2014 Goals

I have many goals that I want to accomplish in 2014. I'm feeling more determined then I have in a long time and it's a great feeling.

2014 GOALS

• Be more present - When I spend time with my family and friends I want to focus on being more present. I want to enjoy and remember the time that I spend with the people I love. 
• Complete C25K Program (spring) - My best friend and I started the program in the fall, but didn't make it past week 4. I plan on starting C25K and completing all 9 weeks this spring. 
• SIDE NOTE: I can't wait for spring time. In Michigan we are dealing with temperatures in the -40s with windchill and it is absolutely brutal. We also got 12 inches of snow over the last few days. The combination of the incredibly cold temperatures and the snow have turned our roads into huge sheets of ice; needless to say I'm ready for warmer weather.

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• Run a 5K (summer) - Once I complete C25K I want to register for a race and run my first 5k. 
• Blog more frequently - I have not been very consistent since I started my blog at the end of August. In 2014 I want to blog consistently, my goal is to blog 4-5 times a week. 
• Manage my money better - I'm not the best at managing my money. I want to develop a budget that works for me. 

  

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• Continue to do well in grad school - My first semester of grad school went really well and I obviously want to keep up the good work. 
• Take (a) spinning class(es) at a gym - I'm in love with spinning. I do different spinning workouts from YouTube, but sometime this year I want to try an actual class at a gym. The place I have a membership at doesn't offer spinning classes, but I know other places in my area that do. 

What are your goals for 2014? 

I'm Backkkkk

I've taken a huge break from blogging, but I'm back!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season, I know I did. 
There will be a recap of my holiday festivities up on Thursday. 
I also have some goals for 2014 that I will share with you tomorrow. 
Here's a little recap of what I've been up to since the last time I blogged. 
I got a spinning bike as a Christmas/birthday present from my parents.

Sole SB700 

I absolutely LOVE it! 
My TV in my room is a smart TV and has YouTube right on it. 
There are sooo many different spinning workouts on YouTube, which keeps me from getting bored. 
I've lost 6 pounds since I got my bike at the beginning of December. 
I'm really happy with that loss considering all the cookies, pasta, and bread junk I ate throughout the holidays. 

top: annual cookie bake
bottom: toasted coconut marshmallows made by my dad

I've started to weigh myself every Friday morning.
Here are my weigh-ins since the beginning of December:

My weigh-in on New Year's Day:

I'm not going to obsess over the number on the scale, I refuse to do that. 
The number doesn't define me and I'm determined not to let any number get me down.
It has taken me a long time to put this weight on and it will not come off overnight. 
I'm currently feeling really motivated and I'm ready to make 2014 my year!
I saw this quote on April's blog the other day and I love it. 
It is definitely a new favorite. 

I will not allow myself to grow old without seeing the strength and beauty that my body is capable of, I can promise you that.
I look forward to what 2014 has in store for me, or more like what I have in store for 2014. 
Watch out world, I'm ready to rock!

Happy Birthday to My BestSisterFriend

Happy 22nd Birthday Ali, my bestsisterfriend! 

I would like to dedicate today's post to the birthday girl.
*Disclaimer: this post is mostly pictures with some random sentences thrown in. 

Ali is my best friend and like a sister to me. 

She's an amazing hair stylist, a crazy dog lady, and has worked hard to get to where she is today. 

She has lost over 60 pounds in the past 2 years and just started her own blog, so you should go say hello and wish her a happy birthday. 

Crazy dog lady...she took at least 20 pictures of him in that same position#notjudging

Here are just a few of the MANY reasons why she's my best friend and why I love her.
We've been through a lot together. Ali and I have known each other since elementary school, but we didn't get super close until sixth grade.

6th grade AWKWARD stage

I can tell her anything and I know she won't judge me. 
We seriously know everything about each other.

Peace signs & duck lips #classic 

2007 - junior year Christmas Dance

2009 - senior year spring break in Myrtle Beach 

We are so weird when we're together...it's great. We even talk to each other in weird accents.

When we give each other a certain look we automatically know what the other person is thinking.

We laugh so hard over some of the most stupid things that most people probably wouldn't find funny.
We've spent the last 11 years celebrating our birthdays with each other and I wouldn't want it any other way. 
Here are a few gems from Ali's 16th birthday:

Obviously taking pictures with stuff at Walmart was the "cool" thing to do
#notreallythatcool #neverwillbe #butitwasfun

Ali and I just get each other! 
She's the mac to my cheese. 
My partner in crime.
We're two peas in a pod. 

My 21st

I'm so lucky to call her my best friend.

I wouldn't trade our friendship for anything. 
I can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with her. 

