2015's Goals: Where are they now?

2015 has come & gone and man, what a year it was! Remember when I made some goals for myself for 2015? (Probably not.) Well, here they are with some updates... Just wanted to give MYSELF an update & also remind any readers that it's okay to not fulfill every promise to yourself. Did I set myself up for failure? Probably NOT, but, I definitely needed to be reminded more often of my goals in order to maintain them. I think I did okay! I'm not beating myself up at all and you shouldn't either.

Here's what I plan to do in 2015... Wish me luck!

• I want to have technology-free evenings with my husband. At least one a week. Doesn't happen. Don't even know if I brought this up to him. Maybe I should? 

• I want to stick with Weight Watchers and lose at least 25 pounds to start with. I worked my butt off with my gal pal Whitney & only lost 10 lbs. Then I lost another 5 lbs during my first trimester (gotta love morning sickness!) Either way, I did lose some weight, which I was thankful for when I started packing on the pregnancy pounds. 

• I want to sew/hem all my clothes that need it, and get really good at doing it so that maybe I can hem for others in the future. Okay, I don't foresee me doing much for others, considering I currently have a growing stack of to-hem clothes. Seriously every pair of bottoms I buy (pajamas included) need hemming and it is so annoying! I promise I'm getting around to that. 

• I want to get rid of all my clothes that are really too small. Some things I envision fitting back into in the near future, but some stuff I just need to kiss goodbye and donate to someone in need. Done and done. I am so not a packrat. 

• I want to keep growing my hair out. This will be a challenge, as I get easily annoyed & tend to just chop it off on whims. I have not cut the front of my hair at all this year!! The back grows so much faster than the front. Am I the only one whose hair does this? I think it has to do with me wanting the front more perfect, and using heat, etc. more on the front. I did chop like 4" off the back to make it a longer angled bob. The back caught up to the front.... the cycle continues. 

• Keep my new car clean. Inside & out. Not a chance. I am who I am. 

• Find a way to organize all my jewelry laying around. I did but I'm not loving my system, and it has currently failed me at the moment. Or maybe I failed it? Either way, I need to find a better home for my jewelry. 

• Create a 2014 photo book on Snapfish. Forget scrapbooking. I ultimately want to make photo books for every year and occasion I can. That'll have to be a summer project. Didn't happen. Still want to do this. 

• 100% housetrain Chloe. She is good most of the time but if it ain't 100%, we need to work on it. Sometimes we take her out in the mornings & she won't go, but then she's stuck inside all day while we work, and of course she goes inside then. Ugh! Somebody just come take & train my dog & bring her back all obedient and well-mannered. Chloe's good 99% of the time. If she messes up, it's typically our fault. She's great, really. :) 

• GO TO NEW YORK CITY. FOR THE LOVE! YES YES AND YES! I did it! FINALLY! I've only been talking about it for 10 years! I'd like to say I'll blog about it, but I think I know myself better by now. I'd still like to though! To sum it up: I had a wonderful time with my gal pal Elizabeth & her sister, Emily. It was 3 days of awesome. 

• Go on a fun beach trip. HAHA!! So, I totally went to the beach. While I was about 7 weeks pregnant, and SO sick. Worst idea ever. Remind me to never do that again. Alex can leave my butt at home next time. Wait though.... we DID go on a cruise to the Bahamas this year for our anniversary!! That's a fun beach trip!!!! I totally didn't forget about that. I just hear "beach" and think of all the yuckiness from this summer. Sorry, Bahamas! 

Cruise to the Bahamas in April 2015

• Do more couples devotions and praying with my husband. While we have improved in this area, we have a long way to go. 

You win some, you lose some. With a baby on the way, the amount of things I'm trying to improve is seriously so overwhelming. I am just trying to take life one day at a time and hope for the best!

Until next time, readers... here's a pic for the road!

Christmas 2015 & 30 weeks along with Baby Mullen

Wishing you all a very happy & healthy 2016!

♥,
Nicole

I Think I'm Back

Every so often, I try to give this blog thing another go'round! Well, here I am again. It's not really that I haven't wanted to blog, but that I've really wanted to give my blog a major makeover, and just never did it. I spent some time this winter going through this blog. I really do a horrible job at consistently blogging but this blog is an interesting "journal," if you will, documenting my life since 2005, my senior year of high school. And for that, I am thankful. I am super into nostalgia and reminiscing, if you didn't know. :)

I don't know what all purposes this blog has served. It looks like in the beginning I just copied & pasted some blog posts from my MySpace since that was becoming a thing from the past. Then I used it as a place to store quotes I found online that I liked. Then I would update about life (procrastination and grad school mostly).

I ended up going through all my posts and cleaning up the tags, deleting pointless posts, and deleting posts of videos that you could no longer access. (Stupid, YouTube.)  It was all fun and games until I got to the year 2010, when I guess I really started blogging. I had 156 posts that year. So that took a(nother) backseat. I'm still not 100% done cleaning up the place, but I did give her a little plastic surgery. I am growing as a woman and sometimes just crave the simplicity. My blog was stimulus overload and it was time she looked her age.

