New Year's Goals

Goals. Resolution. Same thing right? I've been seeing a lot of blog posts bashing the New Year's Resolution, and while I can't disagree with what most are saying I think it's in poor spirit to criticize anyone who uses the new year to better themselves. I personally have never been one for making a New Year's Resolution, probably because I've seen so many people fail so easily. I love setting goals, it has been something that was instilled in me from a young age. So a new year really never made a difference to me because I already had long & short term goals I was striving for. Over the past year I have been slacking, I realized the other day I really didn't have any goals I was working towards. I was working a job without a future goal in mind and I was going through the motions of life bored.  Without goals, life is a routine and as much as I like routine I also hate it! So setting goals is extremely important. When making goals there are things to keep in mind. Goals taking planning, it's not as easy as "I want to lose weight". That type of goal already sets you up for failure!! Within a large goal like weight loss, there should be small goals like losing 5lbs by the end of January. Goals need to be attainable, otherwise they are just dreams that seem unrealistic. I could go on, but that is not the intent of this post. If you want to know how to properly set a goal let me know, because yes, there is a proper way to do it!

1. Become a fitter version of myself. Although this goal is broad like how I said not to do it, I can picture in my head exactly how I want to be. This is a long-term goal, actually a life goal. This is more than fitting into my favorite high school jeans. I want to be able to do more than 2 pull-ups, do push-ups like it's nothing, run without getting winded, be faster, stronger and leaner. I would love to get back into martial arts and compete again. Maybe even a Crossfit competition in my future?! Who is to know, but it has to start with at least 5 work-outs a week, running in the mornings and eating clean/healthy foods.
2. Run a half marathon. For those who know me, this would be a great accomplishment, I absolutely hate running. My long-term goal is to run the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge in February 2015. 
3. Watch a documentary at least once a week. This is a pretty simple goal. After watch Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead on Hulu, a whole list of different documentaries it said I might like popped-up. That's when I realized I was really missing out on knowledge I could only get from documentaries. I find them fascinating and definitely more informative than the nightly news. I welcome suggestions!
4. Volunteer. There is no reason not to. It wasn't that long ago I was at a meeting with my co-workers and we all had to go around and say something we were proud of. I hate that kind of thing, so of course my answer was really lame "I'm proud I have a job I enjoy" which is only half true, but I have no children to be proud of, which was the common answer by most of my co-workers. But a few of them really surprised me, their volunteer work. I felt so guilty. They work as much as I do and find time to volunteer. Why can't I?! Not sure where I want to volunteer my time or if I could even settle on just one place, but my goal is to find time at least once a week!
5. Find my path in life. I don't know if I will be able to accomplish this goal by the end of 2014, but I hope to get closer than I am now. I had set so many goals right out of high school about what I wanted to do with my life, that when none of them happened I lost my fire. It wasn't my fault really. I believe destiny pushed me in a different direction, but I'm still trying to figure out what direction that is. According to my high school goals I would be going back to school right now, instead I have absolutely no desire to. I feel more lost than I was in high school. What do I do with my life? That is what I hope to figure out...
6. Be more social. I love being around my friends, but I can be the biggest homebody. In 2014 I want to reach out to my friends more and make new ones. "No new friends" is the biggest joke (sorry Drake I still love you). 
7. Become a better me. Here's another broad one, but this one is important to me. In college I surrounded myself with people who were negative, judgmental and mean. Spending such time with people wears on you, and eventually I started seeing changes in the way I was acting. After distancing myself from those people I felt free, but I feel I have a long way to go to prove to myself I'm not like those people. I'm starting simple, but it really is a mind set to always be positive, kind and loving. We instantly judge people, most times without trying. So there is where I'm starting. When I see the people around me I will complement them in my head instead of tearing them down. We do this all the time, especially as women "That girl looks like a bitch, Wow she is fat." We've all done it, admit it. Instead before you can even judge someone, make a compliment in her head "She looks nice, I love her hair". Than appreciate the things around you. Be amazed by the clouds in the sky. The warmth of the sun. The sung of the birds. Life is beautiful, we have to appreciate it.Think positive and you will be positive.

