Recurring Series

September Recap + Goals

And then it was October. Well, almost.

It’s crazy how fast this year is flying by. It has been a really, really good year but I’m not ready to see it all end. Luckily, we are entering my favorite time of the year – the holidays! October, November, and December are just my favorite months. I am not excited for shorter days, but I am excited that we are getting tiny hints of cooler weather to come and there are just so many good things on the horizon that it’s hard to contain myself. I am a happy girl.

I’m trying to figure out a good format for recapping the month and talking about my goals so just bear with me as I figure it all out.

In September, I…

Celebrated my brother’s (27!) and nephew’s (5!) birthdays. My brother and my nephew are September babies, my brother being the 15th and my nephew being the 25th so it’s always a big birthday month for us. We celebrated my brother’s with pizza, cake, and a very sad Sunday Night Football game. (He’s a die-hard Niners fan and they lost awfully to the Seahawks, their rival team.) For my nephew, my sister-in-law and brother threw a fun pool party for the little stinker that was a ton of fun.
Took Dutch to the dog beach! I had a blast watching Dutch experience the dog beach for the first time. He was hesitant about the water, but we forced him in a few times. He was the perfect boy and I’m looking forward to going back another time or two before it gets too cold!
Started trampoline fitness classes. My mom bought us a Groupon for 3 trampoline fitness classes and we put them to good use this month. Goodness, I think I underestimated how tough the workouts would be because they were hard. My legs felt like jelly after each one. I would say you would probably need some sort of fitness base to begin these types of classes because it’s high-intensity cardio. But still, very fun and I am hoping to find room in my budget to continue going.
Spent five hours at book club! Our book club meetings are generally 5% talking about the book and 95% chit-chatting and catching up on one another’s lives. At September’s book club, the five of us who will be going on a cruise together in November were there and it was just the best time. We started at our favorite restaurant and then moseyed on over to a frozen yogurt spot right next door where we sat outside and talked and talked and talked until 11pm. We are going to have such a fun time on that cruise! (And I may have volunteered to sing karaoke with another girl. Uh.)
Had a 30-day review at my job. My company likes to do a 30-day review to catch up with their new hires and make sure they’re settling in okay. It was basically a “Is this the job you thought you were getting?” sort of low-key discussion. It went well. My team leader is very happy with my performance so far and I am really happy with the job itself so good things all around.

Goals for September

Try out a trampoline fitness class. Check! My mom and I attended all three sessions paid for via a Groupon and they were very fun. I am hoping to continue these!
Go back to church. Ehh… sort of. I went one out of the four Sundays in September. Things just kept coming up that prevented me from going. Oh, well. Here’s hoping October will be better!
Sit down and create a new budget. Yes! I did this! And it’s awesome. I’ll be helping my mom out WAY more than I was before, able to save and pay down my debts, and still have fun money left over. I love my new budget!

October Goals

Don’t use my credit card. I really, really have to stop using my credit card for unnecessary purchases. My best bet is to take it out of my wallet and leave it at home.
Go back to a cash budget system for extras. I was doing better at this earlier in the year but got off track in the summer. I think giving myself a set amount of cash to use for my extra fun expenses will help me to stop spending money so frequently. It’s not out of hand, but it has the potential of getting there.
Take Dutch to his first 5K and second 3K Pet Walk! Dutch has a busy race season coming up and it all kicks off with the 3K Pet Walk put on by our local SPCA on October 12. We did this last year and it was so much fun, though the pet walk itself was a bit messy. Hopefully, it is more organized this year! We also may do a 5K Halloween run, too, since it allows dogs to participate and I think it would be fun. Gotta keep this old man active, you know?!

What’s one money-saving rule or budget tip you always keep in mind?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (21)

1. Stitch Fix

I ordered my first Stitch Fix box because I wanted to see what the buzz was all about. I haven’t done any other monthly subscription boxes because none of them seem interesting enough for me to shell out money for. But I love the concept of Stitch Fix and after hearing many bloggers rave about it, I plunked down my credit card and ordered a box. First, even just getting the box was a debacle because FedEx delivered it to the wrong address and then there were many phone calls to FedEx and many emails to Stitch Fix to figure out what happened. Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, it was delivered!

