30 Before 30

I have a 101 in 1001 list, and while I should probably focus on getting those little items checked off, after turning the big 2-5 last month, I was thinking I should focus on a few big goals for the next 5 years.

30 Before 30
in no particular order

1. Go to Hawaii.

2. Buy a second house.

3. Buy a new car (to me, I ain't hatin' on used card).

4. Go on a vacation outside the country with Handsome Husband.

5. Generate income from something creative - Etsy shop, photography, writing, etc. (Stress Case blog doesn't count!).

6. Get a Bachelor's Degree.

7. Complete a Project 52 or 365.

8. Attend a Blog Conference.

9. Go on a camping trip with our friends.

10. Go on a girls' weekend that we must take a plane for.

11. See Miranda Lambert live in concert.

12. Go to Stagecoach Country Music Festival.

13. Learn to do something new - golf, crochet, snowboard - anything that I wouldn't normally gravitate to!

14. Be in a wedding.

15. Take a pole dancing class.

16. Write a book.  It doesn't have to get published, but I have to write it.

17. Do the Susan Komen 3-day Challenge Walk.

18. Spend New Years in the snow somewhere.

19. Upgrade my DSLR.

20. Become a Mommy.

21. Host a shower for someone - baby shower, bridal shower, engagement party, etc.

22. Bake bread from scratch.

23. Go to an Ice Bar.

24. Run a 10K without stopping.

25. Grow a pair (not literally or the photos would be strange) and get a budoir photo shoot done.

26. Go to an NFL game.

27. Fly first-class.

28. Leave a 100% tip for one lucky, and hardworking, waiter or waitress.

29. Throw a surprise party for someone.

30. Own a piece of David Yurman jewelry.

 

Have you ever put together a 30 Before 30 list?  Leave the link in the comments, I'd love to see what's on yours! 

January is OVA!

I can hardly believe we are already one month deep in 2013...time is flying!

In January...

 

We started off the year dancing and drinking our asses off at The Derby, our local dueling piano bar, with some wonderful friends.

 

 

We headed to the boonies San Bernardino to welcome our good friend Twin Navy home during his short leave.

 

Twin Navy himself, with his cutie wife looking on.

 

Handsome Husband went back to school to kick ass in the Spring semester the way he did this past Fall.

 

To celebrate the new semester, we headed to the diviest bar in Orange for a little Law School Karaoke Contest.  I'm just going to come right out and say it: my rendition of Call Me Maybe would have won if I was eligible (students only shmudents only).  Though, HH's track did a cute little number themselves:

 

 

Tutor Girl and I kicked it into gear and started walking again like we used to so much pre full-time job, house hunting, crazy life stress.  And I realized how out of shape I was when the pregnant chick was doing better than me and my legs were sore for days.  A few weeks later I even incorporated C25K back into my routine, maybe I'll make a runner out of myself afterall.

 

Handsome Husband had his last day of work as an official employee (the dude is working from home now, lucky right?), and a week later had a lunch to say goodbye to his coworkers friends that he's worked with for the past two years.

 

My best girls and I headed to Solvang, CA for our annual Girls' Weekend!  We drank lots of wine, and even went on a fantastic wine tour.  Check out the favors I made for the ladies HERE, and even see the Instagrams HERE.  And keep an eye out for the full recap coming later this week!

 

We had a double date dinner at Cute Apartments' new place (a cute condo this time!) with boyfriend, Number Cruncher. 

 

A whole lot of us headed up to San Pedro to see Mother-in-Law Red's new home.  Lots of drinks and fun were had with family and her closest friends.

 

And we ended the month with a long overdue meeting of the Taco Tuesday Club where we had a margarita or three and ate some Mexican food with some of our favorite people.







2012 Goal Review

I don't really believe in New Years Resolutions.  I think most people end up failing at them, and that they are always uuber cliche.  However, I do believe in goals, and the end or beginning of a year is a great time to evaluate them. 

Last year, I wrote about ten things I wanted to do in 2012 - you can see that post HERE.  Today, let's see how the heck I did.

