Goals & plans for 2015

Oh hello, my long-neglected blog! Who knew adding a baby to the mix AND going back to work full-time was so time consuming? ;)

I love the beginning of the year for the fresh start it brings. Out with the old, in with the new. I typically make a huge list of very specific resolutions and get so overwhelmed with sticking to all of them that I fail miserably to stick with even one.

There are several things I want to accomplish this year, but I'm cutting myself some slack and picking more realistic goals so I don't set myself up for failure :) Ironically, one of my goals this year is to let go of the need for perfection, so this will be a good exercise for that.

Here's some things I'd like to see happen this year:

• Get Oliver (mostly) potty trained. We started the potty training process last June and he is 100% potty trained at home when he's naked. He runs right to the bathroom when he has to go and never has a problem. But apparently letting your kid run around in public naked is a no-no, so we still have some work to do :) 
• Set up a little photo studio in our house. Oregon is too cold and/or wet a good portion of the year to do outdoor photos, so we're finally bringing the photos indoors. We're drawing up plans right now and hope to have something set up later this month in time for Valentine's Day mini sessions :)
• Pay off my student loans this year. I think I have until the end of 2016 to pay them off, but I've been paying extra as often as possible and hope to be totally done by October of this year. 
• Explore Oregon more. We rarely leave the city (or even our house) anymore, but there is so much beauty to see in this state and I am eager to expose the kids to it. I'm aiming for 1 day-trip each month, even if it's super close (but it has to be a new-to-us place).
• Eat less sugar. I have a sweet tooth like none other and have noticed that Oliver asks for sugary stuff a lot more often now :( So it's time to cut back and lead by example with what I eat.
• Do one small house project a month. Our tentative plan is to put our house up for sale Spring 2016, so we need to start doing a little at a time so its ready by then. We need new carpet, new tile in the bathrooms, a new fence in the backyard, new grass/landscaping and minor repairs inside & outside. We also need to pare our belongings down as we go along, but I'm married to a hoarder (i.e.: I finally convinced him to get rid of his floppy disc collection just a few years back) so it will be tough. lol
• Be in more photos. I'm always the one behind the camera and it bums me out to look through my photos and only have a handful of shots with me & the kids in them :( So that is definitely something to work on for this year!

These are the main ones. Of course I am always looking to improve in all areas of my life (exercise more! watch less tv! read to the kids more! spend less!), but the items above are ones that I feel are not only very important, but also attainable. So wish me luck and hopefully I will have a chance to check back in in the next few months to share my progress :)

Best wishes for 2015 to you & yours :)

Project Refresh: Month 3

Happy November 1st! I love the beginning of a new month. I get to look back at the previous month to see what went well/what didn't and plan new goals for the current month. It's even more exciting that the holidays are coming up so quickly and that Thanksgiving is this month! I can't wait :)

So how did I do on last month's goals?

• Find the perfect gift for my sister's 18th birthday: Yes! My brother actually found it, but we (Derek & I, my brother & sis-in-law) got my sister a beautiful diamond musical note necklace.
  
  
  
• Book and shoot 2 senior sessions: We only did 1 senior session in October, but we did have some other sessions to make up for it
• Lose 3 pounds: I did, then I gained a pound back at the end of the month. lol. 
• Get the guest bed cleared off by selling or donating everything on it: This is still a work in progress. It's about 50% cleared and everything is listed on ebay/Craigslist, I'm just waiting for people to buy our stuff :)
• Pick out a cute Halloween costume for Oliver: Yup, we found a cute (& warm) dinosaur outfit for Oliver to wear on Halloween. He loved it & looked so cute! Derek & I didn't dress up this year, maybe next time.
  

• Go through my bedroom closet & dresser to organize and purge clothes I don't wear or like: I didn't get rid of many things, but I did organize and clean up my dresser/closet, so this was a success.
• Take Oliver to get his first haircut: We did and he looks so grown-up now! He didn't mind getting his hair cut and I'm glad we finally did it. 
  
  
  I'd rate October a B+. I'm getting the hang of getting stuff done with a curious & hyperactive toddler around 24/7, but I still have some work to do. So what's on the agenda for November?
  
