How is it March already

February is way too short. 

An extra two to three days makes a big difference, don't ya think?

Wow.

So I am raging through my 2014 goals

I made some crazy promise of having attempted the following by now:  

• US bank paid off 
• Attempted a handstand
• Living room painted
• Garage room painted 

And oh my gosh, I fulfilled all of this. HOT DAMN.

Paid off US Bank, and promptly filled it back up with a h20 heater and wedding expenses.... 
Life is expensive and unpredictable. Fun Fact. 

I attempted a handstand and it was TERRIFYING. Like absolutely terrible.

I got about this far and looked far less adorable than this kitten.

Clearly, I just need to get over it. But whatevs. 
Shane and I are starting the 28 day Handstand Challenge with Chris Salvato. If you are also terrified of going upside down, check out his program. We are pretty pumped.

February did heed some successes!
I finished revamping the garage guest room. 
This is what I was workin with when I bought the house:

 

This room was terrfying, dark and dirty. 

Its been through a variety of transformations, but here is where it settled:

 Not the best photos, because I stole them from a video. But the room is totally transformed. 

We insulated, painted, furnished and successfully destroyed (on purpose, even) the giant closet that took over the room

Now, we have a space that's totally functional as an office, craft space, rehearsal room, and most importantly- guest room! 

The room that's 98% finished in the house, as of February, is our living room. Our grown-up furniture was delivered and the place is starting to finally feel like our home. 


Before.... Yes. the ceiling is yellow...

And after...

A little panoramic shot.... And that will be the final paint color of the room for at least a year.


In other news...
I am competing in the CrossFit Open. Woot woot.

I completed 14.1 on Saturday, and my performance was dismal at best. I could not for the life of me string my double-unders together and it killed my score. It was like I lost any progress I'd been making. I'm really hoping the next four workouts are better. I'm not even remotely expecting to place anywhere, I'm treating this as a check in to see where I am at. Though in a few years, I'd like to make it to regionals, because holy hell that'd be awesome.

March is the start of busy season for work, so I'll really need to focus in order to meet some goals.
This month, I will:

• Complete the Handstand Challenge
• Read two books (I'm working my way through Chronicles of Narnia)
• Practice double-unders every day I'm at CFST
• Replace back fence
• Build two garden beds

And most importantly, I will channel all my energy into being positive!

February Revolutionary

We are one whole month into 2014 and what a year it's been already!

Everyone and their mom is talking about the Seahawks' monstrous win over the Broncos yesterday. 43-8. I feel bad for Denver. Seriously. But go Hawks!

Anyway. One month ago, I made some substantial goals for 2014. In order to keep myself accountable, I'm doing a monthly progress report. I have a tendency to do two things: 1. Get discouraged when I don't instantly meet my goals and 2. Forget what I'm working towards.

This year I am desperately trying not to fall into the trap of forgetting my goals by Valentines Day.

The media doesn't help--- advertisements and specials for gym memberships, health food, and cleanses last up until Jan 31.

Then Feb 1 hits--- valentines day. 

Candy is EVERYWHERE. 

Seriously. Red and pink confectionery sugars are all up in my business. 

And no matter what health kick I'm on.... well... chocolate is still my friend.

But anyway. 

Goal progress.

Life goals

• Complete the Artists Way by September 1 
• Haven't started yet.. wah wah.
• Make Grad School Happen:  
• Turned in my application materials Jan 30, just waiting for PSU to get back to me!!!
• Read 10 books this year:
• Currently reading "Wolf Hall" Its a little slow right now... but I'm making my way through it.
• Creative Cooking: 
•  I've tried numerous new recipes and its been awesome.
• Celebrate the small stuff: 
• Our jar of happy moments is slowly but surely filling up! So much to celebrate!

Fitness Goals

• WOD an average of 4x/week: 
•  A little under average right now. I was out sick with a RAGING flu for a solid week. This week, I'm headed into dental surgery. No doubt I'll pick right back up!
• Complete 60 doubleunders, unbroken: 
• I'm at fifteen. Slowly but surely....
• Handstands will be my bitch: 
• Okay. Havent even tried. I'm being a wimp. 
• Deadlift more than 300lbs: 
• My current PR is #265.
• Backsquat with 195lbs: 
• Current is #175
• Compete at least three times: 
• Looking at the CrossFit Open, hoping I can make it happen with work.
• Drop #25 by July 1: 
• This one is painfully slow moving. I've started taking more photos and its awesome to see new muscle definition. And we've cleaned up our eating substantially. Progress is not limited to the scale, but sometimes I long for the days where I could lose like four pounds a week.

HOUSE goals

• Paint the living room once: 
• We've picked out some lovely gray paint and are starting next week!
• Replace the back-fence: 
• We've decided to do a living fence and are planting some really pretty bamboo (in beds) along the back line. 
• Build garden by April 1: 
• The yard is marked and ready to go. Just need to buy materials! (and the rain needs to slow down)
• Finish the guest room by July 15: 
• SO MUCH PROGRESS HERE! This weekend Shane and I insulated half the garage area, painted the giant black sheath covered wall, ripped down old gross shelving and made the space so much nicer. I'm diving into the room, post surgery!

FINANCE goals

• Pay off US bank CC by Mar 1
• On track. Thanks IRS 
• Pay off Elan CC by Dec 1
•  Consolidated our debt through Advantis to make this easier.
  