Thank you for reading this post. It's been a while since I've made goals for myself and even longer since I've had people read them. I did this however to keep myself accountable and hopefully you all will motivate me to do so! Post your goals for the new year below. I would love to know how you intent to better yourself in the new year!!

 

12 Days of Christmas

If your an Apple user like myself then you have to download this app NOW!! Each day starting today December 26th, Apple releases a free gift lasting for 24 hours. So what are you waiting for download it now!!

Gifts from this year 2013 - 2014
December 26, 2013 (day 1): Justin Timberlake's iTunes Festival EP (4 songs)
December 27, 2013 (day 2): Tiny Thief and Once Upon A Time TV series (1 game, 1 TV serie)
December 28, 2013 (day 3): Lonely Planet's Best in 2014 and The Ice Princess (2 iBooks)
December 29, 2013 (day 4): Toca House (1 game)
December 30, 2013 (day 5): Hugo and Home Alone (2 Movies)
December 31, 2013 (day 6): New Year's Eve from Avicii (2 songs)
January 1, 2014 (day 7): Rayman Jungle Run (1 game)
January 2, 2014 (day 8): Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1 iBook)
January 3, 2014 (day 9): Kings of Leon's iTunes Festival EP and more Albums (4 songs)
January 4, 2014 (day 10): Sesame Street and Despicable Me (1 TV serie, 3 mini-movies)
January 5, 2014 (day 11): Mr. Crab by Illusion Labs (1 game)
January 6, 2014 (day 12): The Rolling Stones (3 songs)

I will try to update you everyday with the new gift of the day! Enjoy!!

I was born on the cusp

Does anyone else remember when zodiac signs were extremely popular?! I think I was in middle school when all the stores in the mall were filled with zodiac "fashion". It was in trend to display your sign on a cute little shirt or on a necklace. Being a middle schooler, fitting in was extremely important and I jumped on the old bandwagon. Unfortunately for me I had no idea what my sign was. Thank God as a middle schooler there weren't too many boys using corny pick-up lines about my sign. Anyhow, thanks to Wet Seal they ever so nicely labeled the dates for each sign. However, I came to find my birthday of December 21st could either be a Sagittarius or Capricorn depending on the source. For the most part it's considered Sagittarius, plus I liked the sound of Sagittarius more so I decided that is what I was. As trends come and go, it wasn't until high school that I thought about my zodiac sign again. My teacher had divided the class into their zodiac sign without us knowing and asked for us to try to figure out why we were grouped that way and what we had in common. My group consisted of one other girl, whom I had pretty much nothing in common with expect for the fact we were both females. The teacher finally told us the common thread between the groups and handed each student a sheet of paper explaining the characteristics of our sign. When she came to my group, she hand me and the other girl in my "group" two sheets. She stated our birthdays were on the border and to read and see which one we were more like. As I read both I realized I was more of a Capricorn than a Sagittarius. I had a moment of panic at this thought. Clearly the $10 necklace I purchased as a pre-teen stating I was a Sagittarius meant I was a Sagittarius, right?!

The one and only original Sagittarius necklace

Well it took another 5 years for me to revisit my zodiac sign characteristics again. When I read the description of a Sagittarius, it fit me very well. I'm bored easily, I'm large-hearted, I love to travel and seek adventure, I'm positive & my mouth gets me into trouble all the time. One thing though, Sagittarius is the luckiest sign and let me tell you, my family will tell you too, I'm the most unlucky person there is. My mom always says "if something bad could happen, it will happen to you". I didn't want to, but I looked again at the traits of a Capricorn. I realized this description fit me well too, I'm shy, detached at times, I can be stubborn and moody, loyal to a point of flaw & overly responsible. I felt if I combined both traits it fit me to a T. So of course I googled this, only to find this was indeed true, because I was born on the cusp. I was a Sagicorn and this was the reason for my afflictions. I hate routine and I get bored easily, but I hate change. I'm humorous, but I can take things too far. I like being social, but have no problem being alone and prefer it most of the time. I'm ambitious, but I like things done my way on my terms. I'm positive, friendly and caring, but don't catch me when I'm grumpy because I can be a bitch. I love athletics, but I'd rather do an independent sport like martial arts. I love to travel && I have a need to find the meaning of life. Some may think that astrology and zodiac signs are a bunch of crap. Honestly, I will admit I like reading my horoscope, but rarely believe what it tells me. I do believe I'm a Sagicorn. It has led me to better understand myself and my flaws.