  
  Project Refresh: Month 3
  • I want to make/put some bookshelves up in Oliver's room finally (like this: http://mekhart.blogspot.com/2011/02/nursery-room-book-shelves.html) Oliver has so many cool books & I want to display them & keep them in one location.
  • Get a little greenhouse made for the backyard to put all our plants in for the winter
  • Finish cleaning out & organizing my filing cabinet
  • Get an updated home inventory list put together for insurance purposes (this has been on my to-do list for the last 2 years & I keep putting it off)
  • Set up the tripod & take a great family photo (for Christmas cards, perhaps?)
  • Have a dinner/movie night over at our house with family or friends

  
  

  Have a great weekend everyone! xo

Project Refresh: Month 2

So month 1 of my project is coming to an end and I'd give myself a 'C+' for accomplishing my goals. I am definitely taking more photos (at least one a day) so that was a success. Sticking to a schedule has been tough since every day is different, but I have been more productive whenever Oliver is sleeping, so that one's a mixed bag.

Clearing the clutter was the one I was most excited to dive into, but I just haven't had any time. We've been really busy with photo shoots, which means I spent most of my free time in September with my BFF Photoshop. Being a perfectionist means our clients get beautiful looking photos, but it also means I spend way too much time editing to make each photo amazing.

So onto October. I thought it would be better to break my goals into more specific tasks instead of all-encompassing objectives.

Project Refresh: Month 2

• Find the perfect gift for my sister's 18th birthday
• Book and shoot 2 senior sessions
• Lose 3 pounds (I hate random numbers like that, but I don't think anything above 3 is realistic. lol) by eating less carbs/more veggies & working out 3 times a week
• Get the guest bed cleared off by selling or donating everything on it (I cleared out our office closet and stuck all the random stuff on the bed to deal with later. It's been there over a month now)
• Pick out a cute Halloween costume for Oliver (bonus points if Derek & I dress up this year too!)
• Go through my bedroom closet & dresser to organize and purge clothes I don't wear or like
• Take Oliver to get his first haircut (I know, I love the curls too! But I think it's time to lighten the load on his head. haha)

I like that these goals are simplified and measurable, instead of a vague 'organize the house' which could take a year to complete and is never really done. So better luck for month 2, eh? :)

Project Refresh: Month 1

We're about half-way through the month so I thought I'd check in with where I am on my monthly goals:

Project Refresh: Month 1

• Stick to a schedule: When I was unemployed in 2009-2010, I loved to map out my entire day, hour-by-hour down to the exact time I would eat my lunch (it would always coincide with People's Court at 12pm. lol). I crave routine and a schedule and knowing what I'll be doing at what time. Newsflash: Your kid doesn't care what time People's Court is on or what tasks you've planned out for your day! I'm lucky that Oliver usually takes 2 naps during the day and I scramble to get things done during that time, but the rest of the day is spent feeding/changing/playing with Oliver. It's a little frustrating, but I'm getting used to being more productive in those little pockets of time that I do have.
• Take more photos: I've kept up with taking photos every day, so this one has been a success so far!
• Clear the clutter: Sadly, I haven't had much time to focus on this category at all. During Oliver's nap times, I've been editing photos like a madwoman (we've been really busy these past few weeks) and that has taken most of my free time. I'm all caught up at the moment (although Derek is at a wedding taking photos as I type this, so more editing is coming up) so I'm hoping to tackle at least a closet or two in the next week.

All in all, I'm enjoying unemployment and hanging out with my little dude every day. I just feel like I'm so behind on things and will never get caught up, but I guess that won't change anytime soon :)

Project Refresh: Month 1

September 1st is a significant date for a few reasons. It signals the start of a brand new month. It means I become unemployed in 3 days. Also, it's the date that my husband and I started dating way back in 2002 :)

Much like New Years Day, I see today as a time to start over and start tackling all the projects I've put off & goals I've given up on. Working full-time while being a new mom is exhausting and doesn't leave time for much else. I'm feeling inspired & excited by all the extra time I will soon have and have been making lists of all the things I want to accomplish or work on these next few months at home.

I don't know how long I'll get to stay home with my son, or what distractions will come up, so I've prioritized my list and will start with the most important things first. I give you...

