Day 30!

Well, my 30-day challenge has come to an end. And it was pretty incredible. :)

I definitely got into the habit of exercising a lot more than usual, and I love it. If I go a day without doing some kind of exercising, I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel and in my attitude. I definitely miss exercising if I don't do it, which is a pretty good thing. Hopefully I don't stop exercising. It's a really good stress reliever, and I love that I'm starting to feel better about myself. :)

I definitely feel that there are more changes in store for me, and I'm so excited about that. I have so many dreams, and I'm gaining the confidence that I need to believe that they will all come true. I love how I've started to change over the past 30 days. It's been so exciting. I just might have to do another one of these challenges at some point. :p

Thanks for keeping up with me for the past month. Feel free to continue to check in and see what else I'm up to from time to time. :p

Days 28 & 29

So, yesterday was good. I did a little shopping with the boyfriend (Walmart and Michael's....I pretty much live at those two stores here lately). I also had a meeting at work (my last one ever...). The meeting was actually pretty fun. We got to wear our pjs, and everyone also brought in food. It was a long meeting, but it was good. There was a lot of information to soak in, which made me so glad that I was there for holiday last year. But anyway, it was a pretty good--especially since I was one of the winners for best pjs. :)

Today ha been pretty good too. I got a new product listed, so go check it out. :) And if you haven't become a fan of mine on FB, go do so! I have a great deal going on right now for my FB fans. You'll definitely want to check it out.

There was also some huge news for me today. I passed my GACE!! So, once I graduate, I will be certified to teach language arts in grades 4-8 in the state of Georgia. In January, I'll take the social studies GACE. I'm really nervous about that one because I've heard that it's extremely hard. Hopefully I'll pass that one, too.

Well, I better go to bed. Tomorrow is internship day (my last full day until January). And it's also the last day of my challenge. Hopefully it ends on a high note. :)

Days 26 & 27

So, I know I didn't post last night. And I'm not going to focus a lot on yesterday. I'm actually not going to focus a lot on today, mainly because nothing major happened on either day.

However, there's a issue that has come up, and I feel like venting about it. I'm starting to question a friend's sincerity, and it's really getting to me. This is someone who's been a friend for awhile now, and I've loved that. But lately, I get the feeling that they aren't being straight with me. And that bothers me. For way too long, I dealt with "friends" who were fake--they lied to me and essentially led me on, only to decide they didn't want to be friends anymore, and that it was entirely my fault. One friend never gave me a reason for ending the friendship (and that hurt the worse), and another basically told me that I was never there, even though this particular "friend" flaked on me a lot, and only wanted me around when she was having problems. She even went so far as to get mad because I had other people that I wanted to hang out with, too, even though I spent the entire afternoon with her driving around and listening to her vent about her problems. But, to her, I wasn't a good friend. And you know what? It's honestly whatever at this point. Those two people did nothing but bring unwanted drama into my life, and I've been so much happier without them.

But with this person today, I'm getting pretty angry. I'm sick of having people lie to me, and I'm sick of feeling like I'm being left in the dark. I'm sick of not being entirely sure who my friends are and who I can trust. I tend to be a very trusting person, but honestly, I've been burned so many times that I'm not sure I can be anymore. And that sucks. I've always liked that I felt that I could trust people. And I liked that even after the crap I've been through the past couple of years that I felt I could still trust people. So for me to not know if I can continue to trust....it sucks. And I hate it.

Hopefully this situation will get better.

Day 25

I completely forgot about updating last night. I was so busy reading the forums on Etsy and trying to figure new ideas for my business. And, I was pretty exhausted last night.

So anyway, yesterday was another good day! :) I had internship, and then afterwards, the powder puff football game. That was so much fun. The girls played football while the boys cheered. And let me tell you, some of those girls know how to play some football. I was very impressed while watching them. And a couple of my students even made touchdowns! It was such a great thing to get to experience.

When I got home, I ate, and then started reading and all, trying to better my business. I gained a couple of facebook fans, which made me happy. And, I even have someone who is interested enough in my flowers to quite possibly do a mass custom order! That really excited me. And, I'm inspired to go ahead and make one flower in the colors that she wanted. I want to make sure that what I see in my head is going to really work. But I a extremely excited about this opportunity. Hopefully it goes through!

I did exercise last night. It wasn't the hardest workout I've had, but it was still intense. I was definitely worn out by the time I finished. And I've learned that I absolutely hate any exercise that requires me to jump repeatedly.

