August Goals

So my whole Happiness Project / Health Related July goals kind of went down the crapper about mid-month. While July was super fun,  I felt anxious and stressed for almost the entire second half of it and as a result totally ignored my goals. HOWEVER, in an attempt to stick with the happiness project, I am not going to beat myself up about it. Life Happens. Sometimes things are just tougher than usual and that's OK. I didn't get enough "points" to reward myself with a new swimsuit but I did average 10,775 steps a day, squeezed in 11 workouts and only went to Starbucks 5 times {which is really a huge win if you ask me} and I also won my DietBet and made a little cash while shedding a couple of pounds. 

I had August slated to be the Time Management month and that truthfully couldn't have come at a better time as this month is JAM FLIPPIN PACKED. I really want to start getting in to more of a weekday routine but I know myself well enough to know that this month is not the month to do it. I will be out of town 2 of this month's weekends and between fun plans, packing, moving and working it's going to be really tough to settle in to a routine and so I'm going to save that for September. Instead I need to use August to GET.STUFF.DONE. So, I'm taking a 1 month hiatus from the Happiness Project Goals and instead am making a list of stuff I MUST accomplish this August {and a couple of other little things as well}.

• DECLUTTER the heck out of our townhouse. I do not want anything that we don't need or use coming with us to the new house so decluttering every nook & cranny is an absolute must.
• GO TO THE POOL. I now have less than 30 days left with my beloved pool, so as silly as it is, getting some time in must be a priority. 
• POST to mama and mou every week day. I love this blog and hate when I let it slip, so I really want to make time to get a post up every day and spend time reading your posts as well! 
• WORKOUT at least 16 times. While it's a busy month, I can't let the workouts slip so if I can workout 16 times that will be every other day this month. 30 minutes is all it takes and who doesn't have 30 minutes to spare a day?
• PULL OFF the most epic and awesome Bachelorette Party ever. We're less than 2 weeks away from my besties Las Vegas Bach Party - crunch time to make it awesome. 
• KEEP MY COOL. I could fill several blog posts with all the stuff I need to do this month but that would be boring. I get overwhelmed looking at this month's calendar and to-do list but I can do it and it's a goal to do it as calmly and stress-free as possible! 

What are your goals this month? 

July Goals: Health

July! Say what?!

I can't believe how quickly this summer is already going! If you read my Happiness Project post from yesterday, then you know I am embarking on a little self improvement quest for the rest of the year starting with my health. I decided to tackle this one first because let's face it - how we feel impacts everything we do. Working out will give me more energy to tackle the upcoming month's goals. Eating healthy will help me look better and feel better which is never bad. AND giving up a couple non-healthy indulgences and meal planning will save money! Wins across the board! 

My resolutions this month were as follows: 

• Create a work out schedule
• Meal Plan
• Quit Pop
• Cut Back on Booze
• Drink More Water
• Limit Starbucks
• Limit Meals Out
• Get a Good Night's Sleep

I decided the best way to work towards these resolutions was to create a little game for myself because let's face it - like a small child or a dog I like to be rewarded for my efforts. I made a table of daily goals that will benefit my overall health and each goal is worth a point for a total of 7 points a day. At the end of July's 31 days, if I have earned myself 200 points, I am treating myself to a new swimsuit {no budget} for my upcoming trip to Las Vegas! It's a doable but lofty goal and I'm pretty excited. 

So here are my daily goals: 

1. Take a minimum of 10,000 steps {tracked by my handy FitBit}
2. Drink 85oz {or more} of water {also tracked by FitBit}
3. Exercise for at least 30 minutes
4. No booze {hold me}
5. No pop
6. No Starbucks {hold me tighter}
7. Enter all food/drinks into MyFitnessPal and come in under the calorie goal

And just to make things a little more interesting, alongside my girl Erin, I have entered my first ever DietBet...have you heard of this? You basically enter a challenge and bet money you'll achieve it. If you do - you win your money back. If you don't - your money gets split between everyone who did. If you achieve your goal and others don't - you WIN money! We entered a challenge to lose 4% of our weight in 4 weeks which times out perfectly for my month of health not to mention I want my $35 back and that is definitely motivating me to stay on track with those above goals! 

