2013 Goals!

Here's my shiny-new goals for 2013! 

 

 

1.       Do a fun craft with Parker every month.  I'm not much of a "crafter" but there are so many fun toddler crafts I see on pinterest.  Parker is a very hands-on type of kid (as I'm sure most are), so I know he would really enjoy doing a neat project every month. 

2.      Take a daily multi-vitamin.  This really shouldn't have to be a goal, but I have a bottle of Vitamin Code vitamins in my pantry that expired in November.  That's how long I've had them.  I'm horrible at remembering to take vitamins, but considering the fact that I'm a mommy, I really should try to take better care of myself.

3.      Wear a bikini this summer.  Don't get me wrong; I've wore a bikini every summer ever since my parents finally allowed me to do so.  Even while I was pregnant (because being pregnant doesn't equal being fat)!  However, I wore a bikini last summer, and really, someone should have stopped me.  Holy cow!  Literally!  So, while I'm not technically saying I'm going to "diet" I do have several plans to help bring my weight down before I hit my all-time high, which, sadly, I'm very close to hitting.  How will I do this?

A.  Do not eat seconds.  (This was so hard to do last night when I made meatloaf and broccoli, cheese and rice casserole).

B.  Do not finish Parker's meal.  (This was so hard to do when he was sick and didn't eat all of his home made lasagna).

C.  Do not drink soda.  I was in denial by telling myself that I only drink one or two Coke's at home.  However, every time we go out to eat (and if you read my last blog post, you can tell we tend to eat out a lot), I order a soda.  No more!  I am now the queen of water or iced tea.

D.  Work out on my wii.  ( I haven't done much of this, but I LOVE doing the Just Dance game and last weekend I bought a Jillian Michaels cardio workout.  )

E.  Have a friendly little weight loss competition with Greg.  (We started keeping track and weighing in right after Christmas...which was dumb considering we always have a big NYE party and then a week later we were going on vacation)  However, I'm proud to say that today is weigh-in day and I'm already down 4 pounds!  Woot!

F.  Eat more fruit.  (Yesterday the box of brownie mix in my pantry was practically screaming my name.  I ignored it and ate a kiwi instead.  Small victories, people!)

4.      Paint all the doors in my house and bunk house.  Sometimes when you do so much remodeling you tend to just say, "eh...screw it!" when it comes to detail items.  But, it's been a year now, and there are several doors in my house that need a coat (probably two) of paint:  my master bedroom door, Greg's closet door, our back door, and if we install a new door for our hall bathroom, that will need to be painted as well.  Also, there are three doors in our bunk house, none of which have been painted. 

5.      Plant sod in my court yard.  Last spring we rocked most of our front yard, but made a "court yard" in the middle with rail road ties.  The idea was to sod it, but we never did, so instead it's a big octagon of weeds and dirt.  It's pretty ugly.  I'm ready to have a nice pretty patch of green!

6.      Read a piece of classic American literature.  Don't ask me why, but I just want too.  And, if I don't accomplish this measly little goal, then someone needs to slap me.  Why?  Because while at a library book sale a few months ago I bought two classics:  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.  I read The Catcher in the Rye in high school, and while I remember enjoying it (mainly because it had a lot of curse words, which made me feel like a little bit of a rebel), I don't remember any of the plot.

7.      Go on a Valentine’s date with my husband.  *ahem*  Since VD (the term we lovingly referred to Valentine's Day as when I worked at a florist) is on a Thursday, I would even settle for a day-after date instead.  Anyone want to baby sit?  Mom?

8.      Re-decorate Parker’s room.  Now that Parker is approaching three, I want to give him a proper little boy room.  His nursery has a star theme, and now I'm going to upgrade it to a rock-star theme!  I'm so excited!  In fact, today I even bought some pictures for the walls!  I have visions in my mind of re-doing his entire room on his birthday while he is at day care, so he has a surprise.  We'll see what happens!

9.      Refurbish our living room furniture.  Our coffee table and two end tables are all pieces of furniture Greg had when I met him.  For several years now we have wanted to refurbish them.  However, now that we are trying to make our house look like a beach house, the idea I had pictured for them has changed.  I'd like to paint the two end tables an antique white and then on the drawer and doors, paint a crackle paint with turquoise blue showing in the cracks.  Then, I'd like to paint the coffee table turquoise and distress it. 

