Thursday, November 10, 2016

Progress

16.          Pass my Series 66

This is in full swing right now. I have a little less than three weeks to go until my test and to be honest, I'm not feeling very confident. There are a lot of questions that don't apply to my job and that honestly most people in my profession would have no need to know. Why do I need to know about Canadian Broker-Dealers? Oh well, I will keep plugging along. Right now I'm scoring right around 70% on my practice tests and the passing score is 75%, so I want to be in the 85%-90% range in the next two weeks. I feel like this has been much more difficult than my Series 7. Probably because I have more responsibilities at work and a kid now. From some of the posts I've seen of others that have taken the test, their jobs let them basically just study for the test full time. I'm working basically 48-50 hours a week while taking care of my toddler (as a "single" parent 2 or 3 days a week, might I add) and studying. It sucks. It is somewhat of a first world problem, at least I have a job and a supportive husband when he's home, but still.

32.          Get Loki more training – whether private or a public obedience class

This is coming along, although we are doing the training ourselves. We have finally found a good combination to get him to stop pulling on his leash and acting like an asshole at least part of the time.

36.          Come up with a regular date night plan

We are planning to say no to most/any wedding invitations next year, unless they are for close friends. The plan is to go out for dinner once a month by ourselves. We went to Pascal's Chophouse in Easton a few weeks ago and it was amazing! We are going to Cancun next month and I cannot wait to relax. I'm going to miss my kiddo, but it will be nice to get away.

66.          Go one week without eating anything sweet or using sugar

My sugar-free week went great! I am trying to adhere to not adding any extra sugar and am trying to stay away from sweets, although it's difficult at times. I stopped using flavored creamer in my coffee, which has helped reduce my daily carb intake and not start that vicious cycle of wanting more and more carbs. I also lost 2.5 pounds that week! In the past month, I have had one or two divine vanilla lattes and did flavored creamer once. Now it seems like a decadent treat instead of the norm and I appreciate those rare delicious opportunities!

64.          Commit to using Lose It regularly for at least 3 months (currently 108 day streak)

I did it! I don't know that I'll always use it, but research has shown that keeping a food diary helps most people be successful at losing weight and also keeping the weight off. Once I am happy with where I land weight-wise, I think I will still do my best to keep a food journal, even if I'm not logging in something like Lose It. My weight has been up and down and fluctuated somewhat over the past three months, but I am down about five pounds from three months ago. It's not drastic, but I need to keep in mind that what I am focused on is healthier habits and changing my eating habits FOR LIFE. I've lost ten pounds since April and I will have ten more pounds to go until I'm considered within a "normal" BMI.  

81.          Help Jay design & assemble outdoor fire pit area

This is in the works. We are hoping to at least have the fire pit constructed sometime this month. We would like to have a patio area around the fire pit with pavers or bricks, but to save on expenses will probably have the area lined with pavers and filled in with gravel for now. Next spring or summer we will likely build a deck.


Next up:
12.          Participate in a Lady Caroline’s Players Production - maybe! Auditions will be held in either late November or early December
13.          Read at least three non-fiction books (not Kindle or audiobook) during 101 list - I'm hoping to tackle one of these on vacation next month
 31.          Take Markface to at least three sessions of swimming lessons during list - I need to take care of this so that we have another session or two completed before we travel to OZ so that Mark is more confident in the water

49.          Attend a murder mystery dinner theatre - See #12 - I might even be a participant in the show

Monday, October 10, 2016

Updates in Progress

Here is what I'm working on currently: 

16.          Pass my Series 66

I've signed up to take my Series 66 test. I'm slightly freaking out about finding the time to study for it. I'm taking it on November 28th, after the long Thanksgiving weekend. I'm hoping that the four day weekend gives me a little extra prep time and gets me in the right frame of mind before the test. Since I'm traveling to Cancun less than two weeks later, I think that will be a nice time to celebrate passing my test. The Power of Positive thinking - I WILL pass it.

29.          Decide on our next vehicle for when Roxie (Civic with 300k+ miles) finally dies

This might actually be more for my husband's truck instead. We have made a lot of repairs to it over the past few months and each time we fix it, something else goes wrong. He did the brakes & rotors and was happy to finally have it in good working order. Then the starter went up on it. He fixed that and now the power steering went up on it. So we are thinking of trading it in and maybe getting a new or certified pre-owned truck.

66.          Go one week without eating anything sweet or using sugar

This was started today. I was going to attempt to also not have caffeine this week, but that was just too much at once. 




Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Facebook Vacation Complete!

