Seasonal Goals: Spring 2016 Results

I don't really like to combine my results and future goals in a single post, so I'll finally link up with Steph and Sara tomorrow when I post my summer goals. I'm already late to the link-up, so what's one more day? That means no Tasty Tuesday post this week. Some people can publish two posts in a single day, but I am not one of those people.

I thought about sharing my results on Friday when the link-up went live, but I kept pushing this post back because some silly, naive part of myself kept saying, "It's okay, you've got a few more days to do everything. You're sticking with the calendar, remember?"

You know what I did with those extra days? Nothing. Okay, that's a lie ... I did things. I just didn't do any of the things on my list of goals for spring.

I don't typically do seasonal goals, but I was excited to try it out. I thought having three months to work on things would make me much more productive. Man, was I wrong.

The thing is, sometimes I like to procrastinate. I don't do it all the time because it would literally drive me insane, but sometimes I just find that I'm not really in the mood to do certain things and I put them off as long as possible. (Or, as you'll see in this post, I don't do them at all).

Unfortunately, I tend to procrastinate if I feel like I have a long time to finish something. Instead of jumping in immediately, I mostly ignore it until I can't ignore it anymore ... And then I have to decide if it's worth my time and energy or if I just want to say "fuck it" and move on.

Clearly I chose the "fuck it" attitude for the majority of my spring goals. Whomp whomp.

Spring 2016 Goals Results

1. Purge and reorganize my closet (including shoes, underwear, etc.).

FAIL. I didn't even take five minutes to glance through my closet. I hate doing this shit. And, even though I know it needs to be done eventually, I'll probably put it off for as long as possible.

2. Buy a few new things to update my spring/summer wardrobe.

FAIL. I thought this one would be easy to complete. I mean, I'm the kind of person who enjoys shopping for clothes. I even spent an entire Saturday at one of the local malls with a friend and bought nothing (well, I bought food but that doesn't count). I didn't see anything that really stood out, and I didn't want to buy something I didn't really even want. That just makes #1 even harder because I'm adding more shit I don't need to my closet.

3. Pay off 25% of the remaining balance on my auto loan.

PASS. At least I completed one of my more important goals! I usually try to prioritize any financial goals because they're generally not too time consuming and they also allow me to form good habits. I actually paid off a little more than 25% of the remaining balance (just under 31%), and I'm on track to pay off my car by the end of the year!

4. Finalize planning and booking our 3 year wedding anniversary trip for November.

FAIL. We still have plenty of time to get this figured out, but I'm kind of surprised we haven't done it yet. The main issue is that our original plan (an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean) isn't exactly my ideal vacation. So when we started casually discussing some other places we'd want to go, I started obsessing over the best way to combine a beach vacation with something that matches my interests a little more. And, instead of figuring anything out, we kind of came to a grinding halt. Eric still really wants to stick with the original idea, and I'm kind of on the fence. We'll see what happens, but that's where we're at right now.

5. Spend more time outside.

PASS. I'm giving myself a pass on this one because I took a few walks outside, had dinner with Eric and my in-laws outside on their patio on a nice evening, and even sweated my ass off last night at the College World Series. I didn't do outdoor activities every week or anything, but I spent more time outside than I normally do. (That's not really saying much, but still ... It's something I can actually cross off this list!)



6. Plan Eric's birthday dinner.

PASS. We went to the Flatiron Cafe on Saturday, and it was fabulous! In the pictures below you can see our appetizer (potato encrusted sea scallops), entrées (I had the veal chop with jalapeño bacon potato salad and brussels sprouts and Eric had the filet and lobster special with potato au gratin and steamed vegetables), and dessert (crème brûlée with berries). Also pictured: Eric blowing out the candle on the dessert. Not pictured: the two bottles of wine we drank. Don't worry, we took an Uber there and back because we were planning to order plenty of wine!



7. Go to the eye doctor.

FAIL. This is something I really shouldn't keep putting off, but it's so easy to forget to call and make an appointment until they've already closed for the evening. Why can't they just offer a way to schedule appointments online?  It would make things so much easier!

8. Update my recipe index on the blog.

FAIL. I really wanted to do this, but I didn't have the motivation. It's important to me that I update it soon, but I've been putting it off for so long that it's going to take a while to get caught up.

9. Update the look of my blog.

FAIL. Again, this was something that I really wanted to do, but I opted to spend my "fun" money on other things (mostly eating out and a dress from Rent the Runway for my dinner out with Eric). I also know I have some expensive car maintenance things coming up (it's nothing major, just several things that unfortunately need to be replaced all at once), and my mom is planning to visit in August (so that means we'll probably be going out to eat a little more often and/or doing other fun things in town that may cost money). So basically this is getting pushed further down on my priority list.

10. Read at least 4 books I own (not rereads).

FAIL. I really thought I could do this since June has been all about the Read My Books challenge. As of right now, I've almost finished 3 books I own. I haven't had as much free time to read lately, and I'm not loving the book I'm currently reading ... So that explains that.

And that was spring. I'm still thinking about some of my summer goals, but I'll probably try to make a slightly shorter list this time around. Maybe I'll actually stick with my goals if there are fewer to deal with!

March 2016 Goals and Results

I mostly failed when it came to sticking with my February goals. When I posted my results last month, I tried to look at where I fell short and figure out how I could have a more productive March.

Unfortunately, I just wasn't motivated. At all. 

By the end of the month, I just stopped caring. A part of me really wanted to mark things off my list. That same part wanted to write a very different goals and results post than the one I'm sharing today. But the lazier, less goal oriented part of me was just like, "Oh, fuck it. I fell behind already, so why bother?" Obviously that part won out.

I thought about just skipping this post altogether, but then I realized I shouldn't be embarrassed that I didn't stick with my goals last month. It happens. Whatever. I'll share my results and then move on.

Linking up with Kristen and Gretchen!

March 2016 Goals and Results

1. Read 6 books.

FAIL. I like to set a specific number of books to read each month because I think it helps keep me on track for my goal for the year. (This year I want to read 60 books.) Obviously sometimes I don't reach that goal, but, if you were wondering why I always have a "Read x number of books" goal every month, that's why. In March I only managed to read (from start to finish) a total of 4 books.

2. Finish Book Challenge by Erin 4.0.

FAIL. All of the books I read in March were for this challenge (you can see my challenge picks here, if you're interested), but I still haven't quite finished. I'm on my final book, though, so I'll definitely finish before the challenge ends at the end of April!

3. Make and post bonus round picks for Book Challenge by Erin 4.0.

FAIL. I have a few books out from the library that will satisfy some of the categories for the bonus round, so I'm planning to read as many of those as I can before the end of this month. I won't finish 10 more books (I just can't read that fast!), but at least I won't be giving up completely.

4. Post 2-3 times each week on my blog.

FAIL. I started the month off strong, but by the end, I wasn't posting at all. I mean, I didn't write a single post last week. I just didn't feel like it. And, while I definitely want to make my blog more of a priority, I also don't like to feel like I have to post ... So I'm not too sad about failing this one.

5. Get back into a 5 day per week workout routine.

FAIL. I was most disappointed that I wasn't able to stick with this goal. I didn't completely abandon working out, but I think I could have done better.

6. Make a double payment on my car.

PASS. This is the only goal I managed to stick with in March, but it was a good one to complete. (And I actually paid slightly more than double since I rounded up!) I'm ready to get my car paid off, so the more I can put on it each month, the better!

7. Try one new class at the gym.

FAIL. I actually had a specific class in mind, and I still didn't bother going. Oh well. Maybe I'll make it to that class eventually.

8. Organize/purge/shred papers in my basket.

FAIL. This basket is essentially my "junk drawer" and where all random mail and other papers seem to go to die. I had a bad feeling I'd wait until the end of the month for this one because I really dislike doing stuff like this ... But I wound up just avoiding it completely. I should probably do this soon, though, because as much as I hate taking time to go through a bunch of crap, I also hate looking at a messy, overflowing basket of junk.