Funny story: I think I attempted a blog post 1/31/2015 and it just never got published. Just found it in Drafts, actually so... just for kicks... this is what it said:

I literally have so many things I'd love to blog about. But-- I'll be realistic, and maybe skip all that I wanted to say I'd been thinking or up to, and say this:
2015 is here and  technically, at this point we're are 1/12th of the way done with it already! SERIOUSLY! 

I saw a blog post that listed goals for the year & then at the end of the year, relisted those goals & stated where the blogger was in meeting those goals. Seems a bit far-fetched for me to think I'm going to remember to revisit this in a year, but why not try? Amiright?! 

Here's what I plan to do in 2015... Wish me luck! 

• I want to have technology-free evenings with my husband. At least one a week.

• I want to stick with Weight Watchers and lose at least 25 pounds to start with. 

• I want to sew/hem all my clothes that need it, and get really good at doing it so that maybe I can hem for others in the future. 
• I want to get rid of all my clothes that are really too small. Some things I envision fitting back into in the near future, but some stuff I just need to kiss goodbye and donate to someone in need. 
• I want to keep growing my hair out. This will be a challenge, as I get easily annoyed & tend to just chop it off on whims. 
• Keep my new car clean. Inside & out. 
• Find a way to organize all my jewelry laying around. 
• Create a 2014 photo book on Snapfish. Forget scrapbooking. I ultimately want to make photo books for every year and occasion I can. That'll have to be a summer project. 
• 100% housetrain Chloe. She is good most of the time but if it ain't 100%, we need to work on it. Sometimes we take her out in the mornings & she won't go, but then she's stuck inside all day while we work, and of course she goes inside then. Ugh! Somebody just come take & train my dog & bring her back all obedient and well-mannered. 
• GO TO NEW YORK CITY. FOR THE LOVE! 
• Go on a fun beach trip.
• Do more couples devotions and praying with my husband.

Maybe we'll talk more about that later? Again, not making any promises! Haha! But, life is taking a major turn and I have been having the urge to document again. I hope I stick with it. I find it stress-relieving and always love looking back at where I was mentally, physically, and spiritually during certain points in my past.

Stay tuned...

Starting off 2014 a little more positive

So the last time I blogged I think I was having a nervous breakdown. I was completely overwhelmed and that was mid(?) November. Fast forward to mid January. It's 2014. It's a new year. And I am working very hard to make this year better than the last. I think that should be a general rule: Try to make this year better than last year.

I think some work-related depression coupled with my anxiety just spun things out of control. Any small task seemed like the end of the world and when I'm overwhelmed, well, good luck. I am glad I am a therapist and know "the secrets" of what to do in situations like that. Not that I readily use said skills, but I know what to do in case I want to do what's best. Sometimes I just want to close my eyes, or sleep, or cry, or just watch The Mindy Project on the couch with my favorite husband while I eat whatever I want. And that's okay!

But this is 2014 and I'm doing things differently like everyone else, right? Fingers crossed! I got together with some work gal pals a few weeks ago and it turned into a self-help group. We all work(ed) together so we felt each other's pain and could vent and laugh about our frustrations and just how low things had gotten. We made a self-help plan if you will, which we called Operation 4-3-2-1. This was primarily for me & one other gal pal, and the other two used their therapeutic skills to help us make realistic, small, obtainable, measurable goals...because that's what you do as a therapist. Right? Right! I was supposed to make sure I did the four things however many times a week I was supposed to. Well, so far not so great but dang I'm trying! I have increased my exercise, cooking, vitamin-taking, and ... other things :) & that's what matters! I am on my way! Wait on me...I'm coming!

I really do want 2014 to be better. 2013 was my best year yet. SOOO many amazing things happened in 2013. God rained down blessings upon me & for that I am thankful! 2013 was also pretty difficult for me and I could have done some things better. I really shouldn't beat myself up, but when you have anxiety brain like I do...guilt and shame typically follow. I am working on it!! :) I just started the book Grace For The Good Girls: Letting Go Of The Try Hard Life by Emily P. Freeman. A local church just began a Bible study on the book last week (& I missed it! Ugh!) but I plan to join them next week. The book was recommended to me by a few friends after they read my last blog post/meltdown.

I am extremely thankful for my gal pals that have supported me lately. I have felt the love, y'all. You ROCK!

As A-MAZING as 2013 was, I have a feeling 2014 will be even better!! Don't ask me how because it's got some big shoes to fill! But a new job, having my summer off (and all other school scheduled breaks), celebrating our one year anniversary, turning 2-7 (yikes), and whatever else 2014 has to offer won't hurt!

{Insert your thoughts about the fact that 2014 may include a baby Mullen....you all do that to me any time I talk about good things happening, haha.}

Hopefully with the new job I will have some more time to do life. I already have a pending to-do list and have made the executive decision to not add any un-needed responsibilities on my plate until I get my life back together. That's a start, right??