I probably won't get to be as productive today as I wanted to be. I have class and then work tonight, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I can get something done. I need to get things done this weekend. I really need to get stuff posted, and I need to get out of this funk that I'm in.

Day 24

It's the CMAs!!! Can you tell I'm excited? ;p

I absolutely adore country music, and I'm so happy I can be sitting here watching all of my favorite artists tonight. Lady A, Zac Brown Band, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Reba, The Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and so many more. I love watching them all come together to celebrate each other. And it's make me even more excited to know that I get to see Trace Adkins when I go on vacation next month. ;p

My only complaint? Jeff Gordon was on the show. I'll admit to being a bit of a NASCAR fan (meet the boyfriend and his family, and you'll see that I don't have much of a choice ;p), but I simply cannot stand Jeff Gordon. I've never liked him. Everything about him annoys me, and I was not pleased to have to see him--especially since they felt the need to bring him out twice.

However, people who put on the CMAs, I will not complain at all if you bring out Jr. ;p

Anyway, the rest of my day has been really good. I started working on some new products for the store, which I'll hopefully get out this weekend. I also started brainstorming holiday sale ideas, so be on the lookout for those. And if you're a fan of mine on facebook, then you're in for some extra special deals. And if you're not a fan, what are you waiting for? Click on that badge on the right side of the blog to go to my fan page, and then click 'like'! It's that simple. And then you'll be signed up to receive those special deals. ;p

I also had class today, which was pretty uneventful. The boyfriend did get to come over and eat dinner tonight, and that definitely made me happy. :)

Tomorrow is internship, with a powder puff football game afterwards. Am I taking my camera? Oh yes. This is not something to be missed. ;p

Day 23

So, I had a good day, but once again I found myself getting irritated for really no reason at all. I wish I knew why it's happening. I don't feel all that stressed, but maybe I am. I know I have a lot going on right now, and maybe that's getting to me more than I realize. I don't know. I just hope I can stop this feeling soon.

Although, after my workout, I don't feel agitated at all--mostly tired. :p And speaking of working out, my workout tonight was a lot easier than last night's was. Tonight was more about working out the upper body, while last night was pretty much nothing but lower body exercises. I still did some lunges tonight, but it was nice to get a break from constantly working out my legs.

Like I said, today was good. I had internship, and it went really well. I'm still amazed that I only have 3 days left there this semester. Then I have about a month off, and then it's my last semester as an undergrad. It's crazy to think that the moment that I've been working towards for the last 5 years is almost here.

I am very excited about the next couple of weeks. My "baking season" is about to start, and I couldn't be more excited. I have my last meeting at my "real" job on Sunday, and we get to bring a snack to share. So, I'm going a little above and beyond and actually making something. I'm not saying what because I want it to be a surprise, but I have a feeling that this could become a holiday tradition for me to bake....especially if the boyfriend has anything to say about it. ;p Then, I'm going to do some baking for the people at my internship as a little thank you. I'm still trying to figure exactly what I'm going to bake for them, but I'll come up with something. :)

My "big" cooking event so far is going to be the boyfriend's birthday dinner. We're inviting a few friends over to his house, and I'm cooking dinner and baking the cake. Well, he's helping with the dinner. The cake is going to be all me. We already know what we're cooking, and I already know what kind of cake I'm making...but I'm not telling. I want our guests to be pleasantly surprised. :)

I'm also baking for Thanksgiving dinner with my mom's family. I'm definitely doing these pumpkin pie cupcakes that I've found, and I'm really excited about them. :) I might also make the dressing, which will be my grandmother's recipe. Her dressing is pretty much the only dressing I will eat, and I'm so excited that I got the recipe for it. I made it for Thanksgiving last year, and I got the highest compliment ever when I was told that it tasted just like my grandmother had made it. I definitely miss my grandmother around the holidays, but knowing that I can make one of the recipes that was such a staple at our family get-togethers makes me extremely happy. :)

I'm sure I'm making some people hungry with all the talk of food. ;p Don't worry, as I complete each one of my little "projects," I will post pictures. I absolutely love cooking and baking, and I love the holidays, and that they give me the opportunity to do more baking and cooking than usual. And I'm also excited to know that I can enjoy all of these treats that I'm making without feeling guilty. I'm sure that pretty much nothing will be healthy, but I've been learning that I'm only human. I'm going to mess up, I'm going to have days where I don't feel like doing what I should. I'm also learning that I need to live life instead of constantly plan and write down every little thing. I've been missing out on too much, and I hate that. I want to enjoy this life, and if that means that I eat extremely yummy, not the least bit healthy, things, well, then so be it! :p

Days 21 & 22

Okay, I'm starting to get bad about updating, and I'm sorry. So, I'm going to try and finish this challenge on a high note and update every night!