• Reduce total CC debt to less than $1000 
• May need to adjust this. Our fabulous roommate is leaving which means so is our rental income. Wah wah. 
• Pay off the damn car by Dec 31 
• On track! 
• Transfer $50 week to savings (and leave it there, seriously)
• Doin it!  

So by the next update, I WILL HAVE

• US bank paid off 
• Attempted a handstand
• Living room painted
• Garage room painted

#Hashtag2014

2014

is 

going 

to rock. 

seriously

So many things to look forward to already! 

I'm going to San Diego for the first time!

My drivers license expires!

I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed!

oh 

AND I'M GETTING MARRIED

Truth.

less than 200 days. yah. for real. 

After a crazy, crazy Christmas in seattle (both good crazy and bad crazy), we rang in the new year right: game night, drinks, dance party, a sweet mermaid trophy and of course an intergalactic unicorn shirt, all with fabulous company.

Spiced Apple Kava Kombucha + Sweet Vodka = whoops thats delicious

I love New Years Eve. For some, I know its just another night with super expensive bar covers and a chance for the mayans to tell us the world is ending. But to me its an opportunity to reflect and give thanks for another year.
The following day feels like a fresh start. So much opportunity lies in a new year. What do I want this year to hold? What changes will I make? What do I want to accomplish?

Social media is littered with resolutions right now
"I'm going to work out EVERYDAY for 8 hours while maintaining a full time job"
"I'm going to pay off all my $100,000,000 debt tomorrow with my starbucks paycheck" 
"I will never eat pasta on tuesdays with a full moon"
"I will run twenty marathons while carrying a horse on my back"
 "I will lose 50lbs off my 120lb frame"


Obviously, I'm exaggerating, but frighteningly not by much. This time of year, we feel invincible (hooray!) and like we can take on the world (yah! lets do it!). But this is why so many resolutions fail. By march 1st, we're overwhelmed, overworked, or just plain forgotten what we've resolved to do because none of it was actionable, timely, or realistic.

I prefer to make goals for the new year, things I'd like to accomplish, instead of resolutions. Is there really a difference? Maybe not. But a goal feels like something I am constantly working towards, something I can check off baby steps and see progress. I like that. Today, I am this much closer to my goal.  
So if by the end of this year, I didn't meet my goals-- its not failure, I'm just not finished. I can look at all the great things I accomplished on my way to meeting those goals. Progress doesn't hurt.

Last year one of my goals was to record an entire album. Like of music that I'd written. Ambitious right? yah. Well. Didn't happen. BUT I did record ten songs that I covered and two songs that I'd written. And I am proud of that for sure.

I also, like many, just forgot what I'd resolved to do. I'd written my goals down, but that scrap of paper got lost and found and lost and found and lost all over again.

So this year, I tried something different. I created something I could not possibly lose. 

My lovely friend Em came over for a crafting new years goals party. As a pair of wildly ambitious and crazily crafty women, we really got into this...

Puffy paint, obnoxiously bright colored paper, poster boards, oh my. 

School supplies heaven.

I broke my 2014 goals in four categories:

Life

House

Finances

Fitness

 And I made a lot of them. 

But. 

They are actionable. 

They are measureable. 

They are attainable.

AND they are on bright colored paper, with glitter, on a huge posterboard.

Life goals

• Complete the Artists Way by September 1. This is a 12-week creative development book that I've been dying to really get into. This year. I'm making it a priority
• Make Grad School Happen: Applying to the MPH program at PSU. Submitting my application materials NEXT WEEK. WOAH.
• Read 10 books this year
• Creative Cooking: try one new recipe a week
• Celebrate the small stuff: We now have a jar in our house that is slowly but surely filling up with slips of paper describing happy moments  we've experienced during 2014 so far. Next NYE, we'll read those papers:)

Fitness Goals

• WOD an average of 4x/week: Shit happens, I'd love to workout more. But four days is something I can definitely commit to. 
• Complete 60 doubleunders, unbroken: No singles inbetween, no stops. JUST GO. I got my doubleunders earlier this fall and now I want to make them extra awesome
• Handstands will be my bitch: Seriously. I am tired of being afraid of going upside down. This is stupid. 
• Deadlift more than 300lbs: My current PR is #265. I want to crush that. 
• Backsquat with 195lbs: Current is #175
• Compete at least three times: CrossFit Open, Gorilla Takeover, and ????
• Drop #25 by July 1: Okay this is my token weight loss goal/vain wedding push.  Sure, I'd love to see an ab or six, but I'm feeling strong and happy. If this happens, great, if I only drop five or ten, thats fine too. I've learned the scale doesn't really represent progress. 
• 2013: Gained 8 pounds, dropped two sizes. Say what?

HOUSE goals

• Paint the living room once: In the little more than a year that I've owned this place, the living room has changed colors three times. We need to paint again, but NO MORE after this. 
• Replace the back-fence: Somehow showing off our living room to our neighbors a block away, feels weird
• Build garden by April 1: Six raised beds, moving a couple of sheds and thrashing the shit out of some grass and we are good. 
• Finish the guest room by July 15: Paint, furnish, rid of random shit and make generally habitable.

 FINANCE goals

• Pay off US bank CC by Mar 1
• Pay off Elan CC by Dec 1
• Reduce total CC debt to less than $1000 
• Pay off the damn car by Dec 31
• Transfer $50 week to savings (and leave it there, seriously)

Woah. That is a LOT of goals. 

Let's get goin! 

CrossFit Cat thinks you should make some awesome goals with glitter pens too.