14. Take a One Month Facebook Vacation

I must admit that I do feel a bit out of touch with what is happening in peoples' lives, but overall, it has been so nice to not be on Facebook. I've posted pictures on Instagram, which posts to Facebook, but gone is the obsession with checking Facebook multiple times a day. What I have not missed at all is the political nonsense.

It seems that a lot of the obsession with social media is FOMO.

"Did you see what so-and-so posted on Facebook?!"

Nope. I didn't. And it's been awesome.

I am going to try my hardest to stay off of Facebook and only check it from time to time on my tablet. I'm not planning to reinstall it on my cell phone. It's made me much more productive, although I must admit that I do miss my morning routine of seeing what everyone is up to when I wake up and before I really get going.

Since I haven't been perusing Facebook, I've been spending more time on Instagram and Twitter. I do find Twitter tremendously entertaining - I think that it might be my new social media go-to. I also like that Twitter (and Instagram, to a degree) satisfies my need to attempt to interact with my favorite D-list celebrities (I'm a fangirl at heart, what can I say).

Oh, and Instagram and Twitter are fun for keeping up with what The Wiggles are doing. We took Mark to see them last week.



I have to admit, it was fun. The Wiggles are incredible musicians and performers. It is obvious that they love what they do and they are insanely talented. I'm hoping that they are touring in OZ when we go next May. Now that we've been to a concert, we know that we are supposed to make signs, bring roses, decorate bones, and bring Emma a new bow.

I wonder what they do with all of their Wiggly Gifts at each concert? I'm sure that they deliver the flowers to sick kids in the hospital. I'll just assume that instead of all the crap getting thrown in the garbage at the end of the night.

Next items I am planning to tackle:

            16.          Pass my Series 66
65.          Go one week without coffee and/or caffeine
66.          Go one week without eating anything sweet or using sugar
            70.          Have brunch at Miss Shirley’s
            81.          Help Jay design & assemble outdoor fire pit area
            83.          Print and frame pics of at least ten new friends/family to hang in hallway (pics printed, need to get frames and hang them)

Steady progress!

S

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

86. Decide if we want to sell our house


"The only thing that works in an old house is the owner."


Water dripping from light fixture in our upstairs bathroom

When my father passed away in 2005, over 11 years ago, he left behind a cluttered house in desperate need of repair. Let's be honest - it was more like an episode of hoarders. To a grief-stricken 25 year old, it was completely overwhelming. Hell, it would be overwhelming to me now. It was a huge job. The roof needed replacing and the entire place was in need of a massive overhaul, mostly created by the leaking roof, which created a mold problem in addition to other damage.

This was the project I was left with... I joke that Dad never did end up having to clean up his mess!

At the time, I had the estate checkbook and wrote many checks out to contractors to replace the roof, porch, and back door. That roof is less than ten years old. And as evidenced in the first picture, we are already having issues with it.

Despite putting more money than the house was worth into it and making substantial upgrades, it still remains an old house with the usual issues that seem to always pop up with old houses. After all, it is over 100 years old.

Our house today - or at least how it was a few years ago

One of my favorite upgrades that I rarely get to use


Some good friends of ours just bought a gorgeous home outside of Easton. Jay is experiencing a bit of house envy with that. And I am also living vicariously through my friend Angela's house design & build project.

One of our issues is that our house is too big for us. Even if we did decide to have another child (which at this point seems unlikely), 3 bedrooms should be sufficient. Ideally I'd like either a one level home with a great room and loft (if we had another kid, this could be our guest room) or a split level plan.

I would LOVE a look like this

Jay wants a pool, of course. I'm not sold on the pool idea. But I would like something on a bit more land, and without the view of septic tanks. And without an overgrown house next door. One thing is for sure, if that situation is still happening when we sell the house, we will probably have to pay someone to go knock down the brush.

So I think that the decision has been made that we will sell our house and get into something that works better for our family before Mark starts school. The question is - do we try finding (maybe building?) our dream house now or wait until retirement. We will probably be in that house until we retire, so maybe we go big now. It's a difficult decision, especially since I would rather spend any extra money on traveling instead of on possessions.

SO there is that! Another item off my list.








Wednesday, September 7, 2016

#82 Complete

82. Frame photos and decide where to hang them in our house


Completed! I will probably rotate my favorite photos in and out, or buy more frames to hang somewhere else. 

This weekend we are throwing Markface's second birthday party, so we've been doing a lot of cleaning, projects, and decluttering to get ready.

I also had a ton of prints made to hang in the hallway for #83, but now I have to order more frames. I think there are around 35 prints and Jay loves all of them. So our stairway is about to get covered in photos!


