Resolutions

How did we ever make New Years Resolutions before Pinterest? :) I was browsing last week and saw this great picture and thought it would be a great spring board for my resolutions for this upcoming year. (And yes, I know I've already done a small goal post - I have a feeling I'm going to make too many resolutions for this year - but hey, I like to see it as hedging my bets - the more I make, the more likely I keep at least a few of them!)

A bad habit I'm going to break: Drinking soda. I don't drink it often, but Diet Coke is a go-to comfort drink for me, and I'd like to stop drinking soda again. (I'd also like to limit coffee, but that magic elixir is hard to kick.)

A new skill I'd like to learn: Calligraphy! My sister AND husband got me this kit and I used it some over break but can't wait to master it. I'd love to be able to make my own stationary and prints (for myself AND gifts!)

A person I hope to be more like: Jackie O. - my husband and I listened to "These Few Precious Days" on the way home from Virginia and listening to her perpetual grace, wit, and warmth makes me want to be more like her.

A good deed I'm going to do: I'd love to find a Girl Scout troop to get involved in. The Scouts had such an impact on me when I was growing up (I went ALL the way through - kindergarten to senior year!) and I'd love to help shape another girls life and help a troop out.

A place I'd like to visit: Just out of the country. L and I are looking at a belated honeymoon in Canada or flying south to a beach resort but either way, I'd love to get my first stamp in my passport.

A book I'd like to read: The Bible. Growing up in church, I've of course read passages over the years, but I'd love to find a study that would help me navigate the entire Bible over the course of this year.

A letter I'm going to write: I'd like to participate monthly (or maybe twice a month!) in More Love Letters. The College Prepster wrote about this a few weeks ago and I think it's a great idea and would like to send some letters of my own. (Maybe on my own stationary that I calligraphy'd!)

A new food I'd like to try: This I'm just not sure about. I like to think I'm pretty adventurous with my food - and not very picky - and don't live in an area with a very diverse food offering, but I would like to eat more Indian food. 

I'm going to do better at: working out and eating better. L and I worked out yesterday, plan to do so again today, and I'm planning on joining Weight Watchers again tomorrow. In addition to wanting to look a little better, my health really is a factor. I didn't hit the genetic jackpot, and if I don't start taking care of myself now, it could mean bad news down the road.

What resolutions are you making?

Home Sweet Home

Well, after a very nice vacation back home in Virginia - spending the holidays with both mine AND L's families - we're back to OUR home in Tennessee. I'm sure there's no need to recap it all for you all - there was too much food, not enough exercise (or sleep), and everyone absolutely out-did themselves on the gifts. 

I got a wild hair on the way home to re-arrange the apartment and vamp the place up, and once it's all done I'll do a (very low quality due to my lack of a nice camera) home tour. 

In the meantime, here are some photos from the little photoshoot we did with my in-laws in our matching plaid. Enjoy and I'll see you all tomorrow!

Unplugging!

All - I'll do my best to keep up with the holidays but reveled in the chance to shut down my laptop and leave it in Tennessee when we left for Virginia. 

If you're curious what I'm up to, follow me on Twitter and Instagram - it also helps me find you and follow you back! Just click on the links to the right. 

Speaking of which, I'd love comments on my blog makeover! Likes, dislikes, suggestions? Steph did such a great job - you should get in touch if you want a makeover as well! Visit Stephaniebudd.com today! 

2014 Goals

Whether I want to admit it or not, 2013 is almost over. This week, L and I celebrated our 4 month-a-versary and were discussing where the fall went. (For the record, he feels like its been longer, I feel like the wedding was yesterday.) Soon we'll be in Virginia for Christmas, and then it'll be New Years Eve.

Don't get me wrong - 2013 was a great year. I got to watch L graduate from IBOLC, Ranger School, Airborne school, and Air Assault school (as an honor grad!). I got married, moved away from home, and am THIS close to being done with my MBA.

But, I'm a planner, and want to go into 2014 with some goals - personal and professional. Here are some of the ones I have so far:

• Run a half-marathon
• Pay off one of my student loans
• Finish my MBA
• Get more involved with volunteering
• Join a church

What are some of your goals for 2014? Anything I'm missing?

XO - Catherine

Delayed Honeymoon

When L and I got engaged, we knew timing would be tricky. He proposed two months before he was scheduled to leave for Infantry Basic Officers Leaders Course at Ft. Benning in Columbus, GA. We knew that would last until March-ish, then the probability of him going to Ranger School was very high. Ranger School could go by as quickly as 62 days, or last forever. (Not literally, but it can feel like it for all the parties involved.)