1. Buy a condo with my very Handsome Husband.   Check! We put an offer on a condo we absolutely adored in March, suffered through a horrific short sale, and closed escrow on the second-to-last day of August of 2012.  We have been soaking up the last few months as new homeowners, and this was a huge accomplishement for us!  You can read about our Hunt to Homeownership HERE.
2. Start making lunch more often.   Fail. I definitely improved over 2011, but still not where I'd like to be.  I don't see this getting all that much better in 2013 to be honest, but a girl can dream.
3. Work out more often. Note: It's a lifestyle change, not a "lose 10 pounds" thing.   Fail. I definitely did work out more in 2012 than I did in 2011, however, ever since I stopped running with Tutor Girl, I lost a lot of motivation.  I would really like to get better about this in 2013, so we'll see.   4. Read more books.   Sort-of Check! I read a lot during the first half of 2012, due in part to my awesome new gadget at the time - the Kindle Fire.  However, once we got close to closing escrow, I was using my reading time for pursuing Pinterest for home decor ideas, and after that I was using every available second to make Pinterest come to life.  I would like to read more in 2013, mainly because I have SO many fabulous books in my Kindle wishlist!   5. Further my education.   Sort-of Check! I took a whopping one class this year which, for me, is sad.  I would really love to be saying that I will become an RN in 2013, but I know that is not the case.  And not because I do not have the drive, motivation or dedication.  But because the nursing education market here in California really does not favor those trying to work and go to school.  For me to go to school, I would have to change positions, and would not be able to work full-time.  With a Handsome Husband in law school, this is simply not an option for me at the time.  For now, I am focusing my efforts on excelling in my current nursing role, perhaps taking some units next semester to prepare myself for the nursing program even more, and being a supportive wife for my student Husband.  I know he will be there for me when it's my turn, and I know that will come before I know it.
6. Visit my family on the east coast.   Fail. This one makes me sad, but spoiler alert: We are heading to the East Coast in 2013!  More deets to come!
7. Be a strong support for HH as he starts law school in the Fall.   Check!  Or at least, I'd like to think so! I would like to hope I've been helpful and supportive for my sweet HH, I guess we'd have to ask him to find out for sure!
8. Focus on growing my wardrobe in a thrifty and practical way.   Fail. I think the main reason this one was a fail was because HH and I were trying to save as much moola as possible for our move in 2012, so I really tried to keep purchases on the minimum.  This year, I really would like to grow my wardrobe, and on top of that?  I'd like to take more fashion risks.   9. Do more things for and with my girlfriends - I think I do pretty good now, but I don't ever want them to not know how important they are to me!   Check! From Girls Weekend last January (and another one just weeks away!) to lots and lots of girls nights out and even my Victoria's Secret party - 2012 was the year of growing my relationships with my girlfriends.  And you know what?  2013 is going to be, too!
10. Start thinking about having a little kidlet? Key word: Thinking. See HERE. (and also HERE.)   Check! I mean, sure, I thought about it.  

2011: A Big Year in Review

So 2011 was big for us,

we got married,

I started working as a nurse,

we did some big things this year.

Lets take a look back...

January 2011

On New Years' Day, we took our final set of engagement pictures.

I had a gorgeous bridal shower.

We spent the weekend in Las Vegas celebrating my Handsome Husband's grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.

We jetted off to Palm Springs for a fabulous bachelorette weekend!

February 2011

We had a super fun rehearsal dinner with our best friends and our families.

We got hitched!

We went on a gorgeous honeymoon to St. Lucia.

March 2011

Gardening Dad celebrated another birthday,

and a few weeks later,

Handsome Husband and I both celebrated our birthdays.

I started this here blog - read my first ever post HERE.

April 2011

We attended the housewarming for Best Friends Fashionista and Swagger as they settled into their LA apartment.

We were joined by Kindergarten Teacher and Swagger as we walked for cure in the MS Walk.

We spent a weekend in San Diego, soaking up the time with old friends.

Swagger celebrated a birthday, and we joined her as she knocked back cocktails in celebration.

Easter came, and with it came another wonderful day at Grandma Beach Bum's.

May 2011

Me and my Gardening Mom spent the weekend listening to country music at the Stagecoach Music Festival.

We spent Mother's Day at the lake with Handsome Husband's family, after spending the day before with my sweet Gardening Mom.

We said "see you soon" to Miss Does it All who is still off in Spain living her international travel dreams.