Friday, August 26, 2016

Postsecret

#21 Send in a secret to Postsecret

Is done. It was a big one. It may not be posted, but it felt good to let it slide out of my hand and off of my shoulders.


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Free of Facebook

Self Improvement

14. Take a one month break from Facebook

At 9:45 a.m. today, August 24th, I deleted the Facebook app from my phone. I wasn't planning to delete it so suddenly and was thinking of taking my break closer to election day.

That said, I made the mistake of replying to a comment. As a rule, I generally don't respond to anything on Facebook that is remotely political. However, I will speak out against hate and racism.

Someone had posted on a friend's Facebook share of a news article about Muslims protesting ISIS. I think they said something like "Too little too late." So I asked why white men aren't protesting mass shootings in the United States, since they seem to be the ones causing them. Since the people posting like to lump together an entire group of people, perhaps they would understand my point. 

Of course that was my mistake. Logic is not strong with these people. Fear and hate are the only things they understand.

My sarcasm was lost, and some other nutjob started going off about black on black crime and all sorts of other nonsense (hmm... wasn't this story about Muslims?). I was determined to be a "gun grabbing liberal" of course. 

In less than a minute, Mr. USMC had posted three replies to my one comment. 

Why waste my breath explaining that shockingly enough, we own guns. That's when I decided that instead of getting into a Facebook war with someone that I didn't know that I would do the sanest thing imaginable. 

What would piss him off more than anything? A Block. Oh no, why can't you see my comment anymore or your incredibly thoughtful replies? Oops! Go ahead and rant away! You sure told me good. I must have deleted my comment after reading yours. 

After that, I deleted my Facebook app.

Before >:(

After :)

Whenever I see someone post that they're taking a break from Facebook or that they're deleting Facebook, it irritates me. I prefer to make mine a clean break with no announcement. Since I'm tired of Facebook, do I really need to explain to my "friends" that I'm taking a break? 

Since I do love the moms group and my book club group, I downloaded the Groups app, but gone is the Facebook app along with the people that I need to block, hide, and unfollow. No more "like and share" posts, no more bullshit stories from extreme media outlets, no more clickbait. No more drama.  

It feels good.


Friday, August 19, 2016

Causes to Support

(I don't know why the font is so small, I think that blogger is having a fit - after fighting with it for 15 minutes, I give up!)

6. Find a cause that I love and donate money or volunteer my time

I've spent some time researching various causes near and dear to my heart. Pretty much anything and everything breaks my heart now that I'm a mom. I see so much injustice now and while before I was like, "Well that really sucks, but there's nothing I can really do about it," now I cry over pretty much anything. I won't say that I was a callous person before or anything, but something broke inside of me when that little person looked up at me for the first time and made me want to become a better person.
I guess we're all just one phone call from our knees, as the song goes.
I'm reminded of something that I heard Andy Stanley say at Leadercast last year. "What breaks your heart?" 
Well for me, damned near everything now.
My current sadness is the Louisiana flooding. Today, I made a donation to Second Harvest. Food is a basic life necessity.



I've been researching other charities using Charity Navigator.So far here are my top choices:Action Against HungerAmerican Refugee CommitteeInternational Rescue CommitteeThese are all four-star choices from Charity Navigator. I'll probably just give donations to all three of them. Hunger and Refugees are apparently my current obsession. I just can't imagine being in that position myself, and it makes me cry every time I think of how fortunate I am. I'm serious, ask my friends who have had the misfortune of driving somewhere with me when I talk about refugees.And as I've posted before, VGIF is another great charity that deserves a look. They aren't rated on Charity Navigator, but I've seen first hand the good that they do. They have a real impact on the lives of women in developing countries. 

"VGIF provides grants globally to fund locally generated projects that advance the rights of women and girls."

They are less "White Savior" and more empowerment on a local level.As far as donating my actual time, I'd like to get involved with Caroline CASA or the Caroline Mentoring Project. Of course, I'm not sure that I really have enough time right now to get involved with them on a meaningful level, but if I can help out here and there, I would love to.As a former CCCA Board member, I know that art programs have the ability to change and enrich lives as well. However, I'm a bit burned out from serving on the board for five years and am looking to spend my time where I feel like it will make the biggest impact and fuel my soul. 

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

First Update to New 101 List

Greetings, dear readers!

I am going to do my best to update either this blog or my newly retitled main blog, Unexpected Adventures on a regular basis. At least once a month or so. Who knows, maybe I'll get crazy and update it once a week?!