Like I said, March wasn't exactly my month for sticking with goals. I also ate out a lot, which led to spending a lot more money than I initially planned (and putting the two pounds I lost last month right back on). I'm hoping I'll do better in April, but we'll see.

And now on to my workouts for March. As with previous months, I'm just sharing the basics: which days I worked out, what I did, and how long I did it. This part of the post is more for me (mostly so I can get a quick overview of my workouts for the month), so feel free to skip it if you don't care about other people's workouts.

March 2016 Workouts

Week 03/01 - 03/08:

03/01: Yoga video (30 minutes)
03/02: Yoga video (35 minutes)
03/03: Yoga video (25 minutes)
03/07: Yoga video (40 minutes)

Total Time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)

Week 03/09 - 03/16:

03/09: BodyPump class (60 minutes)
03/10: Yoga video (35 minutes)
03/12: Yoga video (50 minutes)
03/14: Yoga class (60 minutes)
03/15: Yoga video (45 minutes)
03/16: Yoga video (30 minutes)

Total Time: 280 minutes (4 hours, 40 minutes)

Week 03/17 - 03/24:

03/17: Yoga video (25 minutes)
03/20: Yoga video (30 minutes)
03/21: Yoga video (30 minutes)
03/23: Yoga video (45 minutes)

Total Time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)

Week 03/25 - 03/31:

03/25: Yoga video (30 minutes)
03/28: Yoga class (60 minutes)
03/30: Yoga video (30 minutes)

Total Time: 120 minutes (2 hours)

Looking at it like this, my workouts really don't look so bad ... But I had a few issues. I'd sometimes skip two or three days in a row (which makes it really tough for me to get back into it), I didn't push myself the majority of the time, and I didn't do any straight up cardio (i.e. walking, jogging, Zumba, etc.). I also only went to one BodyPump class. Whomp whomp.

Yoga is clearly my favorite form of exercise, and really the only thing that makes me want to work out ... But I still only managed to make it to two yoga classes the entire month of March. I also didn't challenge myself in my practice as much as I think I should have, so that's something I need to work on. I may never be able to do certain poses, but I'd like to continue increasing my strength and flexibility and work toward some of the more advanced poses I'd feel comfortable trying.

Anyway, that was March.

Seasonal Goals: Spring 2016

Steph and Sara have decided to do a seasonal goals link-up. And, even though I'm more of a monthly goals kind of person (and will continue to post my monthly goals and results), I've decided to join in. Since today marks the first day of spring, it seemed appropriate that I share my goals for the season on this date.

The thing about monthly goals is that sometimes I intentionally leave things off because I know there's absolutely no way I'll be able to complete everything I want to do in 30-31 days. Some projects just take a little longer (at least for me).

So for the purposes of this link-up, I've decided to focus on a few of my more time consuming goals over the next three months. (And if you're wondering, I'm giving myself March 20-June 20 to complete these goals ... So exactly three months.) These are some of the things I've considered adding to my monthly goals but wasn't confident I would have the time and/or energy to get all of it done in such a short amount of time.

Spring 2016 Goals

1. Purge and reorganize my closet (including shoes, underwear, etc.).

Last year I donated a bunch of clothing I never wear to Goodwill, but, for whatever reason, I still hung on to some things that were in the "Maybe I'll Wear This Again One Day" pile. This year I need to be ruthless. I have so much shit in my closet, and I can honestly say that there are many items that I probably haven't worn in the last two years. They're just taking up space and they need to go.

2. Buy a few new things to update my spring/summer wardrobe.

I've been trying to be a little more frugal this year, though I've definitely spent a little more than normal this month (whomp whomp). I do try to buy a few new clothing items every fall/winter and spring/summer, though. If I'm being perfectly honest, I don't love spring and summer clothing ... So about 75% (at least) of my clothes are more fall/winter appropriate. In the spring and summer I usually just wear t-shirts and jeans (or maybe shorts if it's really hot) and call it good. And, while there's nothing wrong with that (at least in my opinion), sometimes I feel like I have nothing to wear if I want to go out for a nicer dinner or just simply feel like wearing something a little nicer than a band t-shirt and skinny jeans. (And that's my typical outfit because I own a lot of band/concert t-shirts.) I don't want to go crazy with spending, but I'd like to pick up a few cute things over the next three months.

3. Pay off 25% of the remaining balance on my auto loan.

After doing the math, I realized it wouldn't be too hard to do more than that. However, I'm going to be a little more conservative here and say 25%. If I can pay more, great. But if I need or want to use extra money for something else, I don't want to feel like I can't just because I've committed myself to paying off the majority of my car loan.

4. Finalize planning and booking our 3 year wedding anniversary trip for November.

Eric and I already have a location in mind, but the prices keep fluctuating quite a bit (it might be a difference of $200-$500 depending on the day) and we want to make sure we're getting the best deal. Because of the ever changing prices, we've both been a little hesitant to buy and more willing to wait it out a bit ... But I don't want to wait too much longer. This is one of those goals that would probably happen regardless of whether I post it here, but posting it gives me added incentive to pull the trigger when the price drops again.

5. Spend more time outside.

This probably seems like a silly goal to some people, but whatever. I don't think I take advantage of nice weather often enough, and spring is one of the best times to enjoy being outside. In Omaha it can get ridiculously hot and humid in the summer, and all I want to do on those days is seek air conditioned shelter. But in spring the weather is usually pretty mild ... Or at least mild enough that I can go for a walk/jog without sweating my ass off and feeling like I might die. This goal doesn't have to be strictly about exercise, though. It could be something as simple as sitting on the balcony of my apartment to read, going to a (mostly) outdoor place for the day (like an outdoor shopping center or the zoo), or opting to dine outside at a restaurant on a nice evening. I basically just need to spend more time enjoying the nice weather.

6. Plan Eric's birthday dinner.

Eric's birthday is June 13, so I have plenty of time for this. I'm kind of a planning weirdo, though, and like to spend a lot of time reading reviews and looking over menus before choosing a restaurant. We really don't do much for birthdays besides a nice meal out, so I want to make sure the place I pick is awesome.

7. Go to the eye doctor.

This is probably another kind of silly goal, but this is something I keep putting off. I don't even know why ... I mean, going to the eye doctor isn't pleasant, but it's not awful. I need to go pretty soon, though, because I know I'm overdue for my annual exam and I need to order some more contacts. I'd also like to get some new glasses. I've had my current glasses for an embarrassingly long time, and even though I only wear them around the house and they're fine for that, I'd like to get a cute new pair with my current prescription that I wouldn't mind wearing in public. And it might be nice to give my eyes a break from contacts now and then.

8. Update my recipe index on the blog.

I've been tempted to put this on my monthly goals list each month since the beginning of the year, but I haven't because I honestly didn't know if I'd get around to it. It's not that time consuming, but it does take a little extra time and effort, and most days I just haven't felt like doing it. I'm so far behind with updating it, though, that I honestly can't even remember the last time I did it. And, while it's obviously not the end of the world, I'd like to get it up to date. I mean, why even have the recipe index at all if I'm not going to update it regularly?

9. Update the look of my blog.

This is something I've been toying with for a while. I don't want to spend a ton of money on it right now, but I've also grown tired of my current template. I've had this design for about a year now (I think), so it's probably time to switch things up. I've been checking out different blog designers on a semi-regular basis and have a list of several I really like, but I need to narrow the list down to a top three or so and then go from there. Also, if anyone reading this has had any really positive (or really negative) experiences with a specific blog designer, please tell me about it. If I decide to splurge a bit and go the more custom route (as opposed to just buying a premade template like I did before), I definitely want to make sure the person I'm working with will do a good job!

