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Several bloggers I follow do monthly goal posts, and I’ve always enjoyed reading them. It’s good to put yourself out there, to hold yourself accountable!
When I read Brey’s post this morning, I knew I wanted to start doing my own.
I commented on Brey’s post with my goals, so I’ll share those first:
- Build up some cash
- Thoroughly enjoy my birthday!
- See Star Trek: Beyond, Jason Bourne, and maybe one other movie with my husband
- Prepare for the start of my Trial Prep & Discovery class at the end of the month
- Finalize our first wedding anniversary getaway for November
- Read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
- Keep blogging!
Between writing that comment and starting this post, I came up with a few more:
- Paint as much of the house as possible
- Hopefully move my furniture!
- Find at least five new recipes
- Start tracking our monthly expenses via spreadsheet
- Check out geekgirlpenpals.com (Thanks, A Girl’s Voyage!)
Here’s the breakdown:
Build up some cash
- Last month, I got bit by the American Girl bug. I have two dolls – Stephanie and Molly – and I happened to find several American Girl groups on Facebook. Let’s just say I went a little crazy / overboard (Neither doll has made the trek from Mom and Dad’s to our house yet, either). So, in August, I’ve pledged to slow down on the personal spending and try to rebuild some of my cash.
Thoroughly enjoy my birthday!
- My birthday falls on a Sunday this year – So that’s awesome. I worked on my actual birthday for several years, and I hated it. Finally, I decided that I would take my birthday off from work if it fell during the week, or a Friday or Monday if it fell during the weekend. This year, I’m doing the Monday route, and I’m so excited. The last few years, I’ve treated myself to a movie, solo, one that Al may not want to see. My plan is to go to LUSH at MacArthur Mall and then see a movie there. We’re (Al, me, and my parents) also going to Olive Garden for dinner on Sunday night – Yum!
See Star Trek: Beyond, Jason Bourne, and maybe one other movie with my husband
- We’re hoping to see Star Trek: Beyond this week. Jason Bourne also looks very good. We are considering seeing Suicide Squad on Thursday night, but it may be later this weekend or next week. I have roughly three weeks before my fall class starts, so I’m very excited for the break!
Prepare for the start of my Trial Prep & Discovery class at the end of the month
- I have a short break before my Trial Prep & Discovery class starts on August 22nd. It’s another on-campus class in Virginia Beach, but the class is held just once a week, on Tuesday nights. I’m really excited for this one! We get to learn about trials, the discovery process, and how you prepare to go to trial. I need to get my books and make sure everything is squared away long before the 22nd!
Finalize our first wedding anniversary getaway for November
- Our first wedding anniversary is November 14th. Yeesh, how time flies! Al and I have been discussing where to go and what to do. We’ve been debating back and forth – Do we go away, or do something local? We probably won’t be doing a whole week off of work, but likely a Friday – Tuesday thing, since our anniversary falls on a Monday this year, due to Leap Year.
Read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
- As much of a Harry Potter fan as I am, I was very skeptical about The Cursed Child. However, I’m going to bite the bullet and buy it!
Keep blogging!
- I really enjoyed doing the July TV Show Photo Challenge! I had a lot of fun with it, and I’m so proud of myself that I posted every day for 16 days! Woohoo! I’m taking a break from daily challenges for this month, but I hope to do another one in September. In the meantime, I plan to keep blogging as much as possible – I have at least three books I want to read and review, plus house updates!
Paint as much of the house as possible
- Al made amazing progress this weekend on the walls by our stairs and upstairs hallway. I was able to help a little, with finishing my final Legal Research project and all. We’re planning to get the paint for the four bedrooms tonight, and just go to town.
Hopefully move my furniture!
- We haven’t moved much of my furniture because we’ve been painting, and our garages have been pretty full. So that would be nice to accomplish by the end of the month. Then we’ll be fully moved in, and my parents get two bedrooms back!
