Progress

Here's a little update on those goals I recently posted!

RUNNING - well, I got my buns movin' & have decided to add an additional quarter of a mile to my workout each week. That way I can actually force myself to keep on track instead of the ole I'm-going-to-the-gym-every-freakin'-day routine ... because that never works for me. I always start the day out with the best of intentions ... and by 5pm let's be honest, I'm ready to do anything but go to the gym. By adding that amount, 2 months from now I will be at my 5 mile goal! A couple days ago when I hit 3 miles, it was a milestone. I'm not shy about the fact that I do. not. run. SO, 3 miles was a record (don't judge). And it felt GOOD. I also got my Nike+ all figured out! So I'm keeping track of my runs on that bad boy. They are super-duper handy. If you like to run, and don't already have one ... support the swoosh. They are worth your monayyy. I'm excited how attainable this once far-fetched goal now is. I have no doubt I'll cruise on by 5 miles in no time ...

MONEY - Paying off my student loans is really my biggest goal, and making progress on this is top priority to me. It is a chal-lenge let me tell you. I constantly get the 'shopping-bug' and I love to wine & dine ... but I keep remembering how great it feels to put chunks of money towards my loans & see those balances drop. I've added an extra $900/month towards my payments. It also feels great to NOT pay interest ... when you pay over the minimum amount due, that amount goes straight to the principal. Worth it? Most definitely. Saving money lately has become more of a fun challenge. I have become a coupon clipper! Every Sunday I cut coupons out of the paper & make grocery store purchases based on whats either on sale, or what I have a coupon for. Now that I have started using them (& saving money!) it seems so silly to go shopping without them!


SHOOTING- Well, first things first, I renewed my hunting license & put in for my deer tags! I picked Wagontire since that is where the men of the family usually go. Over this past weekend I also went out shooting with the boys. I shot a 243, which I loved. So, well on our way with this goal too.


BLOGGING - okay, okay so I think about blogging like, every day. But ... this is the first one I've posted since that goal. I'll keep working on that one :)

Goals

I'm a big fan of setting goals. Goals give you direction, motivation, & a sense of accomplishment once they have been attained. They give you something to look forward to (which I think we all need) & the cool thing is, they can be anything! I think we are very good at setting our 'new year's resolutions' that last maaaaybe three days (max!) but setting goals for me has been something that focuses me on things I want to do. They are passions & aspirations. For example, last summer my goal was to learn to ride & own a Harley. Done! I LOVE my bike & I'll admit it, I sort of feel like a bad ass when people ask me about it ;) But that was last year, so here we are ... 2011 ... time for some new goals!

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RUNNING- Compared to a lot of runners, it may be pathetic for my goal to be able to run 5 miles. But let's be honest, I'm not a runner ... nor have I ever ran that far ... mmm in my life. I'm giving myself a shorter timeline for this. 8 weeks. Doable? That's only increasing my current distance by 3 miles. Which is clearly more than double what I'm doing now. Hence the goal. This may end up being easier (or harder) than I expect! I am going to get the Nike+ for my ipod & keep track!

SHOOTING- I want to own my very own gun & shoot a deer. Bad. It doesn't have to be a huge elk or anything ... just a deer. I'll leave it at that for now.

MONEY- Pay off my student loans by next August. This is a big goal because it requires me to be extremely diligent with my money in the next 16 months ... $18,000 worth of diligence. My mom always said that people that don't have money are the ones that talk about it the most. I tend to be private with my money but after reading the Dave Ramsey book, I'm more excited about sharing the process. P.S. Check out Dave Ramsey on Facebook ... did you know the average person graduates college with $24K in student loan debt & takes on average 20 years to pay it off ... aka still paying it while their children are in college. Yikes.

BLOGGING- This is kind of silly. But I really do LOVE blogs. I love reading them, following them, spending (way to much) time oooo-ing & ahhh-ing over what people have done! The blogging that I want to do is just a way of documenting some of the things I have done! I don't have a particular goal for this. But just to do it :) I guess I'm well on my way. Cheers.

Design Dilemma

One of my personal weaknesses is my inability to make decisions. I've blogged about this before, but it's true. Anything that really doesn't matter, I can't for the life of me decide upon. So it's kind of a big deal that I have decided the style for our new house! We got a cute little three bedroom, two bath, ranch style house here in town. We are just renting, which makes it a little less fun ... but nonetheless, I'll take you on a tour!

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Here is the living room: The entry is to the right (not pictured) & the fireplace will require a little more effort than just the flip-of-a-switch ... but hey, this girl can build a 'real' fire! & it will save us money on heating.

The kitchen: It has a TON of cupboard space & a pantry on the other side. All updated appliances ... I'm sort of stoked about the dishwasher that has drawers...


The kitchen again: Side-by-side fridge! & the freezer on the bottom. I really should have turned the lights on when I took these pictures. My bad.



Dining room: Okay, the mirror is kind of huge & ugly ... but it could be worse!



The master: Pretty boring, but has potential!


And HERE ... is the problem: The (tiny) master bathroom ... with no storage. None. There is a reason you do not put a pedestal sink in a master bath. That reason being there is not a place in the world to hide ... well, anything. While I do love the look of them & they are suitable for say, a guest bathroom, they are completely impractical for actual 'living' spaces. This is my biggest bathroom challenge yet ... & here it is:

I didn't include pictures of the guest bathroom, the other two rooms, or the patio/outside area. I'm sure more of that will come later. These are just some general 'before' pictures. As for the design style ... we're going for a nice combination of a lot of country, a little french, & a little classic. I promise it will make more sense as it all comes together. And true to form, I'm doing it on a dime. My Dave Ramsey money-saving-madness is in full effect ...