Year of Goals

2016 is a fresh start to accomplish a years worth of goals. Some of the goals may be fun, others may be a necessity. I am a huge fan of to-do lists, I always have at least one list of something--whether it's for work or my personal life. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list (to-do list) of goals  that I want to accomplish this year. I've had this post as a draft for a while and now that it is already a month into the year, I have already accomplished a few goals.

1. Book Trip to Europe-I've been debating booking a flight for months, constantly checking prices to see when they would drop & one day they did! I found a trip with a layover in the US and roundtrip was half of most of the other flights. When else do you have time as a young adult to travel to Europe with no responsibilities attached??? AND not have to pay for housing, cha ching!--ACCOMPLISHED!
2. Get Life Insurance-odd for someone my age isn't it? Medical reasoning behind it, but on the plus side, if you get life insurance while you're young, you are locked into a super low rate! Of course nothing can be that easy, so when my policy arrived in the mail it stated I was 10 years older than what I was, so the price was a lot higher, umm NOT okay, situation handled and is all fixed now--ACCOMPLISHED!
3. Pass Nursing Home Administrator Licensure Exam-the 2 most intimidating exams of my life that determines my career...please let this be as easy as college.
4. Get a Job as LNHA-providing that I pass ^^ I'd also like to add decent salary to this goal $$
5. Join a Young Professional Society-you're only a young professional once right?! might as well make the most of it. For those of you wondering most groups list young professionals as ages 22-45...not what I thought either. I have been debating between the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald Children's Home "Red Shoe Crew" or the Young Professional American Cancer Society Cincinnati Chapter. Those are two fun and important organizations that I would like to volunteer my time to give back to. I also want to join the American College of Healthcare Executives, but that is for career reasons. 
6. Become an Ohio Resident-this is something that I am dreading but it needs to be done. Not only do I have to get an OH drivers license, retake the written exam, then I need to transfer my title to OH, get car insurance in OH, get 2 car testings done and finally get OH plates. Who knew so much stuff was required to become an Ohio resident?
7. Renew Lease/Move-well when my property management approached me about renewing my lease I had not really thought about it, then I thought why not? I love living here, sure my place is tiny but it has become my "home". I am saving SO much money living here, especially for the sweet location I am in, so I renewed without thinking twice! Figured all the money I save in the next year would be the smarter decision--ACCOMPLISHED!
8. Budget Money-this is always going to be a work in progress but I think I have been doing very well this year. I have this intense Excel spreadsheet that I have been using to track all of my expenses and income. I also started saving all my receipts so I can enter them into my spreadsheet to see where my money is going to. Not only am I just tracking but I set limits for groceries, gas, etc. I've admittedly been driving to the ghetto to go grocery shopping because their Kroger is cheaper. Gotta do what you gotta do right?! I'd rather spend my money on traveling.
9. Become CEAL Certified-so you're probably wondering what a CEAL is...no, not a SEAL, it is a Certified Executive of Assisted Living. It is additional training and exam to get this additional certification. I think it would make me more marketable and a great career move. The building I work at now has assisted living and assisted living is becoming more and more prominent in the long-term care industry. Plus, I am a total nerd and will never want to stop learning.
10. Workout-LOL so typical right?! But I really do want to workout to be healthy. I know I am tiny and do not need to loose weight but the amount of food I can consume can be a bit concerning so for the sake of my arteries some working out would not hurt and I'd like to work on my arms...we'll see how that goes. 

'Tis the Season for Christmas Decor!

Although it is a balmy 66 degrees here in Cincinnati and feels nothing like winter...Christmas is only 2 weeks away! Despite my dwindling hopes for a white Christmas, I still have decorated my apartment for the season (I may or may not have had it decorated since before Thanksgiving). It was the first time I could actually decorate the way I wanted to, not having to deal with roommates decorations as well.

Since I have a small space, I kept it simple. I did not want to clutter the little space I have with tacky decorations. However, I did think it would be a great idea to get a 6 foot tree for my studio apartment....my first big tree! I hauled it home and realized that it wasn't my smartest decision, but I found space!