What are your goals this July?

My Happiness Project

Last month my book club read The Happiness Project which has me feeling all kinds of inspired. 

The Happiness Project is about an author who realizes that despite having a wonderful life she could be happier in her day-to-day life which leads her to go on a quest that she calls her Happiness Project. She sets different goals and resolutions for each month of one year and has to maintain the previous months resolutions as she adds more each month. It was a super fun read and, as I said, was very inspiring. {read the full synopsis HERE}

Reading this book got me thinking what I could do to make myself happier. Don't get me wrong, I love my life! In fact, this is probably the happiest I've ever been! Well, except for maybe when I was a kid and my greatest stress was which house we should go to for night games. However, despite having a great life, I still find myself feeling stressed out, self conscious, impatient and really I guess...less than happy from time to time.  

So I decided to jot down some of the areas in my life I think I could work on that would help me convert those negative feelings that creep in into more happiness and joy. What I came up with was

time management, patience, stress, health, finances & quality time with my little family. 

It just so happened to work out that there were six things that came to mind and six months left in 2015. So, much like in the book, I've decided to try and focus on one of these each month and build on what I've accomplished month by month. Within each of these categories I jotted down some resolutions that would help me improve in each of these areas.  When I made these lists I found that there was a lot of overlap, which has me excited in knowing if I work on this little-by-little it could really yield big results! 

So here are the things I want to work on each month and how I'm breaking down my happiness project, then each month I will create and share specific goals that will work as baby steps to achieve my resolutions and hopefully improve me in these areas. 

JULY: Health

• Create a workout routine and stick to it
• Meal Plan
• Quit Pop
• Cut back on the booze
• Drink more water
• Limit Starbucks
• Limit Meals Out
• Eat at home

AUGUST: Time Management 

• Wake up early
• Stick to a schedule
• Just say "No!"
• Accomplish a little at a time
• Get a good night sleep

SEPTEMBER: Stress

• Declutter / Clean
• Time Management
• Speak Up
• Just say "No!"
• Plan Ahead
• Yoga
• Get a good night sleep
• Me Time

OCTOBER: Finances

• Dave Ramsey
• Daily Budget Update
• No Spend Month
• Limit Starbucks
• Eat at home
• Work more 

NOVEMBER: Patience

• Time Management 
• Prioritize
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
• Learn
• Be Creative 

DECEMBER: Quality Time with my Little Family

• Time Management
• Limit Social Media / Phone
• Make Dates
• Create a Routine
• Family Dinner at the Table 
• Create Traditions

I'm really excited! I think everyone is always on a quest for self improvement and that quest is neverending, but I am looking forward to making some small changes that will enhance my life and the life of my family in a big way. You know what they say "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." But truly, I am so so so happy - I just want to be a better Kristin! 

Check back tomorrow for my July goals!

31 things for my 31st year.

I ended my 30th year on the planet with a BANG and want to keep that excitement and momentum going throughout my 31st year. I've decided to put together a little bucket list of 31 goals and ideas I'd like to see through during my 31st year - some big and some small. Basically, consider this a jump start on my 2015 resolutions!

1. Go on a tropical vacation.
2. Bring Kenley to the zoo.
3. Stand with my best friend on her wedding day. 
4. Walk {or run?} the 3 lake loop {Calhoun, Isles & Harriet for you locals}.
5. Donate hair to Locks of Love.
6. Clock 350 running miles.
7. Read 15 books.
8. Grow blog to 1,000 followers. 
9. Meet Erin. 
10. Read Dave Ramsey's book and follow his get out of debt plan.
11. Anonymously pay for a stranger's coffee. 
12. Design & print our Family Yearbooks.
13. Spend a day in Stillwater. 
14. Visit my family in Colorado. 
15. Call my grandparents once a week. 
16. Host a dinner party. 
17. Attend a yoga workshop.
18. Go on a super fun date with my hubby.
19. Try a new Minneapolis restaurant.
20. Do something spontaneous.
21. Treat our parents to dinner.
22. Start saving for a house.
23. Go to a Gopher away game.
24. Do something extra fun with my girlfriends. 
25. Go on a Mother/Daughter date with Kenley.
26. Give up something really hard for lent.
27. Go for a run in Central Park.
28. Make a Big Fat Greek dinner on my own.
29. Climb a mountain. 
30. Run a half marathon.
31. Maybe, just maybe, starting thinking about Baby #2.

