From the category archives:

31 While 31

December Goals Update and New January Goals!

by agirlandhermutt on January 3, 2012

Hola friends! 2012 started out with a bang. I did a little laying on my couch, a little laying in my bed, playing with Korky and drinking a few beers. It was crazy busy around here!

I know that the past few posts have been update posts and this one isn’t going to be any different. Don’t worry. I’m almost done! Here is a little update on my December goals and some new January goals. Woot woot for some new goals, right?!

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December Goals
I didn’t do too shabby this month. Definitely room for improvement, but I’m on the right track!

1. Mark 2 items off my 31 While 31 list.
-1/2 done. I marked off #10 Watch sunrise at the beach (from 30W30 list) and started #5 Identify 100 things that make me happy.

2. Mail out Christmas cards by December 9th.
-Done!

3. Hit the gym 3x/week and include at least 2 strength training sessions a week in there.
-Kind of. I did it all the way until I left for the cruise and then I slacked off the last week of the year. I’m back to the gym already though and kicking butt.

4. No buying new clothes until December 31st.
-Kind of. I did buy a tshirt on the cruise, but does that really count?!

5. No buying snacks at work.
-Again, did pretty good until I came back from the cruise and then I totally slacked off. Eh. Not to bad.

6. Plan a Holiday Dinner for friends!
-Done! The girls and I had a wonderful holiday dinner. We had yummy food, lots of laughs, and I had an awesome wine.

7. Track all meals & snacks for WW 5x/week!
-Done until the cruise and then it was totally no tracking whatsoever. Oops.

8. ENJOY CHRISTMAS and all the wonderful things that are going to go with the holiday!
-Done! Done! Done!

January
The beginning of the year is always a little hectic so I’m keeping the goals for January kind of small and easy to accomplish. Lets get the month started!

1. Take lunch to work every day.

2. Practice yoga at least 2x/week.

3. Mark 2 items off the 31W31 list.

4. No clothing purchases until Feb 1st.

5. Find a photography class to take online.

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Its back to a regular schedule now after a little over 2 weeks of relaxing and enjoying time off. Menu planning is done. Clothes are washed. Bag is packed. I’m ready to get to it!

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November Goals Update and Making December Goals!

by agirlandhermutt on December 1, 2011

Hello December! The weather is a bit warmer than normal and I’m loving it. The beginning of the month means a quick recap on my monthly goals and setting some new ones. Ready?!

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November Goals

This month wasn’t a total bust and I’m pretty proud of myself. It always seems like the months just fly by near the end of the year, but I still managed to fit in some goal obtaining.

1. Make 1 new recipe a week.

Kind of. I definitely tried a few during Thanksgiving Week. I also shared my fave sushi bowls. There were a few other new recipes that went unpictured. So there definitely wasn’t a lot of newness in my life this month.

2. Read 1 non-fiction and 1 fiction book that has nothing to do with teen literature.

Almost. I read a few memoirs, including Mindy Kaling’s book and Adam Carolla’s book. Parts of those have some fiction in them, right?! I started a few fiction books, but just couldn’t seem to get into any of them.

3. Get to the gym 3x/week.

YES! I even started trying to hit the gym in the morning a few times a week. I might have a few rants about the gym, but in general I’m learning to enjoy being a regular there.

4. Mark off 1 item from my 31 While 31 list.

Yes and a half! Thanks to my buddy, Meg, I managed to squeeze out half of #27 to have a new ethnic food experience by eating South African food at Braai during The Scientist’s birthday weekend. Also, while we were in NYC I marked off #31 See a Play. We went to see The Book of Mormon and it was everything I hoped it could be!

5. Complete Christmas shopping. I don’t have much to buy but I want to be prepared.

Oh yea buddy. No specifics though. Nosey people read this.

6. Plan a fun birthday getaway from The Scientist!

Yes, Yes, Yes! NYC was a blast!

7. Donate clothes to Goodwill.

Not exactly. No excuses. I hate going through clothes. Can I hire someone to do this for me?!

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I’m loving the whole setting monthly goals. Creating small, obtainable goals helps me to get things done and feel more accomplished at the end of the month. Almost like creating a path, you know? This is the last month of the year so I’m going to do the goals again and end the year right!

December Goals

1. Mark 2 items off my 31 While 31 list. I only have a few more months to finish the list up!

2. Mail out Christmas cards by December 9th.

3. Hit the gym 3x/week and include at least 2 strength training sessions a week in there.

4. No buying new clothes until December 31st. Seriously…see #3 to see why.

5. No buying snacks at work. They are typically pretty healthy snacks but there is no reason I can’t bring them myself and enjoy a few extra bucks in my pocket as a result.

6. Plan a Holiday Dinner for friends!

7. Track all meals & snacks for WW 5x/week! Weekends are still a little tough so I’m working on small goals right now.

8. ENJOY CHRISTMAS and all the wonderful things that are going to go with the holiday!

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Will you be making any goals for December? Do you send out holiday cards?