Wish me luck!!

♥,
Nicole

Insert random pic of me & my favorite husband ~ Happy New Year!

Starting over with 2013

So, that was that! 2012.

Done and over with!

Just like that.

Does anyone else think it flew by? 

I originally began a rant on here, discussing how poor time management made me regret a lot of my time spent in 2012, vowing to work less (hours) and spend more time with loved ones. I'll spare you the rant. 

2012 was a busy year! There was graduations, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, health scares, reunions, new friends made, oh...and Alex and I got engaged! I'm not going to lie and say 2012 was full of wedding planning, because it sure hasn't been. We did set a date, find a place, and I found a dress! That's a lot, right? (Please say, "Right!") 

I'm not going to lie & say that I am going to try to do a million *new* things in 2013. I'm not. I AM going to do one thing though. I am going to try to do what I've needed to do all 2012, and do it well. I am going to try to do my job, do it well, and not spend 50+ hours a week doing it. I am going to try to make more time for my handsome fiance, and my family. I am going to try to grow my relationship with the Lord, and participate more at church. I am going to try to spend more time with my girlfriends. I am going to try to enjoy life more.  I am going to try to exercise more (or, you know, at all by this point), but for the purpose of destressing, not necessarily to lose weight. But I will continue my low-carb diet, because darn it, it's working. :)  

If I had one goal for 2013, it'd be to become a morning person.

How sad is that?

But honestly, I believe my life would drastically improve on so many levels if I could just become a morning person. And "just getting up and starting your day" does not qualify you as a morning person. A morning person feels rested, and is eager to begin their day early. I right now am the exact opposite of a morning person. So...if you know of any tips of changing how my brain works completely, please, let me know. 

Until then, it's 2013. We can't change anything about 2012. It's done. It's gone. And it's not coming back. But the good thing is, we've got 2013. I love a new start! It's a gift for sure, and I would like to do what I can so that I don't waste it. 

I've always been a list person. And I think I've blogged a time or two about the new year. I typically set a few goals, or "resolutions" if you will, for the new year. Not this year! I guess I'm approaching 2013 more realistically. And I don't consider that a bad, or sad, thing. I just want to do 2013 right! No regrets! (Okay NOW I'm setting myself up for failure....)

I'll just say this-- I'm going to try. And I'm going to try hard. 

And I really do think 2013's going to be my best year yet!! ;) 

Happy New Year to you & yours!!

♥,
Nicole

Help Me Meet My Goal!!

Listen up, blog followers!!

As you may know, I sell Mary Kay. I have a personal career goal to sell $400 by the end of the month! That's less than  a week at this point! I am on my way to reaching my goal but need YOUR help! I don't care where you are in the country, if you want some Mary Kay, I'm your girl! You can always browse my Mary Kay website and check out all the amazing products, or, if you already use and love Mary Kay- you order something you're out of or something new you've been wanting to try! I will ship it to you for free!

Also- as always, I am offering a free gift to anyone who makes a $40 or more purchase!!

And this goes for you men out there too! Mary Kay has a men's line of products. While it's not nearly as large as the women's line, you can still get some pretty awesome products geared to you guys out there! BUT, don't forget that you can also totally buy your favorite girl a present for an upcoming holidy, or ya know, for no reason at all. :) {She'll LOVE you for it. You can thank me later.}


If you want to help but have no idea where to start, email me at nicolesykes@marykay.com and I would love to help you figure out something that you can use and will love for your budget!!

Can't help financially? Please pray with me that I am able to meet this personal goal of mine. :)

Don't forget, ANY little bit HELPS! No matter if it's a lipstick, lip gloss, concealer, eyeshadow, foundation, skin care product, mascara.....whatever!! Any little bit will get me one step closer to meeting my goal!! I would appreciate it SO stinking much- you have no idea.

And if you want to spread the word, PLEASE do so!
That's what's so awesome about us bloggers- we're great at spreading the word!! ;)

I Drive Myself Crazy

So, as a future counselor, if I have a client that comes in, super stressed out with the world on their shoulders one approach in helping them would be to help them figure out what they can & can't change, and then working with them on figuring out ways to help them change/control what they can & worry less about what they can't fix. For those of you who ARE "that client," easier said than done, right? Right! I know I can say that with an exclamation point because I am "that client." I always stress out way too much, get upset about things I can't control, and then don't take time for myself, focusing on what I can control. One thing I should be controlling, and should have been controlling for years is my to-do list. Things should never stay on your to-do list for months. Seeing the list grow is just anxiety forming. Then follows the guilt of not accomplishing tasks, false promises of doing better tomorrow, tomorrow approaching and you're in over your head again, pushing your tasks to the side, holding them off until tomorrow. Then the whole cycle repeats, doesn't it? Drives. Me. Crazy. But I do it anyways, knowingly! Drives. Me. Even. More. Crazy! But really, I am aware, and I am a big girl. What I do or don't do for myself is my own fault, my own choice, and I'll face my own consequences. 

