Recurring Series

Five For Friday (v. 28)

1) I’ve been really struggling with motivation lately regarding my obsessive goal for the year. This always happens to me. I have a few really great weeks and then I run into a lot of resistance and everything I do seems like a struggle. I’m challenging myself at every angle. Yesterday, I ran across this article that talks about plans versus reality, and what to do when your plans seem to fall apart. While this article is more related to business goals rather than health goals, the advice is good for anyone struggling with motivation. I think I’m going to sit down with myself this weekend, take a personal inventory, and figure out exactly why I’m self-sabotaging. I love this line:

Instead of immediately going into a non-supportive story like, “Ugh – here I am again, I can never stay the course,” OR “Well – forget the rest. I totally suck and fell off track so I’m not cut out for this,” – you can simply say, “Ah – yes, I’m here. I’m here because I’m in the doing of my dream – not the visioning – and that sometimes feels hard. And I’m off track a bit and that’s ok. What do I need to pay attention to here, and how can I get back on track?”

2) I’ve been faithfully watching the Olympics this week, even though it seems like it’s a rather mediocre year for USA Olympics. My favorite events are figure skating, snowboarding, and downhill skiing. I can’t believe how many gold medal favorites are failing! It’s just so sad because they train so hard for so long for that one shot and sometimes, it’s just not their day. Also – who knew so many people don’t like Bob Costas? I adore him and think he looked rather dapper in his glasses. MROW!

3) So, as I’ve mentioned before, Allison and I have paired up to be weight loss buddies this year. We check in every Sunday to talk about our week, weigh in with one another, and set goals for the following week. And whoever loses the most weight at the end of each month gets a fun gift card from the other person. And I won in January! (Granted, Allison moved states last month so she had a LOT going on!) On Saturday, I got a sweet card in the mail from her, with an iTunes gift card! It was such a fun surprise to receive, and I am just so thrilled we’re doing this.

4) I am really, really itching to take a vacation. I hadn’t planned to take a big vacation this year, because I wanted to focus on my money goals. But I really need to plan a small getaway, if only for my own sanity. I’m thinking of either a long weekend (3-4 days?) in Orlando or a short (4-5 day) cruise. I reallllllllly want to go on a cruise. (Of course I do. I always want to go on a cruise.) I just really need a few days to get away and unplug from life.

5) It’s Valentine’s Day! I loathe this holiday. I really, really do. I have absolutely no plans, so I’m planning on staying home, ordering in for dinner, and watching the Olympics. The rest of my weekend will be equally dull, ha! Some workouts, some cleaning, some writing, some Olympics watching… try not to be too jealous.

Are you watching the Olympics? When is your next vacation? Any fun Valentine’s Day plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

A Day in the Life: February 7, 2013

I love “day in the life” posts, so I thought it was time to do another one. This time, I decided to document a Friday. Enjoy!

4:45am: First alarm goes off

5:00am: After snoozing my alarm for 15 minutes, I finally get up and get dressed for the gym, then take Dutch on a short walk. It’s cold (well, 52 degrees cold, ha!) and drizzling so we make it quick.

5:20am: I walk over to my apartment gym and spend 20 minutes on my archnemesis, the elliptical. Once finished, I walk back home to complete Strength Workout B from Best Body Bootcamp. This one focuses on a lot of legwork and I know I am going to be sore tomorrow.

6:30am: Shower, do my hair and make-up, get dressed for the day.

7:25am: I’m out the door and on my way to work. It looks like another dreary Florida day.

7:50am: Arrive at work, turn on my computer, and immediately hit the break room for my daily Friday bagel. No cinnamon crunch today, so I grab an “everything” bagel. Eat my bagel at my desk while reading blogs.

8:25am: Read through work emails and start my first task of today, which is posting content to a client’s website. Usually, it’s mindless work that gives me a break from all the writing and editing I do, so it’s the perfect task for a Friday.