Find at least five new recipes
- I want to pull out our new Crock-Pot and go to town, among other things. I have two recipes that I used years ago, but I want to push myself and find five brand-new recipes that will be healthy and tasty!
Start tracking our monthly expenses via spreadsheet
- We just made our first mortgage payment! Wow. We decided last month to catalog everything in a spreadsheet, so we’ll sit down and start inputting every dollar.
Check out geekgirlpenpals.com
- Thanks to her Snail Mail post, I want to check out this site immediately. I love writing letters and cards, so I’m excited to look at this site and possibly sign up to get a pen pal!
That’s it for my August goals!
I’m going to make this a regular thing – Do a “Goals” post around the 1st of the month, and then a “Recap” post at the end of the month. I’m excited!
Do you have any for this month?
Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂
Hot Shot Headlines 
Glad you liked my recommendation, I love your summer goals! Good luck with them all :3
Absolutely! I’m so glad you mentioned it – I wanted to start up with another pen pal, but I wasn’t sure how. Thank you! The site you mentioned looks AMAZING!
It is great, I’m glad I could spread the word. Out of curiosity, where are you from? (You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to)
I was born in New York City. I currently live in southeastern Virginia. 🙂
Oooh that’s so far away!
It is! But I love meeting others in different states, and different countries! I love to travel 🙂
So do I, so do I! I live in Spain so we’re pretty distant, but I used to live in Philly when I was a kid, and loved going to NYC
I had the opportunity to visit Barcelona and Madrid in 2005. It’s beautiful. I’ve been to Philly a few times, and NYC has my heart.
Glad you liked it. I miss NYC and Philly dearly, but London, which is where I’ll be living next year, is where my heart is
London is another wonderful city. One of my closest friends is going there for graduate school next month!
Oh, I’m sure he/she will have tons of fun there! Maybe they could recommend some places for me to visit? 😉
I think Emily will have a wonderful time. She’ll be pretty busy with school – She’s earning a Master’s in Social Work – but I’ll certainly ask!
Love this!!! I too want to check out the pen pal site!! I just love that idea!! I’m so excited!! Maybe we could swap addresses, at least for birthday & Christmas cards?
Yes – That would be fantastic! I have my email address on my Contact page 🙂 Send your address, and I’ll definitely respond!
Oh & my goals for this month are to start eating mostly clean (No processed foods, sugar, or soda, even diet) Until Neil’s birthday which is the 31st. And even then I’m not going to “reward” myself with food, but I will allow myself a piece of birthday cake & some macaroni salad for labor day! 🙂
Awesome! Good for you! We’ve been trying to eat healthier as well. I love macaroni salad, too. I’m cheering for you!
Thanks! I’m an emotional eater, so when my mom passed I found comfort in food, and now I’m kicking myself for it. It is what it is, but it’s time to get back on track!! I can use all of the support I can get!
I’ve had several friends who have struggled with their weight – My husband, too – so I try to be as supportive as possible! You’re setting yourself up for success!
Also, if you ever need help with budgeting, down hesitate to ask. I’m a certified financial coach! 🙂
Awesome! Thanks so much 🙂
Good luck with your goals!
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome!
I may have to do this too!
Thank you! It feels so good to get my thoughts out of my head!
I feel exactly the same way!
It’s an amazing idea to this kinda “Goals” post. I’m also thinking to do it 😀
Thank you! It’s cathartic, as well as therapeutic. It’s out there, and I’m hoping my readers will hold me accountable!
Nice one
Thank you!
My Dad (he’s my movie buddy) & I went to see Star Trek when it opened, & he went to see Jason Bourne by himself, since I haven’t seen any of the other movies. He thought Bourne was OK – much like the other movies. I thought Star Trek was good, albeit a few minutes too long. But that’s a complaint I have with a LOT of movies nowadays.
Personally, I can’t wait to see Suicide Squad. We can’t go on Thursday, because I have my fibromyalgia support group meeting, but we’re definitely going on Friday. It has been on my calendar since last week!