I have so many things I WANT to do, for myself. So many things that I blogged about it last month. Since I blogged, what have I done? Well, I have started to work out, and I have started to run again. I went to "the beach" but I didn't see the ocean- so I don't think that counts. I must make another trip! ;) Other than that, I've been slacking! Oh no! I also have been reading Made to Crave and going to church on a weekly basis! So, I guess I didn't make my summer to-do list too unrealistic, but I definitely should have added 300 hours of interning to that list to make myself feel better about devoting so much time to "things" off the list.

I would like to start a girls get-together/Book club/Bible study/whatever else you want to call it. Like I said, I'm reading Made to Crave and LOVE it and feel like so so so many girls need to read it too, and would love it with me! It's something you can read by yourself, but I can see why they have groups of women read it together. Accountability is such a powerful thing! If you are in the Lincolntonish area & would like to join me, let me know! I would love to share this experience with you! 

Well, that's enough for tonight....

My hot shower made me sleepy and I need to NOT be up until 1:00 again tonight. So, I'm going to try to get some rest earlier than normal tonight. I'm really really really trying this normal sleep cycle thing. It's not working out well, but darn it, I'm still working on it! :) 

"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again." 

♥

Total rambling on my part....rambling with a purpose

I love how the Lord moves in you when you least expect it.

I know how people say God gives you a peace beyond understanding, but for this season in my life, I am praying for energy & motivation  beyond understanding! The Lord needs not only to move in me, but move ME! Set my heart on fire for what HE desires in my life & help me move towards that goal. I'm telling you now, it won't happen otherwise. I am human. I am lazy. I lack(ed) motivation. I procrastinate. I at times wish to take the easy route. So God, I know you're listening: Get. Me. Going!

I am excited about starting anew. Starting a new day, a new week, a new semester, a new internship, new friendships, and my new business in Mary Kay! The desire of my heart is to make things different, BE BETTER in all that I do. Put forth more of myself & make more of an effort.

I realized (one of) my problem(s). I have a lot I want to do, and get overwhelmed with that to-do I-want list, that I just say, "I'll get to it." And then by the end of the day, I'm tired, and that "I'll get to it" turns into "I'll get to that tomorrow." And then tomorrow it was, "What was I gonna do again?" & while I think about it, I get on Facebook! Oh, the life...

So tonight I began my list of everything I want to accomplish in a day. That way, I can attempt to hold myself accountable when I sit on Facebook. I can ask myself, "what else do I have to do before I can spend time on here?" Because Lord knows I will be on Facebook, getting sleepy, & then head to bed without getting what needs to be done done! There are silly things on this list, like "make the bed" but I am so Type-A. I need a list. I need to check things off the list. And if it's not on a list, it might not get done. What can I say? I am my father's daughter.

Tonight I was going through my Mary Kay order, sorting everything out & bagging everything into cute pink bags with ribbon, and I came across my new microdermabrasion set. {Please note that I also have ADD, so, I am easily distracted.} I thought, "Oh wow! I wanna try that tonight!" but I am so weird about applying skin care. I want it to be first thing in the morning or right before bed. So what did I need to do? Get in the shower & wash my face so I can use the microdermabrasion set. I always get so side-tracked with what I need to be doing {clean my kitchen!} & go off into LaLa land, doing what hit me that very moment. That's got to stop or else I'll get nothing done. BUT, my face feels FABULOUS tonight!!

Side note: In the shower I had some NICE prayer time with the man upstairs! I love it when that happens! I feel like the shower is "my prayer closet" as my preacher, Mike Devine, calls it. It is a {pretty dim lit} "box" where I am warm & comfortable & not worried about anything or anyone else. It's the perfect time for one-on-one with God if you have time to just stand there under the relaxing hot water. :) In that prayer time, I developed my "I Story" for my business, which is my inspiration for joining Mary Kay and what I hope to achieve in the future. I would love to share it with you some time.

My simple point in this was to say that I am excited for the future. Excited for the days & weeks to come. Excited to see my business grow and for this semester to be one of the best, as well as fly by! ;) I am excited to see what GOD will do in my life and who He will bring into it! Lord, prepare my heart for this season because I can not do it without you!!

OH! & another thing I want to start doing is GETTING PLACES EARLY! If you know me, you know I'm never early and rarely on time. I am sorry. It's inconvenient, rude, and so on & so forth. I know and I never intend to be late it always "just happens!" I want to strive to be on time, and early if possible, but let's not get carried away. So what does that mean? Ok, so, I have to be somewhere at 9:45ish in the morning. I will be realistic and give myself two hours to shower, dry & fix my hair, apply my makeup, eat breakfast, find something to wear, & take my dog out. {Yep, that will take about 2 hours} What does that mean? I have to get up at the latest by 7:45. The dishes need to be done and a(nother) load of laundry started. I am going to set my alarm for 6:45, snooze til 7 {a bad habit of mine I don't think I'll ever be able to break} & get up & see what I can get done in those 45 extra minutes I gave myself!