10.   Clean out my file cabinet.  This is a task that probably needed to be done a few years ago, but it's one of those "out of sight; out of mind" type of things.  However, with both me and Greg being self-employed, with another business on the horizon (opps, did I just say that?), I think it's time to be a lot more organized, and we need extra filing space!

11.   Organize my kitchen pantry.  It's a little embarrassing right now.  I'm hoping to get some pinspiration real soon!

12.   Become a public notary.  Not only will it be another service I can provide as a Realtor, there are other ways I could use being a notary to make some additional income.  I've toyed with this idea for a few years now and think now is as good a time as ever to become one!

13.   Make a scarf.  Years ago my sister went to some foreign country and bought me some fabric that is a burberry knock off, so I could make a scarf.  However, the scarf has never been made.  I think its been long enough (I can almost see my sister nodding her head!).

14.   Make a facebook page for Texoma Remodeling.  I've been trying (and usually failing) to take before and after pictures of different projects that TR has done.  Now it's time I put those pictures to use! 

15.   Clean my car out at least once a month.  Being a responsible 31 year old woman, I really shouldn't have a car that is always so cluttered.  So, this is my attempt at change (my husband is cheering!).

16.   Have family photos taken by Art and Soul Photography.  I have several amazing talented friends who are photographers.  But there is just something about Art and Soul Photography that I absolutely love, and I have followed her blog for about three or four years now!  I think it's simply that the pictures are always so vibrant and colorful!  I would be proud to hang a family photo on my wall and say it was taken by the amazing Angel Porch.

17.  Yell at Parker less.  I know what you're thinking; HUH?  Before  becoming a mom I knew a mom who constantly yelled at her kids.  I always thought, "I am not going to sound like her when I have a kid".  Now, guess who I sound like?  I feel like since becoming a parent I have lost all patience.  I need to remind myself that the first time I say, "No", I don't have to scream it.  I know that a "no" that is spoken, can still be effective.  I also need to remind myself that I didn't like being yelled at when I was younger, and yelling needs to be reserved for when it's really important or life threatening.

18.  Go to a play.  I have really been having the itch lately to be on stage.  But, since I know that's not going to happen any time soon, this would be the next best thing!

19.  You know.  And although I hate to admit it, this sucker is going to stay on the list every single year until it's done!  I will not give up!

2012 Goals

Here it is:  another year, another batch of goals!

1. Give my blog a makeover.  Since my hubby is no longer a "wind farmer" it's time to re-name this blog!  I'd love to have a tab to click on to buy my jewelry, too!  Hopefully I can figure this out.
2. Drink more water.  I should have learned my lesson when I got too dehydrated this summer, but nope.  Anyone who has ever spent a day with me probably knows I am horrible about drinking eight glasses of anything in a day.  I don't even finish a full beverage with a meal.  So, I'm hoping that by the end of the year I'll be able to guzzle down 8 glasses of water a day.  This is truly a challenge.
3. Read 10 books.  Ten books that I already own, to be more specific.  I counted the other day, and there are 37 books on my book shelf that I have never cracked open.  That's a little ridiculous. 
4. Get caught up on Parker's baby book.  When I packed all of our stuff up from our Colorado house I thought, "I'll be unpacking in a month and I  can catch up on his baby book then."  Well, we all know how that turned out.  Six months later I finally unpacked the box with his baby book; and still haven't got caught up on it.  This needs to be addressed, pronto!
5. Have a tan.  I mean a real, honest-to-goodness, I've-been-at-the-beach-all-day, kind of tan!  Not the, I-just-got-sprayed/laid-in-a-bed/rubbed-orange-lotion-all-over-me kind of tan.  Granted, this will probably take all summer to achieve because I'm a big believer in sun-screen (yes, you can still get a tan wearing sun screen; it just takes longer).
6. Take Parker on a fun outing every other month.  Not only do I feel like my little guy misses out on social interaction with other toddlers, I also feel bad that we live in such a remote area and he doesn't get to experience very many things.  I figure a special trip every other month can make up for it, even if it just means driving an hour to play with a friend.
7. To only eat out 75 times the entire year.  Yup.  Re-read it and let that soak in.  Considering our family eats approximately 1,095 meals a year, I have a feeling this is going to be pretty hard.  But, I'm going to attempt it nevertheless.  I've already added a little running tally to the top right of my blog so you can keep track of how often we eat out, along with *gulp* how much money we spend doing so.
8. Refurbish Parker's rocking chair.  This is pretty self-explanatory.  I have everything I need to do it, I just need to make myself actually get the job done.
9. Personalize my home-office space.  Our new home doesn't have a room I can designate for a home office, so when we remodeled our kitchen we added a built-in desk.  I have a vision in my mind as to how I want it to look.  And, since it's in the heart of our home, I also want it to match the "beach" theme I want our house to have.  Lets see if I can make it work!
10. Learn how to make fork jewelry.  I know this was on last year's list, but I never really had the time to give this hobby a go.  I can't tell ya'll how desperately I want a fork ring just like this.
11. Learn how to crack an egg with one hand.  Because that would make me feel like a complete culinary bad a$$.
12. Exercise at least four times a week.  Granted, I'm not going to be hitting up the gym, but I do have this awesome inspiration I found via pinterest.     
    
