30 Before 30

I recently turned 25 and I think it's time to retire my "25 before 25" list 

and work on some new goals for the next 5 years!

I blogged a few months ago with some goals for the 2016 calendar year,
but this goes beyond just this calendar year!

So here we go, here are 30 goals I hope to accomplish before I turn 30 on May 19. 2021:

1. Write a list of 30 goals and encourage others to do so (Please comment me a link to your own list!)

2. Read my Bible more, as well as faith-based devotionals

3. Start our own company

4. Attend a blogging conference

5. Send my mom flowers out of the blue

6. Learn calligraphy and use it!

7. Have a picnic with Houston in an Atlanta park

8. Get a puppy!!!! We just need to agree on a breed we like first... stay tuned!

9. Read 5 books cover to cover

10. Work at meal planning... so we stop making 5 trips to the grocery store each week ;)

11. Have friends over for a blind wine tasting

12. Successfully plant herbs (and keep them alive) in our backyard

13. Consistently workout and more importantly be content and happy with how I look

14. Get our porch updated and hang Edison lights outside

15. Run (and walk) a half marathon

16. Travel abroad with Houston

17. Cook a big meal and host a dinner party for friends

18. Watch a meteor shower

19. Go on a couples vacation

20. This is a stretch - learn to speak another language. Hopefully French! Oui oui

21. Then we should probably travel to France to use that French language ;)

22. Join Junior League of Atlanta

23. Spend time serving the homeless in Atlanta

24. Take a golf lesson. How proud will Houston be of me?!

25. Unplug for an entire weekend. I should do this at least once a year.

26. Invest in real sunglasses. No more $5 sunnies.

27. Get better at budgeting, especially when it comes to groceries

28. Become a Pure Barre instructor - I have fallen in love with Pure Barre and would love to teach classes if the opportunity is available!

29. With our recent interest of wine the last few years, go to Napa Valley with Houston

(Maybe for our 3rd wedding anniversary trip?? Yes please!)

30. Throw a huge birthday bash for Houston's and my 30th birthdays!

There it is! I'll keep you all posted on how my goals are coming along by posting to a separate page as well. You can find it at the top of my blog under the "30 Before 30" page.

Thank you Business Insider for some inspiration!

It's fun to think about where Houston's and my life will be five years from now. Where do you see yourself in five years? And what do you hope to accomplish?

xox, A

Step Sing Season begins...

In honor of Step Sing season beginning this weekend I thought I'd reflect on Chi Omega's shows the last three years while I've been at Samford. I was able to participate my freshman and sophomore years and now my final Step Sing memories (sentimental, I know!) will begin this weekend, and I could not be more excited!!!

For those of you who don't know what Step Sing is, let me explain the biggest production and show Samford puts on every year. You could say spring semester doesn't really begin until after President's Weekend. Nearly everyone participates in Step Sing and so on top of our busy school schedules and social calendars we manage to spare three hours almost every night for three weeks for Step Sing practices, tech rehearsals and three amazing performances to compete for the very coveted 

1st Place Sweepstakes!

I cannot wait to perform with my Chi Omega sisters for my final time next month! Well tonight is Banner Drop! Where all the participants meet in the gym to "reveal" our banners that reflect our theme. The key is to describe the name of your show without giving away the theme of it! 

Here are our shows the past three years!!

2010 - A Knight's Tale (Batman)

2011 - Imagine That (Toys)

2013 - Deliver Us Can't wait to show you our video in a few weeks!! Stay tuned:)

Fitness Update:

I joined Pure Barre yesterday and attended class yesterday and today with Juliann and Jaime! Pretty tough getting back into, but I know it'll be worth it! And Friday I went to the gym just do the elliptical for 20 minutes and some abs because I was so sore from Thursday! I'd say a pretty good start to my fitness goals!

Happy Step Sing season everyone!

-A

P.S. Oh yea, and my last semester of college starts tomorrow!! CRAZY! But so very excited for it to begin!

[POST UPDATE - 2013 Video posted]

Gettin' Ready for Spring Break!

I know what you're thinking... 2 posts in 1 day?? Don't worry this probably won't happen very often.

