SFC: The End!

Today marks the first day of summer, which means that our Spring Fever Challenge has come to a close. Without further ado, here my final conclusions regarding my goals.

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  When we first set this goal, we hadn't done anything. We had a rough idea of the general area we wanted to move to, but that was about it. Now, we've narrowed it down to a ZIP code or two, set a budget, and raised about half of our down payment. I'm much less anxious, much less scared, and much more excited. Dave and I have done a lot of research, and we feel like we're finally ready!

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  We've gotten our apartment more organized now that we're post-wedding, and we're slowly getting through a thorough to do list. This should really help us out once it's time to pack things up!

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds. We've made it a point to go on more dates, though we've been careful to stay within our budget (goal #1 is clearly the most important one at this point). Dave's recently gotten into the Atlanta food scene a little more, and I love when he tags along to foodie festivals and events. We've also made time to just hang out around the apartment, talk about our days, and talk about our upcoming plans.

4. Make more good meals.  I definitely think we've gotten better about this one. I LOVE to go out to eat, but doing so often just isn't conducive to saving for a down payment quickly. We've made a conscious effort to look forward to meals at home just as much as we look forward to dining out. I've found that meal planning and a thorough grocery list can make such a difference!

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta Georgia.  We've decided to change this goal a little bit. I love Atlanta...so much so, that moving to the suburbs sounded awful initially. Now, I'm really looking forward to having some more space. We'll be a quick drive away from the excitement of the city, but we'll also have the community and greenery that the suburbs offer (And possibly less traffic? Please?) We also recently spent a day kayaking down the Broad River, which is about 90 minutes away from Atlanta. We're psyched to start our lives in Atlanta, but we're happy to expand our horizons beyond the city limits, too.

Overall, I'm really happy with the progress we've made. This was a fun project to work on together as newlyweds, and best of all, it really feels like the most exciting part is yet to come. We're touring our first batch of homes tomorrow, which is starting to make this whole process feel more real. Stay tuned...it's going to be an exciting journey!

SFC: Week 11

We're down to the second-to-last week of the Spring Fever Challenge...which makes sense, because it sure doesn't feel like Spring anymore! Let's see how I'm doing with my goals.

What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals? 

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  We met with our real estate agent last night to determine a timetable for house hunting. With a goal of closing/moving in early November (bumped up from our original idea of February), we decided to start looking now and hopefully find ourselves under contract by August or September. The ball is officially rolling!

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  This has been pretty easy this week because we haven't been home much. You see, Dave's birthday is today (Happy Birthday, Dave!!!) so we've had a lot of celebrating to do!

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds. We've definitely spent a lot of quality time together this past week. We had a date last night to Farm Burger, and we've done a lot around the apartment together.

4. Make more good meals.  With summer produce entering its peak season, we've had lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Yay for summer salads!

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  We had an Atlanta-filled weekend between ICE and AUM!

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?

It sounds silly, but I painted my toenails. I've been meaning to do it for a while, and they look lovely.

With one week left, what is your plan?

We're going to get a list of houses together to go look at with our real estate agent, keep cleaning in preparation for moving (eee!), and go out to a nice birthday dinner tonight!

What time of day are you most productive?

I'm probably most productive late-morning...either that, or the second wind I always seem to get around 9:00 PM. I try not to be productive then, though, because otherwise I stay up too late!

Fun Question: What are you currently reading?

I'm reading My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD. The author is a neuroscientist who has a stroke, and she wrote the book to describe how it felt, what she thought, and so on. Her perspective really interesting because she had so much knowledge of the brain in the first place. As much as I'm enjoying it though, I might take a break from it to reread HP7 in preparation for the film...


And finally, this week's positive picture!

That's the Freekware logo for Freeky Friday, my new blog series with Concrete Jane, where we answer about a positivity-themed prompt every Friday. When we kicked off the series last Friday, we ended up getting twenty participants! It was so exciting to read through everyone's enthusiasm. This week, I hope it will grow even more! 
If you'd like to get involved, you can participate three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

All contributions for the month of June will be entered to win some Brownie-covered Oreos as well as a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society in your name. So, if you blog on all three remaining Fridays in the month of June, you'll be entered three times! If you blog, tweet, and comment on Facebook all three Fridays, you'll be entered nine times!