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NYC Birthday Celebration!

by agirlandhermutt on November 7, 2011

I’m like a trained marksman. I’m taking down goals on my November Goals list and 31W31 list left and right. Move out of the way…I’m on fire!

This weekend was a combo of fun, new experiences, and a birthday celebration. The best part? It all took place in NYC!

Let the recap start….NOW! *Photo heavy post starts from here on out. You were warned!*

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The Scientist and I boarded the bus at South Station promptly at 11:3o ready to head towards NYC. Photobombed!

I napped. He played on his phone. It was a fairly uneventful journey. Finally we arrived in NYC and headed straight to our first stop…FOOD! Num Pang Sandwich Shop, a Cambodian style place with banh mi type sandwiches.

Roasted Cauliflower w/ Chinese and Thai Eggplant Spread (Soymilk Chili Mayo) & Blood Orange Lemonade

Our first stop after relaxing at the hotel for a minute was down to Brooklyn for a visit to the Brooklyn Brewery. On Friday nights they have a Happy Hour event where for $20 we got 6 tokens (each beer is 1 or 2 tokens) and got to hang out. People bring in their own food and just relax. We managed to snap a few spots at a table where the folks had a Catchphrase type of game and we joined in with them.

We had big plans to hop around Brooklyn for a bit, but after hanging out for a few hours with our new friends we had to book it over to the West Village to meet up with The Scientist’s BFF for dinnah at Sushi Samba. The restaurant was buzzing so we sat at the bar for a bit to have a drink and enjoy some people watching.

Dinner was amazing! This is one of my faves in town and The Scientist loved it too!

The rest of the night resulted in some bar hopping, drinks and a lot of laughs. No photos were taken.

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The next morning we were up bright and early to join the ultimate NYer, Meg, for brunch at Braai.

Thanks to Meg and her amazing recommendation, I marked off 1/2 of #27 on the 31W31 list.

27. Have 2 new ethnic food experiences- Halfway there!

Rock hard breakfast bite; Safari breakfast sandwich w/ Chakalaka; Lamb Sliders

It is always a lovely day when I get to spend some time with Meg. I’ll be seeing you again soon! Seriously. I’m thinking of coming back in February. Save me a spot on your couch.

Then it was time to do what The Scientist and I had gone to NYC to do. I took The Scientist to his very first Broadway show, The Book of Mormon!

The show was absolutely AMAZING. The sets, the music, the signing. ALL FANTASTIC! It was written and directed by the guys behind South Park so it was a little raunchy. The Scientist loved it and that just made me so happy! Possibly the best gift I’ve given to him?!

4. Mark off 1 item from my 31 While 31 list. Doesn’t matter which one!- DONE! See ya #31!

After the show we took a little stroll through New York all the way down to the Meatpacking District. There is so much to see and do in the city. It can be a little overwhelming to just take it all in. <3

For dinner we went out to Spice Market, a Southeast Asian streetfood restaurant. We were there for dinner at old people time (6p) and the place was packed! The ambiance was smooth and cozy. The lighting was perfect for feeling like you were transported to some market in another land.

Our food was delish and so reasonably priced. We started our meal off with a few apps. You can’t have a proper birthday dinner without apps, right?!

Chicken Samosa; Avocado, Radish and Onion Salad

We would have licked our plates clean if we were at home. No lie.

Next up…dinner! All of their dishes are served family style and come out as they are ready.

Red Curry Duck; Red Snapper w/ Shitake Mushrooms & Coconut Sticky Rice

Near the end of the meal The Scientist said a few words that almost brought tears to my eyes. “Lets just go back to the hotel and watch tv. I’m tired.” I was so HAPPY that he wanted to just call it a night. I was exhausted from all the eating and enjoy the city, but I would have rallied until 4am if that is what he wanted to do.

We made a pit stop past Magnolia Bakery for some red velvet cheesecake and headed back to the hotel. We chowed down on some sweets while watching Wizard of Oz in our pjs. Oh ya. This is what it is like to be 31!

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Lucky for us Sunday was Daylight Savings Time so we had an extra hour to just sleep. By the time we were up and running on Sunday we were Starvin’ Marvin! We had big plans to watch some football with The Scientist’s BFF in Brooklyn so on the way down we made a pit stop in Chinatown for some dumplings at Vanessa’s Dumpling House. Who doesn’t love dumplings!?

Fried Pork Dumplings; Boiled Shrimp Dumplings; Sesame Pancake

This tiny little restaurant was packed for a Sunday. I loved getting to watch them make the dumplings right in front of us. For $7 this was a win-win spot!

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to football and pizza until it was time to leave. The perfect way to end The Scientist’s Birthday Celebration Weekend!

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Visiting NYC is one of the best feelings in the world. I love being in the hustle and bustle of the busy city. I love that on every corner there is something new to see, do or eat. I love that there are so many new people to meet! Thanks for having us NYC. Until next time!