September Goal Updates

So clearly my goal for October should be that I PUBLISH OCTOBER’S POST IN OCTOBER. Anywho…on with the show!

Be More Organized

Something happened during September that made me puff up like a proud bird. One of PDFMU’s Super Important People saw my planner and all my notes and highlighting and was like “OMG you MUST teach me your system!!”. So I got to sit down and tell this Super Important Person all about how I make my to do lists and how I stay organized. Pretty neat, huh?

I also re-did the binders in my office. When I started working, I created all these awesome binders to help me keep track of my staff members and duty logs and all that other fun stuff. Well, part way through the year, I stopped using them. They weren’t working for me. During a rare minute of free time (meaning a meeting that a student didn’t show up for) I completely cleaned them out and put new tabs in them based on the things I keep track of. Much better.

Read More

Shortly after last month’s post, I marched down to the library with my Kindle and found out how I could read library books on it. Which means I’ve been reading more. I’ve tried to make it a routine to read before going to bed, but in honor of One Tree Hill’s 10th anniversary, I decided to re-watch the entire series, which unfortunately has been happening before bed. But really, I need to get my act together and watch TV while I’m cleaning and doing dishes and read while I’m in bed.

Schedule More Me Time

If you missed out on my return from the abyss, I’ll fill you in on the state of my me time: it doesn’t exist. I am doing work stuff outside of work hours and that’s not okay. I’m not the only one doing it, my whole office is and we’re all about to burn out. So what am I going to do differently for October? Well, I already have some time off scheduled for a big vacation. I even added a day on each end of the vacation itself for packing and unpacking. I’m also going to calm it down with the emails. If I don’t get around to it before I leave my office for the day, I’m not going to go home and do it that night. This is student affairs, urgent things come up all the time – even at night – so I’m sure a delayed email here or there won’t be the end of the world.

Keep In Touch

In September, I had the luxury of returning to my hometown TWICE. The second time, I left my laptop in my office so I COULDN’T do work from home. Granted, the second time I was also home less than twenty four hours. I got to catch up with a few of my home friends on both trips, which was nice.

Since Rachel lives closer, I’ve been chatting on the phone more with her. I might be visiting her on Sunday! Not sure yet though…I have gone back to her apartment one other time as well for a visit in which we celebrated the return of pumpkin EVERYTHING to the supermarkets.

Be A Grown Up

What are some grown up things I did in September? I bought a bridesmaid dress. I renewed my insurance. I willingly went to sleep and woke up early.

Actually, one thing that’s been making me feel more grown up is that I’ve missed ALL of Undergrad U’s events so far this semester. Like, I was never the type to return for EVERYLITTLETHING but I’ve missed some major ones for my sorority. Yes, this has happened before, but I’ve always felt terrible about it…not so much missing the event, but not being able to see my friends that were still students. Now, I look at sorority pictures and I’m like, “Wow, I know NOBODY.” Instead, I’ve been making plans to see sorority sisters at other events and other locations.

I know last month I was hoping for a more productive month…this month I’m hoping for a much calmer month!

August Goal Updates

Ugh…do I even HAVE to do one for August? Everybody in Student Affairs knows that ResLifers don’t get an August. We have July and then September and in between is this weird black hole time warp called RA Training and Opening. August is no place for goals.

Be More Organized

My apartment looks like a disaster zone. So does my car. But you know what DOES look organized? My office. My boss made a deal with us “grown ups” that we didn’t have to be at every single training presentation – as long as we were in the office working on things. I definitely had things to work on, but I also used some of that time to clean my office. I’m glad I did it before the year started!!

I managed to get my blog back on track and it looks like I’m about to have my most successful month EVER. If I find myself with a bit of free times, I write posts or post ideas on my iPad. When I have a larger chunk of time, I edit and schedule posts. Sometimes this means I’m working on posts MONTHS before they go up. It also means starting this post halfway through the month…

And of course, now I’m posting this in basically mid-September, so surprise surprise, my posting when COMPLETELY off track again. I’ll blame the freshmen. Always blame the freshmen.