This Friday, 6/17, we discuss the next freeking positive topic:

If you were making a positivity playlist, what three feel good songs would you include?

Be sure to tune in next week for the conclusion of the Spring Fever Challenge! 

SFC: Week 10

I didn't post my update last week for the Spring Fever Challenge, and not because I just didn't get around to it. Granted, I was a little busy launching Freeky Friday (yikes, have I plugged that enough yet?!). In actuality, I just didn't have any updates! Nothing to report. No progress, no regress, just treading water. But this week, I have updates!






What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals? 


1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  As you know, Dave and I have narrowed down our search and set up a realistic budget for a home. We decided to take our relationship with house hunting to the next level, as we attended an open house this past Sunday. We had found this house online, and it was one of our favorites by far. We were pleased to discover that not only were they hosting an open house (so that we could check it out before we had even contacted a real estate agent), they had recently dropped their asking price...significantly.


Of course, we fell in love. It was everything we were looking for (and more) for a reasonable price. Well, not a reasonable price. It was at the top of our range, but it was a lot for that price. The emotional shopper that I am, I totally panicked. This family wanted to move by August, we wouldn't have enough saved for a down payment by then, this house wouldn't be available any longer by the time we could afford it, and we were NEVER going to find a deal this good.


So how did I calm my nerves? I talked to my dad. He gave me a good reality check, then gave me the contact information for his real estate agent. We called him up immediately. The first thing he told us was that we did the wrong thing by going to an open house before we were prepared to buy. The second thing he told us was that anything was possible; if we found something we really loved, we may be able to negotiate being under contract for a while, then closing later on. Or renting to own. Or something. Basically, he encouraged us to keep looking, but reminded us that as buyers, we have the upper hand in this market.


After further discussion (ah, the foundation of newlywedded bliss), we've decided we're less attached to this house than we initially thought. It has everything, but others will, too. We've actually decided to look into this house a little further, and probably look at a few more too.  If we're able to negotiate something ridiculous, we might just move in the next month or two. If not, we'll put the search on hold til later this summer, and probably move this fall. Either way, we've most likely moved up our projected move-in date. But more importantly, we've learned a lot about house hunting in the last few days. I'm excited to learn more, and I'm excited to continue on this adventure!


2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  Cleaned out the closet and gave a bunch of crap to goodwill. Now, I just have to clean under the bed, under the sinks, and in the other closets. I swear I'm not a hoarder. Wedding planning just does this to you!


3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds. Our open house adventure was a great newlywed experience. I panicked, Dave calmed me down. He started talking about spending more money and needing more space, and I brought in my financial sense. We had some great discussions, all of which ended in hugs.


4. Make more good meals.  Y'all, new favorite: put three chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Top with that red can of Goya black bean soup. Cook on low all day. Shred, then serve over lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Best taco salad ever.


5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  We took my dad to the Fabulous Fox Theatre and it was fabulous. Plus, we saw Spamalot even though I've already seen it twice so that was pretty awesome, too. Since we saw a matinee, we went to Papi's beforehand for some Cuban sandwiches. It was a wonderful Midtowny kind of day. I love it here.


What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?


Remember last time when we got those wonderful wedding prints from myPhotopipe? Well, they are up on the wall! Ladies and gentlemen, this week's positive pictures are pictures of pictures!

Granted, we may not be in this apartment long enough to enjoy them, but at least they're up for the time being!


With two weeks left in the challenge, what goals are you making your priority?


I'm really trying to zero in on that clutter goal. Regardless of whether we buy a house next month, in three months, or in six months, I'm not moving wedding trash, clothes I no longer wear, and a broken curling iron that I keep forgetting to throw away.


Summer is just around the corner; which season do you find the easiest to accomplish goals?


For me, it depends on the goals. Most of my goals are indoors since I don't have a lawn to take care of (yet), so I think summer is the best time of year for it. It's an excuse to stay cool and, for my horribly Irish skin, an excuse not to get burned!


Fun Question: What do you miss most about being a kid?


DEFINITELY summer vacation. Can I just have a few months off? Please?!


How are your goals coming along?

SFC: Week 8

It's time for this week's update on the Spring Fever Challege!






What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals? 