It's 1:33AM now, which means I will hardly get five hours of sleep. Ironically enough, another thing I absolutely have to start doing is get more sleep. Good thing I'm sleepy now so it probably won't take my usual 30-45 mins to get to sleep.  Let me tell you: five hours of sleep isn't nearly enough for me, so pray for me as I begin my day tomorrow. Pray I can get up & get going! Pray I stay productive during the day. Pray I can get everything on my list done. It's realistic. It's possible! Let's just hope that I maintain this blessing I call motivation that I received tonight out of nowhere. I am praying for energy & motivation beyond understanding...because Lord knows this girl needs more than 5 hours of sleep!!

Any suggestions you wanna send my way as I begin this venture to betterness? Send them my way! & I apologize if this was complete nonsense-sounding, rambling to the nth degree. It's late; forgive me!

1-1-11

I know it's not technically 1-1-11 anymore because it's past midnight, but that's not how I do things. To me, it's still the same day until I go to bed!

I have heard a little less about new years resolutions this year. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the world is slowly learning that they are just words and are worthless without added effort behind them.

While I have many things I wish and hope for myself in this upcoming year, I have vowed to *not* have a resolution this year. Every year I usually end up {eventually} getting lazy, or busy, or a little of both and lose sight of my new years resolution. Either way, by mid-year, heck, maybe mid-January, I am like "oh crap, well, A for effort, right?" and go on with my life.

Not this year! This year I'm being more practical with my "new years resolution." It's more like a new life resolution. I would love to be able to say I don't give up this year, that I keep on keepin' on until I get closer and closer to my goal, no matter WHAT goal that is. That if I fail, I don't stop trying. I will definitely have my bad days, but this year, I hope that I don't get stuck in a rut. I hope I accept myself for my faults and don't let that stop me from having what I want. I hope to have less excuses and more success stories!

I don't think that's too much to ask for 2011.

As my girl Taylor Swift says...
"it's the end of a decade, but the start of an age..."

I can't wait to see what this "age" has in store for me! What will this year hold?? Only time will tell, but I pray that God guides my steps and gives me strength to face whatever 2011 has to bring!

So far, it's been one day of 2011 and I slept in, did some Mary Kay work, did a lot of lounging around, and spent my evening with my Mom and my boyfriend, laughing until we cried and enjoying some good ol' TV-on-DVD. Not a bad start if I do say so myself... :)

20 random facts!

I got this idea from my cute friend Maggie, and I'm bored, afraid to go to sleep because I know SOMEthing crazy will go down tonight in my building when my "crazies" {formerly called freshmen residents} return from their Halloween partying, so... here are 20 RaNdOm facts you probably don't care to know about me, but will learn anyways! :)

1. My Godson was born! Welcome to the world Corbin Blake Jervis! I can not WAIT to meet you!
2. I am absolutely LOVING my practicum at Maiden High School. I would love to work there in the future.
3. I have a fear of being an elementary or middle school counselor. Lord, please provide me a position in a high school!!
4. I have been listening to non-stop Taylor Swift since I bought her new CD Monday
5. Buying that CD was the first CD I have purchased since middle school
6. I don't love love love the songs AS much since reading this article {but that obviously hasn't kept me from listening}. Now some of my favorite songs I believe were written to total toolbags who don't deserve her time of day.  :/
7. My dog, Baby, got a haircut Friday and I swear it made her look like she lost 5 lbs.
8. Baby's also probably going to flunk out of our dog training class at PetSmart
9. I can't paint my own nails to save my life.
10. Alex and I have been going to high school football games on Friday night and I have to admit, I've enjoyed it. :) 
11. I believe November will be way better than October! 
12. I know I'm "young" but I am an old soul :)
13. I don't want Winter to start! But when it does, that'll mean I'm so so close to be done with classes!
14. Next semester might kill me. (I think I say that every semester...but I mean it this time)
15. I wish I had a sister.
16. I want a Dyson Animal Ball vacuum cleaner so so bad. I hate my vacuum cleaner. 
17. I'm going to miss watching Teen Mom and Jersey Shore with Maria. Don't fear though... we will move on to 16 & Pregnant.
18. I really really really really really need to devote an entire day to school work I've been avoiding!
19. I have a 4.0 GPA in graduate school. I'm proud of myself.
20. I wonder every day where I'll be come August 2011. May 2011 really.... Lord, show me!

Couch-to-5K

So, a friend of mine ever so graciously informed me about a little thing called "Couch-to-5K." I was asking my fellow Facebookers who run for pleasure how ON EARTH they go their bodies to be able to literally run that long (and when I say long I mean more than a mile at at time) and that's when Ashley told me about Couch-to-5K.

It's a 9-week running training program I started this week! It seems really awesome and seems like it's realistic{which is what I needed} in helping me and my body build the endurance to be able to run jog 3 miles {which is my goal}.