10. Read at least 4 books I own (not rereads).

I think I've mentioned before that I'm trying to avoid buying new books until I finish all of the books I've previously purchased. And, while I'd like to stick with that, I've been getting an overwhelming urge to buy a bunch of books lately. (Especially since a few of the books I really want to read aren't available at my library.) I have a couple of gift cards I could use for this purpose (Amazon and Barnes & Noble), so I wouldn't be spending any of my own money (or very little of my own money, anyway) ... But I still feel like I should stick with my original plan. So, as a sort of compromise, I've decided that if I can read at least 4 of these previously unread books, I can buy some new ones. That seems both reasonable and doable ... Well, as long as I don't keep getting distracted by all of the awesome books my library does have!

Looking back at this list, it seems like a lot. I have three whole months to complete everything, though, and I think that, realistically, it can be done.

Obviously I'm more excited about some things than others (I don't enjoy purging and reorganizing my closet, for example, but I'm looking forward to planning and booking my anniversary trip), but these are all things that I would like to accomplish in the near future.

Final Results: New Year's Resolutions 2015

Last night I finally got my blogging shit together enough to share my New Year's resolutions for 2016. However, I neglected to share my final results for my 2015 resolutions. I had some time to work on my post today, though, and, since this is probably a boring post for most people, I decided it was totally fine to post it on a Saturday.

Health/Fitness Goals Final Results:

1. Continue going to yoga classes at least 2-3 times per week. 

PASS. While my attendance was spotty at times, I at least tried to supplement with videos at home if I couldn't make it to the gym. I also skipped a few weeks due to travel, sickness, and/or just being too busy. But, for the most part, I stuck with it.

2. Work out at least 3-4 times per week.

FAIL. By the end of the year, it was more like twice a week (if that), so I can't really give myself a pass. I spent several months working out 3-4 times each week, though, and I felt so good. I'm hoping I can be more consistent with this goal in 2016.

3. Lose weight.

PASS/FAIL. I spent the year going up and down in weight. (Probably because I wasn't incredibly diligent with my workouts.) I ended 2015 a little heavier than I would like to be, so I'm hoping that (along with my more specific weight loss goal for 2016) will inspire me to make healthier choices.

4. Continue utilizing MyFitnessPal to track my exercise and caloric intake each day.

FAIL. I think MyFitnessPal is a great tool, but I find it really hard to commit to updating it every day. I don't know why, but sometimes it feels like it just takes too damn long to enter everything. (I'm clearly not the most patient person.) I almost made this a goal again this year, but I knew I'd never stick with it.

Reading/Creative Writing Goals Final Results:

1. Read 50 books.

PASS. I actually exceeded this goal with a total of 59 books for the year! I'm still in shock that I managed to read so much in 2015.

2. Write creatively at least once a week.

FAIL. This is one goal that I really regret failing. I've always loved writing, but I just don't make time for creative writing anymore. While I'm often writing posts for this blog, it's not the same as true creative writing. I considered making this one of my New Year's resolutions for this year as well, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to find enough time for it. I also didn't want to force myself to write ... I really just want to write because I want to, not because I feel like I should.

Financial Goals Final Results:

1. Continue putting money in savings every month.

PASS. I didn't save as aggressively as I initially wanted due to some unexpected expenses throughout the year, but I put back as much as I could each month.

2. Become (mostly) debt free.

PASS. I'm giving myself a pass just because I got most of my cards paid off. Those damn unexpected expenses set me back a bit, but I'm confident I'll get the last card paid off early this year. (I really don't owe much more.) I'm also pretty sure I'll be able to pay off my car this year as well, and that would be awesome!

3. Use Swagbucks more often.

PASS. I've been able to pretty consistently earn Swagbucks, and I was even able to use some of my earnings toward a plane ticket to spend Christmas with my family! I'm planning to continue using it as much as possible in 2016.

Food Goals Final Results:

1. Create at least 3 original recipes.

PASS. I'm really proud of myself for sticking with (and exceeding) this goal! Creating my own recipes still doesn't come easily, but it's starting to get a little easier. I'm planning to post my favorite recipes of 2015 next week and I'm sure some of these will make it onto the list, but in the meantime, here are the recipes I came up with this year:

Chorizo Potato Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce
Herb Butter Rice
Sweet and Spicy Salmon
Chicken Veggie Avocado Rice Bowl
Chorizo Breakfast Enchilada Stack
Simple Vegetarian Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce
Turkey BBQ Ranch Rice Bowls

These recipes aren't fancy or difficult, but they were all delicious.

2. Bake a little more often.

FAIL. I didn't have high hopes for this one, and I was right to feel that way. I didn't make this one of my 2016 New Year's resolutions, but I do eventually want to start baking a little more since I'd actually like to get better at it.

3. Try at least 12 new (to us) restaurants.

PASS. I haven't finished writing all of my reviews (like I said yesterday, I've been really behind on all things blog), but Eric and I definitely hit this goal.

Blogging Goals Final Results:

1. Work on a blog schedule and really try to stick with it.

FAIL. I really wanted to stick with this goal, but I didn't. I think it's important to have a blog schedule, though, so this made it onto my list of resolutions for 2016.

2. Participate in more link-ups.

PASS. I really love interacting with other bloggers, and link-ups are perfect for that. They're also a great way to find new and interesting blogs (and, of course, attract new readers to my blog!). I plan to continue participating in link-ups, but I didn't make it one of my "official" 2016 goals.

3. Comment more often.

PASS. I'll admit that I've been terrible lately and haven't been reading/commenting on blogs, but, for the most part, I've been commenting more frequently. I'm going to try to work the reading/commenting part into my blogging schedule for 2016 because it's something I really enjoy but often find myself neglecting due to lack of time (or perhaps just my poor blogging time management skills).

4. Invest in Divulge and Indulge.

PASS. I didn't do a lot, but I purchased a premade template and took the time to move my blog from Wordpress.com to Blogger. I would like to continue working on making this blog better, but, since one of my goals this year is to be a little more frugal, I'm not planning to spend a lot of money on it any time soon. I may use my Swagbucks earnings toward a new design at some point later this year, but I need to think about what I'd like to do a little more before making any major changes.

5. Make a new "About Me" page.

PASS. I should probably update it again this year, but I do like the way my current "About Me" page looks. (Not to mention the fact that it took me a while to come up with what I wanted to say!)

6. Work on my social media presence.

PASS/FAIL. I've been using Instagram and Goodreads a lot more recently (if you're not already following me and would like to, you can find the links under my picture at the top right). I may never use Twitter (though I guess I should never say never!), and I highly doubt I'll join any additional social media sites because I know I won't be able to keep up with them. I would like to work on my Pinterest account, though. I didn't make this one of my New Year's resolutions this year, but I think I've been neglecting it long enough.

Overall, I think I did a pretty decent job with my 2015 resolutions. I didn't stick with all of them (though I knew I probably wouldn't), but I exceeded a few of them ... So it probably evens out.

New Year's Resolutions for 2016

I'm officially very behind on all things blog. I'm going to periodically be working on getting at least somewhat caught up this weekend, but I have a lot of other things I need/want to do as well ... So we'll see how much I actually accomplish.

I originally wanted to post my 2016 New Year's resolutions yesterday before Eric and I headed out to dinner, but I ran out of time. I think that actually worked out well for me, though, since it gave me a little extra time to think about the things I'd like to work on and achieve this year.

I know that a lot of people think it's silly or stupid to make New Year's resolutions. And I get it ... It's just a new year. Nothing really changes between 11:59 p.m. December 31st and 12:00 a.m. January 1st.

But I like making goals, and I like achieving them. For me, New Year's resolutions are simply goals I plan to spend the next 365 days working toward. Even though I probably won't achieve all of them (I never do), I like taking the time to reflect on things I'd like to change, skills I'd like to work on, and personal challenges I'd like to take on.