I think this post is a great idea to keep yourself on track! I’m a huge fan of making lists (make ’em for everything!), so I hope this will be a big help to keeping yourself goal-oriented.
Awesome! We love going to movies – It’s one of the biggest things that Al and I have in common. We’re planning to go see Suicide Squad on Friday night – I’m really excited. Thank you so much – I’ve loved lists for a long time, it’s in my blood. I did a yearly goal list in 2014 and chronicled that. But, I like keeping things simple, so I figured breaking things down month to month would help. Thank you, for reading and commenting! You’re awesome!
I’m really, really excited for Suicide Squad too. I’m checking to see if the listings are updated almost every day so that we can pre-order our tickets. LOL
I’ve heard it from several motivational pages that breaking down your goals into smaller, more achievable actions, is a really good method for actually getting them done. So I think your monthly goal list is a great step!!
Thank YOU for posting & replying!! You rock!!! 🙂 \m/\m/
Awesome! We were going on Thursday, but there’s a get-together with my husband’s co-workers that night. So, we’re thinking Friday!
Thank you so much! I have my fingers crossed. I took a sick day today from work – Bleck. Hoping to be back to 100 percent tomorrow!
I always try to reply / respond to every comment!
Oh no!! Feel better soon!!
Thank you! I’m feeling a lot better than I did last night and this morning. I zonked out on the couch for two full hours after dinner, and then slept for seven in bed. I think it’s a combo of my sinuses acting up and the crazy weather we’ve had – It’s been a typical summer here – Hot and humid, with bouts of serious rain. I’m going crazy!
Is it allergies or a cold, do you think?
That weather description sounds strikingly similar to the weather we’re “enjoying” here on the East Coast. But, I won’t press for further details. 🙂 Just know that someone else understands what you mean about the weather… it has been raining, or threatening to rain, for 2 days now & then it is supposed to hit 90 again by Friday night. Boooo….
I’m not sure, honestly. I’ve had a history of sinus infections since 2009. It’s just annoying!
I live in Virginia, so I understand! I hate the summer weather … Bring on the fall!
Oh no!!! That sounds awful. I have a history of chronic infections (let’s not get into how many & what awful types lol), so I know how painful a sinus infection can be… & the pollen situation, made worse by rain in some cases, only makes it worse.
I live in New Jersey, so we’re in the same “weather pattern,” but you’re definitely beating us out temperature-wise. Also probably beating us out rain-wise, considering summer is “hurricane season” for the more Southern states. I love VA, though… I used to visit my ex there every weekend. Beautiful state.
Pollen is the worst! I’m surprised I don’t have massive allergies.
Oh yes, New Jersey 🙂 I have several friends from there! Yes, hurricane season is starting to ramp up here – We’re in the main path from August through November.
Where did your ex live? Just curious. You don’t have to answer 🙂
Stay safe during hurricane season!
Oh, feel free to ask me anything. I don’t mind at all. My ex didn’t live down there, at least not long-term, he was stationed in Virginia Beach for Navy training.
Thank you so much. Living here for 24 years, we have quite a bit of experience with hurricanes.
Gotcha – We’re about 45 minutes from Virginia Beach. It’s a nice area down here!
It absolutely is nice down there! We didn’t get much chance to explore, but while I was driving through I could easily imagine living there. You’re pretty close to the coast if you’re only 45 minutes from VA Beach, so I’m guessing you, unfortunately, have a lot of hurricane experience.
Nice! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
We are – We’re basically surrounded by water!
Good news is that we haven’t had many direct hits. The last really bad one was Isabelle in 2003 – We lost power for 10 days, out of school for a week or so. But, neighbors helped neighbors! We had huge block parties for a couple days, eating everything out of our fridges and freezers!
Oh wow!! I can really relate after Superstorm Sandy. But we were only without power for 6.5 days, but it was in October(ish?) so it was REALLY chilly. Then again, I’d prefer that over being without power in the midst of Summer.