Check this plan out below. I love how you start with a brisk 5-minute walk, followed by 20 minutes of alternating jogging and walking...and then you get down to week 9 and you have your brisk 5-minute walk followed by, oh just jogging 3 miles!!

Holy moley I hope this works...and I hope I am able to build my lungs and muscles up to be able to do this...because I really really want to!

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

Wish me luck as I begin this venture! :)

So much for free time....

Man, oh man! I've been super busy lately & have wanted to blog about so so many things! However, Psychopathology has started & we are required to:

• Post 2 discussion questions a week {no big deal if my brain would start working}
• Post 3 replies to discussion questions...FIVE OUT OF SEVEN DAYS A WEEK!
• Take 3 quizzes a week on 2-5 chapters a quiz {seriously}
• Therefore meaning, read 2 textbooks in the month of June
• Blog at least once a week {and this one doesn't count ;) }
• Take a final exam {it'll be my first one of my counseling program}
• & I'm sure something else I'm forgetting

...and that's all for a B in the class!! Whoa baby!! June will be busy, that's for sure! Keep me in your prayers because I'm going to attempt to do all the required work plus a little extra for an A {got to at least attempt to keep that 4.0} AND I'll be starting another class this Tuesday!! :/

The summer is beginning....

So here I am....the semester is over! All Almost all of the residents have left. My duties are complete. It feels good to say that! Today was the day I could head home for "the summer" but I'll be back & forth all summer. I'm working at the gym on campus and tried to work it in my schedule to only work on the days I had class, that way I could potentially save myself some trips to Hickory gas money! Today's the first day this semester I'm working here...11-7pm...sitting at the desk, trying to keep myself entertained. I've already caught up on Modern Family {which is my new favorite show} & ordered some Dominoes Pizza {I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning, and did you think I'd wait til 7pm to eat for the first time today?!} I have a to-do list of things to get done around the apartment when I get off work, just so I won't have to worry about things while I'm away! I'll really only have a week off until I work again, and then another week off until I work again and summer school starts {which I'm dreading by the way}. Not much of a break, but I'll take it!!

This is the first summer in a long time I won't be working ALL the time {except my month-long trip to Costa Rica in 2007, but I worked before I left & worked when I returned} so I'm hoping to at least get a TAN! I'll be taking four summer school courses throughout the summer, so I'll have lots of studying to do...hopefully I can handle it poolside!! :)

I actually have a bit of stuff I want to do/complete this summer. A "bucket list" of sorts, if you will...

I want to:

• Get a tan! 
• Make all A's. Okay, okay, I'll settle for a B in Psychopathology! {Eek!}
• Not procrastinate with my school work
• Continue working on & hopefully complete my 2009 scrapbook
• Post devotions to "ten minutes to get you through your day" at least once a week
• Work on a Bible study of my own
• Read for pleasure...haven't decided what to read first yet! 
• Go see my friend Lindsey in Wilmington
• Have a wedding shower for Caroline
• Exercise at least three times a week
• See Sex & the City 2 in theaters
• See Eclipse in theaters on opening night...ya know, get that fanatic experience {even though I'm not a die-hard fan}

Random update at 5AM

So earlier on Facebook, I posted a status saying something along the lines that I needed to get this paper written because I can't stay up until 4 AM again tonight and that by that time, my body would be on strike. Well, I guess it is- with a surprising twist! I finished ALL MY WORK FOR THE SEMESTER :D around 1:00 tonight, and have not been able to sleep since. It's a quarter til FIVE now. Ugh!

I have GOT to get on a better sleep schedule than this. {I think I've been saying that since the beginning of time.} But now that I'll have a semi-break for a few weeks, I really want to work on that. Also, be prepared to get some Facebook messages in your inbox saying that I have added new devotions to ten minutes to get you through your day. :)

I have written 36 pages of papers this weekendish and my brain is officially o-f-f. I'm awaiting my Statistics grade and, well, I'm afraid I might lose my 4.0 GPA. (Stats sucks and I'm SO glad I'll NEVER have to take a stats class again. {I think I said that before. Uh oh.} We shall see. (UPDATE: I made an A!)

I want to give a lil post-birthday shout to my bestgirlfriend, ALE ARCE. I view days as from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. I haven't gone to sleep yet, so, Ale, guess what! It's still your birthday! :) I hope you had fun out celebrating!

Random thought: I want to adopt a dog at an animal shelter!! I have Baby, which is MY baby. I love her to death. But, that doesn't mean I want her to be an "only child" forever. ONE DAY, when I have a permanent place of my own, and Baby's all settled in, and not going ballistic on my blinds, then I would love love love to go rescue a dog from the pound.

Okay, I think I might sleep now. Blogging is the new counting sheep.

My future in counseling

I just watched the movie Precious...finallly! I had heard SO many good things about the movie and couldn't wait to actually come to a Red Box and see it available to rent! To make a long story short: the movie is intense and I absolutely loved it!