    Source: iowagirleats.com via Felicia on Pinterest
       I am also dying to have a hula hoop!  I plan on re-visiting my fifth grade hula hooping club days!  Oh, yeah!
13. Contribute to our family financially.  This means make my family some money, and not cost us some money like I did last year.  Hopefully real estate in this sleepy lake town will start hopping real soon, if not, I'm gonna have to figure something else out.  Any ideas?
14. Find a church to attend regularly.  Preferably one that my husband won't gripe about would attend with me.
15. Take a wild guess.  If you've been reading this blog for the past few years, you probably have a small idea as to what this is.  I just know this is the year I'll accomplish this goal!
16. Write a will.  I think Greg and I have learned the hard way that a will is a very important document for a parent to have.  I think this would just be a responsible thing for us to do.
17. Open a Savings Account for Parker.  Sometimes Parker receives money from various family members and I like to put it aside for him to use when he's older.  It only makes sense to protect this money in a savings account.
18. Go to a concert.  Greg and I love going to concerts but we haven't been to one in years.  I'm hoping we can go to a concert that we will both mutually enjoy, and not my husbands beloved Jason Boland *gag*.
19. Begin working on my Brokers license.  I really think that this is a goal that most Realtors hope to achieve.  I would like to start doing my classes this year.
20. Become active in the community.  I don't really know how I'm going to do this yet, but I keep having an urge to give back in some way.  Plus, it will be a good way to meet people!
21. Learn CPR.  Way back when we owned a home that came with a swimming pool I thought it would be in my best interest to learn how to do CPR.  But, I procrastinated and never learned.  I also have this weird theory that all parents should know how to do CPR.  Am I one of those parents myself?  No.  Which means I'm a pretty big hypocrite.  I don't necessarily care about being "certified", just as long as I would know how to do it in case of an emergency.

My Hot Date!

We finally finished remodeling our master/upstairs bathroom (pics coming soon)! I told myself that as a reward, I would indulge myself in a nice relaxing hot bath. My husband is out of town for the weekend, so this was my hot date for the night!

I don't take baths very often (I'm more of a shower gal), but when I do, I like to do them right! We made this as our craft at the last MOPS meeting, and that was sometimes the only thing that got me through all the painting I had to do. I love treating myself to a reward after a job well done.



Here are the instructions to make your own Ginger Soak:
2 cups baking soda
1 cup Epson salts
2 Tablespoons ground ginger

I have heard of people soaking in tubs with baking soda and Epsom salts (Gwyneth Paltrow does it), but have never done it myself. About 30 minutes after my bath my skin felt pleasantly tingly. I'm not sure if that's normal, but I sure liked it and felt very refreshed afterward.

My companions in the bathroom were these two items:



Capped off by an episode of Sex in the City! I planned on having a mini SITC marathon, but I was so relaxed and tired after my bath I barely made it through one!


Once I finished watching my show, I sprayed some Deep Sleep pillow spray from The Body Shop onto my sheets, and I hit the sack and slept like a baby!

Have you noticed?

My cute little pregnancy ticker at the top of my page that I added a few weeks ago? I think it's pretty cool, but then again I may be a little biased. Here's the great thing about it though. Remember me mentioning in my post below that I'm not that great with math? Yeah, numbers and I don't mesh well. I know that my weeks for my pregnancy begin on Tuesdays. So today while I was substituting (yup, you read that right) I was sitting on a bench during recess trying to remember what week I was at. I knew it was possibly 25 but very well could be 24. Once I got home, I quickly logged onto my blog just to comment back to a comment that one of my cousins left and I happened to look at my little ticker. Wouldn't you know, I'm actually 26 weeks today! Wow! Where has the time gone?