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  We're not quite house hunting yet (as we're still trying to contribute to the fund a little), but we are house "browsing" pretty regularly.  And by that, I mean that we have specific search criteria saved on Trulia and we check it pretty often.  Not Facebook often, but pretty often.  I think it's helping us explore the suburbs virtually, but more importantly, it's helping us to realize what we can afford.  We're learning what upgrades unnecessarily drive the price up and what upgrades are priorities worth splurging on.  It's an ongoing discussion, and I think we're making a lot of progress narrowing it down.

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  Our new vacuum is amazing.  It almost makes cleaning up dog hair fun.  Almost.

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  We were lazy together...a lot.  But sometimes, those are the best days.

4. Make more good meals.  We had a bunch of random things in the fridge, and I was procrastinating with grocery shopping.  I threw it all in a casserole, it was edible, and it was pretty healthy.  It's not worthy of a blog post and it wasn't the best original recipe I've ever created, but I was proud to come up with something that I didn't feel guilty eating!

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  We attended the Atlanta Culinary Tour of Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward.  It.  Was.  Awesome.  Even though we'll soon be living further away from this fun area, it's nice to know it's only a short drive away.

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?

We ordered some prints of our wedding photos, as well as some lovely frames to keep them in.  The frames haven't arrived yet, but I would love to show you what we've got so far!  Ladies and gentlemen, this week's positive picture(s)!

We put 3 1/2 x 5" bordered prints in this frame, which was formerly used as the memorial frame at our wedding ceremony:

 
I'm probably most excited about our canvas print, but we haven't decided on a place for it yet...which is why it's still in the plastic wrap:

How do you measure the success of your goals? I think I measure them just by how I feel.  When I'm doing well, I just know it and my mood reflects that.

What is failure to you when it comes to your goals? I feel failure the most when I didn't give something my all.  I felt like a failure last week when I didn't really work my hardest towards my goals, but I cut myself some slack since I had been sick.  Sometimes the true success is in not being so hard on myself!


Fun Question: If you could hop on a plane right now, where would you go? Ever since we had that Neapolitan pizza at Fritti during the culinary tour, I've been really "Romesick."  I studied abroad in Italy during college, and the right meal (or wine) can make me super nostalgic!  I would go back in a heartbeat.


How are your spring goals coming along?

SFC: Week 7

I apologize for my tardiness with this week's SFC update.  I'm recovering from a disgusting sinus infection and, frankly, looking at a computer screen has made me dizzy these past few days!  But, antibiotics are good and I'm feeling much better :)




What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals? 

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  On Saturday, we helped some friends move into their new home.  We fell in love with the neighborhood, and there were all kinds of signs from the universe telling us we were heading towards the right direction.  With this new hunch, we narrowed down our search to one zip code. 

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  I cleaned out my car.  Y'all have no idea what an accomplishment this was. 

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  I may have slacked off with this one a little this week. 

4. Make more good meals.  Zero appetite = slacking! 

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  More slacking! 

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself? 

This sounds crazy, but I allowed myself to slack.  Being sick is a perfectionist's worst nightmare; you're not living up to your potential.  I missed 1.5 days of work (I wouldn't let myself miss 2), and I'm allowing myself to catch up on patient's notes whenever I can. 

When you go away on vacation or business, do your goals get put on hold/pause or do you continue to work on them while away? 

I think it depends on the goal.  I definitely put the eating goals on hold...eating food from new places isn't worth feeling guilty over! 

Do you have friends/family members that you work on a goal(s) with?  Do you find working towards a goal with someone easier or more challenging? 

As I've mentioned before, Dave and I are working towards these goals together.  I definitely think it makes it more fun! 

Fun Question: What is your favorite magazine to read? 

I love love love cooking magazines...especially Cooking Light!

And finally, this week's positive picture!

I'm not sick; my nose is just overflowing with awesome!

- Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

{image via Chicago Now}

How are your spring goals coming along?

SFC: Week 6

Welcome once again to a SFC update!




What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals?

