And yet another!

My 2013 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Blog 100x this year. 
2. Pay off my condo. 
3. Make a new recipe a week.
4. Save $10000.00
5. Collect an address book. And write a letter to everyone in the book.
6. Make six figures.

I marked off #5: Collect an address book, and write a letter to everyone in the book. I didn't technically finish this one like I thought I would. But these are my resolutions- so, i make the rules. Even as we speak (and by speak, I mean as I type), my hands are cramping and recovering from addressing save the dates. I have collected just around 190ish addresses from friends and family and am sending out save the dates (kinda like a letter). So as a bit of a reward to myself, I am marking this one compete. Collecting addresses- check. Sending a letter (save the date)- check. 

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Another Mission Accomplished!

My 2013 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Blog 100x this year. 
2. Pay off my condo. 
3. Make a new recipe a week.
4. Save $10000.00
5. Collect an address book. And write a letter to everyone in the book.
6. Make six figures.

       About three weeks ago, I paid off my condo. After 3 years of living in my humble abode, she's my little beut. Which is exciting for a variety of reasons- I don't have to worry about some one (doing owner-financing) is going to take all my money and run, #2, I can start looking for a home to start mine and the fiance's life off together in, and lastly rental income, baby!

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Mission Accomplished.

My 2013 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Blog 100x this year. 
2. Pay off my condo. 
3. Make a new recipe a week.
4. Save $10000.00
5. Collect an address book. And write a letter to everyone in the book.
6. Make six figures.


I have accomplished my first new year's resolution of the year. And I actually completed it back around the first of March. I have saved $10,000!! Honestly, a year and a half ago, when I started that savings account, I never really thought that would be possible. 

BADABING!!!

Through lots of discipline, a career change, some tax returns, and selling a pickup I acquired through my brother, it was accomplished.
And most of my real life friends (who would also be the only people reading this blog) know what that beloved money was being saved for. 

I'm 1/6th of the way there. Woot, Woot!

 

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2013 resolutions..for now.

I guess it's better late than never.. 

...drum roll........My 2013 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Blog 100x this year. 

I have always loved blogging and really have a desire to do it regularity. For the few times, I have done it regularly, I love looking back on the times and being able to read and remember specific details about them. 

2. Pay off my condo. 

I have own my condo for a little over two years at this point. I am doing an owner-finance loan, which has been pretty seamless thus far. However, it always makes me a little nervous. Once the condo is paid off, it will be easier to save money and/or rent it out at that time. 

3. Make a new recipe a week.

I do feel that over this past year, I have expanded my cooking abilities. I want to try new recipes and begin to build a cookbook with recipes that I can (and have) actually made.

4. Save $10000.00

I opened up a savings account in November 2011, automatically adding $25 per month. I continue to have that same $25 put into the account monthly, and contribute additional money as of late. I am trying to aggressively save this amount. And this amount is for something particularly important. My much loved boyfriend and I use the countdown method, with a running total of what is left, which make it quite fun to see progress of little and big amounts.

5. Collect an address book. And write a letter to everyone in the book. 

Always have loved receiving and sending mail. I would love to have all of my loved ones addresses, so at moment's notice I could send something to them without having to ask for their address. I believe if I completed this project not only would it be making the days of people that I love, but remind me of  how blessed I am and grateful I should be. 

6. Make six figures.
Uh, a little bit (and by little, i mean alot) of a stretch. I am very curious to see what my career has in store for me this year. I will be put on a performance-based pay plan. So by setting this goal, I am really setting more of doing my absolute best in sales and maybe, maybe, maybe it could be achieved.

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2012- Doneski!

I am so tempted, like so many times before, to go ahead and write right here about not blogging in such a long time, blah, blah, blah, and how I swear it'll be different this time. Well, by looking at past experiences, the odds are against me..so I won't even go there. But I can't even believe the last blog was about blueberry pancake cupcakes and it was ONE YEAR AGO...that feels like yesterday.

With this first blog post, I want to recap last year, because I think it's so important to recall the amazing things that came and went this year, and be grateful for them now and years from now.

-Continuation of living on a budget and I took financial control of my life
-Began paying on my student loan.
-Was the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding.
-Continued playing co-ed soccer.
-Road trip to Nashville for said wedding.
-Being blessed with 25 amazing, full years thus far.
-Continued contributing money to my savings account.
-PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOANS!

-Quit a job that I realized would never make me happy.