1. Continue practicing yoga regularly (at least 2-3 times each week).

I admittedly fell off the wagon a bit by the end of 2015, but it's one of my favorite ways to exercise. I even wrote a post last year detailing why you should stick with your "practice yoga" New Year's resolution (if that is, in fact, one of your goals for the new year). Clearly I think yoga is pretty awesome.

2. Organize and stick with a workout schedule.

Ideally I'll be working out 3-4 times each week, but I need to figure out what's going to work best for me (and that might change from month to month). I feel best when I'm working out regularly, so I need to take the time to create a schedule that's easy to stick with.

3. Lose 15-20 pounds.

I'll be honest and say that "lose weight" is on my list of resolutions every year. (I know, I know ... So original.) Last year I just made a more generic "lose weight" goal. And while that was fine and I did lose weight (though I've unfortunately managed to pack it back on over the last couple of months), I wanted to make a more concrete goal this year. I know this probably sounds like a lot of weight (and, for a very short person like myself, it is), but it's still a realistic amount. If I lost 16 pounds, I'd weigh what I did at my wedding in 2013.

4. Read 60 books.

After making a 50 book goal for myself for 10 years, I finally accomplished it in 2015! Not only did I accomplish my goal, I crushed it with 59 books! This year I've decided to increase my goal to 60. I'm going to be incredibly impressed with myself if I can exceed this one!

5.  Create and stick with a weekly meal plan.

This is something I say I'm going to do all the time, but I never do. In an effort to eat healthier, waste less, and save some money, I'm going to do my best to stick with this goal.

6.  Hit at least my first daily goal on Swagbucks every day.

I will make an exception for this goal and say that I don't expect to hit my daily goal every day if I'm traveling, but otherwise I should be able to easily accomplish this. I've been using Swagbucks a lot lately, and I think it will be nice to continue making some easy extra cash to contribute to our savings and/or to use as "fun" money.

7.  Get more organized.

I used to be an incredibly organized person, but I've noticed a steady decline over the last few years. Most of the time this isn't a huge deal, but lately I've been more and more annoyed with my lack of organization. I've thankfully been able to stay pretty organized at work, but at home? Not so much.

8.  Work on a blogging schedule and stick with it.

This is another one of those things I always say I'm going to do, but never actually do. While blogging is just a hobby for me (as opposed to a source of income), I enjoy it most when I'm consistently participating in all aspects: writing posts, reading other blogs, commenting on posts, responding to comments, participating in link-ups, etc. Creating and sticking with a schedule should (hopefully!) help me stay on top of things and get more out of it.

9.  Work with Eric on smaller monthly goals.

I typically make monthly goals (though I didn't post my November results because I didn't stick with my goals at all and I didn't even bother making any for December), but Eric has never done this. We both have a lot of things we'd like to do throughout the year, but we also both know we'll need to break some of these goals into smaller segments in order to effectively complete them. We talked about this a lot while we were stranded in Chicago (it's not like we had anything better to do!), and we agreed that we would work together at the beginning of each month to come up with smaller goals for the month and then post them on the fridge so we have to look at them every day. We're both hoping this will keep us on track.

10. Be more frugal.

I don't think I spend freely all the time, but I'm definitely the type of person who will stop by a coffee shop for a $5 latte while running errands or spend $50 more when I'm ordering stuff online just so I qualify for free shipping. While I don't think it's gotten completely out of hand, I do have several more personal financial goals that I won't be posting here ... And the only way to achieve those goals is to save more and spend less. I'm not saying I can never stop for a coffee or buy something fun for myself because that's too restrictive and I could never stick with that. What I am saying is that I need to be a little more aware of my spending and saving habits.

On January 1, the new year stretches before me like a blank book, ready to be filled with new stories and adventures, triumphs and failures. Yes, nothing has really changed between 11:59 p.m. December 31st and 12:00 a.m. January 1st ... But that doesn't mean I can't try to make positive changes, learn some new things, and challenge myself to be better and do more during the next 365 days.

Wish me luck!

Monthly Goals: October Results

Remember when I said that October was going to be the month I lit a fire under my ass when it came to my goals? Well ... That didn't happen.

I came very close to completing pretty much every goal I made last month, but, for whatever reason, I seemed to fall short with most of them. I did manage to complete some of them, but it wasn't an amazing month for me overall.



To recap, my goals for October were:

1.  Get back into a regular workout routine.

2.  Go the entire month without buying any Starbucks Doubleshots at work.

3.  Post at least 3 times every week.

4.  Find and join more link-ups.

5.  Continue attempting to keep up with reading and commenting on other blogs.

6.  Earn at least my first Swagbucks goal every day.

7.  Watch at least 5 more movies for the Fall Film Challenge.

8.  Avoid putting any additional books on hold at the library until I finish at least half of the books I've already checked out.

And the results:

1.  I'd like to give myself a pass here, but I don't know if I really deserve one. While I've been making an effort to work out at least 3 times each week, I didn't really stick to any sort of schedule and found myself skipping my classes at the gym more and more frequently in favor of staying home and working out to a video. Yes, I was still being active, but I feel like I push myself a little more when I'm participating in a class ... So sometimes it just felt a little half-assed. I don't have high hopes for getting back into a regular routine this month either since we'll be enjoying our time in New Mexico (and, for us, "enjoying" includes eating and drinking a lot). December is probably out too since we'll be flying back to stay with my mom for Christmas. January it is!

2.  I thought I was going to make it through the month without a Doubleshot. I made it through 3 weeks straight ... And then on the 22nd, I managed to oversleep a bit, forcing me to leave the house without coffee. Anyone who knows me in real life could tell you that dealing with me in the morning before I've had any coffee is both terrible and slightly dangerous. I'm the grumpiest bitch ever, my brain feels fuzzy and unfocused, and I just generally have difficulty functioning like an actual human being. Needless to say, I was forced to buy a Doubleshot at work to make up for my lack of morning coffee at home. On the upside, that's the only time I caved.

3.  I'm going to give myself a pass on this one. Although I don't think I actually posted consistently each week, I posted a total of 12 times in October. And, since there were 4 full weeks in October, that averages out to 3 times per week. I actually like math when I can use it to make things work in my favor!

4.  Pass! Technically I only got involved in one additional link-up, but I'm happy with that. (And yes, it's another book link-up/challenge. I love books, okay?) I'll probably try to get involved with a few more as time goes on, but right now I'm enjoying connecting with other book lovers.

5.  Pass! I still don't have a set schedule for this, but I managed to keep up with my blog reading/commenting a little better in October. I've also been keeping up with responding to comments on my own blog/answering emails a little better, which is also important! The next couple of months will be kind of crazy with the holidays and our upcoming trips, so I'm sure I won't be able to be quite as quick with my responses and comments ... But I'll definitely make these things a priority when I'm not as busy!

6.  I should have gotten a pass on this, but a glitch caused me to miss out on my goal one day. Swagbucks credited me for the survey I completed, but they couldn't backdate it. Whomp whomp. Despite the unfortunate glitch, I still managed to earn 6,583 SB last month (which is the equivalent of $65.83). Not too bad for just answering a few questions and clicking through a few videos!

7.  I only watched 3 movies for the Fall Film Challenge last month, so I obviously don't get a pass on this one. Eric and I usually make an effort to watch at least one scary movie on Halloween, so I did technically watch 4 movies last month ... But only 3 were for the challenge. (If you're interested, we watched Rosemary's Baby on Halloween. I'd actually never seen it before. It was pretty creepy, but some parts were a little too over-the-top for me. I eventually want to read the book as well.)

8.  I'm going to give myself a pass on this one. I finished about half of the books I had at home, but I did put a few more on hold before the month was over in preparation for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2015 Book Challenge. I also returned a couple of books I didn't read the last time I went to the library. I hate doing that, but I'd prefer to (mostly) focus on the challenge for now ... I can always pick them up again at some point in the future.

