Recap of 2013~A Long Post!

~A Year in Reflection~

 

Wow it's amazing how fast a year can fly by! 2013 had some ups and downs but overall it was a good year. It was tough but towards the end it started to get better. On June 26th I started the Day Zero Project. It is a really neat website that allows you to create a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days. Instead of making a New Years Resolution, I'm working on completing this list of goals. I want to see how far I've come!

 

 

1. Write 100 poems- 6/100

2. Watch the IMDb top 250 films- 97/250

3. Learn 50 new things by clicking the random articles button on Wikipedia- 5/50

4. Read 100 books- 12/100 I read the book "And Thereby Hangs a Tale" one of my favourite from this year. It was full of short mystery/suspense/horror stories. Really good book!

 

5. Save $100 on groceries with coupons- $54.17/$100

6. Get rid of 100 things- 50/100

7. Make 25 new recipes- 7/25 I made these Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting Mmm so good!

 

8. Read 300 books to the girls- 40/300

9. Leave an inspirational note in a book for someone to find

10. Go to a concert

11. Write a book- I am writing a book called "Desert Gold". It will be a mystery with a touch of romance.

12. Go horseback riding

13. Have dinner by candlelight

14. Go to Las Vegas

15. Learn Spanish

16. Buy something from Etsy

17. Go rockclimbing

18.Perform 5 acts of random kindness

19. Send something to a friend- I sent my really good friends Shantel and Kelly some yummy Lara Bars!

20. Make a list of 100 things I'm grateful for- I completed this and you can find my list Here

21. Write down every dream I have for a week

22. Write a love letter to my husband

23. Write my name in the sand

24. Don't watch TV for a week- Completed! We don't have cable so this was pretty easy

25. Don't eat sweets for a month

26. Go to the firing range

27. Get a new tattoo

28. Buy new lens for my camera

29. Get a pedicure

30. Go on a spiritual retreat

31. Document a day in my life with photos

32. Donate unwanted books to the library

33. Volunteer in my community

34. Refinish a piece of furniture

35. Make soap

36. Make donuts

37. Buy new shoes- Completed! I got a blinged out pair of black heels and a pair of grey peep-toe heels for $5 each at a yardsale. Deal of the year!

38. Achieve Abs

39. Complete Insanity Program

40. Take a train somewhere

41. Paint the kitchen- Completed!

42. Host a My Favorite Things Party- Completed! I'm definitely going to do it again, it was a blast.

43. Go on a romantic getaway with my hubby

44. Find 50 geocaches

45. Go to dentist

46. Change hairstyle- Completed! I got my hair trimmed, side swept bangs, and some black lowlights

 

 

 

47. Clear out my broken external hardrive and put on cd's- In Progress

48. Make a coffee bar in my house

49. Organize my craft supplies

50. Fill change jar and cash it out

51. Handout 5 blessing bags to the homeless

52. Contact 5 companies for giveaways or reviews- Completed! I reviewed decal stickers, a scale, a kid's DVD, a brand of green tea and a brand of kid's shoes. Click on my Product Review tab to see them

53. Fill out a long survey for my blog

54. Get my pole set up- Completed! I now have a space in my garage to practice!

55. Model in a fun photoshoot- Completed! I did a bridal shoot, lots of fun!

 

 

56. Get a new outfit- Completed!

57. Do 5 projects from my Craft board

58. Successfully sew something

59. Get husband a nice smoker grill- Completed!

60. Answer the 30 things with Hubby

61. Watch the sunrise over the ocean

62. Make a 72-hour emergency kit for family

63. Join a sports team

64. Go snowboarding

65. Buy keyboard and relearn to play it

66. Plan preschool for Haley

67. Hike 5 trails in Joshua Tree- We have done the Skull Rock Trail so far

68. Hire a housekeeper- Completed! Well not technically a housekeeper but I hired someone to shampoo and deep clean our carpets. They are so much nicer and cleaner!