I was just talking to Houston earlier today and told him that I really wanted to be more dedicated to healthier eating habits and workouts this semester. I want to have a healthier lifestyle and be more comfortable in my skin. He is amazing and tells me everyday that I am beautiful and is always so incredibly encouraging in my efforts to be healthy (when I try), but I am not thrilled with how I look and he is the BEST person to help me because he is so knowledgeable about health and fitness! So he told me that if I wanted him to, he would help me come up with a plan for my diet and fitness schedule! If you can't tell... I'm one very lucky gal:)

So after that great talk with Houston, my sweet friend Jaime had some of us girls over tonight to catch up now that we are all back in town (we start our final semester of college this Monday! Where has the time gone??) We were talking about how we all want to be in good shape for our Spring Break cruise, and decided we are all going to join our local Pure Barre, at least until Spring Break in March!!

Above is a video to help explain what a PB class looks like.


I am so excited because I love PB! It's so much fun and I love the workout, and I am also much more likely to go if I have a friend with me (social butterfly, right here).

PB really helps me to tone up, but I get faster results for my stomach if I'm running. So what I've decided to do is do my cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays (I don't have class on TTh this semester - hallelujah!) and then I can go to PB classes with my girlfriends whenever they're free!

Now I'm posting about this so I can have a little more accountability. I'm not sure how many people actually read this (besides my sweet family and supportive friends), but this way I feel like I'm posting it out there for the world to see and I (hopefully) will be more diligent with my healthy living!

We (Juliann, Jaime, Courtney, Kristin and myself) are going to start our memberships this weekend at PB and I am so excited to get back! I haven't been in "Pure Barre shape," as I like to call it, in awhile so it might take me a few weeks! But here we go:)

Last thing --- Have y'all heard of this phone app called GroupMe?? I'm obsessed. My friends just showed it to me tonight and it operates how text messaging should on the iPhone (sorry Apple)! It's similar to WhatsApp if you've had that, but you can turn on a setting where you can receive them as text messages if you want, and you can also turn notifications off and/or take yourself out of the group message if you want to stop getting buzzed every 5 seconds... GENIUS! I love group texting, but sometimes it can drive me crazy if I'm out of town and can't hang out with my friends trying to make plans in the group text or my family loves to group message but sometimes I'm in the middle of things and can't respond, so this gives you the option to turn on the notifications! A highly recommend it!

Okay, sleep time! I have a business meeting in the morning! Eek:) I'll keep you posted on my newest entrepreneurship idea as it evolves!

-A

Fitness Update:
Juliann and I went to the gym at school today and I did:
10 minutes on the elliptical
10 mins sprint/walking on the treadmill
4 planks 30 seconds each
each side plank 30 seconds each
2 sets of 10 squats
2 sets of 10 lunges
3 sets of 30 rep "back dancing" (as PB calls it)
and 20 reps captain's chair leg raises

New Year's Resolutions

The great thing about a new year is the ability to "start fresh." Even though we have the ability to do that everyday, something about a fresh year makes it easier.

I actually took the time to write out my New Year's Resolutions and would like to share them with you:

1. Spend more time reading Scripture - I often get caught up in reading devotionals or Christian books, but forget to read the most important Book of all... my Bible!

2. Find a job! - I graduate in May and I find it very important that I find employment this year, despite the poor job market these days.
Mini Goals:
-I would like to have two interviews scheduled by February 1st (informational or actual).
-Send my resume to at least 10 people or companies by February 1st.
-Find a job by Spring Break!

3. Take advantage of my last semester at Samford - I have special friendships that I want to be sure I devote time to and step away from any friendships that seem to be surrounded with any type of "drama."
- I especially want to take advantage of living in the same city as my big brother, Michael, and hope to meet him for lunch or dinner maybe once a week since I know I'll be moving a state away after graduation.
-My Chi Omega family is very special to me and I want to be sure and invest in those beautiful women while I'm in Birmingham.
-Last but certainly not least, the majority of my best friends are women I've met in college and I want to devote special amounts of time to them. I certainly feel that school is important, and have always put school first, but I don't want to look back on my last semester of college and regret missing out on any fun times with these ladies!

4. Start a blog... CHECK! And I hope to write at least once a week this year!

5. Read two books - I'm not much of a reader (this is why I have set the bar pretty low with only two) and I'd like to spend more time reading and less time on social media. Any recommendations??

6. Love my body! Thankfully, I haven't had much of a problem loving my body (Although it was certainly easier when I cheered in high school and worked out at least 4 times a week, but since being in college it has become a little harder to carve out time to stay active and I've never been a huge health nut! But I'm hoping that I can begin cooking more (I'm taking a Food Prep 101 class this semester that I'm REALLY excited about!) and find fun ways to stay diligent in a healthy lifestyle!

What are some of YOUR goals for 2013??

Well that's it for my first blog post ever! I'd love your comments, questions, concerns and feedback anytime:)

-A