Obviously not the greatest month for me in terms of achieving my goals, but I still feel like I did an okay job (especially considering the number of goals I set). I'm not going to go crazy with goal setting for November since I'll be pretty busy between New Mexico, celebrating my 2 year wedding anniversary, and Thanksgiving ... But I'll be back tomorrow with a short list of things I'd like to accomplish this month.

Time to Light a Fire Under My Ass: My October Goals

After spending last month basically doing whatever the hell I wanted, I figured it was time to buckle down and get back into some sort of routine. This applies to pretty much all areas of my life: exercise, eating healthier, meal planning, blogging, etc.

And, since I also spent a lot of money on fun things last month, I feel like I need to be a little more frugal this month. (Though I may allow myself to buy a couple of new clothing items. I've been torturing myself with online "window shopping" a lot lately, and, since I haven't purchased any new clothes in at least 5 or 6 months, I feel like it wouldn't be a huge deal to splurge on a couple of new things for fall/winter. But we'll see.)

My October 2015 Goals:

1.  Get back into a regular workout routine. I've been struggling with this for the past couple of months, and it's been driving me nuts. I went from regularly working out 3-4 times each week to maybe working out 1-2 times each week (and twice would be a really good week). I've noticed that I've been feeling a lot more sluggish since I stopped working out as much, so I know I need to get over my lack of motivation and get back into it.

2.  Go the entire month without buying any Starbucks Doubleshots at work. I think I've only managed to go an entire month without buying at least one Starbucks Doubleshot once or twice this year. That's kind of insane. I'm completely addicted to them, but they're 210 calories, filled with sugar, and they're about $3.00 each. So obviously if I can avoid them this month, I can cut some calories and save some money. Win win.

3.  Post at least 3 times every week. Last month I was mostly kind of "meh" about blogging. As a result, I spent the majority of my time doing everything but blogging. (Well, except going to the gym, of course. I clearly wasn't doing much of that either.) I will never be the kind of blogger that posts 5 times every week, but I think I should probably post more than once or twice a week if at all possible.

4.  Find and join more link-ups. I'm not going to go crazy with link-ups or anything, but I've really only been active in the Show Us Your Books! link-up lately. I love that link-ups allow me to talk about things I love with others with similar interests, and I feel like I've discovered a lot of other really awesome bloggers this way. (And, to be honest, it's also nice to see more people visiting and commenting on my own blog. It makes me feel good to know that other people care about what I'm writing.) If I can find and join even one additional link-up this month, I'd be happy.

5.  Continue attempting to keep up with reading and commenting on other blogs. Sometimes it's really hard for me to find time to keep up with the blogs I enjoy. And then when I actually have some free time, I start to feel overwhelmed when I see I have at least 100-200 posts to read. I wanted to create a schedule for this last month, but I never actually did. I did a better job keeping up with it for the most part, but I still found myself getting really behind at certain points. I just need to figure out what works best for me and stick with it.

6.  Earn at least my first Swagbucks goal every day this month. Thanks to Stephanie, I've become a huge fan of Swagbucks. I know that some people feel like it takes a lot of time and effort, but, for me, it's an easy thing to do each day in order to get a few extra bucks. I mean, if I'm on my computer anyway (or just watching TV), it doesn't take much work to click through a few videos. And if I don't mind putting in some extra effort, I'll take a survey or two. (Which, to be honest, typically don't require a ton of effort either.) It doesn't seem like much most days, but it can really add up. Since I started using it near the end of May last year, I've earned almost $630. That's not a ton of money, but considering the fact that I didn't even use it much for at least a few months (I think I only earned between 1 and 3 SB most days during those months) and the actual amount of time and effort I spend using it, that's actually pretty good.

7.  Watch at least 5 more movies for the Fall Film Challenge. I'll be very surprised if I'm able to complete this challenge, but I'm going to at least try to get through as many movies on my list as possible. I don't want to set the bar too high for myself, though, so 5 it is.

8.  Avoid putting any additional books on hold at the library until I finish at least half of the books I've already checked out. This probably sounds silly, but I have a serious problem when it comes to placing books on hold at the library. I still have quite a few on hold (including a few that will likely become available within the next couple of weeks), but I have 12 books at home right now. It's gotten a little ridiculous. I don't need to check that many books out at once.

I made more goals than usual, but at least a couple of them are just simple reminders of things I should avoid this month. (Though, if I'm being honest, those are two of the most difficult goals for me.) If I can accomplish all of these, I'll be very happy!

An Update: New Year's Resolutions 2015

How can it possibly be June already? I know everyone says things like this in their posts, but seriously ... Where did the time go?

When I was a little girl, people used to say, "Time seems to go by much faster as you get older." At the time I didn't believe them. I mean, an hour is an hour, right?

Well, yes ... An hour is still 60 minutes. But they were right in saying that time seems to fly by with every passing year.

At the very end of 2014, I posted a list of my New Year's Resolutions for 2015. I initially wanted to post updates every 3 or 4 months, but, as you can probably guess from my earlier statements, time got away from me.

So I decided I'd kick the month of June off with an update of my progress. Since we're now halfway through the year, it seemed like as good a time as any to share my successes and failures thus far. I hope that by seeing what I need to work on, I'll be inspired to push myself a little harder. I knew when I made my list of resolutions that I probably wouldn't stick with all of them, but I think I've let a few too many things slide this year ... And I know I can do better.

Health/Fitness Goals and Updates:

1.  Continue going to yoga classes at least 2-3 times per week. 
For the most part, I've been doing this. I do feel like I need to make yoga more of a priority these days, though. I'm finding it much too easy to skip a class if I've had a really busy week or if I'm just not feeling it ... And that's probably when I need yoga the most.

2.  Work out at least 3-4 times per week.
I started off strong, but I've steadily been slipping. (And I wonder why I'm not getting more toned or losing weight!) On average, I'm going to the gym twice a week and it's always for yoga. I really need to start doing cardio again and possibly going back to BodyPump class. I feel much better/healthier when I'm working out more consistently.

3.  Lose weight.
Again, I started off strong but have steadily been slipping. I lost about 7 lbs or so (nothing major, but enough to notice that my clothes were less snug and I felt more confident), and I've since put on at least that much (or more ... I can't bring myself to get on the scale right now). I just need to get back into a regular schedule with my workouts and eat a little better. Obviously I won't be doing that this week since I'm spending the majority of my time in a hotel conference room in Philadelphia, but once I get back home  I need to start focusing on this again.

4.  Continue utilizing MyFitnessPal to track my exercise and caloric intake each day.
I haven't been consistent with this at all. I think I'd be more successful with my other health and fitness goals if I kept up with this. Sure, it's disheartening to see just how many calories are in some of my favorite meals, but it does at least make me consider what and how much I'm consuming.

Reading/Creative Writing Goals and Updates:

1.  Read 50 books.
I'm still slightly behind schedule, but I've been tearing through books at record speed lately so I should (hopefully!) be able to finally meet this goal this year.

2.  Write creatively at least once a week.
I've completely let this one slide. I've barely written anything (besides blog posts, of course) since the beginning of the year. I want to work on making this a priority, but I also know that I can't force myself to write creatively if I'm not inspired to do so. Hopefully I can find some inspiration soon ... I miss creative writing.

Financial Goals and Updates:

1.  Continue putting money in savings every month.
I'm happy to say I've still been doing this!

2.  Become (mostly) debt free.
I've paid off one card and am pretty close to paying off another, so I'd say I'm on the right track. Unfortunately, we've had a few unexpected expenses lately and I spent quite a bit on plane tickets in April so I haven't been able to throw as much money onto my cards as I initially anticipated. I'm still actively working toward this goal, though, so hopefully I can at least get my 2 remaining cards with balances paid off by the end of the year.