Swagger and I joined Gardening Mom and friends for a Girl's Weekend in Arizona.

I ran my first ever 5k with Tutor Girl!

June 2011

My not-so-little little sisters turned 17, and celebrated with a public sword fight.

We brought home our sweet little kitty, Diego.

We celebrate Lil C's 1st birthday a few weeks early so he could head to Idaho to spend the 4th of July with his grandparents and aunties in Idaho!

July 2011

We had a big birthday party for America over 4th of July weekend in Arizona with our friends.

Gardening Mom and Sister Swimmer went on their big humanitarian trip to Haiti.

August 2011

We went on our Tour de Oregon to witness the beautiful wedding of Best Cousin.

Handsome Husband and I celebrated our 3 year "dating anniversary"!

Best Friend Fashionista celebrated her birthday, and we joined in on the fun!

The OC Fair came to town, and we went on crazy rides.  (See above.)

September 2011

 Cute Apartment was the birthday princess this month, and she celebrated as such!

October 2011

I got my first big girl nursing job, and we made sure to celebrate it!

We did DIY costumes this year, and they were a big hit for Halloween!

November 2011

We got to see some good friends in San Diego after it being way too long.

We celebrate Thanksgiving with 2 very special additions to the dinner table: Cute Apartment and her little pup, Roxie.

(And apparently I really liked wearing that shirt.)

December 2011

Cousin Eyeshadow graduated college, and Grandma Beach Bum and I used that as an excuse for champagne!

We went on an amazing trip to Las Vegas with some even more amazing friends.

Our first Christmas as Mr and Mrs came and went far too quickly for my liking.

{Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge} Things Thursday: Things I'd Like To Do in 2012

1. Buy a condo with my very Handsome Husband.
2. Start making lunch more often.
3. Work out more often.  Note: It's a lifestyle change, not a "lose 10 pounds" thing.
4. Read more books.
5. Further my education.
6. Visit my family on the east coast.
7. Be a strong support for HH as he starts law school in the Fall.
8. Focus on growing my wardrobe in a thrifty and practical way.
9. Do more things for and with my girlfriends - I think I do pretty good now, but I don't ever want them to not know how important they are to me!
10.  Start thinking about having a little kidlet?  Key word: Thinking.  See HERE.  (and also HERE.)

C25K Review

Quite some time ago I promised a review of the C25K program I started back in April with Tutor Girl.  I updated ya'll (I'm trying to incorporate ya'll into my daily vernacular on account of I'm still hoping I can start a using Southern accent spontaneously any day now) on my C25K efforts in May, and shared all about my first (and sadly still the one and only) 5K that I ran with Tutor Girl and her sweet Outdoorsy Sister on Memorial Day.

First of all, I cannot tell you how much I adore this program, along with the application I chose to use on my iPhone.

Couch to 5K is an interval training program designed to get pretty much anyone - no matter the amount of current activity - to be capable of running 5K.  I first heard of the program through reading one of my favorite blogs, That Wife, and she had raved about the program the way I am now!

I downloaded this app for my phone, but there are many available for both iPhones and the Droid application.

The program starts with running intervals of only 60 seconds, and slowly builds up to where at the end of week 5, you are running for 20 minutes with no walking breaks.

When Tutor Girl and I first started C25K, I literally could barely run 60 seconds without needing a break.  It was shocking the improvement that occurred over just a few weeks!  I am by no means a triathlete now, but I am very pleased at the improvement in my stamina and ability to run for 20+ minutes, and 3+ miles (okay, I've only done that once - but still, I did it!).

Not only is the basic premise of C25K awesome, but the app I downloaded and used is amazing!  I cannot recommend it enough, truly.

The app breaks down each day for you, and you simply select which week and day you would like to run.  The program is based off of 9 weeks, running 3 days a week.

After selecting your week and day, this is your screen:

Showing you what to expect for your run that day.  You select "GO," and are instantly started into the 5-minute warm-up walk that accompanies each and every run throughout the program.

This is the screen that shows for the entirety of your run.  One of the best things about this app is that you can run a playlist while you run all within the app.  So now switching back and forth between apps! While the soundtrack to my running was usually Tutor Girl's fun stories, this was great for times the one time when I ran alone.