Read More

I have not read a book this month. You know what I have read? Emails. Lots of emails. Emails from RAs. Emails from residents. Emails from parents. That counts, OKAY?

Schedule More Me Time

I don’t even know what this is at the moment. Like, I’m beyond excited when I get back to my apartment before 9 pm.

Keep In Touch

I have several friends with birthdays in August and I tried my best to get them all hand written cards in time for their birthdays. Some of them wound up with hand written emails instead. Sorry.

Even with the madness, I did get a few visits in! Right before the madness started, I made sure to visit Rachel and see her new apartment. It has a balcony. I’m jealous. Rachel also made her way over to my apartment and another one of our friends from home was with her!! I only had about twelve hours to spend with them, but we had a super girly sleepover and went to a twenty four hour diner…it was like being back in high school again!

Be A Grown Up

Earlier this month I went to the mall with a friend. We were in Victoria’s Secret and we wandered over to the Pink side. We both stopped, looked around, and realized that we were too old to wear most of the things we saw on that side.

I can’t.

Another instance of feeling grown up OLD was when Rachael and Elizabeth came to visit…we had this LOVELY idea to go to a bar and dance cause that’s what people our age do, right? But after one drink I was EXHAUSTED. I was also hungry and I’m not a fun person to be around when hungry. So that’s where the diner and sleepover came in.

Okay, so since I always associate being “grown up” with being “old”, I have another one! I’ve been commuting. But Author, doesn’t everybody like HATE commuting? Nope! See, us student affairs professionals have to live ON CAMPUS. We don’t get to leave work. Before RA training started, I made it a point to get in my car at the end of the work day and DRIVE SOMEWHERE. Well, not just randomly drive around but to one friend or another friend’s house. There was even a few Wine Wednesdays where I’d sleepover a friend’s house and drive to work in the morning! I actually like being in my car…can’t answer emails, can’t worry about work stuff. I just get to drive and sing along to Disney songs in the car.

Here’s to September being a much more productive month!

June Goal Updates

This month has been the complete opposite of May! One day it was June first and the next the month was half over! Come on, summer, hang around a bit longer…

Be More Organized

Lately, I’ve been letting things slide. I’m in the middle of working on a ton of crafts for the upcoming Birthday Season and there are paints and brushes and half-finished things everywhere. Also, there’s a growing pile of dirty laundry in my bathroom. It should be in the hamper. But at the end of the day, I’m just so tired that I want to crawl into bed and do nothing more. I need to take ten minutes before bedtime and just use that time to straighten up a bit.

Also, I need to clean out my closet again. I went a little overboard during my shopping trip earlier this month and it’s getting to the point where it’s hard to move things around in there. In my current apartment, I’m blessed with closest space and I’ve come to the realization that I’m screwed when I move somewhere else. My first year at Grad School State, I had this huge apartment all to myself but I only brought what could fit in my car. I wound up spending the year buying things to fill the space…only to move to a much smaller apartment the following year. I think I’m doing that but with clothes.

I have a real fear of being a hoarder later in life because I have such a hard time parting with things. Like, seriously, I’m just one traumatic event from winding up on TLC. In my mind, the more I force myself to clean and part ways with junk, the easier it will become.

Read More

I know that when it rains, people say that it’s the perfect time to cuddle up with a good book. It doesn’t work that way for me. When it rains, I want to cuddle up with Netflix. And it rained A LOT this month. It didn’t help that season four of Arrested Development was released Memorial Day weekend…I had a lot of TV watching to do!

The thing is, I’d much rather read outside! If I’m inside, I could be playing video games, watching TLC, or maybe even cleaning my apartment. Outside, there’s only so many times I can refresh Instagram. I bought a Nook a few years ago for the sole purpose of reading outside, but unfortunately it broke. I do have an iPad with a Nook app, but with the glossy screen it is kind of difficult to read outside.