We set a date for August and hoped for the best. Lucky for me, my dear sweet husband got through Ranger School the first time through (what a stud, right?) and our wedding happened right on schedule. However, he needed to report to Ft. Campbell shortly after the wedding, the Wednesday after to be exact.

So, he left Georgia on Tuesday for Kentucky, moving all our stuff by himself, drove from Kentucky to Virginia on Wednesday, we got married Saturday, drove as far as Knoxville on Monday, and finished the drive and moved in on Tuesday.

So, no honeymoon. Not a big deal, but we're looking forward to the chance to get away this summer. We're not sure where we want to go, and we're on such a roll with saving and investing that we'd rather not dip into our nest egg too much. We'd love to go international, and I'm not a huge beach bum, but no matter what, we're looking for cheap.

Any advice on places we should look? Resorts? Cheap airfare? Have you booked a package with a site like Expedia or Travelocity and had good results? Thanks so much for the input in advance!

Hope everyone's Hump Day is going well!

Print by BiBi + Bou Bou

I'm 26!

Yesterday was my birthday and I turned 26. My day started at 5:15 when L's alarm went off, and my day was business as usual throughout the morning. This is a busy time of the year at work, so I stayed busy until lunch. I made a run to UPS to mail presents (hello, crazy crowds already!) and treated myself and L to Chipotle for lunch.

(Please excuse the quality of the photo - I took it purely to rub it in to my friends that I got Chipotle for lunch.)

I plugged through the rest of the afternoon and started getting ready once work was over at 4. L and I went to the mall and had my traditional photo with Santa - my Mom would've flipped if I didn't. It was odd since this was the first year in a photo without my sister, and I always feel a little silly waiting in line with little kids, but I do enjoy the tradition.

(Again, please excuse the quality. I took a photo of a photo to send to my Mom for approval.)

For the record, here are some of my favorites from birthdays past:

1st birthday - the year it all began.

Early 1990s at some point - who doesn't love center parts and tacky turtlenecks?

2 years ago - about 1 month before I met L - the year our work party was at a vineyard, we ate dinner at Dish, and I got my Duke jersey!

L and I went to dinner and then swung by DQ for an ice-cream cake - my favorite. We went home, dug in, and watched "My Week with Marilyn" til I was too tired to stay awake.

I'll get most of my presents next week when I go home, but to tie me over, L got me the #1 thing on my birthday/Christmas wish list - the Gramercy watch from Kate Spade. I am in l-o-v-e!

Hope everyone else is having a good week as well!

XO - Catherine

Weekend Wrap-Up

Hey, all! Sunday night is here again, and L and I are gearing up for a crazy week. This time next weekend we'll be in high gear to get to Virginia (if we're not there already!) Tomorrow is my birthday, which means the annual photo with Santa, and then lots of crazy times at work tying up loose ends before a glorious two week vacation!

But, here's a peek at what I was up to this past week, via my Instagram.

I was texting my old roommate and realized that she'd be in Lebanon with her family by the time we head to Virginia, so we're going to pit-stop and brunch with her and her boyfriend on our way East. I'm so excited! Once the event is on my Google Calendar, it MUST happen!

Monday I was running around like crazy getting some errands run before I left for Atlanta, and we've been having trouble lately with Loola crying and barking when we leave, so I brought her along. Lucky for me, she's great in the car, and then I don't worry about the neighbors getting annoyed!

While I was in Atlanta I met with some students at Starrs Mill High School in Fayetteville, GA - how cute is this old mill? I drove past it and did a u-turn just to go take a photo. 

And on Friday our friends C and K came over and we ate some Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup and went down and saw the Christmas on the Cumberland lights! (Check it off our Newlyweds Traditions Bucket List!) 

The lights were beautiful and although it rained on us some, it was so nice to stroll up and down with good company and enjoy the beautiful lights.

Lots of good stuff coming up this week, including a make-over by Stephanie Budd Design! What did you all get into this weekend?

XO - Catherine

How to Succeed at Work

I've been going through a rough transition at work. I was lucky enough to keep my job when I got engaged and knew I would be moving 9 hours from home, and have been working in a regional position. I've gone back to campus three times this fall, for Open House events and board meetings, and that's been nice. I've also traveled a lot for work, driving to the cities though, rather than flying.

But, I've had a hard time working alone. My home office is lovely - I have two huge windows to let in natural light, I have a simple and clean work space, and with no one popping in throughout the day, I get a tremendous amount of work done. But, I miss the lunch time trips to Subway, the ability to just walk next door and ask a question in person, and look at the hard copy of an application if I want/need to.