It was really fun to go through my box of clothes and see what my stylist picked out for me (based on an extensive style profile I completed before ordering). I was given one skirt, one blazer, two blouses, and a necklace. The only thing I really loved was one of the blouses but I didn’t love it enough to pay $58 (!) for it. The box’s prices range from $28 to $78, with the lowest-priced item being a necklace. And no, I will never pay $28 for a necklace. (I’m cheap, maybe?) Stitch Fix is a great concept and I think it’s a wonderful company, but it’s just a leeeeetle out of my price range for right now. It’s possible I may order from them in the future, but not anytime soon.

(To be fair, you pay $20 for your box, and then that $20 will be taken off your total price when ordering. So, if I had bought the blouse I wanted, it would have been $38 when I ordered. Still above the price I could afford right now. So, basically, I’m out $20 for nothing. Live and learn, kids, live and learn.)

2. Pinterest

So it took me about a million years, but I am officially addicted to Pinterest. I’ve been a member for over a year now, but mainly only logged on to look for workout ideas or hair inspiration. (And rarely pinned anything.) Over the past few weeks, though, I have grown increasingly addicted to the site. For example, last Saturday night when I couldn’t sleep, I spent around an hour on Pinterest looking at funny dog pictures and laughing my head off by myself like a crazy person. It was quite special. I’m still trying to figure out my way around the site and my boards still look pretty sad. Mainly, I only go there to pin cute dog photos but it’s a great procrastination technique for me when I’m at work and having trouble getting started on an article. And somehow I need to find room in my budget for three more dachshunds:

3. iOS 7

A week ago, I went ahead and updated my phone to iOS 7. My new iPhone may take up to 3 weeks to be shipped (whimper) and after playing around with the new operating system on my mom’s phone, I fell in love immediately and wanted it. Honestly, I do not know why people hate the new system. I mean, I know we all fear change which is evident in the way everyone goes on the warpath every time Facebook changes its look, but seriously, I am puzzled. It is such an upgrade from the old system, in my opinion. It feels cleaner and neater and just wonderful. None of it is hard to figure out and anything I do need to figure out, a quick Google search solves it for me. I think my favorite new feature, though, is being able to take square pictures right from my camera app. No more trying to squeeze a rectangular-sized picture into Instagram. It’s all done for me. Seriously. Good job, Apple. Hugs and kisses.

4. A raccoon named Jake

So Tuesday was a rather eventful morning. I woke up as usual. It was around 6:15am when I had Dutch leashed and harnessed and opened the door to take him out… only to come face-to-face with a raccoon. Dutch was barking and trying to fight him, the raccoon was making, um, raccoon sounds and fighting back, and I finally had the presence of mind to slam the door shut before the raccoon got inside. I believe I might have screamed because my mom came running out of her room, convinced I was being murdered. Dutch was fine. I was fine. The raccoon was fine (for all you animal lovers). It was such a scary moment, though! Seeing raccoons isn’t such a big deal. We live right next to the woods and I’ve seen them from time to time. They’ve always gone through our trash if we leave it outside on a day our valet trash doesn’t come. But this was the first time I’d been so close to one! And them being so close to being IN MY HOUSE! Freaky.

The raccoon was still there five minutes later, lying on one of our stairs. And then he was still there when I left for work about an hour later. And he was still there when my mom came home for lunch. It was very rainy that day and I think the poor little dude was just trying to find some shelter. So the animal lover in me felt bad for him. And named him Jake. So we have a raccoon. And his name is Jake. That is my crazy story for the week.

5. Hair help

I have my first hair color appointment since JANUARY next Saturday. I have been growing my blonde highlights out for months and months and months in preparation to go brown. There were some reasons I wanted to go back to brown: it’s easier to keep up, it’s cheaper, and I want a change. After 3 years of blonde hair, I wanted to shake things up! So I’ve been obsessively perusing Pinterest for the last week for what I want to do with my hair. This is the brown I want to go, though I don’t think I’m ready to go that dark yet:

This is the color my hair is now:

Ew.

And this is the color I’m thinking about doing:

Or maybe this one:

Hi, my name is Stephany and I have a crush on Emma Stone. Or maybe just her hair. No, it’s her. And her hair.

And heeeere’s something fun. A poll! Whee!

Vote on what you color you think I should choose! (You may have to click out of your feed to view.)