3.  Use Swagbucks more often.
I was doing really well with this until last month. I think it will probably be pretty inconsistent over the next few months since I don't use it much when I'm away from home (and I'll be traveling probably about once a month from now through the end of the year), but I've been hitting my daily goals when I can.

Food Goals and Updates:

1.  Create at least 3 original recipes.
I've only posted one so far, but I have a couple more to share eventually. I'm glad I was able to stick with this goal, especially since coming up with my own recipes isn't something that comes easily.

2.  Bake a little more often.
I had a feeling this would be one of the goals I didn't stick with, and I was right. I haven't baked anything this year (unless you count brownies from a box ... And I don't). I might feel inspired to try making something once fall and winter approach, but I really don't have any desire to bake during the hot summer months.

3.  Try at least 12 new (to us) restaurants.
I've shared our experiences so far here, here, and here. I'm obviously behind on this goal, but I haven't completely abandoned it. (And, if you're wondering, I've tried a few new restaurants with friends, but I didn't document them here. This goal is more about Eric and I trying new places together since we both love food so much.)

Blogging Goals and Updates:

1.  Work on a blog schedule and really try to stick with it.
This was actually one of my most important blogging goals, and I have yet to sit down and come up with a schedule for my blog. I've been trying to post at least 3 times each week, but I often post less (or, on occasion, not at all). I doubt I'll ever force myself to do this (at least not this year), but I do need to be more consistent with my posts.

2.  Participate in more link-ups.
I've been participating in both a monthly personal challenge link-up and the Show Us Your Books! link-up since the beginning of the year. I need to start getting involved in some other link-ups, though (especially since the monthly personal challenge link-up is coming to an end). I genuinely enjoy participating and seeing what others have shared, so this has been a pretty easy goal for me to meet.

3.  Comment more often.
I've probably been most inconsistent with this goal. It's unfortunate because I read so many interesting, funny, insightful blog posts and then forget to comment on them. I need to make this a priority ... Not only would I be telling other bloggers that I really appreciate what they have to say, but I'd also be getting my own name out there a little more. It's a really great way to build a community (and one of the easiest ways to do it!), and that's something I'd love to achieve.

4.  Invest in Divulge and Indulge.
I moved from Wordpress.com to Blogger and purchased a premade blogger template from Lisa's Menagerie. I haven't gotten into sponsoring any blogs (yet), and I think I'll eventually go the more custom route with my blog design, but I'm not ready for that just yet. I haven't invested a ton of money into my blog and I really don't want to, but I'm happy with what I've done so far.

5.  Make a new "About Me" page.
Moving to Blogger and updating the look of my blog gave me the push I needed to create a new "About Me" page. I'm pretty happy with the result.

6.  Work on my social media presence.
I made an Instagram account, but my posting is sporadic and I haven't bothered to build up a following (or to follow anyone else, for that matter). I'm still figuring it out (I only recently started using hashtags!), but I think I like it. I'll probably try to focus on it a little more in the upcoming months. I also made a Goodreads account (though I really only share what I'm reading and my overall rating for each book). Again, I haven't started following anyone there. (Seriously, what's wrong with me?) I still haven't done anything with my blog Pinterest account. I guess I need to spend more time on this goal.

I know this is a long update, but it's more for me than anyone else. I needed to get all of this out so I could take a step back and assess where I'm at and what I need to work on. Apparently I need to work on a lot of things, so here's to a more productive 6 months!

Monthly Personal Challenge Link-Up: April Results

April's personal challenge link-up focused on finances. After wasting way too much money in March, I was ready to make some changes. While I didn't want to make extreme, unrealistic goals for myself, I wanted to challenge myself to think a little more before making random purchases.

In case you're new to the blog (or you just don't remember), my April goals were as follows:

1.  Completely cut out frivolous food purchases.

2.  Create a meal plan for the month and stick with it. On the surface this may not seem like a true financial goal, but I knew I'd be less likely to go out or pick up fast food or other snacks if I actually took the time to make a meal plan.

3.  Earn at least my first Swagbucks daily goal every day this month.

4.  Continue putting money into savings.

5.  Pay at least $50 more on my car payment this month.

So, how did I do?

1.  I honestly still can't believe I can say I completed this goal. This was (sadly) really difficult for me. Most difficult of all was giving up my beloved Starbucks Doubleshots. Last Thursday I said something about how I couldn't believe I didn't cave and buy at least one during the month, and one of my friends from work said, "I'm actually really impressed that you didn't! I thought you wouldn't be able to hold out that long." I obviously have a problem. (Or maybe I should say had? I haven't had one since the very end of March!)

2.  I'll give myself a pass on the meal plan. I wasn't as organized as I'd hoped, but I managed to put something together most nights for dinner (and if I didn't, Eric did). We didn't randomly go out a bunch of times just because we couldn't figure out what we wanted for dinner, and that was the whole point of the meal plan anyway.

3.  I've been using Swagbucks a lot more lately, so I was easily able to hit at least my first daily goal every day in April. I wish I could say that I'll keep it up, but I know that Swagbucks will be the furthest thing from my mind at certain points in the next 3 months. I'm going out of town in May, June, and July, and I'm definitely not going to spend my time away earning Swagbucks!

4.  This was a really easy goal for me since I'm already in the habit of saving. I have money automatically transferred from my checking to savings accounts (yes, plural ... I have 3 savings accounts) a couple of times a month. Additionally, I've been following a fairly aggressive savings plan and have managed to put back even more money each week. I feel like I still have a long way to go before I reach my personal savings goals, but I'm really proud of myself for sticking with the more aggressive savings plan.

5.  I actually paid a little more than $50 extra on my car payment, but not by much (I basically just rounded up to the nearest whole number). I've been paying a little extra for the last couple of months, and I'm planning to keep it up. I can't wait until I can say I owe nothing on my car! 

Overall, I stuck with my goals. Unfortunately, I didn't completely curb my spending.

As you may have already seen, Eric and I went out a couple of times last month. I didn't pay for any of the food, drinks, or entertainment (with the exception of putting $5 in a jukebox) out of my own money, so I managed to avoid the dreaded frivolous food purchases. (In case you missed this in an earlier post, we keep both separate and joint bank accounts so that's how I got away with that.)

Things I didn't avoid:

1.  Expensive plane tickets. I bought a ticket to Florida and a ticket to Ohio and spent over $900. Thankfully the purpose of each of these trips is to visit friends, so I didn't have to book any hotels.

2.  New clothes. In my defense, it was all necessary: a couple of pairs of yoga pants (all of mine were getting pretty worn), a bra to wear under thin white shirts (I only had one that wouldn't show through so I had to juggle when I wore certain tops), and a bathing suit (I needed one for Florida since I didn't actually own one that fit). I also used a $50 gift card and a code for 20% off my bathing suit, so that helped me feel a little less guilty.

3.  Beauty products. I didn't pull the trigger on a few of the more expensive items I've been eyeing (namely a curling wand and some skin care stuff), but I know I spent well over $100 on random beauty products last month. 

In addition, Eric had to get some repairs done on his car and they weren't cheap. Whomp whomp. Sometimes I really hate owning cars. And although I didn't pay for the repairs myself, it's worth noting since it was an unexpected expense for our household.

So yeah ... I stuck with my goals, but I didn't really save any extra money. Basically I just spent the money I would have spent on food and drinks on other shit. (Okay, I spent much more than that ... I mean, I definitely don't spend $1000+ on dining out in a month!) And while I spent quite a bit on plane tickets, it will totally be worth it to spend some quality time with my friends.

Tomorrow I'll post my goals for May. The theme for this month's challenge is read. I have a couple of things in mind, but I have to remember not to overwhelm myself and set unattainable goals. It's harder for me to stick with these challenges when I'm away from home!

