. (It is a beaut!) I baked and baked and baked some more. I searched for fabulous Christmas presents and watched cheesy Christmas movies. I celebrated Christmas with my loved ones.

***

Looking back, 2012 was a really great year for me. I traveled more than I ever have, put my heart out there, and had some pretty great experiences. It wasn’t all roses and butterflies and there were days (weeks!) where I didn’t know how I was ever going to smile again… but that’s the thing with hardships. They come. They will always come. But they will pass. They will always pass. As Josh Wilson sings in the song that got me through a very difficult month, “My friend, you know how this all ends. And you know where you’re going, you just don’t know how you’ll get there so say a prayer. And hold on – ’cause there’s good for those who love God. Life is not a snapshot. It might take a little time, but you’ll see the bigger picture.”

I am ridiculously excited for 2013.

Categories: Best Of, Books

Top 10 Books I Read in 2012

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas! I was spoiled rotten, as per usual, and so was my mom. We opened presents together in the morning, and then my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew came over around lunchtime to open their presents. My nephew is definitely at that excited age, as he kept asking my mom after he opened each present, “Do you have any more presents for me?” We had a short family gathering at my grandma’s house, and then I spent Christmas night putting together the nightstand my mom bought me. I am proud to say I put it together all by myself! I usually corral my brother into helping me, but I was determined to figure out the steps on my own. It’s easily my favorite gift this year. Yay!

Onto today’s post, though, my annual review of the best books I read this year. This has been a great year for me, reading-wise. I am currently at 87.5 books read, which is probably my highest reading year yet! It’s a crazy number, for sure, but I make reading a priority in my life. It doesn’t matter how crazy my life gets, I always take time out of my day to sit back with a book and relax my mind.

Without further ado… my favorites of 2012!

10. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (5 of 5 stars)
I adore Sophie Kinsella novels (especially her stand-alones) and I was thrilled to see she had released a new novel so I quickly requested it from my library. This book was exceptional, written in typical Kinsella fashion, and I really couldn’t get enough of it. It’s one of those books I devoured in a few sittings, yet was sad when I finished it and the story wasn’t a part of my everyday life anymore. It’s chick lit so it’s a bit silly and corny, but what can I say? I like cheese and corn. I think it’s one of Kinsella’s best!

9. Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff (5 of 5 stars)
I am a huge fan of Jon Acuff’s blog. I have been reading it for over a year and I finally decided to pick up his book and see what it was all about. Perfection. It’s basically a book of essays on the Christian life and if you’ve grown up in church, you will relate to this novel and laugh along. I promise. He also includes some more serious essays at the end of the book that destroyed me with how poignant they were. I am a huge fan of this guy.

8. Flight From Berlin by David John (4 of 5 stars)
This was a TLC Book Tour book that captivated me from start to finish. There is mystery and intrigue and humor and romance. I am a huge fan of historical novels, and I couldn’t help but put this book on my list because of the way it touched my heart. I like mystery novels that shock me and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. It was a whirlwind of a book and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it!

7. Twenty-Something, Twenty Everything by Christine Hassler (4 of 5 stars)
It took me a long time to read this book because it was chock full of journaling segments that had me digging deep and discovering my path. It was a book I needed to read and it came at the right time. It opened my eyes to what my passions are and helped me to see that all this confusion and struggle as a twenty-something is very normal.

6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (5 of 5 stars)
I finally got around to reading this book after it was a #twookclub pick. It had been highly raved about by people all around me so I was a little apprehensive, as I tend to not like books that are hyped up. This book was written by the narrator of Death, which was strange at first, but I grew to like it. The characters and the plot were both exceptional, and the writing was fantastic. It had a very interesting premise and was written in a different way. There was no foreshadowing or crazy endings, as the narrator basically let you know what was happening before it happened but I still enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

5. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (4 of 5 stars)
This is the December pick for my book club, and it’s not the type of book I would have picked out for myself. But this is what I love about book clubs – I get to read books I would normally pass on. This was basically a memoir written in a very easy way that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the interplay between Will and his mom, who is dying of cancer. I loved the history and reading about the impact Will’s mom had on people. And I loved reading about their very informal book club, and their reflections on the novels they were reading. It’s not an overly exciting book, but it is a sweet memoir and I enjoyed it.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (5 of 5 stars)
This was another #twookclub pick and I was very apprehensive about reading it because I knew it was filled with lots of emotions and I just didn’t want to read about kids with cancer! It was an exceptional book. The writing is crazy good, the characters feel so real and right there. And the romance! Oh, the romance. It tugged at my cold, bitter heart and warmed it right up. I adored everything about this book. Well, I didn’t adore the ending, but it did fit with the book and felt honest. It is the only book I have ever read that actually made me cry and while it’s not one I could ever read again, it is definitely a must-read.