Words of Affirmation is one of my top Love Languages, and I have been frustrated that my supervisors haven't been affirming me as much as I would like. Being regional, I depend on that positive feedback even more than I did before, and I was growing frustrated and feeling neglected at the lack of their attention.

Until I realized, I'm only doing what's expected of me.

My swim coach in college used to say all the time "You want me to praise you? Do something that exceeds my expectations. Showing up on time and doing what's asked of you doesn't deserve praise - going above and beyond does." It's tough, I know, but it's true.

I work hard at my job, I do, but I'm not doing anything that isn't in my job description. I want a pat on the back for my phone calling each week, but I'm on track with the recommended 5 calls a day. I want a round of applause for traveling to Atlanta in December to drum up more applications, but I only went because I was asked. I want commended for reading so many applications a week, when I'm reading my own and helping only when I'm asked. 

I used to pride myself as someone who took initiative constantly and employed an "I got it" attitude. But recently I've fallen into a rut, doing what I have to in order to get by.

If you want to really impress your boss and those around you, I believe you have to exceed their expectations. Be the person they can't imagine the office without. 

What do you think? Do any of you work from home and have advice on other ways I can improve my own morale?

Married Holiday Traditions

So, this is my first holiday season married, and my first holiday season away from home and my family. My family has some traditions, but I'm excited to start some new ones with L in our new home in Tennessee.

First, I'd love to create the tradition of buying a fresh Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I'd much rather spend my Black Friday with my family and decorating my Christmas tree than fight the crowds. This year we bought a pre-cut tree at Home Depot, but eventually I'd love to cut down our own tree as well. And, if this means that we host Thanksgiving in the future, I don't think I'd hate it...

In our new hometown, they decorate the riverfront with Christmas lights. I'd love to take a night, grab some warm drinks, bundle up, and mosey along while we take in the beautiful sight.

And, of course, I can't wait to spend another year enjoying my family's Christmas traditions with L, including bowling and Chinese Hamburger with Uncle Keith on Christmas Eve, 24 Hours of a Christmas Story, our church's midnight candle light service, and monkey bread on Christmas morning.

What are some of your traditions?

Christmas Ornaments

Today, I was inspired by A Girl and Her Sparkles, and wanted to share with you some of my favorite Christmas ornaments. In August, I moved away from my hometown - the only place I had lived my whole life. Some look down on staying relatively local for college, but for me, it meant so much to go home when I wanted, and more importantly, for my parents to attend the vast majority of my swim meets in college. Last Christmas, with my move inevitable, my Mom and I began to split up some of the ornaments, although I'll be getting more this winter when we go home.

But, here are some of my favorites:

 

I've loved The Little Mermaid since I was little, and every year, my Mom gets me an Ariel Christmas ornament. Here are just (a few) of my favorites. (My husband groaned every time I put a new one up when we were decorating - there is no way I have less than a dozen of them.)

I had a  Sunday School teacher growing up, Miss Rosa, who would give us hand-stiched ornaments each here, and this one is my favorite. I can just feel the love radiating off of it when I hang it up.

Our United States Army ornament, of course. Even though I'm from a Navy family, and my husband isn't as "hooah" as some other Infantrymen, I'm still proud of his dedication to the Armed Forces and his willingness to fight for our country.

My Chung Mung baby, roommate, teammate, and one of my best college friends, KMS, gave this to me for Christmas my senior year. We lived together that year - in "Club 1-C" - and had entirely too much fun. I couldn't have asked for a better friend at Sweet Briar, and even though she caught our oven on fire trying to cook once, and knew I was going to tap her before tapping even happened, I love her to bits and this ornament reminds me of that great year.

What are some of your favorite ornaments? 

XO - Catherine

To move or not to move...?

We live in a great apartment, and so close to base. Our apartment has good square footage, and we have a pool, fitness center, and the entire complex is very well maintained. The rent is OK - a little high for a one bedroom, one bath - and we thought water and sewer was included, but it's just billed on our rent every month.

But, we have next to no storage. L and I have to share a closet, and the coat closet is dedicated to his Army gear. We have boxes every where because we can't tuck them away anywhere, and it would be very nice to have a second bedroom or at least a second bathroom.

Our lease will be up the end of June, and part of me wants to explore options - living on base, renting a house, looking at renting a townhouse? (We do know that buying isn't an option - not with moving in 3 years - or less - on the table.) Part of me wants more space, a yard to just let Loola out and not have to walk her, and more closets. But the other part of me remembers that I've moved 7 times since May of 2010 - and isn't ready to do it again.

What do you think we should do?