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned: My April Goals

As I said in yesterday's post, this month the focus is on finances. I have to admit that after my ridiculous spending last month (mostly on stupid shit like fast food and Starbucks), I'm excited to create some goals that will (hopefully!) inspire me to think a little more about my purchases before I whip out my debit card.

Image provided by Pixabay (pixabay.com) and edited by me.

My April 2015 Goals:

1.  Completely cut out frivolous food purchases. For me, this basically means no fast food on the nights I don't feel like making something at home, no $5 lattes, no dinners out, no going out for drinks (buying a $10 bottle of wine to drink at home is acceptable, though ... I mostly just want to cut back on expensive drinks at restaurants and bars), no going out for ice cream/milkshakes/frozen yogurt, and no snacks and/or coffee drinks at work. I know that sounds like a lot of things to cut out, but seriously ... I can easily spend $9-$15 a week on coffee drinks at work alone. If I add in all of the other stuff I mentioned, my monthly food spending is typically in the $150-$250 range (and that's not including groceries!). That's actually kind of sickening. I'd definitely love to save that money this month, and I'm sure my body will thank me for spending 30 days without gigantic burritos, fried shit, and tons of sugary drinks!

2.  In an effort to keep myself from buying a bunch of random (but delicious!) junk, I'd like to create a meal plan for the month and stick with it. I haven't been making meal plans lately, and it's obvious: last week I got food from a restaurant 6 times. (To be fair, Eric was gone for most of the week and I didn't feel like cooking dinner for just me ... But that still seems like a crazy high number for one week.) Meal plans keep us from saying, "I can't think of anything I want to make tonight, so let's just order takeout/go out for dinner/grab fast food."

3.  Earn at least my first Swagbucks daily goal every day in April. One of my New Year's resolutions was to use Swagbucks more often in an effort to earn a gift card I could use toward the purchase of an expensive item I really want. I've been using Swagbucks every day since January 1st, but I haven't reached my daily goal every day. I've been able to hit it most days, but my first goal is usually pretty high and sometimes I get really busy ... So sometimes it just doesn't happen. This month, though, I'm determined to get the bonus (300 Swagbucks) for hitting my daily goal every day!

4.  Continue putting money into savings. I'm using a fairly aggressive savings plan I found on Pinterest (there are tons of options out there to fit a variety of budgets and savings goals if you're looking for a plan to keep you in check!), and I've been putting money back according to that plan on a weekly basis. I'm actually doing this in addition to what I was already putting into savings each month, and I'm really proud that I've resisted the urge to spend rather than save (for the most part, anyway)! This is almost a "cheat" goal since I know I'll accomplish it, but I wanted to add it to my goals for the month since it definitely falls under the "Finance" category.

5.  Pay at least $50 more on my car payment this month. I paid a little more last month (not much more, but every bit counts!), and I'd like to continue bumping my payments up little by little. My goal is to have my car paid off in another 12-18 months. This seems doable (especially if I keep making slightly higher payments each month). I'm starting small right now, but I'll eventually work up to making double or triple payments each month. (That's the plan, at least!)

I think the most difficult goals for me are going to be cutting out frivolous food purchases and sticking to a meal plan. I mean, I really like food. And coffee. And going out for drinks.

I'm going to be completely honest here and say that I almost caved at work yesterday. Yes, I was ready to throw away my first goal for a Starbucks Doubleshot 2 days into the month. That's just ... Really sad. I managed to resist the temptation, but the fact that I even considered saying, "Fuck it, I just won't make avoiding frivolous food and drink purchases a goal this month" proves I have a real problem when it comes to cutting back on things like that. I'm going to be so proud of myself if I manage to go the whole month without wasting money on junk food/drinks!

New Year's Resolutions for 2015

I love making New Year's resolutions.  Each year at the end of December, I spend some time thinking about the things I'd like to accomplish in the upcoming year and the things I'd like to change (or improve upon).  While I know that I don't have to wait for a new calendar year to create goals for myself, I tend to think of a new year as a blank slate.  Maybe this goes back to all of those paper journals I bought as a kid with prelabeled pages that always started with "January 1," but at the beginning of the year I always picture an empty book ready to be filled with the details of the next 365 days.

Although I always try to put some thought into my resolutions, I don't always stick with them.  If I'm being totally honest, I usually give up on one or two of them early on.  This year, though, I'm a little more motivated.  Maybe this is related to getting older ... Now that I'm 30 I don't have that same "I have plenty of time for this" feeling I used to have when I was a teenager (or even in my 20s).  If I want to learn a new skill or write a novel or get healthier, now is the time to do it.

I've broken my resolutions up into categories in order to better organize this post.  And, in an effort to keep myself on track, I'm planning to make some posts throughout the year (maybe quarterly, though I haven't decided for sure) with updates on my progress.

Every year I claim I'll stick with my resolutions, but maybe this time I actually will.  (Or at least a good percentage of them ...  I'll be ecstatic if I can stick with at least 80-90% of these!)



Health/Fitness Goals:

I love this quote!  Image courtesy of http://www.popsugar.com. 

1.  Continue going to yoga classes at least 2-3 times per week.  These classes have had such a positive effect on me (both physically and mentally), so I think it's really important to continue practicing regularly.

2.  Work out at least 3-4 times per week.  Yoga classes definitely count, but I should also supplement those classes with either another class (or two) and/or some basic cardio (treadmill, bike, etc.).  This is something I struggle with at times because it's so easy to come up with an excuse not to go to the gym.  Since I love yoga, it's not too difficult to motivate myself to go to those classes ... But if I'm trying to get myself motivated to go to another type of class or to go walk/jog on the treadmill, I can always think of something else I'd rather do.

3.  Lose weight.  This is literally on my list of New Year's resolutions every year, and I never lose as much as I would like (and keep it off, of course).  I lost a decent amount of weight before our wedding in 2013, but most of that was due to stress.  (When I'm really stressed, I completely lose my appetite.  While I'm glad I'm not a stress eater, this isn't really healthy either.)  Since I'm no longer a big ball of stress, a lot of that weight has returned.  I'm not going to set a specific goal weight to be reached by December 2015 because I don't want to feel discouraged if I can't reach it.  If I'm being completely honest, though, I'd like to lose at least 10 lbs.  I think that's a reasonable goal to start with, but I'm also not going to beat myself up if I only lose 7 lbs (or even 5).

4.  Continue utilizing MyFitnessPal to track my exercise and caloric intake each day.  I'm such an on-again-off-again MyFitnessPal user, but I've been pretty good about logging everything lately.  I set a pretty difficult goal for myself (lose 1.5 lbs per week), so my daily allotted calories are kind of pathetic.  I almost always go over, and that can be kind of frustrating.  Despite this, I've found MyFitnessPal to be a pretty good way to force myself to at least consider what I'm putting into my body.  (And it's pretty eye-opening on the days when the calories from my alcohol intake cover more than half of my daily allowance.  I mean, I know alcoholic drinks are filled with empty calories, but holy shit!)

Reading/Creative Writing Goals:

I found this on Pinterest, but couldn't find the original website it came from.  It was the
 perfect image for this section, though, so I had to use it!

1.  Read 50 books.  The 50 book goal has been on my list of New Year's resolutions every year since 2005.  10 years later, I still haven't reached that goal.  Yes, I think 50 books in 52 weeks is a lot, but I know plenty of people who have reached (or surpassed) that.  (My best year was 2012, and I only finished 32.)  My problem is that I don't stay focused.  I'll read something for a few days then get distracted with something else ... And suddenly I realize that I haven't opened that book in a month.  If I take a significant break from a book, I can't really get back into it very easily ... So I just never finish it.  It's an awful habit that I'd really like to break.  This year my plan is to start going to bed at least 30 minutes before I'd want to go to sleep and use that time to read.  Additionally, I'll devote at least one evening each week strictly to reading ... No TV, no music, no blogging.  It will still probably be difficult for me to finish 50 books since my life can get kind of busy at times, but I think if I stick to my plan I might actually be able to do it!