Project Refresh: Month 1

• Stick to a schedule: I work best when I have specific tasks to get done and makes lists of those items. If I go by memory, I'll only remember a few things and spend the rest of the day reading celebrity gossip. So planning out my day ahead of time is key to making sure I don't waste my time.
• Take more photos: I took many, many photos of Oliver his first year and have really been slacking on that since his birthday. So I'm starting up my 365 project again (starting today!) to make sure I capture not just Oliver as he grows, but our house, friends/family, events, trips we take, the beauty of Oregon, etc. I miss photography and am ready to get back into it!
• Clear the clutter: I am beyond ready to start organizing closets and getting our house cleared out. We keep adding more and more stuff and it's just become overwhelming. It's hard to find things and all the stuff everywhere just drives me crazy! So I'm going room by room and getting rid of as many things as I can, so we can appreciate (and find) the stuff we really like and use.

I have dozens of other tasks on my list, but will start with these ones for the month of September. I'll check back at the end of the month to give an update on how I did, but I'm motivated and ready to dive in!

xo

House projects

I love before & after photos! Mine are never as dramatic as I'd like though. Instead of "Wow, what a huge transformation!" it's more like "Hmm, I guess that looks a little better". haha. But a little change is better than none at all, right? I can tell a big difference, but an outsider looking at them maybe won't notice much of an improvement.

We've been doing tons of little projects around the house. Most are still a work in progress, so these aren't the final product, but we're getting there. We also did a lot of stuff outside that I forgot to take photos of, so just know that we've been working hard :)

I apologize for some of the color differences and the lower-quality ipod photos of a few of them. I just got my camera back from being cleaned and all my settings were wiped out. I haven't had time to adjust everything back to normal. Anyway. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for me :)

 We have 8 of these deck chairs and they were all filthy from sitting out all winter. I spent an hour or two scrubbing all of them with a mixture of water, dawn dish soap and a splash of bleach. Now they look good as new and ready for our next backyard BBQ.

 Our front entrance is still a work in progress. We replaced the rug & added a decorative hook thing, but it's still just blah. We're on the hunt for a cool piece of art to add above the hooks. And maybe some other stuff to hang besides dog collars and leashes :)

 Our guest bathroom. We've had those old towels for close to 8 years and figured it was time for fresh new ones. We got the towels from Target for $4.50 each. A clean new look for $27? Not too shabby.

 Ohh, the golden nipple. I couldn't stand the ugly fixture in our guest bedroom, but we were never able to find a decent-priced replacement. We found this beauty at Lowes on clearance for $14!! I was so thrilled when I found it and it makes a huge difference in there.

 Our hall closet was stuffed to the max with crap. Just random crap that we didn't know where to put or didn't want to deal with, so we threw it in there. How embarrassing is that before photo?! We picked up those red plastic crates from Target for $3.50 each and got rid of a lot of stuff in there. There's still additional paring down and organizing to be done, but I think it looks so much cleaner.

 Our Japanese Maple in the front yard looked like Cousin It and was taking over all the other plants around it. Derek trimmed it down and it makes a big difference. Our front & back yards are so frustrating to us right now, but we just haven't had time to get out there and plant new stuff and rip some old stuff out. Soon, I hope :)

 Derek's been keeping his ties on a single nail on my side of the closet. Not very practical and it got in the way of my shoes. So we picked up a tie rack from Home Depot for $5.99 and installed it on the back of our bathroom door. Now all his ties are displayed and separated our nicely. And I can get to my shoes without having to move his ties out of the way. Win-win.

 Our master bedroom is another room that really frustrates me. It's clean and bright, but it's boring! We really want to replace our bed frame, but don't have money at the moment. We did hang some art above the bed for a little color. The frame is from Ikea for $15 and the art cards were $5 from Ikea as well. I really want to fun-up this room, but I'm not sure where to begin and don't have much money to spend.

A close-up of the art above the bed.

The closets above the washer/dryer store our laundry stuff, random gardening things, light bulbs, shopping bags, dog stuff, etc. I haven't cleaned it out in over a year and I think that's pretty obvious :)

Much more organized and easier to find things. I really want to paint the inside of all the closets and storage cupboards a fun color to add some interest, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Someday.