The books that I have been reading (unfortunately haven’t finished any yet) have been a lot of the novels I loved when I was in middle school. Basically, I raided my own book collection at my parents’ house. Also, The Baby Sitters Club TV show is now on Netflix. I never saw the show as a kid, but I was OBSESSED with the books. I’ll save that for my next rainy day!

Schedule More Me Time

At some point I realized that I had a lot of time off stored up. I guess it’s because I haven’t taken a major vacation – just a few days here and there. PDFM U has a “if you don’t use it, you lose it” policy about vacation time, so I decided to take some time off when my friends came to visit for the Lilly sale.

I also want to take some time off before RA training starts. Once the RAs arrive, we go all day every day until after move in. It’s rough. My friends from Undergrad U have been trying to plan a trip (see below) and some of my friends that I’ve made here have talked about doing a long weekend at the beach.

Keep In Touch

Just like I don’t like reading indoors, I don’t like talking on the phone indoors. My mom used to yell at me growing up for pacing around the house while talking on the phone. Apparently my walking drove her crazy. Why couldn’t I sit still and talk on the phone? It was a good day for both of us when my dad brought home a cordless phone that I could use in the backyard. Anywho! On the days it hasn’t been raining, I’ve been heading outside to chat with my friends while walking around the block. I figure it kills two birds with one stone – exercise and communication.

As I mentioned earlier, my friends are attempting to plan a vacation for next month. Normally, the girls do the bulk of the planning and the guys just show up, but for some reason this year the guys decided to take control. That’s cool…except the weekend we blocked off is two weeks away and we don’t even have a location. Oof. I’m sure they’ll pull it off…and I’m really excited for it. Even if it means we’re just hanging in somebody’s basement for the weekend.

I recently went to visit one of my friends from Grad School State who accepted a new position and will be heading out west this weekend. We arranged to have brunch at a little place in between the cities we currently live in and then did some shopping. I’m sad to see her go, but super excited for the next chapter in her life!

Be a Grown Up

I wrote a whole post earlier this month on the idea of feeling like a grown up and how I usually associated it with negative things. Just the other day I remembered another time I felt like a grown up. My second year at Undergrad U, my friends and I held a cook out. People brought different dishes and we had appetizers and stuff on the grill and desserts. It felt like all the cook outs I had been to with my family growing up. There was definitely drinking at this cookout, but I don’t remember anybody getting wasted or playing any drinking games. It was a classy affair.

Earlier this month I went to another cook out. There were drinking games at this one, which was fine by me. I’m starting to realize you just have to re-frame what’s “fun” as a grown up. I look forward to putting events with friends on the calendar, even if they aren’t “parties”.

And in the more boring aspect of grown up life, I’m still paying off those student loans. I’m constantly looking for “better” ways to pay them back. Author, wouldn’t that just be paying more?  Well, yes, but that’s not what I meant. I’m paying much more than my minimum payment and it’s about as much as I can pay per month without resorting to eating ramen noodles for every meal. BUT I am researching things about consolidation and which loans I should try to pay back first. I know absolutely nothing about student loans. I just signed away! Maybe high schools should offer a “College Prep” class that teaches you about financial aid and loans and all that jazz.

I’m also still afraid of the dentist. Next month I tell myself, next month.

May Goal Updates

Every other month, I’ve started with some comment about how short the month felt. This month felt like it DRAGGED on. I think that’s because it was so segmented. Classes! Finals Week! Graduation Week! Break! Summer Classes! Seriously. Is May over yet?

Be More Organized

I decided to rearrange my entire apartment. I was hoping that it would involve more throwing away and donating things…but in the end I only brought two giant trash bags of stuff to Goodwill. I can’t tell you how much I threw away because I just carried it to the dumpster as I went. I did NOT want to put it in a pile and then later try to justify keeping something.

