It's about the end of the month and I figured I ought to check in on my progress for my yearly resolutions/goals. (I don't actually have much to report otherwise - life is busy but normal.)
1. Half/Full Marathons
I have not yet run my half and full marathons yet. Waayyyy too early for that. However, I'm officially signed up for Run the Bluegrass half (www.RunTheBluegrass.org) and on a training schedule for the full marathon. The current battle is figuring out which one to do. I'm between a late June one in Michigan or an early July one in Vermont. I think some of it will depend on who I can drag with me.
I may also be doing a Warrior Dash in early June. I've seen these crazy obstacle races before but this one seems more interesting with the addition of jumping through fire (literally) and lots of beer at the end.
2. Household projects
I've done a little bit (like recovering an old lampshade) and scouted out more than anything for things to makeover for the new digs. Not much progress on this one as of yet but there are a bajillion ideas swirling around in my head. I really just need to be patient and get into the space before I embark on most of these things. Big project for the spring will be figuring out what to do with the hideous laminate kitchen cabinets.
3. Experiment in the kitchen
So far I've been very successful in completing my weekly experiment. I'll have to post more details about that later. I haven't been able to spend much time with the bread making, although Corey is a rockstar with it right now. I'm a little nervous about stepping into his artisan baker shadow, but there's hope yet!
4. Budget
I'm failing miserably at this. My biggest hurdle is that since we're getting ready for a move into a new place, there are just so many odds and ends that we need to take care of. I need to calm it down a bit with my excitement for getting to decorate and make this place my home for at least the next 3 years. My new mantra needs to be "decorate in stages."
I guess that's about it for now. Maybe at least one monthly check-in with these goals could be a good way to keep myself accountable.
More to come in a few weeks with the big move!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Great Purge
There is something about this time of year that lends itself to fits of rampant cleaning and organizing. I think I hit a high today.
I know it may look like a disaster, but it's an organized mess. Boxes that were full of junk are now empty so I can use them for the move, and the junk is now either in the trash or in a bag to Goodwill. In the process, I've also been able to pack up move of my office stuff and I realized I need to have a move effective filing system. So that was my project the other night.
Other projects have been sofa-hunting. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also found out that I'm a lot pickier about these things than I originally thought I was. I guess there are some things that I think are worth investing in a bit more than others. I don't trust myself enough to DIY a couch. This is the one that I'm currently leaning towards the most:
Nich, eh? It's on the upper end of our price range but it just may be worth it for the leather (easy to clean and pet dander-resistant) and the warranty protection.
I've also been able to find some great deals on craigslist this week. Since we're lacking so much on living room furniture, I've been trying to keep an eye on the listings. You can't see them in there, but I snagged two nice Lane end tables tonight for only..... $15! These things just need a little love and some new stain. I typically don't like matching end tables, so I may end up using the other in the guest room as a nightstand to break it up some.
I also found some nice lamps and frames this week via craigslist and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Love those deals. I got some fabric from Hancock and I'm planning on recovering at least one of the lamp shades. The frame color is slightly hideous right now, but it's nothing that a little bit of spray paint can't fix!
So those will be my first projects of the year. They may or may not get done before the big move in February. That all depends on how packing goes I suppose. Right now, I need to make sure I'm just keeping an eye on things I'll need between now and then and get rid of what I don't.
I've also been able to keep up with my new recipe of the week. Granted, it is only the first week of the year. My experimental meal of the week was a tomato soup with turkey pesto meatballs and pasta. It was a winner, and I was even able to share with a few friends from college.
Delicious.
Unfortunately I didn't get my planned run in like I'd hoped for. Tomorrow I MUST sit down and get my training plans together for the half I'm already signed up for in April and the full in July.
I guess it's time to relax for a bit. It is the weekend after all.
(Sorry about the poor quality - it's a cell phone pic)
I know it may look like a disaster, but it's an organized mess. Boxes that were full of junk are now empty so I can use them for the move, and the junk is now either in the trash or in a bag to Goodwill. In the process, I've also been able to pack up move of my office stuff and I realized I need to have a move effective filing system. So that was my project the other night.
Other projects have been sofa-hunting. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also found out that I'm a lot pickier about these things than I originally thought I was. I guess there are some things that I think are worth investing in a bit more than others. I don't trust myself enough to DIY a couch. This is the one that I'm currently leaning towards the most:
Nich, eh? It's on the upper end of our price range but it just may be worth it for the leather (easy to clean and pet dander-resistant) and the warranty protection.
I've also been able to find some great deals on craigslist this week. Since we're lacking so much on living room furniture, I've been trying to keep an eye on the listings. You can't see them in there, but I snagged two nice Lane end tables tonight for only..... $15! These things just need a little love and some new stain. I typically don't like matching end tables, so I may end up using the other in the guest room as a nightstand to break it up some.
