New Year's Resolutions

A few weeks ago I posted about how 2014 ended as they related to my New Year's resolutions. What I realized in looking back is that I set some goals that really were not important to me, so I didnt take any action to achieve them. This year I will be making my resolutions differently.

This year I am making three New Year's resolutions that are important to me, and that I will make progress on by setting smaller goals that I want to accomplish each month. 

1. Make conscious money decisions.
I have been trying for a full year to create, then stick to a budget plan. And at the beginning of each month I start anew, but then forget and give up. Not a good cycle to go through to say the least. Before my loan repayment kicked in I would spend most of my money on crafty items, on special food items, and (random) at the Dollar Tree.

When I am strapped for cash I make good decisions, and don't dig myself into a hole, but when I have an extra hundred or two I buy whatever I want without really questioning myself. So this year I hope to make a dent on my student loans and that will only happen if I work on my budgeting skills and learn to control my spending impulses.  There are a lot of great resources out there to help with budgets and living frugally, so I won't reinvent the wheel and tell you what you already know. If and when I make progress I'll shout my experience from the rooftops!

This goal is not only about repaying my student loan quickly. Its about learning to control my budget and my impulses, and to build good habits so that as I hit my late 20's and early 30's I will be able to employ good financial habits to help myself in the future.

2. Be BOLD
I am very much a home-body, and quite the introvert. My friend described my perfectly the other week - she said, "If is very hard to get her to come out once she gets home." And let me tell you that is totally true. Some days I am bothered by people so I don't want to go out, sometimes the traffic really irritates me, sometimes I am exhausted from interacting with people at work that I just want to lay and home and be alone.

So, now that you know a bit about my habits, let me tell you what I mean by "being bold" this new year. I think being bold is telling people how I feel when I have an intense emotion. Like if I have a crush I should say something to indicate that - I don't think I will ever come out and say "hey I have a crush on you," but I can be creative. I also want to travel to visit my friends who live in different areas. I have been feeling a big restless, having lived in the same place my whole life, so I think to easy myself into traveling I will go to see friends, where they can show me the town.

As the year goes on I hope to figure out more ways to practice this BOLD muscle that I am trying to build.

3. Make more time for hobbies
Within the last year, and when I don't have any goals for myself, I can be lazy. I am capable of watching my favorite TV shows and new movies for the majority of the day and loving it. So my goal this year includes turning off the TV and getting to some of these cool crafts I have been pinning for the last few years... I also have projects which I have started, then I get to the hard part and leave it for another day. Yeah well that 'another day' became weeks, then I put the project away and forgot about it.

I also an focused on filling some of my 'down' time with activities that make me feel fulfilled. Having the sense of fulfillment in what I do helps me get up in the morning, it gets me going. Doing the same thing everyday get boring, and if it gets too tedious I forget about the good things in life. (Although raising guinea pigs has been keeping me very happy) So this year I need to go back to completing tasks that I feel good about, like making a friends birthday gift or sending a surprise to someone across the country.

                      



I am happy that it is a new year. I know its a cliche by I do feel like this is a new beginning and with my plans I think I will be growing and becoming a better version of myself this year.

Lets celebrate the success's of last year, and toast to the future!

Re-Newed Obsession

Well, this obsession is more of a re-newed obsession.

I LOVE NAIL POLISH!!!

In high school my best friend took me to a nail supply store, which was a little sketchy the first time I went, but the polishes were so pretty, and cheap. We went crazy at that supply store. Every few weeks we would hit this little shop up, getting 3-5 nail polishes each, and having nail polish parties whenever possible. 

In college I kept my nail polishes close by, but the obsession was curbed due to not having another passionate polisher around. 

Then I got on the fake nail band-wagon. I love them so much. The perfect-ness, the shine, the lack of hang nails. Oh, it was so beautiful! 

Then I switched jobs and am not making as much money, so I have had to let go of my fake nail obsession. After growing out my damaged nails they are stronger than ever and in prime condition for polishing.  And how could I have a nail polish obsession without having a new polish brand obsession?! I know! My new brand obsession is Julep. And the think that sent me over the edge for this polish is the fact that its VEGAN! And they are supposed to have oxygen technology which helps your nails stay strong under the nail polish, which was a big draw for me.

AHHHHH! They have so much nail polish! and it looks so beautiful. They sure make it appealing, and for me, its hard to resist. Last week I got a "holiday specials" packet, and things were such a good deal I had to have them. So my wallet took a big hit. But my nails will look good all winter long.

Music Playing in my Mind

I have a bit of an obsession with music. It plays in my head all day long, and when I get really bored I find I need music to entertain me, even to motivate me. For the past week I haven't been able to get out of bed without first blasting music on my phone.