OK, I would have figured that out as soon as I took my trusty "What To Expect When You're Expecting" book off the bookshelf to read what's going on in my tummy this week, but I thought it was cute that my blog was what reminded me that my little boy will be here before I know it!

2009 Goals In Review

I can't believe that 2009 is already coming to an end! The years seem to go by faster and faster the older I get. You may remember that I posted my goals for 2009 back in January. And although I'm pretty embarrassed by my results, here's how everything panned out:

1. To put money into our online savings account at least once a week. This just didn't happen. Some weeks I did, others I didn't. And we have recently opened a new local banking account since we moved and it's an interest bearing checking account! Amazingly enough, it earns a far higher interest rate than our online savings account does.

2. To apply for our passports. Yay! I can scratch that one off my list! Obviously, since I blogged all about our amazing vacation in Cancun, Mexico!

3. To read all of Sophie Kinsella's books. Check!

4. To write at least the first section of my book. Well....ummm....hmmm...let's just not talk about it, OK?

5. To loose 25 pounds. Obviously, that didn't happen! ;) But I'm happily starting to embrace my pregnant belly! A friend told me that Heidi Klum says, "When you're first pregnant, wear baggy clothes to disguise the "fat" look, but once the tummy starts to stick out, ROCK IT!" I'm trying to fully embrace her motto!

6. To finish the Harry Potter series. This is one that should have been easy. Especially since I'm down to Book 7. But I have a really good excuse! I am actually a huge fan of public libraries. I have always loved going to one and I could easily spend hours inside of one. Needless to say, I rarely go out and buy myself a book. However, I figured the Harry Potter series would be an awesome collection to read to my kid (or kids) someday and I wanted to hand them down to them as they got older. Which meant I wanted hardback. However, I have a hard time going to Wal-Mart and just buying myself a hardback book. So I've waited to receive it as a birthday or Christmas present and it just hasn't happened.
*hint, hint, HB!*

7. To pay off our Gordon's account. Yay! Scratch this one off the list! I love paying off debt! Now if only we could pay off the Harley....

8. To grow my hair out longer. Well, I haven't chopped it off, but I don't think it's gotten any longer than it was last year. I've always heard that pre-natal vitamins make hair and nails grow like crazy. I haven't noticed that affect. I am now trying to grow my bangs out, which is not fun.

9. To deep clean the camper at least once a week. I promise, I did really good with this up until the time I got pregnant and began feeling sick all day long. Then it got a little out of control. On the bright side, we cleaned all of our "stuff" out of the camper a few weeks ago and it's sitting in our driveway now, nicely cleaned and empty!

10. To actually get the pictures that are taking up space on my laptop printed, labeled, and in a photo album. This was actually my big project when I joined Greg on the road. You would think that 2 years later the huge box with random pictures thrown inside of it would be organized by now. Unfortunately, I had better things to do. Like read. Or blog. Or watch the endless movies we receive courtesy of DirecTV. You get the point. Basically I'm a lazy, procrastinating human being. I have made some progress though. I did get more pictures printed off of our laptop. I have them in chronological order and in zip lock bags based on the year. All I have left to do is label and put in albums. Let's just say I have a feeling this one is going to roll over onto next year's goal list as well. Is that cheating?

So there you have it! How did everyone else's New Year's Resolutions work out? Stay tuned for my goals for 2010!

Have Passport, Will Travel

Greg and I got our passports in the mail on Monday!!! I am so excited! Most of you know that this is one of my 2009 goals. And while we had full intentions of applying for our passports this year, nothing quite lit the fire under our rears than when our good friends Randy and Shannon said they were going to Cancun for a destination wedding, and we were invited!! What better way to kick off the freedom and endless possibilities that come with having a passport than to go to an all inclusive tropical resort with seven other couples? Unfortunately, I still have 68 days to wait until we leave!

Since I'm mentioning my goals, it's only fair to tell everyone how far I've come with those goals!