So here is my update:

Doing Good

8. Pay it forward. (1 out of 3)

I paid for a stranger's coffee at the Dunkin Donuts on Kent Island after my dentist appointment a few weeks ago. To be completely honest, I was having a bad morning that day and was pretty grumpy. First, I was running late to daycare to drop off Markface, then I got stuck in a road shutdown which made me late to my appointment. Then at my cleaning I was told that I needed to come back to have a cavity filled. So not the greatest start to my day. Doing this simple deed made me feel a little bit better. I'm going to try to do this more often than once a year, because it makes me feel nice. Hopefully it brightens someone else's day. In my head I had made up an entire life story about the woman behind me. In my story, she was destitute and this small gesture made her day. I even gave a nice tip to the cashier, which I usually reserve for eating out. Everyone in the drive thru window was smiling when I left, so mission accomplished.

Family Life

24. Go camping

I went camping a few weeks after posting my 101 list. The heat index was 106. It was disgusting. I'm not sure if I put this on my list for the whole family to go camping? Jay and I went to Lake Phoenix to brush up on our diving skills and camped. We decided from now on we're just going there in September and October. Too damn hot in July.

Travel

46.          Visit at least five UNESCO world Heritage Sites during 101 list

We'll be going to one or two on our trip later this year. Probably Chichen Itza and/or Sian Ka'an.

Scuba Diving

61. Get to 50 dives

I think we got 6 or 7 additional dives in the weekend that we went to Lake Phoenix. I think we're up to 26 or 27 now. When we go to Mexico later this year, we will be doing more diving.

Fitness / Health

64. Commit to using Lose It regularly for 3 months

I'm currently on a 23 day streak, so if I can keep it up for another 11ish weeks, I will have healthier habits. I need to get back to the gym, but that will come. Small changes. Although I'm not overly focused on the scale this time and am committed to permanent weight loss and healthier food choices, my real goal is to be under 165 when we return to Australia next year. Under 160 would be even better. I think I was around 158 when I got married. Weight-wise, I think that for me between 150 and 160 will be my ideal healthy weight. When Jay and I met, I weighed around 145, but I wasn't terribly healthy. Ultimate goal - fit and healthy.

House, Home, & Garden

77.          Get rid of blue couch

Done! I loved that couch, but Loki claimed ownership of it and it was disgusting.

78.          Rearrange furniture in reading nook & downstairs

In progress. We moved the reading nook chairs downstairs, so now I'd like a chaise for the upstairs reading nook, but I don't want to pay a lot for it. I think I'd like to get a love seat or some other piece of furniture for downstairs, but I'm just not sure what I want to do with that room now. Maybe Angela has some ideas! :) 

92.          Make a donation at least once a year to Purple Heart (declutter)

Made one so far this year and I anticipate making another before too long, so that I can clean out those closets.

Miscellaneous

94.          Spread some of Dad at Martinak State Park




Done. I did this on the 11th anniversary of his death. It was a pretty rough day for me and I was a hot mess. 

95.          Spread some of Dad at Adkins Arboretum

The day that I spread some of dad at Martinak, Sara suggested that we have a picnic at the Arboretum and do this. So that will happen at some point. Probably when it stops being so freaking HOT.

So there's my update! Rolling merrily along, kind of. :)







Monday, July 18, 2016

New 101 List

I'll be posting more updates and links to others' 101 lists in the coming days. This time I've somewhat broken down the categories.


Lauren’s 2016 101 List

Start date: July 18, 2016
End date: April 15, 2019

Doing Good
1.              Send Aunt Nancy thank you gift (will need to do this again in 2017)
2.              Write a letter to the editor
3.              Participate in a Food Stamp Challenge each year during 101 list (for at least one day)
4.              Be a relentlessly positive person for an entire week – no negativity out of my mouth
5.              Draft MGAS administration policy
6.              Find a cause that I love and donate money or volunteer my time
7.              Spend a day volunteering – Habitat for Humanity, Soup Kitchen, etc.
8.              Pay it forward – pay for a stranger’s coffee or lunch at least once per year of 101
9.              Send at least three birthday cards during 101 list
10.          Send a positive message in a bottle

Self-Improvement

11.          Decide if I'm going to get my Bachelors in Business Admin & sign up to do it
12.          Participate in a Lady Caroline’s Players Production
13.          Read at least three non-fiction books (not Kindle or audiobook) during 101 list
14.          Take a one month Facebook vacation
15.          Try out toastmasters
16.          Pass my Series 66
17.          Take a day off of work, get a massage, and enjoy a quiet day by myself
18.          Determine cost basis for my two lonely MTB shares
19.          Get a new headshot
20.          Update my LinkedIn profile
21.          Send in a secret to Postsecret

