Task 10: Live in the Present.

I have a hard time with this on a daily basis. I have the "what can i do next mentality..", which sounds good but in actuality it makes it so you never slow down, you never think, you never really know what you want. You just hope that you want to do that in 3 weeks...
In high school and college i felt like living in the present was all i did and i was dang good at. I didn't really care too much about how much i could do in a day, a week or a year. It was more about enjoying where i was at the moment and enjoying those moments as much as i could.
So when i went to visit my old high school bff, the one and only meghann ackerman, i kind of felt like i got a piece of that back even if it was just for a day. We went to Raleigh (the home of the infamous and amazing wolfpack) and for old times sake we had a Scream reunion with the opening of Scream 4. (p.s. love love loved it...) We ate some dinner, we watched a movie, we walked around Barnes and Noble. I didn't feel like i had to work out that day, or clean something or read 50 pages of some smart book (ok that doesn't happen that much but it could.) The next day, we slept in, we decided what the hey lets go to the farmers market, and then went and ate some good ole NC BBQ and just kind of chilled out (ps the sweet tea was amazing). All in all, i didn't really care what time it was...I just wanted to be in the moment. I'm hoping i can do this more often. Summer usually helps out a bit.


Cooper's BBQ, dang good...but they served real pig skins with their hush puppies, and i might have been kind of scared...


picture of the pig outside the Raleigh farmers market. pretty cute.

Task 11: Revel in the Kindness of Others...this should be easy...

Task 9: Save for the Future.

Joel and I are probably middle of the road when it comes to saving. We don't have any debt (except for that whole mortgage thing). We have a savings account that has actual money in it. I say that is pretty good. But the thing i like to budget into our lives the most is travel. Its my essential. So when i thought of saving for the future, i immediately thought of this summer and how my plans have grown monetarily a bit or maybe a lot.

So my 2 summer adventures are: Key West & Alaska. Joel had asked me a couple of weeks ago if I could make a budget for these 2 excursions, but usually I will make a whining noise and ask if I have to...because when it comes to adventure I do not like to be limited. at all. But I considered it and I thought maybe just this once I could try this whole budgeting thing out. Just this once...Here is the break down (Keep in mind when you see this budget, that for the remainder of the year we will most likely be eating oatmeal, but I'm alright with that.)


Fly to Miami and then drive down to the Keys and back:
Flight: $520 total.
Car: $300 (including gas)
Hotel: Key Largo - $150
Key West - 2 nights/$350 (its expensive down in those parts...)
Miami - $85 (thank you megan and that you work for hyatt)
Food: $200 (i am good at eating cheap)
Extras: $150 (maybe some snorkeling or something along those lines)
Total: $1755 (whoa momma, but my tan will make it worth it)



Juneau, Alaska!!
Air: $1115 total (thanks to a buddy pass from my cousin)
Hotel: $0 (since my cousin lives there in a cozy condo)
Food: $300 (i might want some seafood)
Excursions: $200 (whale watching perhaps?)
Total: $1615 (come on tax refund, obama would approve)

So there you go I did it. I don't feel that limited. I can budget. I can budget.

Next...
Task 10: Live in the Present.

Task 8: Show Your Appreciation.

This one i have known i needed to do this for awhile but this task just pushed me to do it. A month or so back my tire was flat in the parking lot at work as i walked out to leave. I was immediately like "oh krap". who is gonna take me home? this does not fit into my schedule...etc. etc.... so i walked back into work and luckily there were 2 chivalrous guys at my service. They came outside, showed me how to put on a spare and even directed me to the best (and free) tire patcher in town that was also on my way home. I was overwhelmed, and they took care of it in like 15 minutes. AMAZING. (p.s. i am gonna start a petition that people should learn that kind of thing in highschool, just sayin that its valuable).

So last night i baked in their honor. which is an honor because i am not much of a baker. but i made some brownies and put them on cute plates and hopefully made their tuesdays at least a little choclatier! Thanks Jim Hawn and Joe Pilon for being chivalrous!

Task 9: Save for the future. uh oh.

Task 7: Share the Love.

This has been a season of babies in Charlotte (understatement). And with the season of tons of cute new little people to populate the queen city, there is an opportunity to share the love. Weekly perhaps... for a couple consecutive weeks i have enjoyed meeting the new little ones and also making a meal (not my strong suit) and sharing and making that couples life just a tad bit easier. Tonight i finally got to meet Loah Stinson...who was way too cute and might have more hair that me, and definitely a better outfit. And even though babies are intimidating, it was good times...since she was pretty much sleeping the whole time, meanwhile Pierce was entertaining us by eating spaghetti faster than i think anyone in all time. So my food of choice, to share the love, is spaghetti con carne, a salad with homemade dressing, and some ice cream sandwiches (only the classiest dessert). Which means we make double and joel and i have gotten it too every time. Not that i really mind. Spaghetti is pretty awesome. So share the love, and people's stomachs will love you back.
Sidenote: for other's in need of a fabulous website for setting up a meal schedule for family's with a new baby or someone who is sick check out: takethemameal.com. amazing.

p.s. i keep getting frustrated with ipod touch photos, but i will figure it out. so at least they look slightly less fuzzy.

Task 8: Show Your Appreciation.

p.s. i am ready for my spring J.Crew dress.

who wants to sponsor it?

Task 6: Count Your Blessings.

So why not just do this simple, and simply count your blessings for a day. so that's what i did.

1. a warm bed and a morning kiss from my hubby.
2. pb&j on wholesome wholewheat bread with a banana on the side for breakfast. heaven.
3. No radiation in my food. Praying for Japan.
4. Didn't rain on my head to and from my car.
5. My mom loves me and emails me to make sure things are going pretty good during the
day.
6. A coupon for free lunch = yummy grilled chicken salad.
7. A great team of people who have my back at work. love them.
8. No traffic on 85!
9. A great run with a great friend in the mist. and our legs made it 50 minutes!
10. Qdoba naked burrito treat. Mexican food is always a blessing.
11. A warm home with wifi to come home to.
12. Clean water out of the tap that i can rehydrate with.
13. A warm bed and a good book and a cup of tea to keep me company on my way to
sweet sleep.

Counting your blessings makes you feel pretty blessed. even on just a normal thursday. maybe you should try it on a normal friday tomorrow.
Next... Task 7: Share your love.

Task 5: Settle in.

Settling in. What better a week to do this than one where its rainy and cold and miserable outside so you have no choice but to settle in. and settle in good. so tonight on day 54 of rain, i was like what would help me to be more settled in my little homestead.

1. T-shirt drawer. Major organization needed. check.
many t-shirts finally went into the goodwill pile, after many many years...


2. Closet. Yipes. double yipes. shoes organized and even vacuumed. amen.





3. Bedroom. actually made bed. actually cleaned up my bedside table. and totally vacuumed.




So you might not think this is that momentous, but its amazing what a clean room can do for your outlook in life...and before bed i will conquer the downstairs. i can do it. if i can only stop being so addicted to words with friends. dang it. got a new ipod touch with a handy dandy camera, haven't figured out all of the good stuff i can do but i am on my way. this rain better stop. soon.

And while i am at it...here are some other ideas for settling in:
1. a compost pile (any tips out there?)
2. tiling the bathroom floors...i think i can do it...
3. make our grass grow. there is kind of a big dead spot that just wont grow.
4. wood floors, if my dreams do come true.

maybe further down the road you will hear about these little projects...

peace out. next Count Your Blessings.