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  This was a big week in this department.  At the beginning of this last week, I was feeling pretty anxious about this plan.  Maybe I was getting commitment-phobic, maybe the amount of money we would have to save was overwhelming me, maybe it was the fact that real estate talk sounds like a foreign language to me.  But by the end of the week, I was feeling a lot more confident.  Dave had a huge trial on Monday, so our paychecks looked a little nicer this week.  Additionally, I sold my wedding dress (more on that later).  So, the savings are looking better.  As far as steps towards actually buying a house, I spoke with a mortgage broker, which was a first for me.  I got a lot of questions answered and figured out what steps we need to take next.  Then, I educated myself.  I've been reading real estate and mortgage sites, lots of home-owning blogs, and I've spent a lot of time on HGTV's frontdoor.com, all of which have made this whole process seem a lot less intimidating.

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  I finally got the bedroom all sorted out.  The next step is to clean out closets.  Ugh.

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  We slept in Sunday morning, then watched DVR-ed SNL in bed while we ate some cereal.  Not exactly a romantic breakfast in bed, but it involved snuggling and watching Tina Fey's awesome Sarah Palin impression, so I was happy.

4. Make more good meals.  I made a really good stuffed chicken breast dish the other day.  It was pretty good, pretty easy, and pretty healthy.  Post coming soon :)

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  We went to AUM together!  We had a lot of fun going together, and we talked a lot about how cool it is that we get to have such events in this city.

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?

I blogged a lot more.  I'm trying to get in the habit of posting regularly, not only for my readers' sake, but because it's such a good creative outlet for me.

What goal are you having the most difficult time with?  Do you have a plan to make it better?

I'm struggling with the clutter goal, which is weird because I'm such a neat freak!  I think after having so much wedding crap in our apartment, I felt intimidated by the whole project and didn't know where to begin.  We've made some serious progress, but there's still a lot more to do.  I think the problem is finding the right motivation.  Maybe if we're cleaning out in preparation for moving next year?  Or if we set a deadline?

What goal are you rocking?  Do you plan on keeping up the momentum?

We are doing pretty well with working towards purchasing a house.  As far as momentum goes, we're actually planning on slowing it down.  I think once you reach a certain point in that process, there's no turning back.  In order to reach our goal of February (and no earlier and no later), we need to pace ourselves.

Fun question: What is your favorite board game?

I love Cranium!  It's fun to see everyone's different hidden talents.  For example, Dave is pretty good at sculptorades.  Who knew?


And finally, this week's positive picture!

{by Evan Hampton}

My mom is awesome.  She deserves at least a Mother's Week, not just a Mother's Day!

How are your spring goals going?

SFC: Week 5

How in the world is it May already?! Oh Spring, you'll be gone before we know it!  Better check in with the Spring Fever Challenge...



What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals? 

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  We got our federal tax refunds and PAID OFF OUR LAST WEDDING CREDIT CARD BILL!  Yep, the wedding is completely 100% paid for.  I'm so grateful that our wedding debt lasted only a month.  It wasn't easy to stay that disciplined, and I know we couldn't have pulled it off without living below our means.  Now, if only we could make a dent in those student loans...

I recently crunched some numbers and determined that it would be very helpful for me to work 2.5 weekend days every month.  Two weekend days puts a good amount in the savings account, but I feel like we could do better.  Three weekend days honestly just burns me out.  2.5 it is!  I signed up for the next three months as a trial run.  Hopefully I'm not spreading myself too thin.  Dave has also picked up a few new cases, so hopefully he'll be keeping busy too! 

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  Dave cleaned out his side of the closet and, best of all, was able to donate LOTS of clothes to goodwill!  And by goodwill, I mean they'll go to Grady's Subacute Rehab facility.  This is somewhat selfish of me, as it's very hard to treat patients who have no clothes!  I suppose I should do the same with my side of the closet. 

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  We have now been married for an entire month, and we decided that was cause for celebration.  We went out on a real date to AMC's Fork & Screen in Buckhead, where we treated ourselves to dinner and a movie.  And lots of beer.  Please note: AMC gift cards make excellent stocking stuffers, and it's really fun when you forgot you had one leftover from Christmas four months ago. 

4. Make more good meals.  One of my favorite weekend traditions is going out for Dunkin Donuts.  Unfortunately, this has become a weekly event in our household...the iced coffee is just SO GOOD!  We resisted the urge this past Sunday and stayed in for omelets with skim cheddar and veggies, served with whole grain cinnamon toast.  I figure if we do that three more times, the habit will be broken. 

