Hello 2014!

Hey everyone!

What are your resolutions this year? I've already talked about what I want to accomplish in a month, but now I've sat down and considered what I want out of 2014 as a whole. Read on to see my resolutions for 2014!

• Lose 15-20 lbs. Since I've started my weightloss journey (with a lot of bumps caused by crazy cravings and laziness), I've lost a little over 20 lbs. So I'm already halfway there. I just need the motivation and discipline to finish the journey! Hopefully, I'll lose 2-3 lbs per month, and I'll be down to my goal by Summer. 
• No more fast food! (Excluding Subway. Because I'm addicted to that place.) When I was little, I would eat fast food almost nightly. I was super unhealthy. In 2013, I stopped eating most fast food, only eating from places like McDonald's or Arby's maybe twice a month. Now I want to cancel all of it out. Except Subway, because I'm addicted to my sandwich I always get there. I will be healthier though and cut out the cheese I put on the sandwich, and maybe even the bacon, leaving just grilled chicken, lettuce, and green pepper. 
• Attempt to exercise more. Either using Blogilates, or Xbox One's Fitness programs. Or, even better, both!
• Build my wardrobe. Most of the clothing in my closet I've had for years and it doesn't really fit right since I lost 20 lbs. After I lose more weight, I'll reward myself by getting new, cute clothing for myself!
• Figure out how to best apply make up to make it most flattering for my face. I never really played around with make up when I was younger, only recently becoming interested in it. I need to make up for lost time!
• Continue blogging. I neglected my blog for quite awhile over the summer/fall months last year. I really missed it, which is why I came back and posted 18 blog entries total last month. It felt great to blog again, and I gained over 400 followers. Thank you to everyone that reads my blog. It means the world to me that you care about my thoughts and opinions enough to read about them regularly. Thank you so much for your support!
• Start writing a novel. I've wanted to write and finish a novel for so long. Maybe 2014 will finally be the year I do it!
• Practice my art. I love drawing, and I would love to improve myself at it. I neglected it quite a bit last year. Time to do my best this year!
• Do a giveaway! I am so thankful for each of you that read my blog, so I feel the need to give a little something back to you. I'm hoping I'll be able to do a fun giveaway sometime soon! So look forward to that in the coming months!

Thank you again for all the support last year. I hope you'll stay with me in the coming year and go with me as I continue my journey through life. Have a wonderful 2014!

Goodbye 2013!

Hey everyone!

This is the time of year where everyone is thinking about the past year, and moving on into the next. And I'm no different. So here is 2013 in review.

The year felt like it flew by, but looking back through my blog posts and pictures, a lot more happened this past year than I first though. Some notable events from 2013:

• So many video games. Just so, so many.
• I got my two little puppies, Zoey and Meeko. And they have since become a big part of the family.
• I said goodbye to my beloved dog, Chomper, and to my dear grandfather. Both of whom are very missed.
• Entered in to next-gen gaming with the Xbox One. 
• I won two giveaways! Sunglasses from Lara Lizard and barefoot sandals from Catherine Cole Studio.
• Went on a date with the boyfriend to Carlos O Kelly's so many times, the waitress knew our order by heart.
• Went to Adventureland with the boyfriend and my family. (Got completely soaked and walked around in wet shorts all day. Ick!)
• Had so much fun at Anime Iowa! I even got bowed to by a lovely person who told me I looked amazing. That made my summer, honestly. I'd never been bowed to before.
• Lost about 8 lbs! (Although I think I might have gained one or two about back after Christmas. Yikes.)

And my top 3 favorite blog posts from 2013, for anyone who is interested:

Why I'm Excited for Spring - Fashion!

My Adventure to Anime Iowa

Xbox One Review

What was your year like? Let me know in the comments below!

Goals for January! (Starting small)

Hey everyone!

So, how many blog posts have you read so far about looking back at the last year, or about resolutions for this year? A lot, I'm sure. I just caught up on my blog reading, and about 95% of those blogs had a similar theme. It's so fun reading about everyone's successes in the past year, and their hopes for the new year!

I'm going to split it up over the next few days, since I don't want to overwhelm my poor readers with one giant blog post! And I figured the best way to start is small, so before I talk about New Year's resolutions for the coming year, I figure it's best to lay out goals for this month.

You might remember my post at the beginning of December detailing goals for December. If you don't, or need a reminder, you can see it here: Goals for a Busy December

December Recap

1. Go on at least one date with my boyfriend Success! (Got in two dates! Woo!)
2. Finish a blog post reviewing the Nintendo 3DS Fail! (Whoops! I actually completely forgot about this.)
3. Get Christmas cards made for my family/Zach's family Success! (Everyone seemed to really like it too. Yay!)
4. Get Christmas gifts bought for everyone on my list Success! (Really proud of myself for this one!)
5. Write a poem Fail! (I forgot about this one too. Oh well, there's always next month.)
6. Exercise/Get down to mini-goal weight before Christmas Eve Fail! (So many sweets during December. So. Many. Sweets.)
7. Buy a black dress for Christmas Eve Success! (Done! It was cheap and simple, but it turned out perfect.)
8. Make a blog post at least twice a week Success! (Now let's hope this continues.)
9. Finish the homemade Christmas gift for the boyfriend Success! (After about a year planning, it's done!)
10. Finish Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag Success! (Managed to finish only a few days ago, but it got done!)

Over all, not too bad! Mostly, I forgot about the ones I failed, since it was such a busy month. But really, the whole exercise/lose weight thing was doomed to fail. With barely any free time this month, plus losing the only thing I had to exercise with early on in the month, and then adding all the sweets from my birthday and my mom's birthday into the equation, it was impossible.

But now it's a new year, and I'm determined to do better! So without further ado:

1. Lose 2 lbs. I'm hoping if I lose 2 lbs a month, I'll be down to my goal weight by July/August.
2. Finish reading Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick. (Been renewing it repeatedly from the library for the past month with no progress.)
3. Save $30 for Anime Iowa.
4. Figure out how to style my new corset with an outfit.
5. Finish the DLC for Mass Effect 3 and Dishonored.
6. Alter my armoire to fit my Xbox One inside, with my Xbox 360.
7. Start The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
8. Buy more Essie nail polish. (Seriously in love with this brand now.)
9. No fast food at all! (except an occasional healthy, veggie-filled sandwich from Subway.)
10. Buy a sweater for my other puppy, Meeko. He always seems so cold (and jealous of his sister's sweater!)

Honestly, I'm not too hopeful about getting all these things done before January reaches its end. But as long as I finish 1, 2, and 3, I'll be satisfied. Especially number 1. Wish me luck!

I'll be back tomorrow to talk about 2013 coming to a close, so watch for that! Be sure to join the Monthly Goals blog hop too and let me know you did so I can check your blog post out!

What are your short-term goals for January? Let me know in the comments below!