Sagittarius Constellation Necklace I got for my birthday this year!

Do you find your zodiac sign interesting? Could you have been born on a cusp too!? Since it was just my birthday the other day I thought I would share. Hope we all can have some self-realization and improvement of our selves.

You Know Your Birthday is in December When...

... you get more Christmas cards than Birthday cards.
... people like to combine your Christmas & Birthday present, gee thanks.
... your family acts like it cost $100 to send a Birthday card, so they just hand it to you on Christmas.
... you can't go out for your Birthday because no one wants to go out in a blizzard. babies!
... you either have to get really drunk to stay warm in your slutty little b-day outfit, or you end up wearing clunky winter boots and a huge winter coat.
... you hint everyday that your Birthday is coming up so people don't make Holiday plans on your big day.
... you treat yourself to your own Birthday gifts because everything is on sale.
... no one is able to celebrate your birthday with you because everyone is out of town.
... you drown your sorrows with spiked egg nog (It's my party I can cry if I want to!)
... you'd rather wear an ugly sweater than a cute little dress.
... someone along the line has forgotten your Birthday because of the Holiday madness.
... you wake up to a beautiful winter wonderland on you Birthday & then have to defrost your car.
... you choose a warm cocktail over a margarita. brrr!
... you look like a ghost in all your Birthday pictures (girl go get you some fake tanner now!)
... your family asks how your Birthday was, because it's the only conversation starter they have.
... people tend to get more excited about some guy name Jesus' birthday more than yours (totally joking keep Christ in Christmas folks).
... somehow your birthday dinner consists of left-over turkey, potatoes, and Christmas cookies.
... you actually got excited if your birthday fell on a school day, instead of over winter break. Hello birthday cupcakes!
... the bars are usually died, or filled with weird, drunk loners.
... people sing Christmas carols instead of Happy Birthday.
... you have to spend more time with your extended family than your friends.
... you've received at least one present that you are sure was a re-gift. how precious.
... birthday parties involved ice skating and sledding instead of a pool party.
... you've been called a Grinch or Scroogie because the Holiday cheer and lack of Birthday celebration was just too much.
... your wishlist is always huge, but you always miss out on the goodies that come out in the Spring/Summer.
... your presents are wrapped in paper with snowmen and Santa hats on it, instead of balloons and cupcakes.
... you can't reschedule your birthday plans because whoopty freakin doo it's New Years!
... there are people everywhere toasting and partying, but it's got nothing to do with you.

Not ok people!!
(taken from google.com)

This Holiday season please don't forget those who were born in the month of December. They need love too, if not more. Also, if you even consider gift combining just remember one of these day us December babies will come after you. It will not be pretty! You have been warned!!

2013 Gag Gift Guide

This year Christmas per usual, has been filled with the oh so lovely family drama. What's Christmas without some family members feuding, right? Fortunate or unfortunately, however you want to take it, I've learned over the years my family is far from dysfunctional as other families, although, my family is also far from sitting around hugging and singing kumbaya. We all have our own family problems, so I won't go into great detail on my own, but my small family consisting of my parents, brother, grandma and uncle is what is going to make up my Christmas Eve since my uncle & aunt and their children and grandchildren decided they much rather spend Christmas Eve at a Hotel/Water Park (so we are told). Anyhow, this crushed my grandma who cried saying Christmas is ruined. That is when I decided we had to make Christmas Eve fun!! I decided this year we would do the White Elephant gift exchange game. Specifically, we would all buy gag gifts. I thought this would be a great way to get everyone laughing. I had no idea how many crazy gag gifts there are out there, so I had a hard time choosing my own present. That's when I decided I would share some of the ideas that made me LOL. Please note some may be inappropriate, but I have the humor of a 12 year old boy, what can I say.