69. Take a practice LSAT

70. Read the entire Bible- In progress

71. Watch the sunrise on New Years

72. Journal for 6 months- I have been journaling for the past 2 weeks

73. Drink shakes for 2 weeks- I invented this yummy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie but haven't yet started my 2 week shake diet

74. Get a bigger vehicle or trade in

75. Get an article published in a magazine or newspaper

76. Win contest or sweepstakes- Completed! I didn't win but my little Haley won a photo contest. She got $50 for looking pretty! That would be a fun job haha!

77. Run another Fun Run- Completed! We did the Color Me Rad 5K last year and this year we did the Electric Run. It was amaaaaazing! I can't wait to do it again next year!

78. Help someone complete one of their goals

79. Finish 5 paintings- 2/5

 "The Serenity Prayer"- done for my Mother-in-law. Made with melted crayons, paint and stickers.

"Starry Night"- done this Christmas. Made with paint, stickers, broken mirror and cotton.

 

80. Take the kids to pick a fruit

81. Take the kids camping

82. Be able to do the splits

83. Get 250 blog followers- 96/250

84. Attend a blogging conference

85. Make bread from scratch

86. Make a "My Secrets" video- Completed!

87. Visit the Winchester Mystery House

88. Complete a 1000 piece puzzle

89. Carve a pumpkin for Halloween

90. Take the girls to Build-a-Bear

91. Write the story behind "Yours, Mine and Ours" for the blog

92. Make homemade jam

93. Stay off Facebook for a week- Completed!

94. Write a letter to a friend thanking them for their friendship- Completed!

95. Join a book club, non-profit organization or something similar- Completed! I joined the Father's Rights Movement. It is a growing movement that is focused on making sure Father's are able to have a relationship with their kids. I also got involved with I am THAT Girl. It's a movement of girls meeting together to talk about changing the world, empower each other and serve the community.

96. Make a wall of accomplishments- In progress

97. Practice meditation

98. Build up my Etsy shop

99. Start a financial campaign for a legal defense fund for getting our boys

100. Get our spare room set up for guests

101. Honestly I just don't know what to put here. I will think of something by New Years though!

 

I have until March 2016 to complete all my goals. I think I have a good start! What kind of goal setting or resolutions are you doing for the new year?







100 Things I'm Thankful For-3rd 20

Ok here is the next set of 20 on my way to 100 things I'm thankful for. There is so much! But let's be honest, 100 things is a pretty lofty goal. Like I said, toward the end some of  these might be slightly superficial.

41. I'm thankful for the Intesrnet. Despite all the bad things that happen online it really is a great tool for research, keeping in tough with the latest news and networking (especially is you have a business or blog!)

42. Cellphones. My cell is a lifesaver! I love to text and it makes it so much easier to stay in contact with people. Caution! Caution! Don't text and drive! So many lives have been lost over a superficial text...don't do it!

43. Netflix. I am thankful for Netflix. We have completely done away with cable to save on our bills. Netflix is only like $16 a month and you get unlimited streaming movies and TV shows, plus check out dvds with no late fees. Late fees have always been killer for me, I'm so forgetful sometimes.

44. I'm thankful for small acts of kindness. When someone does something kind to me I try to pass it on. I've had people pay for my drinks at Starbucks, open doors for me, give up their seat and pay me thoughtful compliments. This one time I got the girls piggy banks at the dollar store and a sweet old lady gave them both a dollar to start off their savings. Stuff like that reminds me that although there are so many liars and cheaters and thieves there are still wonderful people in the world.

45. Haters. Yeah I'm thankful for haters. They drive me to push harder and work better. And of course the saying goes "Behind every successful person lies a pack of haters."

46. I'm thankful for makeup. It boosts self confidence. I love how excited people are over their how they look when I do makeup for a photoshoot. Their happiness makes my day. Plus it's super fun to play around with.