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  I went out in the Highlands with some friends on Wednesday, then out in Brookhaven with some other friends on Thursday, but nothing better captured my love for Atlanta than my errand-running on Sunday.  The Inman Park Festival (an awesome neighborhood crafts fair) was held this past weekend, but since I worked Saturday and had a one-day weekend, I had to skip it in order to get some stuff done.  It was an absolutely beautiful day, and I refused to let some errands get in the way of enjoying the weather.  I drove around with my windows rolled down, blasting Bob Marley, and I loved every second of it.  Also, I went to Paper Source, and I feel like they know me there.  Nothing makes you feel more at home than being a "regular" at your favorite local spot.


What did you do this week to make you feel good about yourself? 

It sounds silly, but I worked.  First of all, I felt accomplished because I knew I was contributing to our house fun.  Second of all, I got to work on Trauma over at Main Grady, which is a significant change of pace from the subacute rehab I usually do.  I love both settings, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do both.  It really allows me to challenge myself and practice my skills among a variety of patients.  Plus, I really feel like I make a difference.  This past Saturday, I got to see the OB-ICU for the first time.  I had never been there before, but I had an order for a pregnant patient who broke a bone in a car accident, so I was faced with a new opportunity.  There's never a dull moment, and I love it. 


It's May!  What were your victories in April?  Your challenges? 

I feel very victorious with all of these goals.  I definitely feel like we're making progress.  My biggest challenge is myself.  I feel like we should be closer to our goals than we are, but I know that's not true.  I just want instant gratification, and it's hard to be patient.  I'm learning. 

Do you have any plans for the challenge in May? 

I definitely want to continue on the same path, but maybe make our house hunting a little more direct and deliberate.  First thing on the agenda: meet with a mortgage broker to discuss options. 

Fun Question: What is your favorite type of ethic cuisine? 

This one is tough for me because I really love trying different types of food.  I think I have to go with Thai, followed closely by Indian. 

Finally, the positive picture of the week:

{by Baby Aspen / via Totsy}

Remember that friend last week who was SO OVER being pregnant?  Well, she gave birth to a 7 pound 6 ounce baby boy on Saturday, April 30.  He's beautiful, and their whole family is happy and healthy.  Out of respect for the new parents, I didn't want to post a picture of their new addition, but I figured a scrubs-themed onesie would be equally as positive.  Did I mention that Mom and Dad both graduate from medical school next week?  That is one seriously big month!

How is your May going so far?

SFC: Week 4

Yikes!  I can't believe it's almost May and this post series is already a month in!  Spring is flying by, and this challenge will be over before we know it.  How did I do with my goals this week?  Let's find out!






What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals?

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  We got our (state) tax refunds!  Okay, so that's not really anything that's within our control towards house-buying.  But, we did put every penny away in our house fund.

Occasionally, I've been getting a little discouraged when I think about just how much we'll need to save in the next few months.  I don't know if we'll end up with as much as we wanted, but we're trying really hard to get there.  I'm just trying to focus on that!

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  Little by little, our apartment is getting cleaner!  I inventoried all of our wedding crap that we need to sell.  I cleaned the bathtub.  Dave cleaned his office.  It's getting there.

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  With Passover and Easter this week, we've talked a lot about our faiths, traditions, and plans for the future.  I love how much we're able to compromise with our two different backgrounds.  I think it'll make raising kids a lot easier someday!  We had a compromise dinner of Passover brisket on Easter Sunday.  It rocked.

4. Make more good meals.  Meals have been better.  Snacking?  Not so much.  One proactive approach we took with this was to make a whole bunch of hard boiled eggs.  They're great snacks: filling, satisfying, full of protein.  It's a lot healthier to pack one of those for a long afternoon at work than it is to grab something from the snack machine.

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  I met up with a friend at Cafe Intermezzo the other day.  One bite of dessert there and you'd never live anywhere else. 

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?

This sounds kinda silly (and not fun), but I started the process of changing my last name.  I went to the courthouse, the Social Security office, the Tag & Title office, and the DMV.  I also mailed in the paperwork to change my physical therapist license.  I still need to talk to the folks in charge of my student loans, my alumni association (including my sorority), and my bank.  It's one thing off the to do list and it makes me actually feel married.  That definitely feels good. 

Fill in the blanks:

Love comes naturally to me.  I care.  About everything.  A lot.

Relaxing does not come naturally to me.  I'm much more relaxed when I'm getting crap done, if that makes sense.