The movie did get me thinking about my future in counseling. I know that, unfortunately, the things that Precious had to endure is going on in our home towns. You don't have to travel to Harlem to experience physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, incest, rape, hatred, or anything else equally as horrible. Most of these situations go unnoticed. Unless the student becomes a problem, then their home life may be investigated. That is not okay with me. However, I wonder what process these "children" face once they make their home life situations known. Do they visit with a social worker on a regular basis? Are they taken out of their home immediately? Are they still in any danger? Are they seeking counseling?

I know I'm in the beginning stages of learning counseling theories, techniques, ethics, etc... but one day, when I'm ready, I want to be able to help people, genuinely help people. Someone like Precious needed HELP, someone to talk to, someone to listen, someone who will take her seriously and work on changing/fixing the SERIOUS problems. I'd like to be that person for someone someday. That's a personal dream of mine. I don't know where God will lead me. I don't know if I'll ever be a counselor, honestly. Everything in life is  God-willed... I know that. But, if I could choose how my counseling career would go, I'd like to make a difference.

I'm so indecisive. There are things I know I absolutely do not want to do. And there's things I'd like to do, and then there's things I'd love to do. I would love to be that liaison for a child in need. On a completely different note, at times I think I would love to work as a counselor, counseling clients who have recently been diagnosed with a life-altering diagnoses. Or with families whose children may have recently been diagnosed with some sort of ailment. I know when you are diagnosed with something, you have all these sudden worries, fears, anticipations, goals, anxieties...feelings...and it would definitely be beneficial to speak to a professional counselor about everything going on. I would love love love to do that!

Watch, I'll probably be a middle school guidance counselor. Haha....

Time will tell. I just thought I'd share some of my long-term goals with you tonight. :)

My first challenge of 2010!

So, for reasons I’ll keep to myself, I have ONE month to get into a ROUTINE & to kick some nasty habits of mine! One month isn’t long so…I will have to find a way to stay focused!

I don’t know how much I weigh (yet). I don’t know if I care, or if I want to know… I think a lot of girls/people focus too much on their weight and the actual number. In case you didn’t know, your weight fluctuates throughout the day, so unless you’re going to weight yourself at home every morning the second you wake up, then weighing yourself isn’t the best idea ever. It’s healthy to lose 1-2 pounds a week and if you lose weight at that pace, you’re a lot more likely to keep it off! So, that is my goal! I don’t think I’ll need a scale; I think that I’ll be able to see and feel the results I want with time and that’s all I ask for! The thought of taking a “before” picture crossed my mind too, haha…you know, the unflattering body poses, complete with bad hair and a frown on my face! IF I do, you definitely won’t see it until way, way later when I see the results I want & can take an a decent “after” picture! ;)

I have free access to the gym on campus so, I have no excuse! Other than the fact I would LIKE to go sometime before noon everyday and Lenoir-Rhyne’s gym has some crazy hours (6-8 am & noon-11pm!) I guess I will have to figure something out.

Weight loss is not my objective here…the whole point of the month-long “thing” I have going on here is about habits (particularly my bad ones!) I’ll admit…I have a number of them! I heard it’s best not to try to kick them all at the same time so, I won’t try! ;)

My main goals are:
1. Get on a healthy & (keyword here:) steady sleep schedule
2. Eat 5 small meals a day…3 plus 2 HEALTHY snacks!
3. (Starting small here -->) Only drinking ONE soft drink a day!
4. Hitting up the gym at least 4-5 times a week…for at least one hour!

You gotta start small. :) Now, I’ve already purchased my “healthy snacks” – which will definitely come in handy when I’m stuck in class on Wednesdays for 4-5 hours at a time! And there is currently NO soft drinks in my refrigerator! (Confession: I did purchase two 2 liters of Mtn Dew, you know, just in case… but they are room temperature in my coat closet!)

Now, I’ve been going to bed at decent times (compared to my previous 3ish a.m. bedtime) lately & having to get up to go work at the gym from 6-8 a.m. really does help to get you in the habit! Too bad I could always come back home & sleep til noon (& sometimes do)!

That’s another thing! I can’t be sleeping in like I did. I mean, I usually didn’t sleep past noon, but still…I need to pick a decent time to get up, and GET UP at that time. No more of this snooze for 10 more minutes, then another, then another junk!

Ok…I’ve talked enough. It’s time to walk the walk. It’s 9:45 p.m. & I’ve gotta work at 6 in the morning so, we’ll see how it goes! I’ll keep you posted! ;)

WISH ME LUCK! :-D

peace out, facebook!

So, I blame Facebook for distracting me the most. As a result, I have decided to get off Facebook until all my work for the semester is complete! I did this once before, you know, when you temporarily deactivate your Facebook, knowing that the minute you sign back in everything pops back up, as if you never left. Yeah, I tried that-- I was productive an entire day and then later that night, what did I do? I signed back on! I have absolutely no self-control. Or, I didn't. Who knew that all it would take to get me off and focusing on things that are more important was a bribe? I didn't, but it's seemed to work so far. Okay, okay....so I'm only two days in! It's been a pretty productive two days!