Sorry… I’m rambling. I’m so glad that you & your neighbors helped one another. Are you friendly with your neighbors? Do you mind if I ask semi-personal questions like that? Because I can stop at any time. If I ever ask something out of line, tell me & I’ll apologize profusely. 🙂
Oh yes, Sandy was another one. We escaped the brunt of it.
I don’t mind, at all! My parents’ neighbors are super friendly. Since my husband and I bought our first house in Portsmouth, we’re slowly getting to know our neighbors. It’s exciting.
One thing I will (I think safely) assume VA has over NJ: neighbors are a lot nicer. At least, for the most part. I mean, we’re friendly enough with the people who live directly above us, but, otherwise, we don’t know anyone. It was definitely different when we lived in a different part of NJ, but it wasn’t the land of hospitality.
You assume correctly. There’s some Southern hospitality down here, not as much as some of the other states. It’s interesting how that works. My husband and I have vowed to get to know our new neighbors sooner rather than later – Introductions first, then we’re planning for a Halloween housewarming party 🙂
Where do you live in NJ?
I think that’s a big part of it: the desire & the action to get to know one’s neighbors. Also, there’s your neighbor’s willingness to interact with you. The latter is where the hospitality bit comes in, I think.
I live in Central NJ, about 45 minutes to an hour from NYC. I’ve tried to tell people where I live by city before, but it never seems to work out… people who are familiar with the state, people who LIVE in the state, never seem to know where I am. I have to give them surrounding towns. LOL
What you said is absolutely true. One of my husband’s co-workers, Carol, recently said that one of her neighbors didn’t introduce herself to Carol until a whole YEAR had passed! Wow.
Gotcha. I was born in NYC, but my experience with NJ has been limited to the NJ Turnpike going back and forth from NYC, and the Newark airport a couple of times. I have several friends from the state, as well. Did you grow up there?
But you & your husband are taking the first step to become friendly with your neighbors. Perhaps his co-worker’s neighbor’s were expecting Carol to do that? Perhaps people here are expecting us to do that too.
That’s an interesting perspective… reaching a “non-introduction stalemate” because no one makes the first move.
Yes, I’ve lived here my whole life. I grew up around the Oranges (which I believe is along the Turnpike), before I moved down to where I live now after I finished H.S., which is along Route 78 (which the Newark Airport is on! 😉 ).
How long did you live in NYC?
That’s entirely possible. I don’t know the whole story with Carol and her neighbor. Regardless, it was certainly interesting.
I’ve only moved a handful of times in my life – Twice before the age of 5, once to college, once to my own apartment, and then now to our new home.
I recognize the Oranges, and the airport. I know NJ isn’t that big. Virginia is huge!
My dad was in the Coast Guard and stationed on Governors Island until 1990, when I was two. I have no memories of living there, unfortunately. I was born in Mt. Sinai Hospital. I was a preemie, so my parents made a point of taking me back to Mt. Sinai every summer, from age 3 until I was 16. I have a lot of special memories.
Oh dear. I hope they just took you back to the hospital to say “here is where you were born & they took wonderful care of you” & it wasn’t for any sort of medical procedures!
Where else have you lived?
You’re right. No medical procedures! Just visiting and letting the doctors and nurses see my progress. My mom visited solo in 2014 – Three doctors and six nurses were still there, 26 years later. It was amazing!
Aside from NYC, I’ve only lived in Virginia. We lived in Alexandria for two years while my dad was getting his master’s degree. After that, we settled in Chesapeake. I went to Farmville, VA for college. I lived in Newport News on my own for almost a year. Now we’ve moved to Portsmouth. Farmville was the farthest away from my parents – About 150 miles from Chesapeake.
Mount Sinai is a fantastic hospital. I can understand why Doctors & staff wouldn’t want to leave!
Wow. That’s quite a bit of moving around! Are you closer to your parents now?
Exactly! They took amazing care of me. I was born at 25 weeks gestation, which was almost unheard of in 1988. I was given a 50/50 shot at survival.