Questions from my last post:

Ally from Life As I Know It asked if my $100 allowance really was enough spending money for the month. We find that it is - my husband gets $100 and I get $100. When we go out to eat, we tally that in our "food" budget for the month. We have a budget for gas, and if it looks like we're closing in on that cap, then we know we won't be running into Nashville. So, that $100 genuinely is our individual fun money. I hope this helps, Miss A!

XO - C

Wish List Wednesday

So, I've mentioned before that L and I are trying to stick to a (pretty strict) budget in an effort to pay down my student loan debt as quickly as possible. But, we knew that if we didn't budget ourselves some "fun" money, we'd never stick to it, so each month we get $100 of "allowance."

My husband often uses his money for concert tickets. With us being so close to Nashville, it'd be a shame to miss all those great shows coming through. Mine usually goes to clothes, or treating myself to lunch mid-day when I'm sick of the apartment and sandwiches. 

But, here is my wish list for December - totaling $100! The trick is to see if I grab these things, wait to see if I get them for Christmas, or do I get tempted by something else?

This Lilly dog collar and leash available on Etsy. $39.90 - I love let's Cha Cha, and my dear sweet Loola would look so cute with these!

A Ugotta Regatta iPhone 5 case - I'm getting my new phone so soon and this is my all time favorite Lilly pattern and I must have this! $28

This Avett Brothers inspired print available on Etsy - this song gets me every time! $12 The artist is also a sorority sister of my sister's and is good to the core - and obviously very talented!

The Apache Relay American Nomad CD - my sister loves AR and I saw them with her in concert in Nashville and loved them! $13

What's on your wish list right now?

XO - C

Leggings

Working from home, I basically live in leggings. It's comfy for me (I usually end up sitting at my desk Indian style) but I can throw on a nice blouse and feel like I'm at the office. (I find that dressing up a little helps me focus more. Staying in my pjs usually tempts me to camp out on the couch, and my productivity plummets.)

I have more than 3 pairs of leggings, and most of them are from Old Navy or Target. I admit, I've worn them with Uggs when running errands, or I'll throw on an oxford. For work, I prefer to wear a blouse, like this one from Loft. Although some may think they're not very modest, but I think they're a great, versatile part of my wardrobe.

If you need a good laugh though, check out this video:

 

The good stuff starts around 0:50 - enjoy!

What is your opinion on leggings?

XO - Catherine

A Life of Faith

This morning, our pastor's sermon was on 2 Kings 13:14-21. We have spent a few weeks on Elisha, last week's lesson being "silence isn't an option." I grew up in the church - went every Sunday, went to Sunday School, went to church camp and VBS in the summer, and everyone knows the mission trips I went on to ASP (and my summer working for them) meant the world to me. But, I am lucky in that God gave me a husband that is so strong in his faith, and so knowledgeable, and he has truly humbled me, and helped me to see that we can be such better Christians, together.

With my fall travel schedule, we didn't get into our religious routine as quickly as we had hoped, but last week we began doing nightly devos at dinner together, and nightly we are reading chapters of our Bible and coming together and discussing what we read. I also think it would be helpful to me in my faith journey to practice being more vocal. So, I hope that you'll bear with me as I do my best to share with you what I have learned.

The focus of today's lesson was that what you lived for often becomes most evident after you pass away. And, like Elisha, we shouldn't wait until our deathbed to get serious about our spiritual life. We should begin living a faithful Christian life TODAY so that we are able to leave a legacy of love after we're gone.

For me, that means getting more serious about my knowledge of the Bible and it's contents so that when L and I start our family, I can teach my children. It means acting like a Christian. It's easy, this time of year, to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, to get frustrated in traffic, or rude drivers in parking lots. But this is the perfect time of year to exemplify the love that Christ had for us. Most importantly, it means getting out of my comfort zone a little bit and being more vocal about my faith and enlightening others to what it means to be a Christian.

How will you leave your legacy after you're gone?

XO - C

Budgeting - Grocery Shopping

So, like many of you, my husband and I are not made of money - much to our dismay. My husband has no college loan debt (thanks, ROTC!) but don't worry, I have enough for the both of us. But, we're very lucky that we're a DINK family - dual income, no kids. So, we have chosen to take a pretty aggressive repayment schedule for my loans, and at this point, we should have them all paid off by early 2018. (More on that later, if anyone is really interested in it.)

But, that aggressive schedule means that my ENTIRE paycheck each month goes to loan payments, leaving us to live off of his salary. We're lucky - military families really do get compensated well - so it works for us now. But, we have to stick to budget. We allot for $75 on groceries every week, which is $300/month.

