How to Get Your Husband to Vacuum

Give him one of these:

That's the Dyson Animal 41, and it was SO generously given to us for Christmas by Jake's parents. And now, something he used to HATE is now something he finds entertaining and fun.

Anyway, the Animal is all kinds of fancy! And it really does work SOOO much better at getting up all the kitty fur these two leave behind.


And it is sooo much quieter than our old vacuum as well. Which is why Jake likes it so much better. Apparently, the reason he used to hate vacuuming so much is because he hated the noise the vacuum made. This one is also much lighter and can gets lots of different angles and whatnot.

Here's hoping the newness doesn't wear off and he will become the new designated vacuumer in this household for good!

Image found here

I Joined a Gym...

and now I'm:



bringing sexy back! I'm also back posting on this blog after a year away from it. I think. We'll see how it goes.

*Sigh*

My favorite time of year is here! HOLIDAY SEASON! Too bad I am still stuck studying every free minute for that pesky CPA exam. Hoping to finish by the end of February. Anyway, I am feeling bummed in this moment because apparently, for the wedding they did right after ours, my wedding photographers started doing videos, too. For not only a wedding, but also for engagement sessions. And they are so cool. You can check them out here and here. HOW MUCH WOULD I HAVE LOVED ONE OF THEIR VIDEOS? A lot. That's how much. And I, too, love editing videos together like they are doing, so I could do the same thing myself. If I had the video footage. Of course, I can't film myself. So, I am sad about that.

The other reason being, of course, that I am busy studying. :( I cannot wait to be done with this stupid exam forever! I feel the need to create. Or decorate - but that is for another post. I want a cool, fancy camera so I can take really awesome photos, and I want to learn to use Photoshop, so I can edit them. And, I want to take movies and edit them into videos like Landon Jacob Productions is now doing.

And how Taylor Swift has been doing for a long time. :)

And, since I can't film myself, I'd need some willing subjects, too. I tend to think they are hard to come by. I feel like a lot of people hate being filmed or having their picture made. I love it, and I've always loved it. And I don't understand people that don't. At least Jake loves it, too. But, I can't just film him and take his picture all the time.

Anyway, back to the books.

Weekend update

This weekend was:

*helping Jake pack
*picking up my vacuum cleaner from the repair shop
*studying
*Saving Abel, Papa Roach, Hinder, and Nickelback concert in Charlotte with Jake, Crystal, Crystal's dad, and Crystal's friend, Julia
*hot tub with Jake and Crystal
*more studying
*helping Jake move
*lunch with Jake and his parents
*more studying
*phone calls catching up with Erin and Jenny
*trying a new wine
*knitting
*cleaning
*more studying
*updating my resume
*applying for a new job
*updating my blog

and finally,

MORE studying!

Unfortunately, there were no pictures taken of any of the above activities this weekend. Sorry for the lack of visual aids on this post.

Hope everyone's weekend was great, and here's to a great week ahead of studying!

Resumes

I just finished updating my resume, and I have to tell you - writing an objective for a resume is one of the hardest things ever to do. I mean, really - everyone's objective could read "To obtain a position which maximizes my happiness and financial situation while minimizing my work load." Anything other than that is just fluff.

Run, run, run, run, run!

Today, Jake, Dusty, and I all registered online for the Flying Saucer 5k! It's a done deal. Based on my poll, those who said to run the race definitely outnumbered the one who voted to head straight for the beach. Thanks to everyone who voted!

Anyone want to join us?

And awaaaay she gooooes!

I ran a mile last night!

It has been a looooong time since I've done that. Well on my way to running a 5k next month.

Oh yeah... Jake did it, too.

Study, study, study

Yesterday, I finally scheduled myself to take my first part of the CPA exam - Business Environment & Concepts (BEC). I signed up for Monday, August 17th at noon. I wanted to do it on a Monday so that I can study the entire weekend leading up to it, and I had the options of 8am, 11am, and noon that day. No brainer, right? Anyway, I had thought of scheduling it on the 24th or 31st of August to give myself a couple more weeks (since I can't take it in September), but Jake and his parents have invited me to the beach for a week from August 22nd - 29th, which I am soooo excited about, so that pushed the exam up to the 17th. That gives me 5 weeks from yesterday to study for this darn test. I think I can do it, though! I have been dabbling with studying for it a little ever since I mailed in my application back in May, but now I am in complete study mode. And I will definitely be glad when I finish on the 17th to have the rest of that week to get packed and ready for my beach trip! Wish me luck!

101 Things To Do in 1001 Days

Inspired by my dearest Jake, and this website, the list I've developed and posted to the left is my attempt at the Day Zero Project, which is, according to the site, a unique meme that challenges and inspires you to set and complete realistic goals in life.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable, or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of effort on your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

I am going to begin my 1001 day countdown the same day as Jake, which will be July 1st, 2009, with the end date being March 28, 2012. My list still needs a little work, but I'll have it finalized by then!

Sunny Sunday

On Sunday, these white bodies of ours tried to get some sun for a little while... while Jake read and I studied for the CPA exam.

My Favorite Poem

My favorite poem is Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


I always feel like I have miles to go before I sleep. Every single day. I struggle to make myself get in bed at night. What are these things that I feel cannot wait til the next day, so that I may just get in bed and fall asleep? When I think about it, there is usually nothing that can't wait. At the end of the day, what I need to have gotten accomplished usually has gotten done. The things that keep me up later than I should be are things like checking email/facebook, reading blogs (tonight - it is actually writing this post for my own blog), watching tv shows online, catching up with friends over the phone, AIM, facebook, etc.

I know everyone feels like there are not enough hours in the day, but I really want to improve my time management skills so that I can get more done than just what needs to be done but still be able to get myself in bed at a reasonable hour with a clear head - without that feeling like I've been completely unproductive. I think this is what usually causes my feeling of dread on a Sunday evening for the week ahead. I always feel like my weekend was fun, but I could have done more! Maybe this week I will really take note of things I'd like to do each day that either get put off for whatever reason, or that get done in exchange for sleep time. That sounds like a good first step.

Here is a link I just found by googling "getting more done".....
So once I make note of the things I want to be able to do... I can make a list and follow the subsequent steps in that article.

I am kind of amused right now because my boyfriend, Jake, is always making lists... and last week, his idea was to start making lists for each other. I could do a whole post on those alone (and maybe I will later), but anyway, one of the things on his list for last week was to read 50 pages in the book of his choice from this list. Reading those books is something he's been wanting to do, but since he isn't a huge fan of reading, he hadn't gotten around to it until it was on his list. So, what book did he choose out of the 95 on the list? Getting Things Done by David Allen. So, Jake, hopefully this post of mine has made you proud.... =)

And everyone: What things do you feel you want to do but don't have/make enough time for?