Everyone knows how much I love Christmas time, so these little festive add ons have really brought joy to me all month!!

Me, Myself & I

Getting older is scary....or maybe it just is for me. We go from living and growing up with our parents and siblings to college where you are always living with other people. Cohabitation is comfortable because it is what we are always use to. Thankfully Shelby had spent all summer living with me. In a panic that I was going to be alone, I considered the option of having Lily (who is litter box trained) stay with me to keep me busy. 

Now I chose to live on my own after college, thinking it would be awesome to have my own place, which it is. Shelby & I brought her down to Cincinnati for a week for a trial run to see how things would go. She did adjust pretty well. However, a pet is a lot of commitment. I began thinking about how she was going to be alone for 9 hours a day when Shelby went back to school and it made me feel bad. And in the future my career is only going to get even busier. I loved the idea of taking her on walks, especially since Cincinnati has some great parks! I thought it would be good to keep me active and not so lonely. Lily was able to continue using the litter box while she was here, but always peed on the tile when I was gone. I had also set up a webcam while I went to dinner one day to see if she barked while I was gone. She didn't bark, but she cried the whole 3 hours and jumped/scratched my door. Actually, ruining my apartment door. Not okay!

It was then that I started thinking about the commitment of having a pet. Yes, she would keep me company. Yes, she was that little bit of home that I needed. And yes, she was perfectly trained. However, I am at the age where I don't need or want to stay home all weekend. I want to enjoy my freedom, and I want to not feel guilty if I have to stay at work late or need to run an errand. I don't want to have to worry if I leave her alone for a night (no wonder they call us the "I want" generation). A pet in a way ties you down to a place. I wouldn't just be able to go get in the car and drive to visit Shelby or my friends for a weekend without having to find a sitter. Living alone will be hard, especially so far away from family. But I have realized that I need to accept living alone and not rely on someone or something else for entertainment. I had a really hard time accepting that she needed to go back home because I wanted it to work out so badly! Then I thought to myself, why did I want her here so much? To keep me busy was the only answer I could come up with. Dogs are expensive for one thing, and that is money that I could have going some more important. Not to mention, I cannot have her ruining my apartment that I spent so much time making nice.

Therefore, we now consider Lily's stay a mini vacation in Cincinnati! She went on a lot of walks and probably got more exercise than she ever had in her life. While I am going to miss her, she reminded me of how much of a clean freak I am when it comes to dog hair and odor smells... but most importantly she helped me realize that I need to be okay being alone. I believe this is an issue that many people have a hard time with. I think it is important for one to be able to be comfortable living on their own because it shows a sign of independence and maturity that others may not get to develop if they immediately move in with a significant other, parents, roommate etc. It's time for me to find some hobbies, enjoy my free time and live my life! 

Studio Apartment Tour!!

Here's a peak into my new apartment! The renovations turned out great! The location is perfect. I am so close to everything and I can walk to restaurants and bars! I want to give a big thank you to my dad for coming down to visit this week and hanging up all my shelves and picture frames. One day I will get the courage to try and drill things in the wall myself. I was surprised how well I hid all of my stuff. It took a lot of organizing, but everything fit. It is finally coming together and feeling homey, I love it!

Yes, I kept that dresser that I thought was so ugly...it actually works out perfectly as my TV stand. 

It was not too big and it stores a lot of clothes. I need all the extra storage that I can get!

My nice view of a brick wall....

My couch is actually a hide-away sofa bed! So if I have visitors over, they have a place to stay. 

(AKA, Shelby's bed for the last month)

I am so glad that they created an "island" for me with an over hang. My bar stools work perfectly

and  I was able to return the table that I got. My "pantry" is also stored in the cabinets underneath it.

Note that there is no dishwasher or microwave....that took some getting used to.

Thank god for these shelves that store all my extra stuff. 

Oh the struggles of no cabinet of drawer space.

My closet that holds a ton! It needs major organizing though! 

I am obsessed with the waterfall sink.