It's just 2 of us, and even though my husband eats enough for 4, I try to portion all our meals for 2 people, even if that means he snacks a little before/after dinner. This month, being a short month with our trip to Virginia, I decided to try my hand at meal planning for an entire month. I spent $97.48 at our local Kroger, and have our meals 90% done until we head east on the 22. I did NOT clip coupons - I'm so not good at it - but I found some great deals today.

Major Deals I Found!

• 2.5 lbs of Salmon for $9.99 -- these filets are pretty thick, so they should last us 3 meals
• 2.5 lbs of Tilapia for $9.97 -- these filets are pretty small, so I'll have to make L two for each one I make for myself, but I think we can still get 4 meals out of them
• 3 lbs of ground beef for $7.77 -- we really don't need an entire pound per dinner, so I split this up into fours and put them each in their own sandwich bag and popped them in the freezer - we should be able to get 4 meals out of them
• 6 lbs of chicken for $13.18 -- theses breasts are HUGE and I split them up and bagged them in individual servings (2 breasts per bag) and we should still get 5 meals out of them

I have all the meals planned out, with the exception of 2 nights I'm in Atlanta for work, and my birthday. We'll need to pick up some little stuff here and there, but for the most part, I think we're set!

To see the recipes I'm planning on cooking this month, check out my December Meals Pin Board. How do you effectively pinch pennies? Any tips we should try out?

XO - C

Thanksgiving 2013

Like I said in earlier posts, we weren't able to make the road trip we had been hoping for this week due to flight schedules and guard shifts at work - but, you won't hear me complain. My small sacrifice was well worth the chance for other families to be whole on this holiday.

We had a "Misfit" Thanksgiving - and I'm beginning to understand how military friends can quickly become family. I always saw it - my Dad is still in touch with Navy friends - and was anticipating it, but I'm thankful it's happening for us now. We've been in Tennessee for about 3 months now, and I was beginning to fret that we had NO friends. L has a few buddies he's working with day in and day out, but with my work schedule, I hadn't had a chance to get real involved anywhere here to make friends. Working from home also inhibits friend making, and we haven't had time to find a church we really like.

But, we met up with another couple to see "The Hunger Games" last week and decided to do Thanksgiving together, and we had a blast. I think we have our first two friends!

My family always made sausage balls to snack on during brunch/lunch until we were ready for dinner (around 4 PM.) So, I made some to contribute to the meal. The same recipe my family uses can be found here. But it's so easy!

• Mix together 1 lb mild sausage (or spicy if you're brave!), 1 1/4 c. Bisquick, 2 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 block of cream cheese. (I tried to use my mixer, but found it was easier just to get those hands dirty and mix it the old-fashioned way)
• Roll them into 1 in. balls and line on a cookie sheet - bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes - or until golden brown

In the past, we've made them with soy-sage (for my vegetarian cousin), and added jalapenos for variety. There are many ways to mix it up, and they're always an easy treat! They're great warm, they're great cold, and they keep for days.

So today, we went out to get our Christmas tree. $30 at Home Depot and $12 for a tree stand - not too shabby! We bought our lights there as well, but on Wednesday, so they were $5 a pop, and we got 3. (We also had a major disagreement about what kind - he was raised on white lights, I was raised on color. We settled on white, but what do you prefer?) I've had lots of my ornaments for several years, and many are too feminine for my husband's taste, but we'll phase out some of the older, homemade ones, and start to collect some of our own. 

Here's a glance at the set up (as seen on my Instagram):

Hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying a lazy day!

XO - Catherine

Thanksgiving Holiday

 

So, today I am off from work, and I'm spending the day prepping for tomorrow and getting some errands done. I've already grocery shopped - and Publix was eerily quiet considering - and have gotten some laundry done. I plan to do some Christmas shopping this afternoon and hope to straighten up my office some.

I have to admit - I have committed the ultimate southern girl crime - I powered through about 75% of our wedding thank yous within a few weeks of the wedding and then lost all steam. So, many many thank yous haven't been mailed yet. I'm hoping that "better late than never" applies for thanks yous, and I'm sending out the rest this weekend. Just in time to start holiday cards next week :) My husband will be thrilled. 

Tomorrow we're doing a Friendsgiving. The original plan was to travel to South Bend to spend the holiday with the in-laws, but flights returning from Afghanistan means L has to stay here and work periodically over the weekend. I'm nervous about tacking some traditional dishes, but our friends are cooking the turkey, so at least there's no worries there :) And hey, spending Thanksgiving here away from family is a small price to pay so that someone who has been deployed for several months can spend some much needed time with their family.

I hope everyone has a good day!

XO - C