Happy birthday again pretty lady! 

I can't wait to celebrate tonight. 

Miranda Lambert Concert

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. 

I know I will!

So What Wednesday

 

Today I'm linking up with Shannon for "So What Wednesday" 

So what if......

• I enjoy all of the holiday decorations being up at work....they make me happy and get me in the holiday spirit. 
• I ate a cranberry bliss bar today...it was delicious.
• I'm sort of obsessed with The Biggest Loser right now. I've only seen a few random episodes throughout the years. Over the weekend I watched the first four episodes of season 15 and I will be watching the fifth episode tonight. 
• I check the website everyday to see if the price of this beauty has gone down. I want it in a very bad way. 

  

  Sole SB700 Light Commercial Spin Bike 

• I burned my tongue so0000 bad this morning because I was impatient and drank my tea while it was still scalding hot, stupid silly me.
• I have a love/hate relationship with my work schedule. I love getting out of work before 2:00 on most days, but getting up before 5:00 is horrible. 
• I just want to fast forward to Friday. It's my roommate/best friend's birthday and we are having a girls night in at our house. I also have the whole weekend off from work...woohoo!

Happy Wednesday! We're halfway through the week :) 

Seven Years

Today marks seven years with my boyfriend, Aaron.

He is my everything. My best friend. 

I'm so lucky to have him in my life.

I will share our story sometime soon. 

I unfortunately didn't get to see him today because we live an hour away from each other. 

SCRATCH THAT ^^^^^ He just showed up at my house unannounced at 9 pm after working all day. 

I seriously wasn't expecting that at all.

I'm so excited!

Over the weekend we went out to dinner with another couple and we had a great time. 

We both had a couple of these AWESOME margaritas.

I was going to make this post longer, but since Aaron is here now I'm going to cut it short.

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures from our high school days together. 

I'll be back tomorrow with a post about the FIT4CHRISTMAS challenge and my goals for it. 

Throwback Thursday Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween folks!
I hope you all enjoyed at least one piece of candy today. 
The weather here today has been superrrrr blahhhh. 
This kind of weather is so depressing and makes me want to sleep all day. 
Tonight I went to my parent's house to hand out candy. 
I would say we had maybe 35 trick-or-treaters. 
I just handed out handfuls of candy to each of them because I was cold and ready to go inside.

Such lovely weather #gottalovemichigan

I had 1 snickers & 1 laffy taffy #selfcontrol

While I was at my parent's house I had every intention of finding old Halloween pictures.  
Well I looked in my room and couldn't find a single one. 
I didn't feel like searching through the endless sleeves of unmarked photos. 
I couldn't find any in albums so I said fugggg it.
Maybe next year I will spoil you guys with some Halloween gems from my childhood. 
Let me tell you I had the BIGGEST gap in my teeth. 
I was the epitome of awkward. 
Thank goodness for braces....I digress. 

So because I couldn't find any awkward photos from my childhood, I have some photos from my skinny days early college days (freshmen and sophomore year).
I will probably never show that much skin in a costume again how depressing. 

#motivation 

#evenmoremotivation 

#IMOBVIOUSLYINAHASHTAGGINGMOOD

One last thing...
This afternoon at approximately 4:50 pm I turned in my final paper of the semester, meaning I'm DONE with my first semester of grad school.
THANK YOU BABY J....HOLLLLA.
I'm ready for a bit of a break from school. 
CHEERS to that and the fact that tomorrow is Friday even though I have to work on Saturday at 5:30am. 

#ilovewine #andhashtags

So What Wednesday...

Today I'm linking up with Shannon at Life After I Dew for So What Wednesday....

So what if.....

• I plan on eating some candy tomorrow...it's Halloween, so that makes it ok duhhh.
• I'm really excited for new seasons of Vanderpump Rules and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I love me some reality TV, especially on Bravo. 

• I don't know how I'm going to resist cranberry bliss bars when we get them in at work.  They are seriously DELICIOUS. It's definitely going to take some serious willpower to not eat my weight in them everyday. 




• I'm asking for a Bump Nest pregnancy pillow for Christmas, even though I AM NOT PREGNANT...just to make that clear. I always sleep with a pillow between my legs and I'm a total blanket hog because I like having something in my arms. I think the Bump Nest is the perfect solution, it looks sooo comfortable. I can't wait to take it to bed that's what she said. 



Source 

• I spent a small fortune on groceries this week. I have a love/hate relationship with grocery shopping. I love shopping and getting yummy things, but I HATE how much it all costs I'm a broke bitch. 

• Procrastination is my middle name. I swear, I really do work better under pressure. 

  

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What are you saying "so what" to today? What is your favorite Halloween treat?