11 in 2011 - Day 6

Day 6 - Best Organization Tricks

When it comes to school, I constantly make to-do lists. I've even started doing them at work, because it gives me something to look at and check off. This really holds me accountable.

As far as cleaning goes, I do not have any fancy organizing techniques. I cannot wait to see what other people do to organize!

I, however, love boxes, boxes of all different sizes to organize my things. I love to go to IKEA and buy boxes and boxes!

via

I will organize like things (video games, movies that won't fit on my shelf because I need a bigger one, CDs, books, miscellaneous things, etc.) They come with the handy little paper to write the description of what is in the box. I can find things quickly.

I'm a HUGE fan of labels, color coding with marker, etc. I cannot wait to work in an office, because I will go insane with organizing and I can buy different color pens, highlighters for different things. I will now stop writing about my love affair with office supplies.

11 in 2011 - Day 5

Day 5 - Places you hope to go this year

There are so many places I want to go:

Madawaska, Maine - I try to go here yearly to visit my dad, brother, sister and the rest of my dad's side of the family. I LOVE IT up there. It is SO peaceful and such a nice change of pace from Atlanta.

The Beach... ANY Beach

I'd love to go on a cruise

Germany

I want to not only visit my Opa and just Germany again in general, but that is where my commencement from grad school is being held. I could go, but I'd have to go alone and I'd rather go with someone else. 

Honestly, I just want to go anywhere! I love new places and places I've been before. Traveling is so great! I just need more friends that can travel with me :)

I can't wait to see where everyone is wanting to travel this year!

11 in 2011 - Day 4

Day 4 - Best Leftover Recipe

I don't have a personal recipe to share, but I am a big fan of pretty much anything left over. The flavors just come together more and more! Pasta is my ultimate favorite left over food, especially spaghetti. I actually like pasta better the next day than when it is first made.

New Year

I have been so behind with blogging. Work has been so crazy and I rarely even turned my computer on. However, Christmas and New Year were great. It was a lot of fun being with family and friends and just having a chance to relax and enjoy my days. I hope everyone else had an amazing rest of 2010 and that they are as excited as me for 2011!

I love new years. I've seen SO many negative comments from some of my friends on Facebook about how a new year doesn't change anything. The thing is, the year doesn't make the changes. It provides a clean slate and it is up to you to make the changes you want! I want 2011 to be a positive year filled with lots of happiness.

I am also wanting to participate in a fun project with The Verse of The Week over at Lindsey's blog, so keep an eye out for my post about that!

Have an amazing Tuesday everyone!

I also saw a few of these floating around and they made me laugh, so I made one too :)

11 in 2011 - Day 3

Day 3: Favorite Work-Out Tips

1. Set small goals along your journey that will help you reach your BIG goal.

If your ultimate goal is to become a marathon runner and you have never run in your life. Start small. Sign up for a 5K and let that be your first goal and then move up to a 10K. You don't have to become a marathon runner overnight!

If you have a large amount of weight you have to lose set goals for how much you want to lose by certain days. If you set these goals, you will work hard for each individual goal and feel accomplished when you reach them. If you don't set these small weight loss goals, you'll feel defeated when the weight does not come off as fast as you'd like!

2. Don't overdo the workouts, nobody said you HAD to go 6 times a week.

When I first started REALLY working out during the summer of 2010, I'd go almost every day of the week. I loved it, but after a while, my work schedule got busy and I would be upset with myself for not going as often. 3-4 times a week is still excellent and I've started to learn that I don't have to go every day to get where I want to be!

3. If you want to run, get fit for shoes.

When my Opa came to visit from Germany he took me to buy running shoes and the associate actually looked at the shoes that I was currently wearing and knew what kind of running shoes I needed. (Apparently I walk to the outside of my feet, WHO KNEW!) I love my new running shoes and they really do make a difference. My calves don't hurt when I run anymore.

4. Do something to hold yourself accountable.

• Write in a journal
• Join a community online, like: Spark People
• Have a workout buddy
• Tell your family how it is going
• This is one my biggest motivators. Everytime I go to a family gathering they ask me, "how much have you lost?", "how are the workouts going?". I want to have positive answers, so I have to keep working!

5. HAVE FUN!

There isn't a rule that working out can't be fun! For instance. I work late tonight and didn't feel like waking up early, because I have been so exhausted, so I am going to play Just Dance on the Wii.. If you are actually trying, you really will break a sweat. It isn't as intense as some other workouts, but it is better than not working out at all!

Have a great day everyone!!