I wish tanning came naturally to me.  I love my porcelain skin, and I'm sure I'll be thankful for these genes when my peers start to get really wrinkly.  But right now, I have a tiny sunburn on the side of my neck that's peeling and it makes me hate my life a little bit. 

What is your favorite Easter candy?

Reese's eggs!  Among all the Reese's products, they are the perfect chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio.  We got a giant bag at Sam's right before the wedding, hoping that our wedding party (or whoever was in our apartment on any given day) would devour them.  They were too late. 

Finally, the positive picture of the week!

Every few days, another friend adds some wedding pictures to Facebook.  I have hundreds of pictures of the same moments from twelve different people, but I still get excited with each notification.  This is mostly because with each new bundle of shared photos, there's always at least one absolute gem.  I'm talking about that one shot that no one else got.  When my sister posted pictures (that her friends had taken with her camera while she was up there next to me), I noticed this shot with my pregnant bridesmaid.  This mom-to-be also served as our ring bearer, which I'm really excited to tell her future son about someday.  She's getting really tired of being pregnant, and she's due any day now, but I just wanted to post this picture to remind her how beautiful she is and how much I love her.

How's your spring going?  Any updates on your goals?

SFC: Week 3

Well, it's week two for me, but week three of the challenge so...err...just go with it!








To refresh your memory, the Spring Fever Challenge is all about setting goals in an effort to improve one's own mood and to inspire others to do the same.  I'm tackling this challenge with a twist: I've set goals related to being a newlywed!

What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals?

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  When we last left off, my husband and I had purchased Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace course.  We received our at-home kit and have been diligent about working through it, and we've really stuck with our plan to save whenever possible.  We've both made sacrifices, and it's really nice to see the results of our efforts showing up in our savings account.  To be honest though, I'm not really digging the course as much as I thought I would.  I find the fifth grade reading level insulting, and occasionally Mr. Ramsey makes comments like "Barbara Bush was the greatest first lady we've ever had," which isn't even true.  If we're going to go Republican here, at least Mrs. Reagan taught us to say no to drugs.  But I digress.  The point is that even though it's not as enjoyable as I thought it would be, we're still giving it the college try.  I'm proud of our dedication.

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  We vacuumed, bathed the dog, and we've been really good about keeping our beautiful new dishes clean.  However, I really want to make some more progress with the clutter in our closets, office, etc.  Maybe this goal needs a little more work next week...

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  One thing I really like about this one is that we've been a lot better about eating together sans TV.  We have a horrible habit of eating dinner on the couch in front of the TV, which leads to catching up on endless hours of DVR.  Evening productivity gets sucked away, and we have too much background noise to have any quality time together.  We've been turning the TV off during most dinners, and just enjoying each other's conversation.

4. Make more good meals.  This requires a little extra creativity this week, since it's Passover!  I'm not the strictest Jew in the world, but I do try to observe the whole hametz thing (avoiding leavened food) every year.  Dave and I made brinner (breakfast for dinner) this evening.  We had fresh hashbrowns mixed with scrambled eggs, salsa, and reduced-fat cheddar.  It was high in protein, low in fat, and filling!  Added bonus: eggs and potatoes are wicked cheap.

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  Before sundown yesterday (when I could still eat noodles), Dave and I tried a new restaurant, Pho 24.  Dave had never had Vietnamese food before, and I hadn't had pho in ages.  It was a delicious hole in the wall off of Buford Highway, Atlanta's greatest nook for ethnic food.  Plus, we had a Scoutmob coupon for 50% off, so the two of us ate a ton and still ended up with leftovers for a grand total of $12.

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?

There are few things that make me happier than making new friends.  I'm an extrovert and I thrive by feeding off of others' energy.  I love meeting new people, I love finding things in common, and I love having memorable conversations.  This past weekend, Dave and I traveled to New Orleans to meet up with about 25 of my fellow Weddingbee writers.  I had only met a handful of them previously.  It was good to see some of the girls again, and wonderful to meet new people whom I had spoken to online for months.  Did we spend some money that we could have put towards the house?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  New Orleans-themed blog posts coming soon!

Are your SFC goals your ultimate goals or steps to your ultimate goals?  Do you find it easier to set big goals or do you like making mini-goals?