I’m a little farther away now that we’re in Portsmouth, but it’s only about a 9-mile difference. Being an only child, we’re pretty close. I look like my mom, but I’m definitely a Daddy’s girl.
Wow. I’m so glad that you beat the odds!!
Oh my gosh! That’s so funny, because I look like my Mom, but have my Dad’s personality too!! 😀
That’s great! My mom and I have the same face shape, so people compliment us all the time. My mom especially loves it when people see ME, and think it’s HER. Hah! It makes her feel younger.
The only physical traits that I have from my dad are the hair, eyes, and skin. There’s several pictures of us in my January 2016 blog post about my wedding – Let me know what you think!
OMG…. first off, your wedding photos are gorgeous, as were you. You two look so happy.
Secondly, you absolutely look like your Mom. Not only the face shape, but some of the features are undoubtedly hers.
I looked so much like my Mom as a toddler that, when my Dad showed my maternal Grandmother a picture of the two of us side by side (hers in black & white, mine in color), my Grandmother asked where he got a black & white picture of me. LOL
Thank you so much! I felt gorgeous. I’ll tell my mom.
That’s awesome! There’s a portrait of me that was done in Spain when I was 16, hanging close to a portrait of my great-grandmother, my namesake. It’s spooky. I’ll have to take pictures of those for the blog!
You should definitely take a picture of those pictures!! I’m sure people would love to see them!
Thank you so much! I definitely will!
Isabel* – I hate spelling names wrong!
hey..after reading your post.. i am inspired to make my own list of goals..thanks for sharing..
shreyans
You’re so welcome! I look forward to reading your list!
Very precise….u enjoy each moment. …nice view of life
Thank you so much!
Do u have fb page? Or g+?
Yes, I have a Facebook page. I don’t use Google Plus though.
Ohhh ok…I don’t use fb at all….I use g+
I understand. Everyone is different 🙂
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Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Very ambitious, I used to have goals like that but at my age (73) you will find your goals change quite a bit. However some change for the better. Visiting with my grandchildren is one. The rest are pleasant. I am retired from the Telephone Co.. My husband and me worked hard for our family. We raised three beautiful children; of course we went through all the trials and tribulations that life throws at you but came out holding hands anyway. :o). They have gifted us with their beautiful children and we love visiting with them. The key word here is visiting. Generally I can take a nap any time I like, watch TV without interruption, write stories, no more cooking large meals (Teens can eat you out of house and home) unless I am hosting a family dinner. Shop whenever I like, travel when ever possible. I also have wonderful memories that will last forever.
So, that’s my non-list but I am enjoying following it. :o)
Thank you for reading, and commenting! My goals have definitely changed, some more frequently than others, for different reasons – Money, time, life experiences.
Your story is beautiful. I have an amazing husband, and I hope that one day we will have a child or children. God always has a plan.
Memories last a lifetime, but material things do not. That’s one lesson I’m learning along the way.
Loved the post, good luck with your goals! I know Ill be working on a few of my own this month! The main one being re-launching my YouTube channel. Ive been off youtube for a while but I decided its time to get back into doing what I love! Again, nice post! -Steph (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlB5cFM_T6-cYj3HIsyFAw/about)
Thank you so much for reading, and for your comment! I’ll have to check out your YouTube channel when I get home tonight. Thanks for the link! Good luck to you, too!
Anytime girl! I havent re-launched it yet! I just ordered my new Nikon and it arrived yesterday (I blogged about it) Im not exactly sure what I want the channel to be about yet but I know what the re-launch will be. I really love travel. I just have to stick with it! Im trying to make my dreams reality ❤
How exciting! I’m rooting for you!
You’re the best! Im subscribing for sure
Thank you so much! I followed your blog too. Can’t wait to see what you do with everything!
Thanks! Id love to hear from you in the future as well!
Absolutely! You can count on it 🙂
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ Until then ❤ ^_^
Definitely!
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