The app "speaks" to you through headphones or through your phone's speakers, and simply says "Run," "Walk," and at the end - "Cool Down."  It is great to focus only on your detailed conversation with Tutor Girl breathing and pace, rather than having to clock your intervals and constantly check the time.  

After your run, you have an opportunity to review your major stats all on one screen:

Lets get real, a lady doesn't reveal her weight to the entire internet.

This screen shows you your total distance for the run, your walk pace, and run pace, along with the amount of calories burned (which always seemed far too low for my tastes, but what can you do?).

Another fun feature of this app is that you can view your progress in graph format.

There are separate graphs for Distance, Run Pace, Walk Pace, Weight, and Calories Burned.  It is fun and helpful to see your stats laid out so clearly on one screen.

Again, I cannot recommend the C25K program and this particular app enough!  They were so wonderful, and before starting C25K I literally did not exercise, and while I still would like to improve and do so much more often, I am so glad I have found something to get me off the couch!

I want to get super real for a moment here.  Tutor Girl and I started the program, and chose to run our 5K only 7 weeks after beginning the program.  Once we finished the 5K (and actually a week or two before), life seemed to get in the way and we really struggled to find the 3 days a week to work out with one another.  So I never managed to actually complete this program.  We went back a few weeks and intended to finish the program after the 5K, but with Tutor Girl's encouragement, we are now going to try and conquer a bit more demanding intervals.  Another great reason to have a work-out buddy - they push you to work harder and strive for more - Tutor Girl is great at that!

*I was not compensated or rewarded in any way for my review of this app or the C25K program - all opinions are mine and mine alone.

What's your workout routine? 

Goodbye to May, Hello to Summer!

In May…

Sister Singer totally rocked her part in her school’s musical, “Little Women.”

We celebrated our moms and grandmas over Mother’s Day Weekend.

Family Fun at the Lake.

Handsome Husband started hitting it out of the park when he started playing on the company softball team!

We got together for dinner to wish Ms. Does It All bon voyage on her exciting journey off to Spain!

I got to watch HH play in his old soccer uniform at the alumni game – and we got to see some of our closest friends.

Best Friend Swagger and I joined Gardening Mom and friends for a girls’ trip to Arizona. 

I took my last final for the Spring 2011 semester – although summer “break” includes 3 online classes.

Sister Singer nearly brought me to tears while we watched her perform in her high school Talent Show.

Twin Unicorn moved home from spending a few years away for college, and we had a super fun BBQ at the lake to celebrate!

Tutor Girl, her sister, and I ran a 5K (my very first ever!) on Memorial Day – so glad we decided to start the C25K training, and that we stuck with it!

Handsome Husband entered “The Redhead Roundup” redhead competition at a local Strawberry Festival – and was completely robbed of the victory (by what we think was a bottle red, at that!).

My little pageant contestant.

I posted my first ever blog GIVEAWAY and link-up - the link-up left much to be desired (shout out to Tutor Girl for participating!), and the giveaway will end this month! 

Bring it on, June.

Couch to ... I Ran My First 5K!

I am so proud to say that on Memorial Day, I crossed this finish line:

after finishing my very first 5K run ever!

I talked about the training program Tutor Girl and I started weeks ago here and here.  After debating it up until literally 12 hours before the race, I decided to join Tutor Girl and her sweet Outdoorsy Sister for the run.  I am so glad I did, because the feeling of accomplishment after running over the finish line was awesome!  I ran the first 2 miles straight without a break, walked about a quarter mile up the killer hill, and then finished the rest running - while I would have liked to have jogged non-stop, I am seriously proud that I did the first 2 miles without a break, and only walked the uphill section.  I am already thinking of the next 5K I'd like to participate in, and I'd like to try and jog the entire thing next time - no walking break at all!

I will do a full review of the C25K program (and gush a bit about how great of a running partner Tutor Girl has been) shortly, but for now - a few photos from our 5K day!

Tutor Girl's Outdoorsy Sister, Tutor Girl, and Me after crossing the finish line

My best running buddy - Tutor Girl and Me all smiles after finishing the race!

Who has 2 thumbs and just ran longer than she ever has before?  THIS GIRL!

Check out my GIVEAWAY - I'm giving away an adorable apron thanks to Pink Sparkle and Lace.