I also added more things to my calendars. Yes, I still have multiple. I created a calendar for next school year that I just printed using some boring Microsoft template. Lilly Pulitzer just announced that they are taking pre-orders their 2013 – 2014 agendas…tempting. BUT. I really love my Russell and Hazel planner and I’ve been checking their site on a weekly basis to see if they have 2014 stuff out yet. So far? Nope. GET WITH IT PEOPLE, SOME OF US STILL OPERATE ON AN ACADEMIC CALENDAR. (Or are super-organized Type As. Or both!)

Read More

I finally finished a book I have been reading here and there for MONTHS. Unfortunately, I am not motivated enough to write a book review entry on it. I couldn’t really get into it at the beginning and then silly impatient me went and read the plot summary on Wikipedia, so I spoiled the ending for myself. Oops. I’ve also been reading “The Great Gatsby” this month. I used to read all the time, but this was back before the days of SVU marathons.

I did buy someone “Girls in White Dresses” as a graduation gift. That was one book I had no problem whipping through and I want to try and read it once a year. It sounds silly, but I think the book will mean different things to me as I get older. I also got another special person some books on travel for a graduation gift. Maybe I will convince everybody else that reading is cool and then I will start doing more of it myself!

Schedule More Me Time

I’ve realized that whenever I do “me time” stuff, it’s never scheduled, it’s always on a whim. Oh, I’m not on duty but I’m in the area? Let’s go to the mall! Oh, I need to go to the grocery store and I happen to be wearing sandals and there’s a nail salon? Pedicure time! So, I’m total crap at scheduling me time. I keep saying I need to take advantage of living near a massage therapy school, but I’ve been here a year and still haven’t done so.

Keep In Touch

One unique way I’ve managed to keep in touch with some friends is by helping them with their resumes. Even though we don’t actually see each other in person, I get to communicate with them via email AND find out about what they’re doing now and where they want to go next.

I’ve also been keeping in touch with some sorority sisters because we’re planning our trip. I honestly have to limit how much time I spend on the Disney website because I get too excited.

The biggest thing I did this month was head to UU for Alumni Weekend. It’s like Homecoming, minus the football. One of my friends owns a house about ten minutes from UU, so a bunch of us crashed there. We had a huge barbecue and a camp fire. It was wonderful. We’ve been joking about going on a cruise in a few years to celebrate being out of college for ten years. I hope we actually follow through with that!

Be A Grown Up

My least favorite category. I swear. Well, I still need to pay those doctor’s bills. In fact, I actually need to FIND those doctor’s bills. Oops. I should also probably go to the dentist (and create more bills). But. I have this strange fear of the dentist. So, I’ll put that one off… And last but not least – the dining hall is closed for the summer so I think I’m going to need to re-work my budget to make up for that!

2013 Goal Updates – April

Be More Organized

I think I need to use my calendar more. I know I’m already a calendar/planner FREAK, but this past month I managed to fall behind on some projects. Not cool. However, I did have this random day where I went on a cleaning spree and completely re-organized one closet AND found items to donate. I’m actually really eager for students to leave so I have time to really tackle my office.

Read More

I think the only reading I have done this month is my inbox which always seems to be bursting at the seams with new messages. Seriously. If I have fifteen free minutes at work, I go through and sort my emails only for five more to come rolling in. The end of the year is approaching FAST and my students are getting antsy. “There’s a vacant space in my room for next year, are you going to assign someone to it?” (Yes.) “Can I leave my things in my apartment for the summer?” (No.) “Is it too late to apply to be an RA for next year?” (Dies.) I’d like to say I plan on doing more reading next month…but the new season of Arrested Development is getting posted on Netflix at the end of the month…so honestly, I might spend a good chunk of time re-watching seasons one, two, and three. Oops. I’m not even sorry.

Schedule More Me Time

About that…While I definitely set aside some time for non-work-related things, they were also things that NEEDED to get done. I want to do things like spoil myself with a pedicure or a massage but those things cost MONEY and I really haven’t had that much lately. Maybe I’ll do those things after the students move out to reward myself for surviving year one.