47. Parties. I'm thankful for parties where I get to know and meet new people, chat and usually laugh lots! (And no Holly I don't have crazy, drunk or immoral parties or go to them so STFU)

48. I'm thankful my Hubby knows how to iron. He has to iron all his uniforms and stuff and I hate ironing and I'm horrible at it so we make a great pair.

49. I'm thankful for that stranger you just happen to meet that makes your day one way or another and they might not even realize it. I had someone pass me by on the way to the post office on a particularly stressful day and say "Mam I just wanted to let you know you are the most fiercely gorgeous woman I have ever seen." Fiercely gorgeous? How about that for a compliment. Love it!

50. Physical Therapy. I'm back in PT after a few months off. OMG its painful but I can feel it working already.

51. I am thankful for Passion. I love seeing someone light up when they are talking about something they love whether it be their career, work hobby or children. I'm an extremely passionate person, sometimes bordering on the line of getting me into trouble but I am learning to focus that passion on fighting for injustice and evil in the world. Plus putting that passion into my writing, poetry and art.

52. Red Bulls. I know, I know how bad they are for you but they are my best friend during finals or when I'm working late.

53. The gift of learning. There is so much knowledge in the world, you couldn't learn everything in several lifetimes. I love learning about new topics from psychology to sociology to early child development to criminal justice to law. The list is endless.

54. Family time. I'm thankful to spend time with my family, one of the most precious gifts in the world. Nobody will love you like your family. (At least that is how it should be...some people don't get the importance of family)

55. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with my boys, though short it may be. Their mom hates us so much that she limits the time they spend with us, but life is so short and time is so precious that in the end it is just plain cruelty. I'm thankful though, that the boys would rather spend quality time with us than go on the lavish vacations that are pretty much forced upon them.

56. Notebooks. I have an obsession with them. I write down so much stuff its crazy.

57. This is more a love thing than a thankful thing but that's about the same. I love how my husband has aged so gracefully. He is constantly mistaken for someone in their 20s. One time this really hot model was his seat mate on a flight to drop the boys off for visitation. When he got off the plane and went to pick up the luggage, the model said "I just have to say, you are a very attractive man." Funny part was she said this right in front of the hubby's ex haha!

58. Ok so this is trivial I know, but I'm thankful for Facebook games. They don't suck you in and force you to spend half your life away on them like World of Warcraft or Everquest. When you need a quick game fix you can play some solitare, candy crush or other short little game. They are my escape from homework occasionally...although they make me procrastinate more than I want to admit.

59. I am thankful for quiet mornings when the girls go out to play, I put on some music, cradle my coffee and get lost in a good book or work on writing another chapter in my own.

60. Thanksgiving! Definitely thankful for this holiday. Family, friends, food, games, laughter and of course I eat the desserts till they come out my ears!

Well that's all for this round! Only one more to go. Catch my previous thankful posts 2nd 20 Thankful Things  1st 20 Thankful Things

Got something you are thankful for? Comment below!

100 Things I'm Thankful For-2nd 20

Here is a continuation of my 100 Things I'm Thankful For. Catch my 1st 20.

21. I'm thankful for our 4bd house in a good neighbourhood. We are a 5 min walk to my daughter's school and there are 5 or 6 girls that all play together with my girls in our cul-de-sac. It's like a kid gang and it's so cut to watch them running around together.

22. Music. It lifts my mood or relaxes me or pumps me up during a workout. I would be so lost without music in my life.

23. I'm thankful my Mom taught me to cook at a young age. I've been experimenting and creating recipes since middle school. Another really good skill to know.

24. Thankful for all the benefits that come with being a military spouse. Free activities, great health and dental care and lots of discounts.

25. Shoes. I'm slightly obsessed. I love all shoes but stilettos and boots really rock my world.

26. Thankful for where we live. Close to the beach for surfing, tanning and beach volleyball and also close to the mountains for snowboarding and tubing.

27. Thankful for great health. My daughters rarely get sick and when they do it's only minor. They pretty much only go to the doctor 1x a year for their yearly check-up.

28. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to go to school. I can't say I love it but in the end my hard work and efforts will pay off. That Bach degree is so close. Who knows maybe I'll get my Masters if I change my mind about law school. (And let me say that going to college full time while working and taking care of 2 kids is hard work. Going to nursing school while mommy and daddy pay all your bills so you don't have to work, collect welfare and child support, let someone else raise your kids and clean your house is not hard work. It's actually pretty pathetic.)

29. Thankful for our military. The Marines especially. I come from a long line of Devil Dogs. My Grandaddy served, my Dad is a pilot in the Marines and my hubby is a badass infantry man in the Marines. (And this week my stepson is entering Marine bootcamp! So proud of him!)

30. My OCD. Well yeah I'm a little thankful for it. It makes me keep a spotless (and I mean spotless, like not even fingerprints on the wall) house. I can't leave dirty stuff around so my house is ready to walk into pretty much anytime. And let me tell you with a messy husband and two messy girls this is no easy task.

31. My involvement in I AM THAT GIRL or IATG. It's kind of like girlscouts for college girls. It's all about empowering girls, supporting each other and making a difference in the world. I love our heartfelt, deep talks.

32. I'm thankful there are groups out there like Fathers 4 Justice, that support fathers, despise alienators and help fight for fathers that are getting screwed over by the system. Father's rights is a cause I've become very involved in and my research has uncovered some shocking stuff about corruption in family court, the out of control Child Support system and Parental Alienation just to name a few.

33. This might be a little conceited but I'm thankful for perfect teeth. Teeth are one of the first things people notice about you and I love being able to grin and not be embarrassed. My husband's grandmother use to say to him "Find a women who can cook and has nice teeth." I think he finally followed her advice when it came to me hehe!

34. Books. Yes I'm thankful for books. As a youngster I read all the time since we weren't allowed to watch tv. I read for school but I mostly read for fun. I went for several years after high school not reading much but this past year I made it my goal to read more. I put Read 100 books on my Day Zero Project Goal list. I've read about 10 books over the past couple months. My husband laughs at me and calls me a nerd since I read so fast. I had almost forgotten how nice it is to get lost in a book!

35. The view from my bedroom windows. We are in a canyon and sort of on top of a ridge, so it looks like we are on top of a mountain kinda. We have this long window in our bedroom, and at night it is breath taking to see all the lights of the city twinkling below us. We don't have any houses behind us so the view is looovely!

36. Chocolate! I'm a total chocoholic! So thankful God created it.

37. Scary movies. I love cuddling up with the husband, turning off all the lights and watching something scary. Afterwards hubby and I try to sneak up on one another and scare each other like kids. He always jumps before I do haha!

38. I'm thankful my husband was able to get a smoker for free. In his divorce the only thing he got besides debt was his grill. It was a nice grill but it finally broke for good about a year ago. Since then we have been oogling over nice grills and dreaming of having a grill/smoker combination. We never had the money to spend on one but a buddy from his work was moving and gave us his grill/smoker. It's the exact one we were dreaming about! A good scrub and a coat of paint has it looking brand new. We cooked some steaks on it for the first time last week and they were sooo yummy! It makes me happy when good things  happen for my husband. He really deserves it.

39. I'm thankful I got to travel a lot as a military brat. We lived in many different states and I got to see so many different places. Some people live in their own little bubble, like being born and then living their whole lives in the same town. I'm glad I got to experience the world and different cultures. Growing up like a gypsy gave me what I think they call "wanderlust". I don't like staying in the same place too long. I want to see the world!

40. And speaking of travel, I'm also thankful for GPS. I am super bad with directions although  I can almost always get back to somewhere I've already been before. Before we got a GPS I would usually end up lost and panicking anytime I went somewhere new.

Well that's all for this round! Feel free to comment below with anything you are thankful for!

100 Things I'm thankful for- 1st 20

I love seeing all these thankful posts on facebook lately. There is a thing going around called 30 days of thankful, where you post something you are thankful for everyday of the month of November.