* Harry Potter. I finally finished the 6th Harry Potter book just in time to watch it on the big screen (which I had never done before)! And with my birthday right around the corner, I'm hoping someone will buy me the 7th book in hardback! *hint, hint*

* Sophie Kinsella. As you know, I had read all of Sophie Kinsella's books, but busy author that she is, her latest book recently became available a few days ago. But have no fear! I ordered it from the library and am reading it right now!

* Saving Money. Unfortunately, I got back into my same way of thinking when it comes to saving money. There were weeks when literally we couldn't set aside a hundred bucks or so and I forgot that $25 a week can really add up by the end of the year. I've re-focused now though...so I'm back on track!

* My book. Ugh. Well, shortly after I wrote the first five pages, I was blog surfing, and somehow stumbled upon a post titled "Top 10 Signs That You're Addicted to Blogging". One of the reasons was that one suddenly thinks he or she can write a book. That totally discouraged me. Especially when I read all the comments from fellow bloggers who all thought the same thing. Luckily, I have a great friend who is getting her masters in library science. She reads all the time, especially for her classes and she said that she would edit the book for me whenever I get it written. I really need to focus on the fact that I have people rooting for me, but sometimes it's not that easy.....

* Cleaning. Well....let's just say that some weeks I "forget" to dust. Other than that, I've stayed on top of it!

* Pay off Gordons Account. You can mark that one off the list! Now I'm focusing on sending additional principal payments to the Harley! Everyone should do this on their debt....even $10 makes a difference!

* Pictures. I am slowly making progress on this. In fact, earlier this week I went though my computer and have the remaining pictures that need to be printed all in one folder! Once those are ordered and shipped back to me, I can begin placing them in albums!!!

* Losing 25 lbs. Well, let's just say I love food! I'm still doing WW. If you can call it that. I think I've only stayed within my points 2 weeks. Ugh. Summer kind of got me down. I figured once I was already in a bikini, as long as I was maintaining or loosing I shouldn't complain. I'm still trying to stay active though and I try to eat healthy, but sometimes the popcorn at the movie theatre just calls my name!

Stay Tuned! The year isn't over yet!!

Lake Texoma

One of my favorite places is Lake Texoma. I mentioned in the post below that my father in law lives at Lake Texoma. We recently had a chance to spend a few days at his house, which I love because it is just so darn relaxing! Of course, he always tends to put my hubby to work and this time was no different. The chore: cleaning and organizing a huge shop. I wish I would have taken before and after pictures! I helped when I could but most of the time I just felt like I was in the way. I was pretty content to simply pass the time on the front porch with a Danielle Steel novel!

The cool thing about where Carl, my father in law, lives, is that it's a short three-minute drive on the golf cart to the sandy beach! And yes, you read that right! Everyone at the lake drives golf carts! It's quite comical! Now, for some reason whenever we go down to visit, it seems that we never go to the beach until the evening. However, this time I was determined to spend a full day on the beach and get some sun! I invited my sister and her two munchkins down for the occasion!





After they left, I moseyed back to the beach with the before mentioned novel, along with my dog, and together we enjoyed the sun and the relaxing sound of the waves.

That same evening Carl organized a small cook-out on the beach. On the way to our "spot" we passed this cute little sand turtle creation!



Apparently Carl wasn't as impressed as I was since he ran over it's foot on the golf cart! Here's a few more random shots from that evening. And, just fyi, this isn't even what I consider the "pretty" part of the beach!











Oh, Lake Texoma, how I wish you weren't eleven hours away....

The Newbie Kit

The other day I visited Sidney's local Chamber of Commerce. I went in to see if they had any brochures about Cheyenne, WY, or anything else that might spark my interest. When the lady who was working there asked if I was new in town, I told her I was. She then said, "Let me get a newcomers packet for you". I just said OK and didn't really think anything about it. I wandered around some and when she handed the packet to me she explained what some of the items were and pointed out that there were some coupons in there to help me get acquainted with some of the local businesses. I waited until I got home before I "dove in" to check everything out. Let me tell ya...newcomers packets are awesome! There were so many cool coupons in there! Everything else just faded into the background as I poured over all the savings! Here are my top favorite coupons:

* 1/4 lb of free fudge at the local pharmacy (Of course I already used it, and of course we already ate it. I'm forcing myself not to walk back into that store.)

*$4 off admission at the movie theatre! (We watched Land of the Lost, which was pretty dumb, but the popcorn was amazing! Please note, this is why dieting is not easy for me...I'm so easily tempted by things like popcorn and fudge).