Keep In Touch

This month I did manage to travel and see some friends! I took one trip to Grad School State and another trip home. When I was home, I had dinner with my (recently engaged!) best friend. After dinner, we chatted about her wedding…she’s done so much planning! She has a date, a venue, colors, a dress…she just needs bridesmaids…and that’s where I come in! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have my first bridesmaid gig. Now let’s just hope I don’t become that chick from “27 Dresses” any time soon…

Be a Grown Up

The most grown up thing I did this month was pay my taxes. A whopping $45. Woooo. I also paid one doctor’s bill and I need to pay another. Actually! I’m planning a big vacation, but I think I’m going to do a separate post about that. It seems kind of grown up. Other than those things (notice they all require money), I’ve felt like a frustrated toddler this month. Ugh.

Hopefully my life will get back on track next month. Just as I get this school year routine down, it’s back to summer. Sigh.

2013 Goal Updates – March

The downfall of me planning most of my posts ahead of time is that I start writing my “Goal Updates” post mid-month but really can’t do much since I can’t tell you all about things that haven’t yet. Then I forget about it until…oh…the day I intended on posting it. Sigh.

Be More Organized

Well, nothing says “We like you and want to keep you” quite like giving you a ton more responsibility, right? After spring break, I returned to this HUGE stack of mail in my inbox with all these new tasks that are assigned to me. I spent a week staring at the papers before deciding that I needed to come up with a system for them first. So far, so good.

I did a major spring cleaning of my bathroom. I know earlier this year I completely reorganized it, but for this cleaning I actually scrubbed the tub, sink, and toilet, I mopped the floor, shook out the rug…it’s all nice and shiny in there now!

I may very soon have a major change in my living arrangements (and that’s all I’ll say about it for now!) but because of that I am planning some rearranging. Unfortunately I think that might require taking some furniture apart because I’m pretty sure it won’t fit through my door.

Read More

I went on a trip earlier this month and downloaded a TON of samples on my Nook. I get a little mad when a sample has only 17 pages…with most of them being acknowledgements, chapter listings, etc. I did actually buy one of the books – “Sorority Sisters” by Claudia Welch. I enjoyed reading it and I think it’s something any female reader with a close group of friends can understand…not just those in a sorority. The one thing that stinks is books are EXPENSIVE. I think I’m either going to have to go back to Goodwill to look for books or try and find a library.

Schedule More Me Time

You know you’re getting to a point where your work life and your personal life are so entwined that you’re inviting your friends to college events for a night out. I have found other things to keep me busy in my new city, but work has been so busy with late night events that I haven’t really had much me time…good thing I enjoy work! I also seem to finally have a group of friends. Some have “normal” 9 to 5 jobs, others have crazy retail hours, and then there’s me. Ha!

Keep in Touch

This month has been soooo busy! I’ve traveled twice this month and I have one more trip coming up this weekend. Even though I didn’t travel to see my friends, I wound up being in touch with them more than a normal month because they’d comment on my Facebook pictures and we’d wind up chatting all night about where I was and what I was doing. I also did get to see my Big which was wonderful. She hasn’t visited me in my new city yet so hopefully we will find time for that in the next few months. It’s difficult because I don’t plan my weekends until I know what weekends I’m on call.

Be a Grown Up

I rented a car for the second time in my life. That seems like a grown up thing to do. I also found all the documents in order to do my taxes, but I still haven’t done them. Of course, that’s all negated by the fact I was pouty about not day drinking on St. Paddy’s. Oops.

In April, I plan on finishing a book that I haven’t read in forever and finishing a major non-work related project. Woo!

2013 Goal Updates – February

Another month (already?!), another update on my goals. February was a short and very busy month for me. When I set out to write this post, I thought I was going to have to say how February was the month that I lost it, but I guess there’s always March for that.