The headboard that I made myself!! 

Moving Time!

Let me start off by saying, I have no idea how my parents moved sooo many times...especially with children! It is exhausting! Most of my time these past 2 weeks have been consumed with moving stuff: setting up electricity, wifi, renters insurance, etc. I was a bit ambitious and went out to buy my own router and modem for my internet instead of paying monthly to rent TimeWarner's router/modem. The budget conscious side of me said it was a no brainer to save money in the long run, the tech savvy side of me is not sure if it will be a smart decision to set it up myself...so we will see how that turns out!

On a more fun note, I have been doing a lot of shopping! I can not stop raving about the store At Home. I am not sure if it is just local, or where the other locations are. It is about the size of Sam's Club but the inside of Home Goods with better organization, if you're following me. As you can tell by my cart, I hit the jackpot with pillows and some furniture. Speaking of furniture, I have not really bought much, except for a few little things. The stand in my cart is either going to be a nightstand or an end table for my "living room". I also bought a dresser from Goodwill and redid it, not really loving how it looks. The handles were indented in so I couldn't change the knobs so spray paint had to do. That dresser may be going in the closet where no one can see it. I Googled the brand of dresser and found out the bigger version of that antique was going for $4000 on Ebay, I should've just sold it!!! I found another little table which I may use as an entry console or a TV stand, but I have a feeling my TV may look funny on such a small table. It was in the damaged section of At Home so it was super cheap...and oddly, I could't find any damage (it will probably fall apart one day), so I repainted it and changed the knob. 

Funny story: so I ordered a couch to the house I am living at now, which is a duplex. I got home from work and saw a huge box on my porch, it looked a lot skinnier from the driveway. When I actually saw the box up close I had no idea what I was going to do, I just wanted to get it in the front door and leave it at the bottom of the stairs. The problem was, the box was about the size of the entire space at the bottom of the stairs. My struggle...how to shut the door. I had to shove the box half way up the stairs awkwardly in a dress with one arm/shoulder/thigh while the other arm tried to close the door behind me, not the mention that the stairs are much steeper than regular stairs. I might have forgotten to mention this was a 135lb box since I just had to order a couch with a sleep away sofa, so it really was a couch and a twin bed. Let's just say, after a few curse words, sweat and a miracle, it is finally shut. Proper lifting mechanics were thrown out the window, today my back is killing me! This must be what it is like to live alone, oh joy!

Honestly, the majority of packing I have saved for this weekend, so I have a fun weekend ahead of me. I don't know why I have been dragging my feet with it, I just hate living in this half packed house.  I have been driving past my apartment building like a stalker making sure the renovations are happening and I did see they were working in it. Last night I reached an all time low and almost got out of my care and peek in the windows, but I told myself how psycho I was and drove away. I will just have to be patient and believe the property manager when she said it will be done next week. She did schedule a meeting with me for next Wednesday to get the keys (so I am assuming it will be done on time!!), so I will be able to move in all my little stuff Wednesday. The movers are coming Thursday night to move the rest of my boxes and furniture. I am stressed, sad about leaving my current place, but most of all super excited to have a place of my own and start this new chapter of my life! Stay tuned for more updates once I am actually moved in!

$20 DIY Headboard

My bed now currently does not have a headboard. For the past year, making my own headboard has been in the back of my mind to do, however, I never actually got around to doing it. I have been taking large boxes home from work to use as packing boxes for moving and came across a super large heavy duty one. I thought it would be the perfect size for my headboard and I just got in the groove to complete it!

I have a full size bed, so first I drew my design on the cardboard with the correct dimensions. You can really do whatever design you would prefer. So many options!

I then used an X-ACTO knife to cut out the headboard. After that, I used batting from Joann Fabric to cover the cardboard and make it cushy. I wrapped the batting around the back and used a mini stapler to attach it. I doubled the batting to make it a bit thicker than just one layer.

