What I'm Loving Today

I'm loving...

Today's weather.  Finally some sun!  Monday was a monsoon...seriously.  They were calling for 2" of rain between 7am and noon...and I'm pretty sure we got it.  Add in the additional rain & storms that we got on Monday afternoon and during the night last night, and we are under flood warnings.  But no fears for me...I don't live anywhere near the Yadkin River...which I've heard is already above flood stages.  Yikes!

I'm loving...

When I went to the doctor a few weeks ago, they determined that I have a Vitamin D & B-12 deficiency.  So for 3 months I'm on a Vitamin D supplement and I get to go weekly for B-12 injections...which are not exactly pleasant.  They don't have the 1-2 day pain factor of a tetanus...but they leave a little pain in the arm where they do the injection.  But let me tell you...it's totally worth it.  I didn't realize how drained I was until I felt better.  I've had SO much more energy over the last few days (after my third injection last Friday).  I can't believe this is making THAT much difference.  I'm so thankful!

I'm loving...

That I met one of my other 2012 goals...for now.  I have more than $500 in my savings account!  I finally got my escrow disbursement over the weekend and put the majority of it in my savings account.  According to my "plan", I hope to be able to save at least another $500 by the end of summer and maybe, just maybe, I'll get new living room furniture in the fall.  Or maybe not.  We shall see! :)

I'm loving...

That by this time next week, I should *hopefully* be able to add my new Nook Color to this list!  I've been considering this and I'm hoping to get mine this weekend!  I'm so excited!

I'm loving...

My latest "Pinterest" inspired project, which I finished Saturday afternoon.  Unfortuntely, I took them to Mom's to show them to her on Sunday evening...which is when the monsoon initially started...and I left them there...and forgot to get them!  Hope she doesn't assume ownership! ;)

Hope you all have a wonder Wednesday! :)

Monday Musings

I love alliteration! :)

So...it's been a while...I actually intended, hoped, dreamed and planned (I also love redundancy) to blog last week.  Every day, I thought, this is the day.

And every day, I was WAY too busy to blog.

Stoopid job.

Just kidding...I really like my job.  Really I do.  I mean, it has it's down days...like every job out there...but for the most part, it's not horrible.

But the last two weeks, have been slammed.  I appreciate the busy-ness...sometimes I wish the busy-ness was just a little more steady and not all at once, as it usually is.

Anyway...

I have decided that 2012 is the year I'm taking control.  My first step was taking control of some financial decisions.  You see, I hate making financial decisions...and I hate pricing stuff like insurance, etc.  It intimidates me to no end.  Basically because I've never paid attention to anything.  Truly, when I bought my house, I signed documents that I semi-understood...but my main concern was the bottom line.  If the monthly payment fit my budget, then all was well. 

So, last week I *finally* closed on my house refinance...still semi-understanding what I was signing...maybe with a little more knowledge than the first time...and with a new homeowner's policy...which was my other step in "taking control".

A couple of weeks ago, I decided I had put off going to the doctor long enough.  I won't even tell you how long it has been that I've been to the doctor for anything other than sickness.  I won't tell you because I don't know.  I *think* it's been less than 5 years...but I couldn't put money on it.  So, I called a new doctor's office to set up a physical...which ended up being a nightmarish event.  Evidently you can't just become a patient...you have to come to a "new patient" appointment and then they will schedule a physical (or whatever you are pursuing, unless you are sick, I guess).  To me, this read as their way of collecting two co-pays...but whatever.  My new patient appointment was last week...and to my surprise, the PA decided to go ahead and do the physical.  Mostly because she couldn't code the appointment to anything else...which I kind of thought about beforehand...but what do I know.  "Taking control".

I'm not really sure what else is on this "taking control" list...definitely some improvements at the house...and really working hard to control my eating...and getting in the gym more often.  All of my 2012 goals are part of the list...so, we shall see how this all works out.

Today, I'm thankful for a beautiful Saturday...and a rainy Sunday...but I am not digging the COLD today. 

Yes, it's snowing in the mountains today.

Take that, Spring! ;)

Happy Monday!

2012 Goals - Update

A couple of months ago, I finally decided on setting some goals for 2012...things that I felt like are very reasonable...doable.  As a reminder, these are my 2012 Goals:

I thought it would be good to give a little update on where I am...mostly because I'm excited to see some of these getting ready to be crossed off the list! :)

1 - I am nowhere near accomplishing this goal.  My problem is that once I create a list, I want to cross everything off.  Never mind that this list is supposed to be something that I take 12 months to  finish.  So...after I set the goal, I took off...pushing myself (which is good for a runner mentality)...but I think I need to back up a little and work on some other areas of my physical fitness...and then begin to push further into this.  I would say I AM working towards this goal...it's a work in progress.