Catch up.... 11 in 2011 - Day 1 and 2

I saw this on kit's blog and thought it would be fun to participate! I am a day late, so I'll answer day 1 and 2 in this post :) I hope everyone had a great start to the New Year :)

Day 1: New Year Resolutions

1. Get to my ideal weight:  I want to continue my weight loss journey and hopefully be where I need to be long before the year is over, but no later than the end of the year. I don't really consider this a New Year resolution, because I started this in 2010, but I do want to continue to push forward and the resolution is to continue to improve my life!

2. Find a full time job: I finish grad school in February and hope to find a full time job within the next few months. I hope this works out and that I can start planning more for the future.

3. Become more blog savvy and blog more:  I really enjoy reading blogs written by so many different people, but I have a hard time writing entries myself. I hope to really get into it this year and hopefully gain some more followers and friends!

Day 2: Favorite Holiday Memory

This year:

Honestly, it was such a hectic and busy holiday season that it went by too fast. My favorite memories are those that I got to be with family and friends and where I could relax and not worry about having to be at work. I always love watching Christmas movies with my mom, it's such a fun time!

Also, Atlanta had its first white Christmas since the 1980s, which was quite amazing. Too bad the white came when it was already dark!

Overall:

I loved every Christmas I spent in Germany. Having the snow and all of the Germany traditions was always fun when I was younger. The whole family was together and it was always so much fun. We still do some of the Germany tradition and now my Oma also lives in the US, so she gets to partake in the festivities too!

I love everything about the Holidays, I'm too indecisive to pick one special memory!

Wednesday: a wee bit of me =]

I am joining Leigh in a wee bit of me Wednesday =]
{one} if you were granted three wishes, what would they be?1. To skip the rigorous workouts to get to my ideal weight. 2. To live a happy, healthy life, where money isn't an issue and all I need is to be with the one I love and our family. Material things wouldn't matter. 3. World Peace... Hey if this genie or wishing well really grants wishes, I think this is the way to go about getting World Peace.
{two} who is your favorite author?Nicholas Sparks... I'm a sap/hopeless romantic, what can I say?!
{three} what crowd were you involved in during high school?...one time at Band Camp - Marching Band was the shiz at my school, so I'd say I was kind of cool. I even had to get down and boogy occasionally (fingers crossed nobody has pictures and or videos hidden of that somewhere). I was also part of Student Council and Beta Club... Latin Club.. French Club... Every club?! Nah.. Over achiever?! A little.
{four} what is your favorite thing to do when you have time to yourself?Catch up on shows and blogs. Read my little heart out. Scrapbook (That involves A LOT of time to myself).
{five} do you have any hidden talents?Well to the people that don't know me well, I play the Saxophone. I speak German (hidden, because I don't do it for just anyone). I can form my tongue into a 3 leaf clover.... Random people that actually get to hear me sing say I'm pretty good, but don't worry I won't take that as a reason to audition for American Idol.
{six} can you fake any accents?I pretend I can fake a British Accent... I can't.
{seven} have you ever been mentioned in the newspaper?Yes, I have. I was on the front page of our county newspaper (with my dog and a basketball?! of course). Our county was on the verge of losing accreditation in schools and I wrote my opinion in a worded letter/article and it made the front page. I was shocked, but it was awesome!
{eight} have you ever been arrested?no, thank you.
{nine} what is your favorite job you’ve had?Current job.
{ten} do you have any scars?Dos. One on my leg. I was in the woods running when I was in first grade... Why? I'm not sure. I slipped in mud and fell on a stump... Slit open a nice chunk of my leg. We had just moved to the US and didn't have insurance or anything... my mom kept it clean and bandaged, so now I just have a scar.
My second one is on my ear. I had an ear piercing and when I took it out a keloid grew and I had it removed almost 2 years ago. It still hurts sometimes. They couldn't stitch it up because of how big the keloid was, so took FOREVER to heal.
The End. :)

Miscellany Monday

This is my first time participating in Miscellany Monday, from lowercase letters. I think it is a great idea!

1. I love hate writing papers, but I always procrastinate and add extra stress to my own life.

2. Going shopping at the Mall of Georgia again tomorrow, hopefully I'll be more successful this time. Nonetheless it will still be as fun as last time!

3. I'm slowly becoming obsessed with all things Vera Bradly in the Baroque pattern. I've never even owned anything Vera until yesterday and now I just have this itch to get more! 

4. I'm loving seeing all of the Christmas lights up everywhere!

5. I've had sort of a mini-vacation off from work (5 days), which never happens, and I didn't even ask for them!

That's it! Short and sweet. I actually need to get back to that paper!