This week I am obsessed with: MUSIC!

Taylor Swift, Shake it Off

I love the words, and the whole song is so much fun! The music video though, not my fav, thus it is not here.

The lyrics that speak to me, that I just must emphasize
"My ex man brought his new girlfriend,
she's like Oh My God,
and I'm just gonna shake it to the fella' over there with the hella good hair
won't you come on over here,
we can shake shake shake"

The words just oooz 'sass. I love!

5 Seconds of Summer, Amnesia

Oh, this so speaks to me and how it hurts when you lose someone. 

The words all just work, and I think you can feel it in their voices.

Ahhhh, let my new anthem ring...

Colby Caillat, Try

Its for when you feel like things are getting you down,

and you just need to let it go and do you.

Its that Time of Year AGAIN :/

January 1st starts our thoughts of creating New Year's Resolutions. And oh the New Year's resolutions we make. I know that many people set resolutions to lose weight, eat better, and pay down debt. Once we have made them, then we think we must be perfect at them. Sometimes we go a whole week/month being on our best behavior, only to them get bored or lazy doing something we don't love. The standard resolutions we make to eat well, and exercise often fail because we don't know how to make them happen.

Last year was the first time I actually made resolutions and wrote them down. I was actually inspired by pinterest because they have those great lists of ideas of what to try in the new year. I hung my list up, and kept everything in mind for a good two months, before telling myself that I was too busy to continue, and lost some of my passion for the things I had once wanted to do.

 As you can see this list from last year didn't really fit my needs, seeing as how I only filled in half of the blanks. This year I am making my own list, and on my list I will be putting three resolutions on it.

You read that right only three.  I have been reading and learning about being successful with setting SMART goals, and how to implement small steps to make them happen.  So this year I will have a few over-arching goals that I will keep up with throughout the year, but they are not necessarily going to be the only things I am going to focus on. 

Recap of 2014
- I found a new job, doing something that I like, and don't want to give up. Of course the job is not perfect, but its working for now.
- Be bold. That is one idea that will still be on my life goals. But 2014 was a year of me being bold. Putting myself out there to people, picking things for my own happiness, and not waiting around.
- I wanted to learn to play the piano in 2014.  I still would like to know piano, but its something I am not really ready to put time into.  Or I have other goals that are taking precedent, so I won't be doing that any time soon.
- As you can see I also wanted to go to Disneyland. But again that wasn't a huge priority. I put my money elsewhere, and wasn't saving it for Disney.
- My hiking goal. Wow! did I overestimate myself. And of course I have convinced myself that I could not have reached that goal even if I wanted to... because its really hot in AZ during the summer, and I didn't always want to go alone, then it took up so much of my time... on and on, do you see a pattern here?

So as you can see I made some goals based on what this worksheet said, and they weren't really my priorities.  So this year I am taking it month by month doing things that will make me happier, and take me closer to where I want to be professionally and financially. Small steps will hopefully help me to reach my ultimate goals.

Wait for my next post to see my 2015 goals. And...

Enjoy celebrating the New Year!

New Best Friend

A few months ago I added a new addition to my family.

Its a new guinea pig!!! Okay, he is not new like a baby guinea pig, I adopted him from the Humane Society. He is two years old and was named Ruffles.  I know, I know, not a boys name. But when they are young you can't tell what sex they are, so mistakes are made.

The decision to buy him was quite impulsive actually. I have always wanted to help animals from shelters by giving them a home, but that usually means a dog or a cat, and right now that's not possible. So when they advertised they had guinea pigs and rabbits I was down at the shelter the next day and picked this guy up.  I bought some supplies for him, but I was ill prepared and did make him live in a large cardboard box for three days. :/

Since then we have bonded. We have play time and cuddle time. Did you know guinea pigs are social animals and long for companionship? So interacting with him is important. I am trying to pair him up with another buddy, but I have yet to find a single unbonded male. I have reservations about putting him with a bonded pair already because I don't want them to gang up on him, and possibly make it harder to form a bond. 

One thing that I struggle with when grooming my baby is clipping his nails. This guinea pig is the squirmiest little guy you have ever met, so getting a good hold on his paws is hard. The vet even said he was the most rambunctious guinea pig she had seen in awhile. Usually to get him to sit still I wrap him in a towel like a burrito.

Everyday he finds new ways to be adorable. And while I talk to him every day, he has yet to any interest in conversing. And he only squeaks/purrs when I pet him, so there is little to let me know I am doing a good job.

Sitting with me on the couch

Laying in his house on the bed