I'm going to do something slightly different, since on my Day Zero project I have to make a list of 100 things I'm thankful for. I'm going to do them in sets of 20 so I don't overload you guys. And what better month than Thanksgiving month to do it in? The first ones are going to be pretty deep, but don't laugh if towards the end of this project I start saying things like I'm thankful for bubbles or something haha!

So here are my 1st set of 20...I'm thankful for

1. How God has blessed our family and been there even in the toughest of times.

2. A husband that treats me like a princess, is a good daddy and just a wonderful person to all who know him.

3. For a close relationship with my family. My parents are always there for me and even when I'm wrong they help instead of judge.

4. For smart, kind siblings. They would never abandon or hurt me like my husband's sister has done to him.

5. A God-loving, caring extended family who is always interested and keeps up with my life. I can always find encouragement in them.

6. A great relationship with my in-laws. They make me feel like a daughter. I know a lot of people who hate their in-laws so it is very special to me that I have amazing ones.

7. Friend that have my back and I know I can count on.

8. Starbucks! Or coffee in general. It saves my life in the mornings...and probably other people's too haha!

9. My red hair. It's unique and wild and I wouldn't change it for the world. Hairdressers say people pay a lot of money to get my natural color.

10. My oldest stepson Bryan. We have become close and after all the women in his life screwed him over, including his mom, I feel privileged that he loves and cares for me and that he has let me be a big part of his life.

11. My great metabolism. I do workout and eat fairly healthy but I always stay a good weight even when I'm lazy and eat like a fatty.

12. My wonderful, smart girls. People compliment on how beautiful they are all the time. They make me smile and laugh everyday.

13. My mustang. I always wanted one growing up. There is nothing like driving around with the windows down and a great sound system and pumping subwoofer turned up while you shift around town like a street racer.

14.  My amazing stepsons. They are so strong and courageous after everything they have been put through. Despite lies and manipulations, they believe what they see with their own eyes. I'm thankful for this because we have and amazing relationship. It is such a good feeling to be told how much they love me, admire me and look up to me. It's also a huge responsibility to be the kind of person they can look up to.

15. Thankful God has blessed me with a good mind. I've been able to make awesome grades even with my busy schedule, moving 5 times and attending 3 different colleges.

16. Thankful God has also blessed me with creativity. I love painting, designing and all things artsy.

17. Thankful my Mom made me take piano for years. Now that I'm older I appreciate it a lot more, and be able to read music is such a great skill to have.

18. The success of my photography. It started as a hobby with a little point and shoot camera. It grew with lots of positive reinforcement from my husband and family. 4 years later I have a top notch pro camera and many satisfied clients. I've been published in magazines, brochures, calendars and have met some B-list celebrities.

19. Thankful for the success of my blog. It also started as a hobby to keep far away friends and family up to date on our activities and how the kids are growing. I gradually added more categories like recipes and tips&advice. Soon companies started contacting me to review their stuff or do giveaways. Now I get a bunch of free stuff to try out and it's awesome!

20. My dog Chloe. I adopted her for free from a lady who had too many pets. She is a red heeeler and has been the best dog ever. She is super smart and well behaved and acts like a babysitter for my girls. She is in the process of getting certified as my "emotional support animal". Don't laugh! This means I can take her where ever I go even into stores and restaurants.

Well there is my 20 for this week! Feel free to add some stuff you are thankful for in the comments section below. Look for next week's 20!

Day Zero Project

In light of turning 25 I've decided to make a bucket/goal list for things I want to accomplish in the near future and before I die. I found this really neat website Day Zero Project where you can add things to a goal list and check them off as you do them. I like having all my goals online in one place, it keeps me organized. There are 3 lists: the 101 goals in 1001 days project, a list for things you want to accomplish with no deadline to them and a list of goals you have completed.

Here is the link to my goals in case you are interested or need some inspiration. My Goal Lists