A clothing re-do

I mentioned in an earlier entry about my need to get rid of a good portion of my clothing and start over from scratch. I really dislike most of the clothes I own and need to build up a solid wardrobe that I will love and will last for a long time. I'll admit it, I love a good bargain and more often than not, I buy items strictly because they are cheap without really thinking what that article will pair with or how I will wear it.

But that's in the past :) I've made a list of the main things I need and will steadily chip away at it over the coming months and years. I'm sure I will also add to the list as well, but I think these cover the basics.

Tops

• 3 tank tops for layering (in neutral colors)
• 3 dressy tops for work/going out
• 3 plain lightweight t-shirts
• 1 white button down
• 2 blazers (1 black, the other a fun color)
• 2 cardigans (1 white, the other a fun color)
• 1 zip-up hoodie (no logo) for casual days at work
• 1 lightweight jacket

Bottoms

• Dark jean trousers
• Khakis
• Dark grey work slacks
• Black leggings (my husband has been begging me for months to get leggings, but I refused. I figure now is the time to try something new and see if I like them)
• Dressy capris for work
• Black skirt (work appropriate)

Misc.

• 2 summer dresses
• 1 dressy dress (for work/going out)
• New work shoes (probably comfortable black heels)
• Casual shoes (not running shoes) that I can wear with jeans at work and still look semi-professional
• A fun pair of wedge sandals
• Lingerie
• Accessories (necklaces, new glasses, fun headbands)

Am I missing anything? :) Now comes the fun part: browsing internet sites for the highest quality items at the best price and finally starting to make a dent in my shopping list. I'm not in a huge hurry, so I can take my time planning this out and getting stuff I really love and will be excited to wear. I hope to buy a few things this weekend, so stay tuned!

Closets

I have a love/hate relationship with closets. I love them because you can fit so much in them and they keep clutter out of sight. Yet I hate them because we cram them with stuff we really don't need/want, but either don't want to part with or don't know what to do with.

My husband is the worst offender with this. Example: It took me over 6 years of nagging until he finally got rid of his FLOPPY DISCS!! hahah! We don't have a computer with a floppy drive, nor have we ever had one, but he was saving them for a rainy day I guess. He was so sure that he would need them someday that he was reluctant to part with them. What were on these all-important discs? I think they were filled with car photos and old programs. Do you see what I'm up against here? :)

So while husband was off fishing all weekend, I decided to tackle our office closet. We store a random assortment of junk in there: mailing supplies, wrapping paper, CDs, wires & cords, books, etc. Basically a lot of stuff that we could get rid of, but we're not at that point yet. So at least I can organize our junk and make it look a little nicer, right? :)

Behold the before photo:

Classy, right? A big problem is the ridiculous shelving in the closet. It was there when we moved in over 3 years ago and we never replaced it. It is awkward, doesn't hold much and is crooked! Yes, the genius that put it up couldn't (or didn't) measure and the shelves slant to one side. One of the shelves is off by a whole inch. (That seems to be a reoccurring theme in our house. We've noticed several things are crooked or were half-assed.)

I took everything out of the closet, got rid of a few things and put all the junk back in. The after photo is as dramatic as I hoped (I did spend most of the day on this project after all), but at least it looks a bit better:

We will be getting rid of the stuff on the middle shelf, so that will further clean it up a bit. Don't you love how I put most things back in the exact same spot? lol. I have the worst habit of doing that. I don't deal well with change. At least I can find things now and have a better idea of what to get rid of next when I build up the courage to purge.

So what are my plans for this little closet? First and foremost, that awful shelving has to come down pronto! It's a total waste of space and doesn't utilize the closet the way it should. I want to paint the closet walls a light grey to give it some interest and character. Then I want to put a new shelving system (from Closet Maid) that will better hold our stuff and will have potential to hold clothes in the future if our office ever becomes a bedroom. (Or for when we sell the house) I want it clean, gorgeous and fun.

Amazing, no? Closets are meant for storage, but I also think they should be beautiful and well organized and filled with great stuff. Are my closets any of those things? Not yet, but they will be. I'm working on it :)