So, yesterday was kind of a lazy day, which was definitely needed. I went shopping with my parents and helped my mom pick out Christmas presents for my aunts (which they are going to love!), and then I went and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening with the boyfriend. I felt really bad because I didn't get anything done for my shop, and I really need to get on the ball. But I'm trying not to be too hard on myself for taking a much needed off day.

However, I also took an off day from exercising (making it 2 rest days in a row), and I could definitely tell a difference. I was a lot more irritable both yesterday and today until I exercised. After my workout tonight, I was pretty relaxed and no longer stressing out.

Today started off good but then got a little more stressful. I helped my dad with some more vacation planning this morning (I really should be a vacation planner--I love it, and I'm pretty good at it). Then, I had to go to class. My first class was good, but the second one was ugh. I had a group presentation to do, and I don't think it went all that well. But at least it's over with. I then had errands to run, and by the time I got home, I was ready to just eat and just not do anything else. But I did exercise, and it was a pretty good workout. I did have to skip one exercise because I just couldn't do it. The routines are definitely getting more challenging, which is good. They're teaching me just how strong I really am, and I'm excited about the results I'm seeing!

Tomorrow is internship day--but internship is almost over! After tomorrow, I will only have 3 more days left this semester. I start interning full-time in January. It's crazy to think that I'm thisclose to being a college graduate. But I'm so excited!! :)

Days 19 & 20

Okay, I have got to get back into writing these entries every night.

Anyway, yesterday was good. I had a history test that I feel pretty good about. So, the morning was spent studying, and the afternoon was spent relaxing. I spent some time shopping with my parents, and then I spent the evening with the boyfriend. :) I came home and exercised, and that about kicked my butt. The routines are definitely getting harder, but it's been so worth it.

Today, I worked on some stuff for the business (there's a facebook page now!), plus worked an exhausting 4-hour shift at my "real" job. By the time I left there, my feet and back were killing me. But, the boyfriend was at my house when I got home, so that was a plus. :) We ended up going shopping, and I bought a few shirts. The good news? They're a size smaller than what I've been wearing! :) I tried them on, and they're still a little tight, but if I keep up the exercising like I have been, then they'll fit me better in no time. :)

Well, that's essentially all there's been to the last 2 days. Oh! One more thing. I got a new product listed in the store tonight. Okay, now that's all for the last 2 days. Tomorrow, I'm going to work on some new ideas I have for products as well as some other business stuff. Hopefully I'll actually get some stuff listed tomorrow.

Day 18

Yesterday was definitely a better day than Wednesday. I was still pretty busy, but at least it wasn't a rainy day. That made it so much better.

The thing that really made my day better though was the fact that I was able to put on a skirt that I hadn't been able to wear in a year! That was a major victory for me, and it gave me the motivation to keep going. I haven't been keeping track of my weight during this 30 day period, but I know what I weighed going into this, and I'll check it when I'm done. However, it's no longer a huge concern for me. I know I'm getting skinner, so I'm losing fat. I may not necessarily be losing weight though, because I'm probably gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat. So yes, I do have my goal weight, but I'm also not going to get discouraged as easily about it.

I was asked yesterday what exercises I'm doing, so I'm going to take this time to brag about the program I have been using for these past 18 days.



This program has been amazing! It has all sorts of exercises and preset routines. It also lets you make your own routines, so this becomes extremely customizable. They also have a 30-Day Challenge, which is what I'm taking. And yes, that was the reason why I decided to make this experiment a 30 day challenge of my own. You can set your own intensity level (low, medium, and high). I'm currently doing the medium intensity, and let me tell you, there are days where they kick my butt. But it's amazing. These exercises definitely challenge you, and there have been a few days where I thought that I couldn't make it through the routines, but I did. And I definitely feel accomplished afterwards. And, you don't necessarily need the Wii to be able to do the routines. That's great news for when I go on vacation. I can pack my weights and be able to do my own routine with these exercises in my hotel room.

Yesterday's workout was the hardest one so far, and I'm sure it's only going to get harder from here. But I've gotten to where I look forward to working out. Even on my rest days. Granted, I haven't worked out on a rest day yet, but I have thought about it. However, I know that I need the rest days to give my body and muscles a chance to recover. So, I've started back paying attention to my calories and watching what I eat. That's a bit more challenging for me because I love food, but I've already picked up on some healthier habits. For instance, I love Jell-O, and they have the Jell-O cups that are sugar-free and only 10 calories. That is the perfect snack to satisfy my sweet-tooth. I've been eating sugar-free stuff for awhile now because my dad is borderline diabetic, and for most things, you can't tell the difference. And Jell-O is one of those things.