I did the same thing with the fabric that I chose as I did with the batting. I picked a grey, jersey/stretchy type of material. When it rang up at the cash register it came up as jegging material. I would suggest a knit, jersey type material because it was easy to pull and stretch as well as it did not have any wrinkles. A thicker material would have been a lot more difficult to attach and give a tight appearance. I also noticed a lot of other fabrics in the store attracted a lot of lint/hair. I used my mini stapler to attach the fabric as well (too easy!!).

After that, it was done! It still looks a bit plain to me, so I may add some pearled push pins to give it a quilted appearance. The best part about this project, the price!
     -Batting on sale for 50% off: $7.99
     -Fabric on sale for 40% off: $14.00

There you have it! Super easy and cheap headboard! I don't know why I put it off for so long. I am super excited to put it in my new place!

Apartment Update

Yesterday I went to see my new apartment before renovations. Someone was currently storing their stuff in the apartment while his apartment is renovated. It made me quite worried hearing the property manager say they were running 2 months behind on construction, yet she promised me on our way out that mine would be ready by July 1st...so fingers crossed they kick it in the butt!

As you can see from the pictures (excuse the hideous couch) it is very small and outdated! Yes, I could've found a different place with more space, however, I wanted to live in the Hyde Park neighborhood, and well, that's the price you pay! I love a good project, and although I will not be the one doing the construction, I am determined to make this little space cute! Construction will be painting walls, polishing floors, gutting the kitchen to put in new black appliances, granite counters, cherry cabinets, new tile, new fixtures, completely new bathroom and wood blinds. I figure I would scare you guys with these pictures so you can see how pretty it, hopefully, will be afterwards!

Yikes right?! Since the kitchen is so small, I am worried a bit about storage space, since with the update I will have a fridge, dishwasher, stove and sink, there will not be much under the counter space or drawers. Any ideas, please comment! Thought it would be fun to have you all come along on this new journey into this disaster of an apartment with me.

On another note, I picked up my currency for Canada the other day. Can we just talk about how cool their money is?!

As you can see, I have a lot of organizing and packing still left to do before our trip. This vacation could not have come at a more perfect time. 2 more days!!!

Exciting Stuff

So many exciting events have or will be taking place over the next few months. Share in this joy with me!

1. Graduation! Hard to believe 4 years of college is already over. Graduation was bittersweet, although it was sad, I was ready for the next chapter in my life. Senioritis is a thing, and I majorly had it second semester. I joke that it feels like I am on vacation now because I have so much more free time and I love my job so I don' t dread going to work, I actually look forward to it. Not going to lie, I sometimes miss the busyness of homework, but maybe I'm just a nerd. I've been so busy since the semester has ended, that I don't think it will really hit me until later this year.     
   
2. Vacation! Next weekend, Shelby & I will be going to Toronto, Canada! Weird place to vacation, I know. However, I have never been out of the country before and it has always been something I've wanted to do, so baby steps! I will be blogging more about Toronto after our trip.  
3. Moving! July 1st I will be moving into my own apartment. First place by myself, first place I'm paying for by myself....yikes! Actually, I am super excited. The location is exactly where I wanted, unfortunately that meant I had to sacrifice space (Mom always said, you can't have everything you want). So a tiny little studio will be my new home! The management company is remodeling all of the apartments, so luckily mine will be brand new before I move in. I will be posting updates of my apartment and the move in process along the way! 
   
4. Summer! Although, I am a winter person at heart, Cincinnati has helped me learn to love summer. Summer in Cincinnati is wonderful! Festivals, farmer's markets, eating outside, parks, etc. I love it all, minus the humid 90 degree temps. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Job! July 1st is the start of my 9 month Administrator in Training (AIT) program. In order to obtain my Nursing Home Administrator License in the state of Ohio, I am required to complete a 9 month AIT after graduating. I will work side by side with the Nursing Home Administrator at the Retirement Community learning all aspects of the job. I am required to complete my AIT before taking my licensing exam, which I plan on taking next April. I am so thankful that it was approved to complete my AIT at my current place of employment. I love where I work now and I love all of the people I work with, so it makes going to work so much more enjoyable!