11:15am: Finally done! I expected that task to take me just 45 minutes and it wound up taking me almost 3 hours. (The server for the website I was posting the content on was incredibly slow and very difficult. Not fun!) Since there wasn’t enough time to start the second task on my to-do list for today (editing content), I just read blogs until it was time to leave.

11:30am: Done for the day! I shut down my computer, say goodbye to my cubemates, and leave to meet my old coworkers for lunch.

12:00pm: Lunch with my old coworkers! I haven’t seen them since November and it was really, really good to catch up. Hearing about the same old work drama was, as always, entertaining and made me glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore. I ate a salad that was seriously delish but failed to get a photo of it because I was too busy scarfing it down. Blogger fail.

1:00pm: After lunch, I head back over to my side of town, make a pit stop at the library to pick up two books I requested, and then over to Target for my monthly toiletries visit. (And wound up adding a few other things to my basket, like a Carrie Underwood CD and Valentine’s Day goodies. Oops.)

2:15pm: Next up, time for my bimonthly visit to my hair salon. I’m getting my hair colored and cut, and I’ve been looking forward to it all week. My hair has felt a little drab and flat lately, so I decided to shake things up by adding layers. I love it! It’s so fun!

4:30pm: After my appointment, I drive to Starbucks to meet up with a friend for our writing group! I find us a prime location in a tucked away corner of the coffee shop, buy a small coffee, and continue writing this post while waiting for her.

5:30pm: Writing group commences! My friend and I start off by talking about our current works in progress (I’m writing a romantic thriller!) and then spend about 30 minutes writing. I haven’t even looked at this story since early December. (I wrote around 5,000 words for it in July. It’s one I’ve had on my mind for years.) But the start of it is really, really good (in my very humble opinion!) and I’m excited to dig into it and write the story. We also read aloud a snippet of our stories to one another, which wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. We stayed for about two hours, and it was a really, really good time. I’m so happy I have a local writing friend to write with! I think this will really push me to get my story going.

7:30pm: After leaving Starbucks, I stop at Publix to pick up dinner for the night. My favorite meal: a sub!

8:00pm: Finally, finally, finally home! What a long day. My Fridays are usually very quiet and boring. It’s nice to have a busy Friday every once in a while! I chit-chat with my mom about the day’s happenings, snuggle with Dutch for a few minutes, and then quickly start a bubble bath.

8:30pm: After my bath, I immediately put on my jammies and start watching the Opening Ceremony while eating dinner. (Thank God for DVRs, am I right?!) I am really excited about the Olympics, even if it’s filled with a lot of drama this time around. Go, Team USA! (Even if the outfits you did wear to the Opening Ceremony were godawful and hideous. Geesh. My eyes were bleeding!)

9:30pm: Filed my tax return! I’m not getting back as much as I hoped (darn!) but enough to get my credit cards paid off and that’s what I wanted to be able to do, so I’ll be grateful for that!

10:00pm: After dinner snack! I only ate one… wasn’t a big fan!

11:00pm: Turn off the Opening Ceremony because I was falling asleep and honestly, not all that interested. (Did anyone else feel kind of meh about them, or was it just me?) Take Dutch on a short nighttime walk with my mom. Once back inside, I finish this post.

11:30pm: Time for bed! It has been a busy, busy day in my world and I’m ready to sleeeeeep.

Categories: Recurring Series

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Happy, happy Friday! This week has moved by at a snail’s pace, and I am thrilled the weekend is within reach. And it’s SUPER BOWL WEEKEND, so there’s honestly nothing better than that. Gooooo, Broncos!

For today, I have an easy “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” post to ease us all into the weekend. Play along in the comments!