2.  Write creatively at least once a week.  For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to publish a novel.  I wrote my first "book" at a very young age (around 7 or 8), and while it's a terrible pile of shit, it's proof that I can finish a project if I really want to.  (I use the term "book" loosely because it was around 60 pages long ... Though I guess that's probably impressive for a child in elementary school.)  I also wrote another book when I was in high school, but it was also a terrible pile of shit that should probably never see the light of day.  After I finished that project, I started others ... I just never finished any of them.  I don't expect to write the next great American novel in 2015, but I do want to push myself to carve out some time (even an hour one day each week) to work on putting something together.  If I ever hope to write something that I would be proud to publish, I have to start somewhere!

Financial Goals:

Image courtesy of gettosaving.com.

1.  Continue putting money in savings every month.  I've been doing this regularly for the last 5 years, so this shouldn't be too difficult.  I'd like to eventually bump up the amount I'm saving each month, but that probably won't happen until I get some other stuff paid off (and that's totally fine with me).

2.  Become (mostly) debt free.  I don't think I can pay everything off this year, so I don't want to set a completely unattainable goal.  I think I can at least get the 3 credit cards I have balances on paid off, though, since none of them have a huge balance (I've just been lazy about it since they're 0% APR right now).  I'm also going to start making larger payments on my car when the cards are paid off.  I'd love to get my car paid off in 2015, but there's a good chance I won't get it paid off until the next year.  I also know I won't be paying off my student loans this year, but I should be able to get those paid off early if I don't have any credit card or car payments to worry about.

3.  Use Swagbucks more often.  I was using Swagbucks a lot for a while, but then I got busy and found myself just doing the bare minimum each day (answering the daily poll, clicking through the NOSO, and getting an occasional code).  I do have quite a few Swagbucks right now (almost 13,000!), but I'm trying to save for an Amazon gift card that's worth at least $250.  There's an expensive (like $600+) item I have my eye on, and if I could pay for at least half (or more!) in gift cards, that would be awesome.  (I have another $50 gift card to Amazon already.)  I can't even believe I'm seriously considering this item, but I'll share more if/when I take the plunge and get it.  In addition to getting this specific item, it's nice to earn Swagbucks for other stuff too.  We used another gift card I earned through Swagbucks for a dinner out a few months ago, and we paid almost nothing for an appetizer, two entrées, and two alcoholic drinks.  It was awesome!

Food Goals:

I doubt I'll learn to make macarons this year (much less adorable macarons that look like
penguins!), but maybe one day.  Image courtesy of http://www.raspberricupcakes.com.

1.  Create at least 3 original recipes.  I'm not awesome enough to come up with super creative recipes, but I'd like to make at least 3 things that aren't just simple changes to an existing recipe.  I've posted a few recipes that were adapted pretty significantly (as well as some that combined at least a couple of recipes to create one dish), but I've really only posted one "original" recipe ... And, as you can see, it's not really that groundbreaking.  However, I was really proud that I made something up as I went along without even using a recipe as a guideline.  I'd like to continue pushing myself to do that (at least occasionally).

2.  Bake a little more often.  I'm not going to set any specific goals for this since it will kind of work against some of my health and fitness goals, but I've wanted to work on my baking skills for a long time.  So why not do it a little more often this year?  (If nothing else, it will give me an opportunity to post some dessert recipes on Divulge and Indulge ... And everyone loves a good dessert recipe!)

3.  Try at least 12 new (to us) restaurants.  Eric and I both love food (in case you haven't already noticed), and I honestly think this will be one of the easiest resolutions to stick with.  There are a ton of restaurants in Omaha alone that we want to try, but any restaurant we try for the first time counts (regardless of location).  I didn't count the number of new to us restaurants we ate at this year, but I can guarantee there were at least 20 (but probably more).  I'll even attempt to be a good blogger and share pictures from our meals!

Blogging Goals:

I decided I should probably take at least one picture in this post myself.  This pretty much
sums up my blogging tools right now: my laptop and a cup (or several) of coffee.  I usually write while
 sitting on the living room couch, but the lighting was slightly better in the dining area ... So this is what
you get.

1.  Work on a blog schedule and really try to stick with it.  This worked for me for a while, and then I just started feeling uninspired.  I know that will happen from time to time, but I don't like feeling disappointed in myself when I don't post as much as I think I should.  Scheduling posts is the only way I can be even remotely organized when it comes to this blog, so I should really focus on that.

2.  Participate in more link-ups.  I've been participating in a monthly personal challenge link-up and I've definitely noticed some additional traffic based on my participation, but I think if I'd like to gain more readers, I should probably participate in a few more from time to time.  And, let's be honest, even though it's nice to see that more people are checking out my blog, link-ups are also just fun.

3.  Comment more often.  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I read a really great post and think, "I really want to tell them how much I enjoyed this post, but I'll do it later," and then a week or two goes by and I realize I never commented.  I should probably just go ahead and comment even if a lot of time has passed (better late than never, right?), but I always second guess myself and feel like it will seem dumb to comment on an older post ... So I just say nothing.  I do try to make an effort to respond to all of the comments I get on my own blog (and I think I do a pretty good job), but I really need to start commenting on other blogs as well.  I mean, isn't that kind of the point of these things?  To create a community?

4.  Invest in Divulge and Indulge.  I'm not going to spend tons of money on this blog or anything ... It's just a hobby, after all.  I am considering upgrading to a Premium Wordpress account, though, because I think it would be nice to have my own domain name as well as the ability to customize my blog further.  I'm also considering paying someone to design a layout for me, but I know that's something I'll want to put some more thought into.  Finally, I've been thinking about sponsoring at least a couple of blogs.  I know it's a great way to gain exposure (especially if the blogger offers an opportunity for a guest post or "interview"), but I just haven't taken that plunge yet.  Again, this is something I'll want to put some more thought into.  (This will also probably be the last thing I do since I'd prefer to have my own domain name and a more customized blog before I start advertising on other blogs.)

5.  Make a new "About Me" page.  I don't really like the one I have now, but I've been really lazy about changing it since I never really know what to say.  Why is it so hard to come up with a simple introduction to myself and this blog?

6.  Work on my social media presence.  This is such a huge part of blogging, and I've been neglecting it completely.  When I first started Divulge and Indulge, I created a Pinterest account specifically for this blog.  I love Pinterest, and it makes sense to have an account linked to a blog (especially a blog that features recipes on a regular basis!) ... But I never really did anything with it.  In addition to Pinterest, I'd like to start an Instagram account for this blog.  I've never been an avid user of Instagram, but I can understand why bloggers use it.  I'm still not sure I'm willing to make a Twitter account, but I do understand that it can be a powerful tool when it comes to promoting posts and connecting with other bloggers ... So maybe 2015 will be the year that I get over my dislike of Twitter.  I'm also not sure if I'd want to use Facebook to promote this blog.  I mean, I rarely use my personal Facebook, so I can't imagine trying to keep up with another account.  I do think if I at least focus on Pinterest and Instagram, it could potentially help me gain new readers.  I don't really expect (or even want) this blog to become "big," but I think it would encourage me to continue posting regularly if I gained some new readers and knew that they actually cared about what I was writing.

I know my list of New Year's resolutions is ridiculously long, but there are just so many things I'd like to accomplish in the upcoming year.  I would actually like to add a few more goals to this list, but I wanted to be at least somewhat realistic.  As I said at the beginning of this post, I'm hoping I can at least stick with 80-90% of these resolutions throughout the entire year.  And if I somehow manage to stick with all of them, I'm going to be so proud of myself!