Be More Organized

Shortly after I started working here, I bought myself a new planner but it was only this month that I finally started using it. I also did manage to go through some of my clothes! I invited a friend over and we went through my closet. I needed someone with me so they could talk me out of keeping things that I never wore or didn’t fit properly (read: everything that I still own from high school). There’s still a bag in my room that needs to get donated and I need to do it soon before I start digging things out from it!

Read More

This month, I managed to read two books. The first was “Total Frat Move” by W.R. Bolen. And yes, that is the same Total Frat Move as the website. The book was everything you’d expect it to be after visiting the site. Keep your friends close and enemies closer, right? Actually, some of the stories reminded me of the madness that was Undergrad U. The other book was “Girls in White Dresses” by Jennifer Close. I definitely plan on writing about this one. I’ve recommended it to all my friends and everybody has loved it! The book follows a group of friends for ten years after graduation. The stories seemed so familiar, as if the author wrote about me and my friends.

Schedule More Me Time

While February was the month of the infamous 100 Hour Work Week, I still managed to find some time to have fun. I went to some sporting events with friends and even planned a dinner! Also, I did take a day off to make up for the week from hell. I used the day to do things around the house and run errands which doesn’t sound fun, but it was stuff I had been putting off because of work.

Keep in Touch

I feel like I did a better job keeping up with people this month. I chatted with some friends from high school and even managed to see them during a visit to my parents. I also got to catch up with one of my closest friends from Undergrad U…unfortunately it was not for a good reason. Her boyfriend moved out (and in with another woman) AND she lost her job all within a two week span. She was pretty miserable at first, but she seems to be seeing the positive in all this now. I was going to try to visit her but then some little fish winter storm ruined those plans.

Be a Grown Up

This month I managed to find a doctor that is on my insurance plan and made an appointment all on my own. I feel so proud of myself. I still need to go to the dentist, but that is a scary, scary place. My big grown up challenge is going to be in March when I do taxes!

2013 Goal Updates – January

So back at the not-so-beginning of the month, I posted some goals for 2013. I know most people are pretty good at sticking to their resolutions for at least the first month, but I usually never even made it that far. This makes me rather proud of the things that I have done so far.

Be More Organized

While I haven’t gone through my clothes yes (ugh, dreading that task), I did make some major progress on the kitchen and the bathroom. I completely reorganized my kitchen cabinets. I know that sounds unnecessary, but I was sick of climbing my counter to reach things I actually use while having things I haven’t touched in months fall into a sink full of dirty dishes. Unfortunately during this process, I found duplicates of things like spices and canned food. A similar thing happened when I cleaned out my bathroom closet. I found extras of conditioner, deodorant, and other toiletries. I have WAYYY too many travel sized lotions. I also bought new storage bins for the bathroom closet so all those small bottles would have a place to live.

Read More

I did say that I wanted to do a book a month and I stuck to that. Unfortunately it means that I’ve only read one book this month – “The Carrie Diaries” by Candace Bushnell. The a TV series based on this book (and its sequel that I just discovered the existence of) recently started, taking the place of my Monday night fave, Gossip Girl. Keep an eye out for an entry about that. For next month, I plan on finishing two books that I started reading last summer. Not making any promises though – February’s a short month!

Schedule More Me Time

I took an entire weekend to clean my apartment and organize the bathroom and kitchen. Unfortunately, I have not been taking this approach with work and I’ve actually fallen behind on some projects.

Keep In Touch

I’ve officially made savings accounts for two of the trips I want to take this year. I mentioned my big trip to Disney for later in the year, but I’ve also planned some smaller trips as well. I did get to see one of my out-of-town friends at the beginning of the month and we are making plans for me to visit her after I survive formal recruitment. Another friend posted that her travels next month are going to take her pretty close to the city I live in, so I’m trying to make plans with her.

Be a Grown Up

Well, I registered my car. That meant I needed to also purchase insurance and get it inspected. Such grown up things. I mentioned earlier that I started more savings accounts and I am really trying to watch my budget.

Have you stuck to any resolutions or goals you’ve set?