So, all this combined with more water and more sleep has really helped me during this period. While I'm exhausted just from everything that I have on my plate right now, I do feel a lot better. I don't feel as overwhelmed as I would have a few months ago, and I don't feel as stressed. Doing this 30 Day Challenge has helped me out overall--physically, mentally, and emotionally--and it's actually changing my life. I'm learning that I can change things about me, that it's not as hard as I thought, and that I'm a lot stronger than I realized. And I think that's been the best thing about this challenge so far. :)

Day 17

Yeah, it's so much easier for me to do this the morning after.

Anyway, yesterday was a very long day for me. I'm usually at school from 2pm-6:15pm, but yesterday I was there even longer. I had to meet with my group for a project we're working on at 12pm, which means that I was at school 2 hours earlier than usual. Not fun. Especially since it was a rainy day, and all I wanted to do was go home and curl up in bed.

By the time I got home last night, I was completely exhausted. I'm so glad yesterday was a rest day for me, because I don't think I would have been able to exercise at all. It took all the energy I had just to eat and get some homework done.

The good news is, I've been sleeping a lot better the past couple of nights. I've been going to bed earlier than usual (around 10pm or so), and I've been completely exhausted. I'm not sure why I've been as exhausted as I have been. Hopefully I'm not getting sick. Now is not the time for that. I've got too much stuff that I have to get done in the next month.

Hey--maybe that's why I'm so tired here lately. I've been stressed and working a lot, either for school, my "real" job, or my business. It's been pretty much nonstop here the past week or so. Luckily, I'll be getting a little bit of a break this weekend when the boyfriend and I go to the Indian Festival out at Stone Mountain. I am definitely looking forward to that.

Well, I need to go get ready for another long day today.

Day 16

I'm getting bad about not posting before bed. I'm sorry. I've just been getting so tired here lately that I don't feel like posting. Plus, I've noticed that if I post right before bed, then the posts are short and don't really say much. So maybe I'll start posting the next morning anyway. That way I'll be refreshed and can properly do this experiment justice.

Anyway, yesterday was a good day for me. I didn't have internship, so I was able to use the day to get things done that I wasn't able to do over the weekend. I still have a long list of things to do, but I was able to knock some things off. So I feel like I got a little accomplished anyway.

I also got to spend the evening with the boyfriend. I made him happy because I cooked him dinner--and the meal I cooked is pretty much his favorite meal that I make. In fact, I suggested that I cook it for his birthday dinner, and he won't let me. He doesn't like to share this meal with anyone else. :p But anyway, we had dinner and watched a movie and just spent some time together. It was nice to be able to do that after he was gone all weekend.

I also voted yesterday. I'm not going to get into how I voted and all of that, but I did vote. I think it's so important to get out there and vote in every election, not just the "big" ones. Every election is big because every election gives us the potential to be heard and influence the changes we want to see in our country. I feel like if you don't get out and vote, then you don't have a right to complain when things don't go the way you want them to. At least now if something happens that I don't agree with, I can complain because I did vote and I did make my voice heard. However, I am glad the election is over. I was getting sick and tired of seeing all the attack ads on TV. And thank God there wasn't a run-off because I really don't think I could have taken any of those ads anymore. I hate that politics has turned into attacking opponents instead of telling the voters what you stand for.

Well, that was day yesterday. Today is a long day for me, so we'll see how well I do at blogging tonight.

Day 15

I'm at the halfway point! Yay! :)

I'm already noticing some changes, especially physically. I can feel muscles forming in my legs, arms, and abs. :) I'm very excited about this!

I started back on my food diary today. I think this will really help me get on the track that I want to be on. When I kept one before, I noticed a lot of changes not only in how and when I ate, but also in my sleeping habits, and in my small, everyday habits as well. It was definitely a good thing for me to keep, and I hope that I can get back where I want to be fairly quickly.

In other news, I got a new product listed today! :) Go check it out! I'll be listing some more products tomorrow. And facebook friends, be on the lookout for a special deal just for you. :)

Okay, I meant for this to be longer, but I'm tired and I keep zoning out. I will say that the first 15 days of this experiment have been good, and I look forward to the next 15 days. :)