HOLY BALLS... THE BALL IS GOING TO DROP!

Ummm excuse me, friends - am I the only one completely flabbergasted that TOMORROW is 20-freaking-13?? 

I hope not. Anyway, thought I'd back-track a year and update you all on those lofty "goals" that I set for myself a year ago. And, just for fun, this was me a year ago:

Goals for 20121. Get up to 600 followers.  Done. Not sure when I hit that milestone... but yay! 

2.Eat a little bit healthier.  Also done. I've eaten at least one fruit and veggie approx. 6 days per week this year. That's good for me. I've also cut down on eating out and improved on how often I cook at home. 3. Get back to exercising. I had a gym membership until about a month ago, and before I got pregnant/in my early pregnancy, I was exercising about 4-5 times a week. Now I go on walks and occasionally do a boot camp or kickboxing class, but let's get real - walking up and down 4 flights of stairs a couple of times a day at work is a freaking workout when you're pregnant.   4. Be a little more patient. I think I have improved. I've learned to nag a little less, and that if things don't get done right now, it's not the end of the world. Key word in that goal was "little." That's what made it attainable.5. Be more spiritual. How does one measure this? In any case, I'm not quite where I'd like to be (or need to be), so it's not getting crossed off. 6. Read at least 12 books.... in German. Balls. I read... 9. Hey - three fourths isn't bad! 7. Add at least 3 more countries to my list.  DANG IT! I only got 2 (Spain and Scotland). You know what, though? I'll take it. Both were amazing experiences. 

For 2013, I will direct you to my complete 25 before 25 list. Here I have put the top five from said list. And just for fun... this is me now: 

1. Participate in a triathlon. Not a big one - just a triathlon. I really want to do this, and I've been putting it off for years.

2. Go to a state that I've never been to. This is far more realistic than going to a foreign country I haven't visited, but I'd take either one.

3. Show my husband how much I love him. I'd like to be a little more active in how I show my love to Mike. Whether it's leaving little notes or making him his favorite dinner, I want to be better.

4. Read 100 books (children's books don't count).  Maybe three of them can be in German. I figure I'll have some time on my hands when I'm on maternity leave. Maybe.

5. Start a charitable organization or project. I'd really love to start some sort of organization that encourages (and helps) less privileged young women to not only graduate from high school, but to go on to college. So many young girls don't even get the chance to finish high school, whether it's because of abuse, petty crime, teen pregnancy, etc. etc., and I want to be there to encourage them to stay on the straight and narrow - to show them what their life could be if they really tried (and had positive influences in their lives).

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!! What are some of your goals?

Jumping on the NYE Bandwagon

Happy NYE, everybody! 
I know I've already posted today, but.... 
Hubby and I decided to go out to Frankfurt to celebrate the evening tomorrow - so much for being a homebody, right?! 
Anyway, I thought I'd jump onto this whole "2011 was an awesome year for me" bandwagon. 
But first.... I thought I'd show you how not to do your NYE makeup. You're welcome. 

why, yes. I did add a beauty mark. 
I actually have an awesome little letter that sums up 2011 in 240 words or less. 

I don't really do resolutions, because I know I won't keep them. I do have goals, though (I call them that because it makes me more likely to keep them - resolutions are meant to be broken).
Goals for 20121. Get up to 600 followers. Whoa, that's a lot. Especially since I'm not even at 200 yet. But... I figure I have a year to do it. Oh, BTW, I really want to do another giveaway... so click the follow button right now if you haven't already, because once I reach 200, it's on! 

2.Eat a little bit healthier. No, I'm not gonna cut out sugar or fat, and I'm not going to try out some crazy new diet. Those things would never last. I'm keepin' it real. I'm going to try to eat one serving of veggies and fruit every day. Go me. 3. Get back to exercising. When I was in the states, I exercised 5-6 days a week. Now... I'm embarrassed to say this, but now it's a big, fat 0. All my muscle definition is gone, and I'm a wuss. My arm gets sore while I'm brushing my teeth. Pathetic, I know.  

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4. Be a little more patient. I believe this is self-explanatory. 5. Be more spiritual. Dudes [and dudettes?], listen up. Church in a foreign country is just not the same. I mean, they teach the same things, and I understand it because I'm fluent, but there are some problems. Hubby isn't fluent. I don't feel the same spirit as I did in the states, because my heart just isn't in it. I really need to figure out how to fix this. It's a bummer. 

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6. Read at least 12 books.... in German. That's one a month. Given the fact that German novels will be a bit harder to come across once we're back in America, that's actually like, 1.75 a month. Totally doable. 7. Add at least 3 more countries to my list. Totally doable. I have a bunch of cool ones within 5 hours of me. 

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