2011 wrap up

My goals for 2011 included:
-Logging more miles
-More time with friends
-Read more
-Hydrate
-more time in my scrapbook room
-Build savings
-Letting things go

As I thought about 2011 I could not believe how much this year included. Seems so long ago that I ran the half-marathon in Disney. I haven't logged much more miles since. I've been steady at the gym with my Body Pump class, but it's time to get back to running. Hard to believe that Disney was this year.

Then had some fun with friends on our cruise just a few months ago! I love traveling.

I did manage to spend more time in my scrapbook room, so to speak. Some of my projects I took into the living room so I could have the TV on while I did them. I have it on my list to add a small TV to my scrapbook room. But I have made a lot of projects this year. I did also manage to do a lot of reading, both books for fun and CPCU. Hydrating...well that is an ongoing goal. Along with building savings, and letting things go.

Some of my favorite things that happened in 2011-1. Completed 1/2 marathon 2. Put fence up in backyard (best money spent this year hands down) 3. Being in Shape magazine 4. Girl's cruise 5. Caylea getting motivated enough to clean her room (like seriously clean her room up to my standards) 6. Discovering Pinterest 7. Concerts-Bon Jovi, 3 Doors Down, and Darius Rucker.

Working on my goals for 2012 but I'm not making my usual New Year's statement of "This year has to be better than last year" because the year never quite lives up to my expectations. There is always things I am working on and want to accomplish and boy there never seems to be enough money for all the things I want to do or buy. But when I stop and think about it, I am in a darn good place. I love my home, I can sit in it on a Saturday night and just enjoy it. I just put a down payment on a class trip for Caylea to Paris, London, and Barcelona. I have a good job that allows me to make a little extra money sometimes even though it can burn me out. Even though I am nowhere near where I want to be financially I am able to let Caylea go on this amazing trip, have a home I love, buy the necessities and the occasional fun pair of shoes. At some point I think to really enjoy life I have to stop thinking about the "more" and just appreciate what is enough.

What is weighing me down?

First my two favorite gifts from Caylea this year, the perfume may be hard to see but it's the Coach Poppy Flower perfume. Jona got me hooked on this on our cruise. Looooove it.
My purse is great because it holds a ton. But lately I've noticed it also weighs a ton. I love the size and especially this time of year I can just toss my hat and gloves in it. My umbrella will even fit right in. So I decided to look through and figure out what I could take out and what may be causing so much weight to add up in it.

In the back pocket I always slide my State Farm calendar. This is my new one and I need to transfer some of my paperwork over but usually it's got some extra papers stuffed in with it. If I remember when I get somewhere like a store or the movie theater I will grab it from the pocket and leave it in my car.

I'd be lost without my calendar.

Then this picture is sideways...but I have my workout pocket journal and just a blank notepad journal.

In a side pocket I keep my badge, a pen, and the best $1 I ever spent on a calculator.

And in order not to have a ton of loose items floating around my purse I have them all organized. I have my pill case, camera case, coupon envelope, and my thirty one bag which has a lot of misc. items in it like a nail file, mascara, probably another misc. notepad.

My wallet, keys, and as of late I've kept some Icy Hot in my purse...just in case. Because I never know when neck pain will strike.

A pack of gum (thanks Julie!) and a small bottle of Victoria's Secret Incredible perfume. (purchased during a Bon Jovi weekend in St. Louis with Missy!) I loved the scent but didn't want to fork over the money for a full size bottle so the travel size was perfect. It's definitely larger than your typical "travel size" too.

My make up bag....

which contained two facial moisturizers, two hand lotions, one hand sanitizer, one eye shadow palette, a few hair ties, a concealer, a hair smoothing cream and hair smoothing stick, Michael Kors Very Hollywood perfume roller ball w/lipgloss combo, Burt's Bee's chapstick, and 3 MAC lipglosses.

While I was out Christmas shopping this year I picked up this little bag because I thought it was cute and I knew I could find some use for it, most likely in my purse. And I sure did. It fits lip gloss perfectly.

Here's what I had stored in that bag...a lipstick, 4 lipglosses, and 3 chapsticks.

But then of course my most often used lipglosses go in my side pocket! So here are 4 more lipglosses and 2 more lipsticks. (sidenote: I've just recently even gotten into lipstick, I typically only ever wear lipgloss but thought I'd give a few a try)

So...in my purse alone that is a whopping 12 lipglosses, 3 lipsticks, and 4 chapsticks. 19 lip products. I think I figured out what is weighing it down. I will have to take a few things out to make room for the 3 new MAC lipglosses I just ordered tonight! I have chapstick stashed all around the house, one on my nightstand, one on the table in between my living room chairs, one in my scrapbook room attached to the side of my tool holder with the rest of my tools. Caylea is now becoming addicted as well. I went into her room the other day to find she had completely organized her lip products, lotions, eye products, and turned her desk into a make up station. The other night as I reached for my chapstick in the living room I looked over and she had hers out by the couch. Looks like I broke my record of what I had in my purse earlier last year.

I am really in the mood to organize. I have neglected my scrapbook room so I think tomorrow I need to tackle it and I may try to reorganize my make up baskets. I bought a new entertainment center recently. After taking 2 weeks to finally muster up the strength to get it out of my car into my garage, it is sitting there waiting for me to put it together. I invested in a cordless drill that actually looks like a drill. Since my tiny pink one wasn't cutting it. But all the reviews said it still takes 4 hours or more to put together. So while I'm excited to get rid of my outdated TV stand, I'm not looking forward to putting the thing together. So we'll see if that happens this weekend!

Happy Holidays

Hope everyone had a nice holiday. I was happy to be feeling better after 2 weeks of being sick.

Jazzie was ready to open presents as soon as I put out the dogs gifts.

Magnus hanging out on Caylea's lap

The dogs loved all their gifts, as did Caylea.

The remnants of the dog toys. Not sure what my New Year's plans are yet but Caylea already has hers of course!

Nyquil take me away

I had every intention of posting some pictures today. I have a before picture of the cookies I made to take to a cookie swap this weekend. Then planned an after picture of all the cookies I brought home. But my head is about to explode, I've sneezed 10 times in a row (which if you have never done, is quite painful by sneeze #10), my chest hurts and I am wishing I had someone I could send off to Walgreens for some Sprite and some Nyquil that didn't expire in Dec. 2010. So tonight I guess I will stick to Advil PM. Although how bad can one year old Nyquil be? I woke up this morning planning to stop for Dayquil while I was out for my cookie swap, was so intent on getting home into bed that I forgot to make that little pit stop. I am very unprepared for a head cold. A brutal one at that. So sorry, no pics tonight. The Advil PM will hopefully get me through the night until I can make it to Walgreens tomorrow morning. Boo for colds.

Side note for Lisa: check THIS out....brought to my attention by Caylea. I must own this based on how much I love the original. I've already read reviews and checked out many blogs about it. I think it's worth having for sure.

Obsession

I have a slight obsession with make-up. Ok maybe with a lot of things, but make-up is a big one.
I'm a sucker for it.

My new Too Faced Sweet Dreams pallette

Pretty pretty

A close up of the color I love, Peach Fizz

And the In Your Dreams pallette (have had this one awhile)

Bare Escentuals new eyeshadow. Pretty sure I've bought myself enough Christmas presents now!

Latest painting project

This weekend past another CPCU, one more to go, woot! Then had to clean the house since it has taken a backseat to studying. Still have yet to get my Christmas tree up though. So much to do, so few hours in the day to get it all done in addition to sitting on the couch.