I also found some nice lamps and frames this week via craigslist and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Love those deals. I got some fabric from Hancock and I'm planning on recovering at least one of the lamp shades. The frame color is slightly hideous right now, but it's nothing that a little bit of spray paint can't fix!
So those will be my first projects of the year. They may or may not get done before the big move in February. That all depends on how packing goes I suppose. Right now, I need to make sure I'm just keeping an eye on things I'll need between now and then and get rid of what I don't.
I've also been able to keep up with my new recipe of the week. Granted, it is only the first week of the year. My experimental meal of the week was a tomato soup with turkey pesto meatballs and pasta. It was a winner, and I was even able to share with a few friends from college.
Delicious.
Unfortunately I didn't get my planned run in like I'd hoped for. Tomorrow I MUST sit down and get my training plans together for the half I'm already signed up for in April and the full in July.
I guess it's time to relax for a bit. It is the weekend after all.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Late Happy New Year!
...or something like it. As far as I can tell, 2010 was a pretty great year personally. I'm kind of sad to see it go.
Quick recap:
JANUARY - Skiing with friends and family.
FEBRUARY - Moved across town into a nice place/neighborhood.
MARCH - Completed first half-marathon in Lexington.
APRIL - Bought my brand new Mazda 3.
MAY - Met Corey.
JUNE - Big promotion at work.
JULY - Camping trip on the AT with Corey and taking him to TN to meet the family.
AUGUST - Personal record for 5K distance at 27:08 during the Midsummer Night's Run.
SEPTEMBER - Sweet weekend white-water rafting trip in West Virginia.
OCTOBER - Chicago trip with family/Ran Columbus half-marathon/Traveled to DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity.
NOVEMBER - Started training in vibram FiveFingers.
DECEMBER - Accepted into my top choice law school.
As you can see, it's been a good year. I'm going to try my hardest to make 2011 just as good, if not better. Instead of traditional resolutions (which I never could keep up with after about a week), I'm making goals for myself. By being able to achieve the goals, hopefully that will change some of my current behaviors.
1. Run two half-marathons and a full marathon.
Since the second half of 2010 was plagued with injuries for me, I need to focus on getting stronger and healthier for these races. I also need to pay attention to nutrition and consistency. Hopefully, I'll be able to shed some pounds and get leaner in the process.
Quick recap:
JANUARY - Skiing with friends and family.
FEBRUARY - Moved across town into a nice place/neighborhood.
MARCH - Completed first half-marathon in Lexington.
APRIL - Bought my brand new Mazda 3.
MAY - Met Corey.
JUNE - Big promotion at work.
JULY - Camping trip on the AT with Corey and taking him to TN to meet the family.
AUGUST - Personal record for 5K distance at 27:08 during the Midsummer Night's Run.
SEPTEMBER - Sweet weekend white-water rafting trip in West Virginia.
OCTOBER - Chicago trip with family/Ran Columbus half-marathon/Traveled to DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity.
NOVEMBER - Started training in vibram FiveFingers.
DECEMBER - Accepted into my top choice law school.
As you can see, it's been a good year. I'm going to try my hardest to make 2011 just as good, if not better. Instead of traditional resolutions (which I never could keep up with after about a week), I'm making goals for myself. By being able to achieve the goals, hopefully that will change some of my current behaviors.
1. Run two half-marathons and a full marathon.
Since the second half of 2010 was plagued with injuries for me, I need to focus on getting stronger and healthier for these races. I also need to pay attention to nutrition and consistency. Hopefully, I'll be able to shed some pounds and get leaner in the process.
2. Tackle household projects.
Since it looks like I'll be moving to a new place in February, I've been bit by the DIY bug. Between decorating and making a (town)house a home, I'll be keeping busy. It's also going to be doing it on the cheap, which may be the real challenge.
3. Experiment in the kitchen.
This is a two-fold goal. First, I need to learn to make a good loaf of bread. By hand, kneading and all. I've already tried once so far, and it was okay. But not stellar. It's a work in progress. The second part of it is to experiment with one new recipe or technique per week. Hopefully this will expand my culinary horizons a bit... and I know plenty of people who will be happy to help me test these things out.
4. Make a budget...and stick to it.
I've made up a budget and now the important thing is to stick to it as much as possible. I've even tried to account for the large expenses throughout the year. I need to be a stickler about this, especially when I'll be living off a limited income when in law school.
Those are the big ones. I think four is enough to make a difference in the way I live day-to-day and I'm looking forward to the improvements I can make to myself and my relationships.
I do believe 2011 may be a great year.
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