Yesterday I was pretty proud of myself. I wrote a nine page paper in APA format with 20 references, ate in the caf twice (not my norm), had a salad instead of something greasy, and got water instead of Mountain Dew, twice! If you know me, you're probably proud too- haha... I'm working on productivity! There are so many things I need to do but so also so many things I WANT to do. So, I'm getting items in my to-do list marked off one by one, less slowly and more surely than usual! I must say, I like this no Facebook idea.

Sidenote: if for some reason you see a status update or something, it's ONLY because I said that I would ONLY and I mean ONLY get on Facebook to post updates to this blog and updates to my devotion Facebook group, "ten minutes to get you through your day." I'm staying true to my vow and not just because I was promised one of my favorite TV shows on DVD. :)

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Welcome to Hickory, NC!

Ahh! My sleep schedule is SO messed up! I'll probably end up blogging late at night while I have a ton of energy. Living back in the residence halls have really screwed up my already pretty messed up sleep schedule. And I really reallly really wish I'd work on that more- because it really messes up your day!

About that---as most of you know, I've moved to Hickory, NC. I got a great job too! I am now a Resident Director at Lenoir-Rhyne University. I live in an apartment in Isenhour Hall on campus, one of the primarily freshmen "dorms." (Speaking of my apartment, it was a definite fixer-upper and I took before and after pictures! I'll have to share them another day!) Anyways, my job is to primarily oversee the RAs in the building (who, by the way are SUCH an awesome staff!) and the building itself, and handle any mishaps that happen along the way. Let me tell you, I LOVE IT! Isenhour Hall is crazy. My residents are crazy and I'm enjoying getting to know them this year. I hate hate hate the sound of my doorbell but I don't mind it when I hear it at 2 in the morning if someone is having issues.  It's such a great job to have while I work on my Masters. I can use what I learn in classes immediately and directly with students, which is great!

Again, in case you hadn't heard, I'm working here at LR on my Masters in Counseling. I couldn't decide which type of counseling I wanted to do once I had my Masters and I was seriously struggling with that decision. Usually, graduate schools have you decide which type of counseling you want to pursue: agency/community or school. Well, long story short: Lenoir-Rhyne has an awesome program that lets you do both! So, I added 12 hours to my course load and will be able to pursue a counseling career in either some type of community counseling or in a school! With the economy the way it is, the more doors I'll be able to open the better! And then there's the fact that I still have no idea what I actually WANT to do! So, I have about 2 years to figure it out. :)

I think I've figured that I'll graduate in August or December of 2011. I took two classes this summer and plan to take one in December. It's crazy--those 3 classes add up to only a total of 16 days but those 3 classes alone will knock a whole SEMESTER off my graduation date! You know me....trying to get in and out as soon as possible so I can move on to the next stage! :) However, my LR experience is a lot different from my experience in undergrad at Appalachian. I may blog about that later. :) Therefore I wouldn't mind staying longer if I had to/could. Ok, I've lived here like TWO months...I need to stop. I'm hoping things don't change but I need to stop counting my chickens. Hopefully I'll remember to keep blogging and give you an update on it later on, once I've experienced it all a little more.

In case you wanted to know...

10 Random Facts about me
*I go to school at Appalachian State University.
*I wish I had a car.
*I miss my girls!
*I have the spawn of Satan in the form of a puppy at home. But I love her. :)
*Being away from home made me realize how much I love my Mom.
*I definitely think smoking is bad.
*I regret a number of things.
*I have a current Nip/Tuck fetish.
*I drink Mello Yello like I don't need my kidneys.
*I'm so ready to get out of school!

9 Places I Want to Visit
*Hawaii
*Mexico
*NYC
*LA
*Disney World (again)
*Italy
*Costa Rica
*Paris
*London

8 things i want to do before i die
*STUDY ABROAD
*get married
*have 4 or 5 kids...yeah I'm crazy!!
*drive my convertible bug!!
*visit my top 9 places
*decorate my parents' house
*be wealthy
*SEE JULIE MAKE IT BIG!

7 things you can do to win me over
*buy me a car, lol
*make me laugh
*make me feel safe
*understand me & where i'm coming from
*listen to me
*don't act like you're my daddy
*be alex mullen :)

6 things i believe in
*GOD
*everything happens for a reason
*love
*being totally honest
*keeping your true friends through everything
*money is everything. (oh so sad but true) :\

5 things im afraid of
*the dark
*losing someone i love
*someone i love getting Alzheimer's
*i'll drive the stratus til i die.
*not getting to do everything on my top 8 list

4 of my fave possessions
*my pink iPod (thanks to my mullen)
*pictures...all 25 million of them.
*my FRIENDS DVD collection (it's still growing..)
*anything my grandmother gives to me

3 things i do everday
*nap
*pig out like there's no tomorrow
*talk to God

2 things im trying to do right now
*NOT do any homework or study
*pass biology. ironic, huh?

1 person who always makes your day better
*Alex. No matter what.