*10% off at the book store. I can already hear the cracking of the binding as I open my 7th Harry Potter book. (I'm almost finished with the sixth book! Wow, that means the 6th Harry Potter movie will be the the first one I watch in which I've actually read the book first!)

*$4 off a pedicure at the community college's school of cosmetology. Aren't school pedicures cheap enough as it is??? Which reminds me, I should really be booking that appointment instead of blogging.

Progress Report

Now that it's April I figured it would be a good time to let everyone know about the progress about the goals I set for myself this year. (Plus, this is a good way to keep me accountable!)

1. To put money into our online savings account at least once a week. I've actually been doing really well with this. But, I have to admit I got really frustrated with myself at first. You see, I always thought that in order to save I had to be saving a large lump sum at one time. There have been weeks that literally all I could put into savings was $25. If only I had this mind set two years ago, that adds up to $600 plus interest! Besides, doesn't the saying go, "A penny saved is a penny earned". Another thing that has helped me is that I've started a schedule for ourselves. My husband gets paid every week, so I've made a list of his pay days, and then I write what bills I have to pay that week, then I leave about $400 for our spending money/grocery shopping/gas for the week, then I put the rest into savings. It's really been helping!

2. To apply for our passports. I still haven't done this, but I did find the applications! That's a start, right?

3. To read all of Sophie Kinsella's books. I actually read the last one last week! But I also discovered that she also pens novels using a different name. So...maybe those will be on my list for next year!

4. To write at least the first section of my book. Nope...I haven't done this yet. To be frank, I haven't even wrote another word since I posted my goal list. Those puzzles I've been doing had me distracted!

5. To loose 25 pounds. I'm excited to say that today was my weigh in for Weight Watchers and I've lost 8.2 pounds since starting my weight loss journey! Yay! Only 16.8 to go. Ugh!

6. To finish the Harry Potter series. I plan on starting book five next week!

7. To pay off our Gordon's account. I did this! Well, actually, I kind of cheated and just took money out of savings to pay it. But, I'm pretty sure that's what Suze Orman would have told me to do!

8. To grow my hair out longer. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but just the past two weeks I really have been thinking that my hair seems longer! Since I started WW, I also began taking a multi-vitamin (Vitamin Code for Women). I'm kind of thinking that those may be helping! And now that we have our bike I really would like my hair to be long enough to braid again so it won't be so wind-blown while we're riding!

9. To deep clean the camper at least once a week. I have been so awesome about doing this! Thursday has been my designated "clean" day. And several people laughed at me when I tell them this and say, "Oh I bet that takes twenty minutes". I wish! Try two hours! This is what I do: Everyday I wash the dishes, make the bed and vacuum. But on Thursdays I also, clean the microwave, clean the oven, clean the kitchen and bathroom sinks, clean the toilet, dust, scrub the shower, mop, Windex the mirrors, and sometimes give Shady a bath!

10. To actually get the pictures that are taking up space on my laptop printed, labeled, and in a photo album. Okay, I actually just started this one on Monday. Oh. My. Gosh. This is an even bigger task than I imagined. I literally have pictures from way back in 2002. So far I have the pictures divided into years. Now I'm going through and trying to put them in chronological order. I've also ordered about 100 pictures that were on my camera yesterday. And I have also started going through my files on the laptop to see which pictures still need to be printed off. (I even came across a picture that was taken of me back in October. It's one that I'm not too proud of because it really shows how much weight I had gained. So if I'm brave enough, I may use it as a "before and after" pic when I reach my goal weight!) Then, once I get every single stinkin' picture printed and in order, I start the mundane task of putting them in an album and labeling them. The upside is that I found pics of Greg and I when we had just started dating! I was so skinny, my hair was super long and a lot curlier (don't know where my curls have disappeared to over the years), and it was when I died my hair darker and wore green contacts! Hmmmm....and Greg was so adorable! With his tan face and highlighted hair! It was so much fun walking down memory lane. We even found a pic of us with our old Honda Shadow!

So there you have it! I'll be sure and post more updates in a few months! Stay tuned!