2 - I am very happy to say that I have made significant progress in this area.  I still have a ways to go in paying this off, but I feel really good about where I am with it.  And while I am still striving to have my credit card balance down to $0 by December 31st, I feel very certain that if for some reason I don't quite hit that mark, I will have it paid completely off in early 2013.

3 - I am CLOSING on my home mortgage refinance on Monday! :)  I'm so very excited about this...because who wouldn't appreciate a month without a house payment?  But also...I'm excited about reducing my interest rate by a little over 2%.  Also, within this process I had my home owners & auto insurances reviewed by another agent...and I cut my home owners down almost $200/yr.  The auto stays about the same...but I had been thinking for a while that my home owners was way too expensive - turns out I'm right! So, with the reduction of my home owners & the interest, I should see a good monthly saving in my house payment!

4 - Currently I have $300 in my savings account.  I had put a portion of my tax refund in savings for the appraisal that had to be done on my house...but I put more than I thought I would need, hoping to jump start my savings goal.  I really feel like I'll be up to the $500 mark by May or June.

5 - No progress...sadly enough...

6 - Eeek...I was doing really well with this for a while...and then I didn't.  Still need to work on this one.

7, 8 & 9 - I believe will all be accomplished within the next 30-60 days.  A lot depends on what happens at my re-fi closing.  If they cash out my existing escrow (*fingers crossed*), then I will have a nice little chunk of change that will go directly to accomplishing these three items...and maybe, just maybe, some new living room furniture.  I'm trying not to count my chickens before they hatch...but these are exciting times for me! ;)

So there you have it...Out of 9 items, I really feel good about the progress I've made (or should be making relatively soon) on several of these items.  I'm already doing better than I did in 2011!  :)

2012 Goals

So...I know it's been a while since I've posted...and it's certainly WAY past over due for me to be setting my 2012 Goals...but here it is anyway.

Last year I attempted to set "Eleven  in '11" which was supposed to be eleven things that I was going to do in 2011.  Sadly, I think I might have accomplished about three things on that list.  And really and truly, that is SO sad.  Because they weren't hard things AT ALL!

I hate making "resolutions" - for the same reason no one else likes to make them - we all FAIL miserably at keeping them.  So, instead, I've decided to make some goals.  I've been rolling these around in my head since January and on Tuesday I finally got around to putting pen to paper so I could keep track of what I was setting out to do. 

And when setting these goals, I wanted to set things that were reasonable...within reach...nothing too complicated.  Most of these things are just one step to something bigger...and I think these are all great places to start.

So without further adieu...my 2012 Goals (as posted on my dresser mirror)! :)

I'm really excited about this list.  And yes...I do think it's funny that "replacing blinds" made my 2012 goals list...but I've been meaning to do this since I moved in...and it's just not happened yet.  There are a few other things that I'd like to do (buy new living room furniture, fix the drainage issue in my side yard, buy a Kindle fire) but I truly believe that by accomplishing these things first, I'll eventually be able to do the other things that I'd like to do.  And if I do everything in 2012, what will I have to do in 2013??? ;)

In other news, the great college onslaught has begun for my high school kid.  He took the PSAT in the beginning of the school year, plus he is now Microsoft certified in Excel & Access (whatever that means)...so the college info has started pouring in.  This makes me both excited and sad...excited because out of the colleges that have contacted him, Wake Forest is on the list (to me this is HUGE because Wake is hard to get in to...but it would also mean MAJOR scholarships since 4 years of tuition would probably equal the cost of my house) and I'm excited to see so many colleges reaching out to him.  Sad because we are getting closer to the day that he will leave me behind...

And to correct another issue that has been a thorn in my mother's side...I put a special "call out" for my Dad on his birthday in November...but didn't for my mother in December.  Why you may ask?  Because I only blogged ONCE in the month of December...and it was a full 15 days after her birthday. But, she will not let it rest...so I want to officially wish my mother a belated Happy Birthday via my blog...it's only 2 months & 8 days late.  I guess the birthday dinner & gift were not enough for her! ;)

This is one of my favorite pictures of my parents...taken last June...

Seriously, I do love my momma! And I know she had a happy birthday in December! :)

Hope you all are doing well...maybe I'll get back into the blogging habit...we shall see!