Have a great, great weekend everyone! I have a fabulous one planned with a catch-up lunch with my former coworkers, book club tonight, and my nephew’s birthday party on Saturday afternoon. Make it a good one!

Have you ever used Stitch Fix? What’s your favorite monthly subscription box? What are your thoughts on iOS 7? DID YOU VOTE ON MY POLL?!?!?!

Categories: Recurring Series

A Weekend in Pictures

Friday // Friday was a really wonderful day. Work was easy. I went home, ordered my iPhone 5S (!), and then took a nap. Later on, my mom and I went to my grandma’s house to visit my cousin and sweet baby Mia. They’ve been living in Texas for the past three months but they will be here for the next few months and it was just wonderful to see them! Mia is walking around like she is NOT A BABY and it’s just crazy that she’ll be one in a few weeks! What happened to my baby?! She was in such a fun mood and warmed up to us pretty quickly. After a long visit with them, Mom and I went out to dinner and then spent some quality time at Target, a great end to a fun day.

Saturday // Saturday started with a trampoline fitness class that left me sweaty and feeling good. (Though I did twist something in the back of my right knee and it feels a little sore right now. Bleh.) While this was our last class on our Groupon, we plan on buying a class pass and continuing going because we really enjoy it! After coming home and taking showers, we headed out for lunch, a pedicure, and more shopping. And because all this is seriously tiring (YA KNOW), we came home and took long naps. Dutch approved. When we woke up, there was another trip to Target to buy a birthday present for my nephew and then a quiet night that included our favorite comfort food and two fun games of trivia. It was a fabulous day. I love low-key days like that where I get out and about but still have plenty of downtime to relax.

Sunday // Sunday was a strange day. For one, I had a hard time sleeping and didn’t wind up finally falling asleep until 3am. (UGH.) Around 11, my brother and nephew came over to have a little early birthday celebration since my mom is going to be out of town during his actual birthday party next Saturday. It was a few hours of watching football, watching him open his presents, and playing with him. We planned to have cupcakes, but that didn’t work out so we had cookies and somehow managed to put candles in his cookies and light them.

The rest of the day was spent watching football and being a bum, basically! I had really low energy all day, probably due to not sleeping well the night before. I also didn’t eat much all day. We ordered pizza earlier in the day and I had two slices and then two cookies but that was about it. I just didn’t feel hungry which is weird because I’m almost always hungry. I just felt off. Not myself. I’m not sure what it was about but I’m hoping I can shake it off real quick!

It was a fun weekend, though, filled with lots of Mom time, which is nice because on Friday, she leaves me for a whole week! She and her boyfriend are leaving on a cruise so I’ll be on my own for a full week, which will be weird but I’m also looking forward to it. (Good practice for when I’m living on my own?)

What’s your go-to for when you can’t sleep?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently: the September Edition

Feeling: Content and happy. I’ve been feeling really good about where I am and where I want to go lately. While not everything in my life is where I want it (see: weight issues and my lackluster dating life), I can’t help but love this place I am right now. That said, being a generally anxious person means I’m constantly on my guard and waiting for the next shoe to drop. It’s so hard to be happy when you live with anxiety because you’re always waiting for something bad to happen. I am trying my best to live in this moment and just be happy for the sake of being happy. It’s a work in progress.

Reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green. I’ve read two of his books: The Fault in Our Stars, which I absolutely loved, and Paper Towns, which I did not love. It’s a little slow right now but I’m only about 50 pages in so I’m hoping it picks up soon.

Watching: Big Brother and tonight is finale night! I know I’m not in the minority when I say this season has been pretty horrible. The contestants have been really boring and nobody really played the game the way it is meant to be played. (Not to mention all the racist and homophobic things that were said at the beginning of the game. Though I think Aaryn is truly remorseful and I really believe she learned a big life lesson from this show.) I really do not care for anybody in the final three but if I had to choose someone to win, it would be Gina-Marie. She made some big moves, at least, and that’s way more than we can say for Spencer or Andy. At the very least, I am looking forward to good ole Dr. Will coming back to grill the houseguests. Should be interesting!

Anticipating: Ordering my iPhone 5S on Friday! I have been eligible for a phone upgrade since early summer, but I haven’t been in the right financial place to justify spending $200 on a phone when my old one works perfectly fine. But since my 2-year contract expires soon, I know I need to bite the bullet and get a new phone. Plus, I’m still rocking the iPhone 4 so this will be a huge upgrade for me. I can’t wait!