Deep Thoughts From Starbucks

As you saw from my pictures below, I had the pleasure of meeting up with several college friends of mine at Starbucks over Christmas break. I for one am a complete sucker for coffee shops. I was in absolute heaven that evening because I have always wanted to just "hang out" and talk to friends in a coffee shop. I think I may have watched one too many episodes of Friends. Unfortunately, I rarely get to do just that. So I was pretty pumped that after dinner we moseyed on over to the famous coffee chain to continue chatting it up!

One of our conversations was actually brought up by yours truly. And that was that none of us who were sitting in the group actually thought we'd end up doing what we are currently doing. For instance, I never in a million years thought I'd be living in a 5th wheel being a domestic diva. Another friend was working in insurance and she never thought that's what she would be doing. Another one was back in school getting her masters in a completely different field from her Bachelors. To sum it all up, we are all educated women with college degrees, yet none of us were actually "using" our degrees.

I remember in high school I applied for college because it was the norm and what high school graduates are "supposed to do". When I started school my major was in counseling. Unfortunately for reasons much longer than I care to bore you with I changed my major. And honestly I picked a major that was "easy". I thought, I'd love to own my own boutique or be a buyer for a corporate company. But, my two roommates were also Retail Merchandising majors, so for all I know, maybe I was just following them. (And for the record, I still think those would be amazing jobs!)

Now fast forward to the present. I constantly hear successful people say to do what one loves. Have a passion for your job. Well, when I was in high school, I only had two loves. One was acting. But I immediately dismissed the idea of trying to make it in Hollywood because I didn't want to be a "starving actor". I'm just not a risk taker and wanted to make sure I was financially taken care of. The other thing I really enjoyed was reading. I also loved to write. I always did well in English and my favorite class was creative writing. I kept a journal pretty faithfully while I was in high school but for some reason didn't make the time to do so once I was in college. Another idea that crossed my mind when I was in high school was to be a journalist. But not for the news. That was too boring for me. No, I wanted to work for a fashion magazine. But, again, that required moving because fashion magazines aren't based out of Oklahoma. So I dismissed the idea. Now that I'm steadily approaching my ten year high school reunion, I realize that what I did was limit myself.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not feeling sorry for myself or thinking that I made a bad choice by getting my degree in Retail. I had a great college experience and made wonderful friends. But what I can do is learn from my experience. Hopefully several years in the future I will have a child who will be graduating from high school and I can share my reflections with them. If they do not want to go to college straight out of high school then I will fully support them in finding out who they are as a person and what they want out of life.

With that being said, I've decided, with the encouragement of my "Starbucks Gang" to write a book. And really it seems to make sense to me. I distinctly remember when I was in elementary school saying that I wanted to write a book then, as well. And I was inspired by (go figure) a house. In my mind, I would write a book about two best friends and all the mischief and adventures they would have in this particular house. However, I spent more time on drawing the title than I actually spent on writing. Hey, like I said, I was only in elementary school!

So, although I say I'm going to write a book, I may start and completely hate the process. If that's the case, then I'm not going to force myself into doing something that I don't have to do. But, I've already thought about some key characters and a plot. However, don't ask what I'm writing about! I think my story line is pretty original and I don't want someone to take my idea and run with it. Of course, it's going to be a Fiction book and will more than likely be considered chick lit; which is my fave!

Being the consummate day dreamer that I am (which is not a bad thing, I'm really hoping that characteristic will help me with this whole process) I already have visions of the New York Times Bestsellers List, book signing events at Barnes and Noble, and a phone call asking if someone amazing can turn my book into a screen play. Hey, I'm just sayin'....It can happen!

Snail Mail!

I absolutely love snail mail! Especially when it's a package or letter or card that I'm not expecting. Yesterday I walked to the office to see if my mom had mailed me my mail from home. And I did have mail, just not from my mom. It was a package from my Aunt in California. She had already sent me an anniversary card, as well as a birthday card the month before, so I was a little confused as to what it was. It was all I could do to not run back to our trailer from the office out of sheer anticipation to see what was in the bulky envelope. As soon as I opened it I was so surprised. She had sent me a brand new Danielle Steel hardback. And on it she taped a note saying that she too loves Danielle Steel. I was so shocked that she took time out of her busy schedule to buy me a book just because we both have a joint interest in the author. I also never knew that she liked to read so it's always neat when you find out a relative has a common interest with you. It kind of reminded me of those ancestor.com commercials that say, "find out who you get your love of dancing from".

So thanks, Aunt Jo! Not only for the snail mail, but also for a book I cannot wait to loose myself in!