I'll keep you posted throughout the year on how I'm doing, but for now, I'd better get to work! 

A Look Back at August

I learned something about myself while attempting to accomplish my long list of August goals....I have NO problem accomplishing the "Fun" category.

Here's a look at how I did {pink means big fat fail, btw}...

 

• Take advantage of my super cute blog planner from Breezy Organization to plan/brainstorm posts 
• Post EVERY week day in August {woah!}
• Clean out mama and mou inbox {currently 506 emails - yikes!} I was able to get my inbox from 506 to 55! I consider this a big win! 
• Catch up on blog reading! 

 

• Attend/plan an Essential Oils event I'll be sharing more about this next week, but I hosted and Intro to Oils event and am officially hooked! 
• Meal Plan & Grocery Shop EVERY week
• Run a 5k
• Train for the 5k {3 runs a week?}
• Find time for at least 4 yoga classes
• Do a 2-day Zula Juice Cleanse 

 

• Update Budget & Create a financial plan This needed to be done SO bad! Hopefully this will get us back on track with saving & paying off debt!
• Organize photos!!!
• Create a cleaning schedule {and stick to it!}
• Create a work schedule {and stick to it!}
• Set up new laptop for optimum organization {whatever that means} My laptop is up and running. It seemed to take FOREVER to get everything transfered and organized but I did it and it's been a HUGE help. I stole this idea from Pinterest and have loved how effective it's been for keeping my desktop organized.

• Celebrate Scott & Kelly's Shower in Okaboji Done! So fun! It was my THIRD roadtrip to Iowa of the summer {so random} but it was SO.MUCH.FUN. Cannot wait for this wedding in November!

• Celebrate Sarah's Bridal Shower Done! I had such a fun day hanging by the pool with some of my best college girlfriends and celebrating our beautiful bride-to-be {who isn't even in this picture - whoops!}.

• Celebrate Aaron's 30th Birthday Done! It was a beautiful night on the lake celebrating Aaron turning the BIG THREE-OH!

• Celebrate Jason's Birthday Done! There were family dinners, presents, a giant pot pie and mint chocolate chip cupcakes - not to mention he was gone his entire birthday weekend on a wine/golf trip he qualified for through work. Lucky ducky!

• Start a Book Club! Done! I am SO excited about this! My high school girlfriends and I have officially started a book club! We got together to plan/decide all the details of our club and picked our first book - The Woman Who Wasn't There! I am so pumped about this!

• State FairDone! So fun!

• Tim McGraw Concert Done! So fun!

• Kick off Gopher Football!  Done! So fun!

• Start brainstorming ideas/Planning Kenley's 2nd Birthday!!! Not only did I start brainstorming ideas, I got the entire thing planned! I can't wait it's going to be so much fun! 

As for my September goals - I think I am going to just focus on accomplishing all the things I didn't accomplish in August - then get excited for some fresh October goals.

What your September goals?

Mama Needs Some Help

You guys I am in a rut. Lately I've been feeling so blah and haven't been able to pinpoint why. Finally I've opened my droopy little eyes and realized it's because I look like a hot fricken mess.

When I daydreamt about being a mom, I always thought of myself looking something like:

I always said that I would still put on make up and get dressed for the day even if I had nowhere to be. I figured myself to be a person who kept a spotless house despite the mass amounts of toys and the mass amounts of time spent at work - not at home. 

Nearly 10 months in and I'm accepting the fact that I look more like:

I'm struggling to find the energy and motivation to "do it all". 

Of course I want my house to be clean. Of course I want to cook myself and my husband a delicious and healthy dinner every night. Of course I want to always remember to put on deodorant. 

I know I am a good mom. I think I'm a pretty decent wife. But right now, I am a terrible Kristin. My confidence is at like a 2 and it's time I do something to change that.

In past months I've set some goals for myself to help me take better care of ME but I think they were just a little too lofty and not a single one has been accomplished. So, this month I am setting a couple of little goals to help make steps towards taking better care of myself and getting my "momjo" back.