Wishing: To go on a really good date. As I mentioned above, my dating life has been so lackluster. OK Cupid has left me feeling more and more disenchanted. (The last guy who messaged me on there asked me how I felt about casual sex. Lovely. Just lovely.) I’m not unhappy being single, exactly, because in some ways it’s really great but I just miss that special feeling of going on dates and getting to know someone and being with them. And the last date I went on was so dull, I’m at this place when I’m wondering when it will ever happen for me. If ever.

Thinking: About birthday plans! My birthday is on Thanksgiving this year, which I’m excited about. I plan on participating in the Turkey Trot 5K, eating a delicious dinner, and celebrating with my family. But I’m also aching to do something more than that, because I always love celebrating my birthday in a fun way. My heart is nudging me towards a long weekend in Orlando and visiting Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (I haven’t visited either park in over 3 years) because weekends in Orlando are just my absolute favorite. They also aren’t cheap. If I don’t end up going to Orlando, I’m thinking about a night out at a real fancy dinner spot (just not sure where yet!) and then a tattoo appointment for the tattoo that’s been on my mind for over a year now. Decisions, decisions!

Loving: Lazy Friday afternoons, pool time, cooler mornings, football being back and the Dolphins actually playing really well, running again, the Christina Perri Pandora station, winning the football pool at work, and it being fall premiere season.

What are you most excited about right now?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday: On My New Job

One –

Let’s talk about eating lunch out and how it’s no longer a possibility at this job. At my old job, I had my pick of fast food (Subway, Chick-Fil-A, Five Guys, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Panera Bread, etc.) but it takes me at least 15 minutes to get anywhere from this office. And both times I have gone out to find something for lunch, I’ve come back frustrated, mad, and wholly unsatisfied. Basically, it’s too much of An Event to go out for lunch and I will be bringing my lunch to work from here on out. In any event, it saves me money and calories so maybe it’s the perfect situation for me.

(There is a cafe in my building but I don’t know where it is and I hear it’s stupid expensive. And cafe food usually makes me feel yucky, so I’ll stick with packing my lunches.)

Two –

I am loving the new dress code. Of course, I miss wearing yoga pants when I felt like it but generally, it feels good to get dressed up every day and actually make an attempt at looking put-together. I do need to invest in better-fitting dress slacks (finding slacks that fit my short, chicken legs but also my bigger thighs/hips is not easy at all). But, all in all, I don’t hate having to dress up as much as I thought I would. It’s actually fun and I’m excited to experiment more with my style through this. (And Fridays are casual days which is also very, very nice.)

Three –

The writing itself is going very, very well. I am really enjoying it! I don’t think I realized how unhappy I was at my old job until I came here and was thrown into a completely different environment with work I completely enjoy. The writing itself isn’t exactly thrilling (I just finished a big assignment where I wrote 22 300-word pages on cabinets. CABINETS.). But I feel like I am doing work I was meant to be doing. At my old job, I was bogged down in doing secretarial-type tasks but also high-level analysis tasks. Neither things are what I love. Writing is what I love and writing is what I’m doing and it is just fabulous.

Four –

My commute is wonderful. I was worried because I now work in Tampa so I have to use the interstate to get to work, but it’s really not bad. It takes me 20 minutes, on average, to and from, and on the way to work, I get a gorgeous view of the sunrise with the skyline of Tampa in the background. I have tried to take so many pictures of it but they never do it justice. It’s a really easy drive and it’s mostly highway so I am just feeling really grateful about it.

Five –

Fridays. Are just the best. No, really. They are really the best. I’ve mentioned it before but I just want to talk about how freaking amazing it is to only work a half-day every Friday. My weekends start at 11:30am, which means my weekends feel extra long and just absolutely wonderful. I actually feel ready for work to begin on Monday. I work just 30 minutes extra Monday – Thursday for it and it’s really not a big deal at all. Why all companies don’t offer this, I have no idea. I think it would inspire more productive workers! Also, my company also provides Panera Bread bagels on Fridays, too. So, really, when I say Fridays are just the best – I really mean it!

Do you have lots of options for fast food around your work? How long is your commute?