1. No need for plastic surgery this year. Just get this boob scarf, it will keep you warm too.
2. Perfect for all the men in my family who receive socks from my grandma every year. Check this website out it has tons of hilarious Christmas Tees.
3. For the golfer in the family. One can never have a big enough sack for your balls, golf balls I mean.
4. Is this mean? Yes, yes it is. But can anyone else picture how hilarious this would be to see some unsuspecting person drinking from this mug?!
5. We all know religion & politics are usually not a good conversation starter. So why no bring it up on the holidays, with some presidential toilet paper?
6. If you don't feel like you have a muffin top after the holidays already, here is the present for you.
7. Sorry I'm from Wisconsin, we like our beer and cowboy hats. No further comment needed.
8. Who doesn't like bacon? In case your wondering there is pretty much bacon everything even bacon flavored popcorn!
9. Forget the gift! Fool everyone by boxing up a pair of socks or T-shirt in these hilarious gift boxes!!

I hope everyone is having a good Holiday season. Please try to get along with your families for at least one day!! I'm curious if anyone else has done a White Elephant gift exchange or done gag gifts. Let me know what your funniest gag gift has been! I ended up buying the Obama toilet paper and then buying these cookie cutters to make ginger bread men with them. Hope everyone finds it funny!

The Blogmopolitan Quiz

I've been seeing this float around for awhile now and thought it was so cute. Since my blog is so new I thought it would be a great way to let you all know a little bit more about me, plus who doesn't love a good Cosmo inspired blog quiz. Thanks to Erin I can pretend like I'm a celebrity for a day. 

If you would like to do the quiz too, head over to Erin's blog and download the quiz! It was lots of fun!!

It's Winter Weekend Update

This weekend felt like Christmas/Winter time && I loved every moment of it. When your from Wisconsin you have to put your big girl winter boots on and deal with the bitter cold and make the best of it. I swear some day I'm moving somewhere much warmer, but I also can not image a winter without snow. I'm just never pleased. I started Friday finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping. Eek! I love Christmas shopping, but I hate not being able to tell my mom my crazy shopping adventures because it would totally give a way what I was getting her. Anyone else like this?! I finished my Friday making Christmas cookies. As much as I want to resist all the Christmas food temptations, what is Christmas without Christmas cookies!! I made peanut blossoms, chocolate crackle cookies and of course no Christmas is complete without decorated sugar cookies. I have to say I was getting a little tired at the end so no judging the decorating skills!!

Saturday I splurged and went out shopping for myself. Oops, I'm a girl what do you expect!! I bought a new Wisconsin Badger sweatshirt and headband for the Hockey game I went to that night. I also did very last minute shopping for my Christmas outfit. I found a super cute peplum top at Forever 21. I don't know if it's just me since I was late in my holiday outfit shopping, but I could not find anything that looked holiday to me. I lucked out with the last one, unfortunately (although maybe not...) the strap around the belt was ripped off. I asked for a discount and got 10% off. All it took was a few stitches and good as new! Always look for discount girls. That night I went to my first hockey game of the season. Nothing says winter like a good hockey game! 

Sunday was the annual Dinner Theater Christmas Program with my mom, grandma and great aunt. It's always a great way to put me in the holiday spirit. In the picture below I'm wearing my new peplum top. Please note how great it is for the holidays as it will completely covers the holiday bloated stomach *wink wink* not that anyone tends to overeat during the holidays. It was a beautiful Sunday. 

How was your weekend? What helps put you in the holiday spirit!?!