{oh Giuliana, how do you do it?}

1. Get a damn haircut. I will not be getting a mom-cut but I do desperately need to do something with this gnarly mane situated a'top my head. 

2. Get some fresh air and burn some cals. There is no reason why I can't take 30 minutes out of my lunch break each day to enjoy a little walk. This month I would like to do this a total of 10 times - not asking a lot Kristin! 

3. Revive the wardrobe. Ideally I would go on a massive shopping spree and replace everything in my closet but if I had that kind of money I would just hire a maid and a chef and all my problems would be gone. The goal on this one is to treat myself to a couple of new outfits and/or items to liven up my wardrobe. 

4. Spend 15 minutes cleaning each day. Our place isn't that big and we aren't that messy so realistically if I just spent 15 minutes after putting Kenley to bed picking up or dusting or folding laundry our house would be in much better shape. 

Alright people. Wish me luck. If I can't achieve these teeny little goals this month then I might as well accept that I'm on the fast track to mom-cut and house coat. 

Weighing In: Part 3

Somehow it's already July and we are in the heart of summer! It's also been nearly 8 months since I had my baby girl, which means it's due time to check in on my post-baby weight loss journey. I'd say it's going OK. Of course the weight isn't just flying off like I'd hoped and wished but I'm making progress to get back to where I was (and hopefully am getting closer to not scaring people in a swimsuit...yikes!)

a girl (and my husband) can dream....right?

I have changed my diet to include mostly protein, fruits and vegetables with some light carbs and dairy mixed in. I'm calling it the sorta-yeast-free-gluten-free-dairy free-esque diet that still allows me to eat my favorite foods. I've heard some people refer to it as the 80/20 diet...eat great 80% of the time and enjoy the not-so-good-for-you foods that you love {within reason of course} 20% of the time.When I do this, I feel great! I feel lighter, have more energy and find that I am full and satisfied AND am losing weight. I am still counting calories on MyFitnessPal {<---add me if you use it!} to ensure I'm not going way over and try to aim for around 1,200-1,500 calories a day. The hard part is just sticking to this and not letting a "cheat" day completely derail me. Instead of feeling guilty I just need to get over it, move on and get back on track.

I've been using Meal Planning methods each week to help keep me organized and expedite the grocery shopping experience. I spend a little time each week setting up my meals using a super simple excel spreadsheet. I look at our calendar to see what we have going on for the week and plan my meals accordingly, usually leaving the weekends open for either leftovers or dinners out. For example, here's my plan for this week:

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	Grande Nonfat Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk
LUNCH	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad
DINNER	Teriyaki Chicken & Pineapple Skewers w/ Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice	Dinner w/ Kari & Ryan!	Chipotle Twice Baked Sweet Potato	Whole Wheat Pasta, Broccoli & Light Alfredo Sauce	Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger w/ Greek Salad	Alex & Lina’s Party!
SNACK	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce

 I get all of the ingredients I will need to make myself breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day. Then I will get all the ingredients for 4-5 dinners and Jason and I can chose what we're going to have from those options each day, the other couple days we will either eat left overs, go out for dinner or make up meals using random ingredients we have. I also do all of my food prep on the weekends so that everything is ready, organized and easy to grab during the chaotic workday mornings.

Sometimes it feels like so much work but I found that when I've planned ahead and have my meals set I don't cheat. It's when I don't have food in the house or a lunch prepared that I tend to go off the deep end.

I am now less that 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm more motivated than ever to stick to eating healthy! My next goal is to up my workouts. I've been doing great at going for daily walks but I need to increase the strength training with some yoga or a Jillian DVD at home. 

After almost 8 months post-baby, here's my weight loss stats:

Total weight gained: 34 pounds

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 30 pounds

Pounds to go: 12 pounds

{HOLLER!!!!!}


See my other Weigh In posts here:
Weighing In
Weighing In: Part 2


Tell me....what are your secrets to losing the last few pounds and keeping them off?

Summer Bucket List

I'm a little late to the party on this, but I've seen a lot of people posting Summer Bucket lists and I love the idea! I thought creating a bucket list would be a great way to set some summer goals for myself AND share some of the summer plans that I am really looking forward to!