Yesterday, I…

Was woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of my dog getting sick. Not. Fun. (He’s fine! Just ate something that didn’t sit well with his sensitive little tummy.)
Skipped my morning workout since I woke up around 5am with shortness of breath. It happens every so often but usually goes away once I get up and start moving. I think it’s part-anxiety and part-something else? (I should probably talk to my doctor about it, but it doesn’t happen often enough for me to give her a good sense of what’s happening.)
Wanted to go out for lunch so badly, but I was a good girl at ate my prepared lunch at my desk. Being good (both health-wise and money-wise!) is such a struggle for me. This week has been a battle every. single. day.
Had a frozen organic pizza for dinner. I was tempted to go out for dinner (see? Every meal is a battle!), but instead, I heated up a pizza and ate it while watching Wednesday’s Nashville episode. It was yummy and I felt a million percent better eating that than I would have going out to eat.
Went to bed at 8:45pm! Early bedtimes are my jam.

Today, I…

Woke up at 5am to get in a 40-minute cardio workout. It was challenging, but I felt awesome afterward.
Will have a bagel for breakfast! Every Friday, my work provides a selection of bagels from Panera Bread and it is probably my favorite part of the work week. (I always go for the cinnamon crunch!)
Will take a long afternoon nap with my pup. Ahhh.
Will meet up with my friends for book club tonight! We’re discussing The Rosie Project and it’s the first time I suggested a book so I was nervous that everyone would like it. (And they did! Everyone loved it!) We will start at Ciccio’s for dinner and we always venture over to Menchie’s after dinner for frozen yogurt. It should be a fun night!

Tomorrow, I…

Will try to sleep in for as long as I can. I always promise myself this every weekend, and then I wind up waking up at 7:30.
Will spend at least one hour working on fiction. I haven’t done any fiction writing since November and it’s time to get back to it.
Will finally, finally, finally hang the floating shelves I bought for myself back in late December. It’s been on my to-do list for weeks!
Will start preparing for the Super Bowl party with my mom! Last year’s was pretty crazy (we had 11 people, plus a baby, last year!) and this year, it should be a bit tamer. We need to decide on a menu, deep clean the apartment, and shop!
Have a second date planned! Hopefully, it goes as well as the first date. 🙂

What is something you did yesterday, are doing today, and will do tomorrow?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday (27)

Happy Friday, friends! I woke up on Thursday thinking it was Friday, so I don’t think I need to say how very, very thankful I am for today. How about a little “Five For Friday” to ease us into the weekend, eh?

1) I’m still not over Sunday night. On the one hand, I’m glad Seattle won so we won’t have a divided house for the Super Bowl, but on the other, I am just devastated about the Niners losing. And losing they way they did! Sigh. It was a hard, hard ending to a well-fought battle. In any event, we are all rooting for the Broncos! Peyton needs another ring!

2) My laptop is currently infected with malware/adware/spyware. All of the above. I don’t have any sort of virus protection, but I can still use the computer, it just runs a little slower and I get these random pop-ups from time to time. I’ve tried running software to find it and get rid of it, but it can’t identify it. I think my only real option is wiping my hard drive clean and starting fresh, and that doesn’t really appeal to me. I may end up doing it as a last resort, but I honestly just want to go out and get a new computer. This one is on its last leg as it is (the battery is basically toast and only works when plugged in) and I’m ready for something new. I mean, I still have all my debt goals to take care of, but I am hoping my tax refund can help me with buying a new laptop. (I’m talking a cheapo $300 laptop. No MacBooks for me!) We’ll see!

3) One thing I failed to mention in my post from Monday is that I’ve teamed up with Allison to be accountability buddies for this year. We both want to lose weight and we both have been trying and failing for so many years that we totally get each other. Every Sunday, we email one another and talk about how our week has gone. The good, the bad, the successes, the failures. We also weigh in with one another to give even further accountability. I’ll tell you, there have been times when I’ve wanted to get something super unhealthy for lunch or dinner, but then realize I have to check in with Allison, so I don’t. It’s great motivation! But what’s even better is that we’ve raised the stakes and made it a competition. At the end of every month, the person with the highest percentage of weight loss (I sound like Allison from The Biggest Loser right now, don’t I?) gets a $10 gift card to the store of their choice. How’s that for some motivation?! I am really happy Allison and I are in this together, makes this whole weight loss journey seem a lot less lonely and a lot more fun.