Family Life
22.          Go ballroom dancing
23.          Meet up with my cousin Emily - either in Boise or elsewhere (one day it will happen)
24.          Go camping
25.          Go fishing
26.          Go crabbing
27.          Make Jay a new mug
28.          Take Markface on a glass bottom boat ride
29.          Decide on our next vehicle for when Roxie (Civic with 300k+ miles) finally dies
30.          Take Markface to the National Zoo
31.          Take Markface to at least three sessions of swimming lessons during list
32.          Get Loki more training – whether private or a public obedience class
33.          Visit my second cousin Linda in NC, spend at least a weekend there
34.          Come up with a food storage plan/supplies for our family for 2+ weeks
35.          Have an emergency plan for Zombie Apocalypse or Weather Event
36.          Come up with a regular date night plan

Travel
37.          Use our timeshare at a sister resort (not in the DR or Mexico)
38.          Spend a weekend in NYC
39.          Plan a visit to South America 
40.          Go on a last-minute vacation (choose dates, book place <4 out="" span="" weeks="">
41.          Take a two-week vacation (easy when I already have my flight booked!)
42.          Write 10 new reviews on TripAdvisor
43.          Go on a 3 (or more) night girl's trip and act totally ridiculous at least one night
44.          Go on a book club trip (Debbie must be there!!)
45.          Spend a fun weekend in DC with Angela and Tiffany
46.          Visit at least five UNESCO world Heritage Sites during 101 list
47.          Blog about each UNESCO site I visit (even just a photo and where it was)
48.          Plan a trip to the Outer Banks

Fun, Games, Art, & Adventure
49.          Attend a murder mystery dinner theatre
50.          Go whitewater rafting (preferably Class V)
51.          Re-learn how to play Chess
52.          See a Broadway show
53.          Go on a sailing adventure (take a sailing course if possible, even for one day)
54.          Watch the Eurovision awards in 2017 and host an impromptu Eurovision party in OZ
55.          Do an Escape Room adventure
56.          Attend a Plein Air event (bonus points for participating)
57.          Decide on my next tattoo – location and art

Scuba Diving
58.          Obtain a new PADI certification- Zombie Apocalypse Diver or Nitrox - anything!
59.          Go diving in the Baltimore National Aquarium
60.          Dive a wreck 
61.          Get to 50 dives (current count: 20) by the end of this 101 list – (10 dives a year)
62.          Try out diving at Dutch Springs

Fitness / Health

63.          Hike Old Rag (still on my list!)
64.          Commit to using Lose It regularly for at least 3 months (ok to enter food up to 2 days late)
65.          Go one week without coffee and/or caffeine
66.          Go one week without eating anything sweet or using sugar

Food, Eating, and Cooking
67.          Make another batch of wine
68.          Make Maryland Beaten Biscuits
69.          Make at least six attempts to duplicate Sara’s favorite pasta sauce
70.          Have brunch at Miss Shirley’s
71.          Dinner with Jay at Charleston in Baltimore (tasting menu w/ wine)
72.          Learn how to make croissants
73.          Make rainbow cookies
74.          Make fresh lemonade from scratch

House, Home, & Garden
75.          Have a yard sale (to clean up house)
76.          Can tomatoes or sauce from my garden
77.          Get rid of blue couch
78.          Rearrange furniture in reading nook & downstairs
79.          Successfully grow a plant from seed
80.          Grow herbs inside
81.          Help Jay design & assemble outdoor fire pit area
82.          Frame trip photos and decide where to hang them in our house
83.          Print & frame pics of at least ten new friends/family to hang in hallway
84.          Buy a lawnmower & fire our lawn guy
85.          Build a backyard deck
86.          Decide if we want to sell our house
87.          Plant annuals at least once during 101 list
88.          Hatch chicks from eggs – make this the start of my RIR & EE flock
89.          Find a place that will butcher our chickens for us
90.          Research solar panels or a generator for power loss
91.          Clean out closets in all bedrooms
92.          Make a donation at least once a year to Purple Heart (declutter)

Miscellaneous
93.          Make a filing system for all of my important documents
94.          Spread some of Dad at Martinak State Park
95.          Spread some of Dad at Adkins Arboretum
96.          Visit Kathy's store Bead Soup
97.          Enter something in the county or state fair
98.          Get some mats so that I can make my Etsy listings look prettier
99.          Buy a new DSLR
100.       Post at least 20 updates a year to blog/101 list
101.       Make a new 101 list by the end of old one