Be a better blogger! 

This is a little vague but overall I'd like to be better at posting more regularly and DEFINITELY need to be better at responding to e-mails in a timely manner and staying up to date and commenting on all of your blogs! I'm reading them...I'm just usually a few days behind and read from my phone so it's hard to comment.

Plan a super fun {and special} FIRST Father's Day for Jason. 

I already have something in the works....but I need to make sure it's a day he'll remember. 

Sign up for a 5K.

I set a resolution to run three 5Ks this year and I've already done two. This summer I need to sign up for (and maybe even run) one more. 

Organize Kenley's clothes / equipment / etc.
My little angel will be 7 MONTHS OLD this month and has obviously outgrown a lot of her stuff. I need to go through every thing and start packing up / donating / giving away what Kenley no longer needs.

Road Trip to See Billy & Jackie!
Jason and I made some amazing friends on our honeymoon and we've been so lucky to be able to keep in touch and hang out with them beyond the honeymoon (they live in Iowa). This summer we're road tripping to a fun lake town in Iowa for a mini reunion and some fun!

Run / Walk 175 miles this summer. 
It's a tall order but if I'm going to make my 400 mile goal this year, it needs to be done!

Enjoy a wonderfully festive 4th of July weekend! 
I love the 4th of July and I am excited to celebate Kenley's first! She already has a couple of patriotic outfits for the occasion and I just cant wait. Maybe it will actually feel like summer by then!

Shake my booty with my mom & Beyonce!
My mom and I saw Lady B when she was here a few years ago and knew we HAD to see her again when she announced her new tour. It just doesn't get any better than Beyonce.

Take Kenley to a play group!
There's a place near our house that has a baby play group every Friday and I'd love to bring Kenley! She definitely is around a ton of people with her 8 grandparents and 10 Aunts & Uncles but she hasn't had a ton of time around other babies - so I want to get her socialized.

Celebrate Alex & Lina! 
One of my best buds is getting married this summer in COLUMBIA {where his fiance is from}. I am so sad I won't be able to go, but am so happy they are having an at-home party to celebrate!

Throw a kick ass Baby Shower for the Beeb!
Planning & organizing is in full swing and I am SO excited for her to see all the details and to have friends and family together to celebrate Jake, Carolyn & baby Beebo!

BACKSTREET BOYS IN CHICAGO! 
My mom and I JUST (as in this morning) bought tickets to see BSB in Chicago the first weekend of August! I am SHAKING with excitement! My thirteen-year-old self is jumping up and down, screaming and probably crying a little!

Celebrate Kristen & Joe!
My oldest friend {since we were 4!} is getting married in Chicago this summer! I can't wait for a mini-vacation with my husby and to see one of my dearest friends walk down the aisle!!!

Go to Mommy & Me Yoga!
We had such a great time last time we went, I'd like to make it a more regular thing! Plus, my mother-in-law very sweetly gifted me two classes! My goal is to go at least 3 times this summer!

Celebrate Pat & Nikki!
ANOTHER one of my best buds is getting married this summer! All of my best high school guy friends are in the wedding, all of whom moved out of state, so I CANNOT wait for this mini - reunion!

Celebrate my Husby's 33rd Birthday! 
We love birthdays in our house and I'm excited to plan something fun to celebrate the birth of my man!

Start a "ME" night. 
I want to find one night a week to have some me time away from the house. This is going to be hard for me because I LOVE being at home with my little family. But I need some me time to get some errands done, maybe take a weekly yoga class and spoil myself.

Kick off GOPHER FOOTBALL SEASON! 
I would never wish away summer but the start of football season might just be my favorite time of year! The season opener this year is a HOME GAME. A NIGHT GAME. IN AUGUST & ON A THURSDAY. BOOM!

TIM MCGRAW at the State Fair!
The summer finale will be the Tim McGraw concert on Labor Day at the Minnesota State Fair with my family and our best friends! CANNOT.FRIGGEN.WAIT to spend my day chowing down on fatty foods and spending my night hangin' with Tim!

What are you up to or hoping to accomplish this summer?