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (5 of 5 stars)
Mindy Kaling is my soul sister. This book was laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly enjoyable. It is a collection of essays, detailing Mindy’s childhood, her foray into comedy, and her time on The Office. I have the biggest girl crush on Mindy and found myself nodding my head and agreeing with all her essays. (Especially when she talked about her weight struggles. I could completely understand where she was coming from!) A must-read.

2. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche (4 of 5 stars)
So I wrote an entire post on friendship, because of this book. This book changed the way I view friendship and finding friends. It follows the author, Rachel, as she sets out on 52 girl dates in one year in the hopes of making new friends in a new city. While she has a supportive and loving husband, best friends she grew up with, and a fabulous mother, she knows it’s healthy to have local friends outside of your family. I was changed by this novel, and I can only hope I have as much success with my own girl dates next year as Rachel had with hers!

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (5 of 5 stars)
Another #twookclub pick! This book is completely nuts. It is crazy. It is weird. It will have you slapping the couch and yelling out in frustration. It will have you frantically texting people who are reading it with you to say, “WTF?!” It will have you on the edge of your seat. It will not stop with the twists and the turns and the crazy. You hate Nick and love Amy. You will hate Amy and love Nick. You will hate them both. You will not be able to forget about this novel when you’re at work, or driving, or at the store, or watching TV. THIS BOOK WILL HAUNT YOU UNTIL YOU FINISH. I am utterly, totally, 100% in love with this book. It was the craziest rollercoaster of reading, but a book that affects you on so many levels deserves top honor.

What was your favorite book you read this year? Any comments on my favorites?

Categories: Best Of

2011 Resolutions: A Look Back

Completed Resolutions

> Graduate from college: Three cheers for a super big, life-list-if-I-made-list-lists goal achieved! The beginning part of 2011 was crazy, filled with anxiety and worry I wouldn’t graduate on time or that somehow my professors would begin to think I hadn’t learned enough to graduate. Luckily, I slipped through the cracks and got my degree!

> Begin working a full-time job, utilizing my degree: I would say this was the biggest goal on my list and I thank God every day that I found a job less than three months after graduating. And that it’s an amazing job with plenty of room for growth and professional development.

> Read 60 books: Check! Last night, I finished my 70th book. Finishing 71 total is a possibility but I exceeded my expectations with this goal.

> Travel: While I didn’t travel all over the world (or even step foot on a plane…), I’m still marking this goal as complete as I left the country for the first time ever. My cruise was the brightest part of my year and I look back on it with such fondness. I also made it up to Orlando a few times this year.

> Join a book club: I’m going to mark this as complete because of #twookclub and #SummerofHarry! Reading through the entire Harry Potter series with fellow bloggers and chatting about it every Thursday night was so much fun and I decided to bring it back in the form of a Twitter book chat. The group is bigger than I ever dreamed and I’ve met so many great people from it. We’ve only had one chat so far but it was amazing and I cannot wait to see what 2012 brings for our book club!

> Pay off all my credit cards: I’m marking this resolution as complete, even though it isn’t 100% complete. I’m still much closer to this goal of being credit card debt-free than I was a year ago. Of the three credit cards I have, one of them will be paid off (and then removed from my account) in January. The other two were paid off… until Christmas.

Resolutions Not Completed

> Run a half-marathon: I’m not sure if a half-marathon will ever be a possibility for me (I have weak ankles…) so while I tried training to run the Irongirl Half-Marathon, it just didn’t happen. (I ran the 5K instead.)

> Complete Project 365: I tried this twice in 2011, both horrific failures. I started this project over on my birthday and doing much better at capturing special everyday moments so I’m hoping I can keep it up this time!

> Get to my goal weight of 115-120 pounds: Not. Even. A. Little. Bit. Close.

> Begin therapy: This wasn’t a possibility due to not having health insurance for 11 months out of the year. But it is a huge goal of mine for 2012!

***

Six completed goals out of ten. Not too shabby, I must say. I think the three biggest goals I wanted to complete were to graduate, get a job, and get to my goal weight. So the fact that I completed two out of those three? That’s pretty amazing.

My 2012 goals will be posted next week, in a slightly different format. I have more goals but since school and a menial job aren’t overtaking my life anymore, I think I can handle more things to shoot for. I really, really love setting goals and setting things in motion to achieve them. I don’t see anything bad in wanting change, although I do want to learn to take appreciation in the here and now. The “When…then” syndrome is something I struggle with (When I’m skinny, then I will be happy…) so I want to take time to slow down and appreciate what is happening in my life in the present, not what I hope will be happening in my life if I achieve a goal.

Do you set New Year’s Resolutions? What are your thoughts on the “When…then” syndrome?