They're kind of both?  I really like my goals, and I think they're good things to keep in the back of my mind forever.  Saving money and working on a relationship are life-long necessities.  Still, I think they're just part of my ultimate goals: owning a home and starting a family.  We're working towards that first one, and we're definitely not ready for the second one yet!  I think I like making goals this way: having a larger goal and having smaller partial goals that feed into it.  Mini-goals help you see progress, but big goals give you something to work towards. 

What are some of your ultimate goals, things on your bucket list? 

A lot of the things on my bucket list are just that...things.  Owning a home that has a library with a sliding ladder, seeing SNL live.  Many of the items involve travel, though, which is definitely a priority of mine.  Still, my ultimate goals have more to do with where I am as a person (individually, romantically, and professionally), rather than what I have. 

If you could achieve only one more thing in your life, what would it be? 

The ultimate achievement would be raising a child.  I've always wanted a family, and I chose a career that would accommodate that.  I know I'm not ready yet, but I hope I will be soon.

Finally, the positive picture of the week!
 
 

When we were in New Orleans, we volunteered with the Lower 9th Ward Village.  This community center is located in an area that unfortunately received a lot of Hurricane Katrina's wrath.  There will be a post soon with more details, but in the meantime, please enjoy the optimism and beauty in this graffiti.

On that note, in what unlikely places have you found beauty and optimism?

A Newlywed with Spring Fever

After a week of cleaning, working, and getting back to the real world newlywedded bliss, I'm more than ready to make my triumphant return to blogging on a regular basis.  My blogging buddy Amy over at Life's Journey with a Smile started a new series that I just couldn't resist taking part in, and I figured it was a great way to kick things off!








Here's the quick and dirty: the Spring Fever Challenge is all about one of my favorite topics, positivity.  The writers participating will share their goals for the season in an effort to improve their own mood and to inspire others to do the same.  Since Dave and I are newlyweds, we decided that tackling this series together would be a fun way to start our marriage on a positive note.  Dave's a pretty private guy, and I can't imagine him blogging, but we've come up with our goals together, we'll be working on them together, and I'll be sharing them with you.

Without further ado, here is the Spring Fever Challenge: Newlywed Edition!  Unfortunately, this series started last week while I was on my honeymoon soooo today is kind of a two for one...which means it's a little longer than these posts will usually be.  Bear with me!

What are your goals for the Spring Fever Challenge, why did you choose them, and what is your plan of action to make them happen?

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  I love our apartment.  It has crown molding and vaulted ceilings, and it's a pretty good price for the amount of space we have.  However, it's right next to the very noisy I-85, we've outgrown linoleum kitchens, and the apartment complex itself has really gone downhill (have I mentioned that my car was stolen out of our gated parking lot?).  Our lease is up in February, so we started researching other opportunities to rent, as in townhouses or single-family homes.  We were shocked to find out how much 500 more square feet and a small backyard adds to a rent payment!  We figured now was as good a time as any to become home owners.  If we come up with a plan, start saving, and start looking, hopefully we'll be able to accomplish this purchase next year.

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  During the months of wedding planning, our guest room was filled with all kinds of crap.  Now that the wedding is over, we have even more crap!  We have wedding stuff that we no longer need and would like to get rid of, presents that we need to find homes for, and old housewares that have since been replaced and need to go to Goodwill.  We are slowly but surely trying to reduce these piles.

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  Keep your mind out of the gutter!  I'm talking about spending time together!  Dave and I have been together for six years and we've lived together for three.  Even though we got back from our honeymoon last week, the honeymoon's been over for a long time.  Now that we're married, I want to try even harder to keep things romantic.  We'll try to spend more time together, rather than with other friends.  We'll try to go on more dates (we're big fans of takeout and 30 Rock on Netflix Instant Watch The Big Night In).  Most importantly, we'll turn the TV off more often and have more conversations.

4. Make more good meals.  This one's going to be tough for me.  I love to cook, but I really love to go out to eat.  This goal will not only help us to eat healthy food, it will also help us to save money, thus working towards goal number one.  I think meal planning and thinking ahead will be a big part of making this goal a success.