4) I am having the hardest time drinking 50 ounces of water a day. I don’t know if I just don’t get thirsty as much as other people but it’s all I drink throughout the day, and I’m still only hitting 30-40 ounces a day. It usually takes me a full workday to drink 24 ounces (and sometimes, I drink even less) and then I’ll only drink a few more ounces (maybe around 10?) with dinner. I’m not drinking anything else, really. (Though I do drink Gatorade during workouts because I just can’t stomach water at 5 in the morning.) Is it possible to not need as much water as other people? I don’t feel like forcing myself to drink when I’m not thirsty, or guzzling down 10 ounces right before bed to get in my daily count, but what else can I do? HALP?!

5) My weekend plans are pretty light, which I’m thrilled about. I plan on getting in some really great workouts, organizing around my apartment, seeing family, writing (both blog and fiction!), and going on a date. It should be a wonderful weekend!

How much water do you drink daily? Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl? Any fun weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently – the January Edition

Reading: The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin. I’m only about 100 pages in, but I love it so far!

Loving: That my brunch date on Saturday brought me a flower. It was so unexpected and so sweet! I highly approve and he earned a bajillion bonus points from me. Dating can be really disheartening at times, but not all the time. 🙂

Thinking: About the NFL championship games this weekend! Oh, I am the most nervous! If you must know something about me, it’s that I am the biggest fan ever of Peyton Manning. (Um, I cried when he won the Superbowl. Yes. Cried.) And, honestly, he needs a second ring so his critics can stop talking smack. And! San Francisco, of which my brother is a diehard fan, is also playing in the other game. So, basically, I’m going to be a nervous wreck for all of Sunday.

Feeling: Content, restful, happy, present. January always feels like such a calm month, after the busyness of the holiday season. I am really enjoying 2014 so far. Hoping it is a year of big changes, but also love and happiness.

Anticipating: Starting Best Body Bootcamp on Monday! This will be my third time doing Tina’s program and I am really looking forward to it. She really puts together the best workouts and I can’t wait for that “toilet sore” feeling! My workouts have been very lackluster lately, and I know I can count on BBB to shake things up.

Inspired by: A ton of personal finance bloggers. Gina was kind enough to forward links to some really great personal finance bloggers who are in the same boat as me – paying off debt – and it’s been really inspirational reading their stories. My favorites are Blonde On a Budget and Girl Meets Debt.

Watching: Scandal! I am so addicted, you guys. It’s not even funny. I love this series and these characters and I just want them all to be okay and in love and happy.

Sad: When I think about the pain and tragedy and heartache some of my faraway friends are dealing with. It tears me apart thinking about what these wonderful, amazing, incredible girls are going through. It’s SO not fair and I can’t stop thinking about them and wishing I could somehow take their pain away. It just sucks, you know? I feel so helpless. My heart is very heavy.

Working: On my budget, all the time! I’m using a spreadsheet I adapted from Blonde on a Budget and I’m basically obsessed with it.

Grateful: For awesome coworkers, half-day Fridays, and the knowledge that there is a long afternoon nap on my agenda for today. Have I mentioned how much I love my job?

Listening: To Lorde’s album on repeat. I bought it a few months ago and I still can’t pick a favorite song. So good!

Wishing: That I had a fancy cruise on the horizon. Originally, my mom and I were planning on taking a 7-day cruise in May, but we never got around to booking it and a part of me is glad because I know I can’t really afford it. I’m crossing my fingers, though, that my tax return is sweet enough to allow me to take a 4-day Bahamas cruise sometime in May. I want to use the majority of my tax return to pay off my credit cards but also may use some of it to put towards a short vacation in the summer. (And since Carnival is showing rates for Bahamas cruises for under $350, I think I can manage it!)

What are you currently reading? Anticipating? Inspired by? Wishing for?

Prompt inspired by Caroline