-Found a job I love and is rewarding in multiple aspects.

-Stood up for myself.

-Again, attended and made costumes for birthdays...though not as many this year.

-Fell more in love with the man of my dreams.

-Began to go to a new church -NorthChurch- with said man.

2012 was an amazing year. I do feel as though it was the year that I officially entered into Grownupville. And as scary as it may be, I am liking what I see so far.

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2011 Resolved.

To start off, I'm not really sure that resolved is the correct past tense verbage to use for resolution. But I'm going to go with it- because I don't feel like looking it up.

I'm not sure I had any resolutions for 2011 -also too lazy to go and look up on this blog and/or notebooks laying around. Either way, that must be I didn't focus too hard on getting them done.

I did want to go ahead and make note of the things in 2011 that were resolved (or accomplished or just happened) and I couldn't or at least didn't plan on happening. But oh am I glad they did.

-Finding out I will get to be an aunt to a nephew.
-Learning to live on a budget and beginning to take financial control of my life.
-Paying off and canceling my credit card.
-The man of my dreams asking me to be his girlfriend.
-Weeding out fast food in my life.
-Joining a co-ed soccer team.
-A very relaxing, and much needed, vacation in Las Vegas.
-Watching the boyfriend be the first generation in his family to graduate college.
-Being blessed with 24 wonderful years of life, thus far.
-Take a photography class.
-Open a savings account.
-Making more costumes than I can count.
-Visiting the best friend in Nashville.
-Walking with the gma through chemo and successfully conquering cancer.
-Reunion with my African teammate in New Orleans.
-Planning and attending a 5 year reunion from high school
-Running the Dirty 30 5k race.
-Accomplishing 6 (maybe) of 50 free things in Oklahoma. Better than zero.
-Learned to give people chances.

And just as last year had amazing things that I could have never predicted and only hoped for, I'm sure this year will be the same. And I can hardly wait.

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5/10

So i dont think i ever shared publicly my list of '10 BIG THINGS IN 2010', but i was able to locate it last night and thought i would share it with you along with the successes and failures. (and no i dont consider it cheating to put things down that are inevitable, and no i dont think its sad that the majority of the things i accomplished are this type of thing.)

#1. graduate college (debt-free): ACCOMPLISHED: i was successful in graduating college in may of this past year. i was also successful in graduating debt-free. and yes i love the fact i have no homework and dont have to go to classes.

#2. go on a cruise: FAILURE: we had planned a cruise with a handful of friends, but as usual, everyone flaked out. i am still holding out hope that this gets to happen sometime in the near future.

#3. celebrate grandma's 80th birthday: ACCOMPLISHED: i drove over 4 hours to get there to see lots of people that i had no idea who they were. but suprisingly, it was really fun. it was fun to see my grandma enjoying herself and mingling with lots of loved ones. i recommend everyone have one of these.

#4. get a real job: ACCOMPLISHED: in october, i was hired for m first 40 hour work week job, and for the record, its not as glamourous as one would think or hope. it has taken alot of getting use to and i am still adjusting to this huge change. however, it is nice to have some sort of structure and normalcy in life.

#5. run a half marathon: FAILURE: i did not run the half marathon, i did somewhat train for it though. if i recall correctly, i trained for about 7 weeks very very consistently, and then i guess i just hit the wall, and couldnt motivate mself any more.

#6. visit NYC or Portland: FAILURE: this makes me very sad, and im still holding out hope and dreaming of the day that i can make one or both of these trips.

#7. lead house church: ACCOMPLISHED: i was able to co-lead the UCO house church for Bridgeway this past spring. i enjoyed the group of us that were able to gather together and dig into the WORD.

#8. start a non-profit organization: FAILURE: i was unable to start a nonprofit organization, i did a 501(c)3 conference sponsored by FIREPROOF MINISTRIES and learned an incredible amount. i am taking my time before taking any immediate steps in this direction. time to grow and mature and build a solid foundation for any organization.

#9. become an aunt: ACCOMPLISHED: on february 12th, i became the aunt to the most beautiful baby girl, Hazel. I love her with all that is within me and i dream of the days we get to spend together.

#10. get married (10-10-10): FAILURE: however, i dont really view it as a failure. i didnt put this big thing down, because i am so desperate to tie the knot, but more because i love the number 10 and thought it seemed like the perfect day.

and so as you can see...i accomplished 5/10. i dont think thats too bad. 50%!!

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