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  When Dave and I moved here for our higher degrees, it didn't take long for this city to grow on us and convince us to stay.  After graduation, we started our careers here and plan to eventually start families here.  I want to remember why we chose to stay.  Spring is so beautiful in Atlanta; it's important to get out and immerse yourself in it.  Be outside.  Do something touristy.  Go someplace new.  Explore.  Yep, I'm psyched about this goal.

What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals?

1. Create a realistic plan to buy a house within the next year.  We paid off most of our wedding credit card bills, and we bought Dave Ramsey's at-home Financial Peace course.  I've heard great things about it and when I completed my purchase on his website, it forced me to pay with a debit card.  If credit cards aren't even an option to purchase the course, I feel like we'll have a lot to learn!  (Um, that's how you get miles?) Hopefully this will get us started on a strict budget to help with saving.  Then, we'll just need to start looking!

2. Maintain a minimal level of clutter.  Yesterday, Dave and I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and Crate & Barrel, returned some items, and completed a few registry categories.  Then, we went home and emptied out our cabinets.  We packed everything up to take to Goodwill, and we filled our cabinets with our new presents.  This put a serious dent in our clutter pile, and now our kitchen no longer looks like it belongs to college kids.

3. Act like newlyweds in order to feel like newlyweds.  I gotta hand it to Dave on this one.  I woke up this morning to the smell of freshly made breakfast.  Our dining room table was set with our new dishes and our new silverware, and he had plated a spinach and feta omelet, as well as a cup of blueberry yogurt topped with bananas.  We ate breakfast together, without TV, without the internet, just talking.  It was lovely.

4. Make more good meals.  We had my dad over for dinner the other night.  Dave grilled a lean yet flavorful steak.  I cooked quinoa in MSG-free/reduced-fat beef broth, then stirred in sauteed veggies.  I also put together a salad with homemade balsamic and agave dressing.  The meal was high protein, low carb, low fat, and not too pricey.

5. Remember why you're building your family's roots in Atlanta.  I came back from our honeymoon with a little cold, but I pushed myself to hang out with friends on Friday.  I was so glad I did.  We had a great time, and it was nice to remind myself how lucky we are to have found such wonderful people in this town.  We are truly blessed to have such awesome people in our lives.

What does this challenge mean to you?

I'm noticing, as I'm describing my goals and explaining what we've done already to work towards them, that many of them overlap.  I think there's an underlying theme of establishing a strong foundation for our marriage, which causes me to take this challenge very seriously!  As I said before, positivity is such an important quality to have in your life.  Why not work on a project to stir up a little more positivity?

What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?

Now that life is starting to return to a state of normalcy, I've found that I have a lot to catch up on with loved ones!  I'm trying to get to them one at a time.  This morning, I talked to my mom for about an hour.  Hearing about our wedding from her perspective was really fun! 

Is your mindset future-oriented or living in the now?  How does this impact you when you are working towards a goal?

Ohhh I am definitely a planner.  I'm very much future-oriented, and I have to make a conscious effort to stay in the present.  When working towards a goal, I often find that I get ahead of myself.  Making to do lists is helpful for me, especially when I assign myself different tasks for different days.  That way, I force myself to only focus on one thing at a time.

Is there someone in your {real} life that inspires you to strive for the best?

Honestly?  Me.  I'm a total perfectionist...not so much with other people, but I'm very hard on myself.  I strive for the best, and I'm often disappointed in myself if I fall short.  As far as inspiration goes, it really depends on the goal and the task.  For example, if it's a professional goal, I'm often inspired by my colleagues or my former classmates.  Regarding these goals, I'm inspired by my husband.  We want these things for us, which is why we've decided to tackle this challenge together.

Let's get to know each other!  What is something most people (er...fellow bloggers) don't know about you?

Dave really loves bad movies (think Sci Fi made-for-TV), and I'm slowly being sucked in.  Last night, we watched The Room, which is reportedly the worst movie ever made.  I agree that it was bad, but it was awesomely bad.

Do you read blogs on the individual websites or via Google Reader?

There are a couple that I have bookmarked and will read individually (like Weddingbee), but I love the convenience of Google Reader and use it often.  If I'm on Twitter and someone tweets a new post, I'll go to the direct link, but usually I use the reader.

And finally, the positive picture of the week!

{image by Evan Hampton / via his Tumblr}

Spring, Atlanta, love, and Coke...who could ask for anything more?  What about you?  What are you doing to spread positivity this spring?