Calling All Nerds, Do You Get It?

Saw this posted today, and after remembering my high school math courses, I literally laughed out loud. Over the weekend I heard that Bill would be coming to Dodge to put on his comedian show, so I decided to look into it because one of my Bucket List items is see a comedian live. Hoooweeeverrrr... the LOWEST price for tickets was $134 EACH!  And went well above $300.... WHOA! Needless to say, I will be looking for a different comedian, for sure!

Little bit of happiness: Today I heard from my closest guy friend I had during high school and college. Hadn't heard from him in a while, and it was great to catch up... I've missed talking to him and I'm glad things are going well for him and his daughter.

Daily quote: Forget what hurt you in the past. But never forget what it taught you. 

 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra

My Books of... Everything

I like to write things down and checklists are my best friend. However, when I make lists and notes I tend to lose them because they are seperate pieces of paper. That's why to help me through the three.six.five. project I have made 4 books that I always keep with me.

Book of Readings: notes from the non-fiction books that I read, helpful hints for life

Book of Lists: all my lists in one place, many of which are guidelines for this project

Book of Quotes: inspirational, funny, and moving quotes that I select from for daily quotes

Book of Photos: list of the photos I take throughout the week to keep track of the order

PHOTOS OF WEEK ONE:

Every Sunday I will be uploading photos of the week before. Part of my three.six.five Bucket List is to take 365 pictures... one everyday! I was really hoping to put them in a Photo of the Day Photo Album from Urban Outfitters, but they recently sold out. I am hoping that they will restock, so I am constantly checking back! Anyways... I am excited about this because my mom has let me borrowed her old camera and the quality is amazing. If you notice, I don't like to be in many pictures myself... that would be why these pictures are of things that bring me happiness.

January 1st: Set up my new Scentsy Warmers! Not only does my house smell amazing, but it's fleur-de-lis too... love, love, love!!

January 2nd: I took my Christmas decor down before Valentine's Day this year! Yes, that's right. Kind of a bummer though since I love how it looks!

January 3rd: Poor Emerald, she doesn't like her picture taken. Come on, mom.

January 4th: The misspelled shirt that I was wearing around without knowing it was wrong. Nice.

January 5th: Since we got to go to break early I did not get my student gifts done... so I finished them in the New Year!

January 6th: For the Cotton Bowl game with my Wildcats I made Fried Mac and Cheese Balls... guarenteed to clog your arteries!

January 7th: I spent the day cleaning, Emmie spent the day like this. Must be rough!

Little bit of happiness: Today I played Miss Figure-It-Out... I had to reload all my practice tests for state assessments, figure out how to upload photos, and try to get some other technology stuff for work figured out. I can do it!

Daily quote: Life is like photography. You use the negatives to develop. 

 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra

Change is Good...

People can change for the better. Time changes for the better. And I hope this year changes me for the better.

I'm thinking that change is so good that even my guidelines, lists, and goals for this project should be allowed to change. Okay, well maybe I just want a little flexiblity to make things better.

The first thing I will be changing is some of the books on my Variety Book Challenge. I know, big deal, so what, they are just books!  But to me it is important, because books are a big part of who I am. I'm a book nerd, buying them helps me relieve stress, and it is just an outlet that I have always enjoyed. So I read some the reviews I had put on the list and the readers just ripped them apart. Really, I shouldn't be surprised because they were novels by the Kardashian Sisters and Tyra Banks, haha. So instead of wasting time trying to push myself through horrible books, I put better ones in there place. So excited about this Book Challenge, I've already finished 3 since the year started! Only 108 or so to go, oooh dear!!

Little bit of happiness: I spent the day cleaning off and on, while my dog just lazed about like she normally does. She has found this spot in my bed where she sinks in... I walked into my room and she is sunken so far in the covers that all that it sticking up is her nose. I let out a little laugh, she opened her eyes and looked at me like I was annoying her and went right back to sleep. Once again, simple things.

Daily quote: All great changes are preceded by chaos. 

 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra

Month by Month

The first "area of life" that I have selected for January is Energy. Every month I will have a new area, with new goals, and tasks. I am going to focus on the things that I hold the most important to me. I have made a list of the other ideas, but still none of it is finalized.

Family

Friends

Work

Money

Home

Relax

Volunteer

Play

Technology

Creativity

Nature (definitely not sure about that one)

I got most of these ideas from the Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben and the parts of life that she chose. The last month of the year is the Book Camp Project which is a challenge where you do all of your goals at the same time. This year is going to hold some great things!

Little bit of happiness: Even though K-State didn't win today, it was a lot of fun watching the game and giving doubters a hard time! This was my onery-ness at school, #3 is probability, of course:

Daily quote: Work hard. Have fun. No drama. 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra

Clean Up, Clean Up...

Life is much less stressful when you don't have a dirty house to come home to. But I'm not going to lie, I hate cleaning and I tend to procrastinate when there is something I don't want to do. Therefore cleaning by far gets put on the backburner until I need to spend an entire day cleaning. Gross. So one of my ideas to help get my house cleaner and less stressful on me was to create a rotating cleaning schedule. It covers two weeks and there is also monthly tasks to get done. I am going to make a nice, laminated chart to put on my refrigerator and keep track every day. Hopefully doing one little task weekday will help me out and it starts next Monday!

Monday: Floors
Tuesday: Dust

Wednesday: Towels and Trash

Thursday: Kitchen

Friday: Couches

Monday: Dog

Tuesday: Glass

Wednesday: Bedding and Trash

Thursday: Bathroom

Friday: Catch-up Day

Monthly: Car, fridge, comforter, base boards, windows, yard

I also signed up to recieve weekly e-mails from Home Storage Solution 101. They have a 52 week home organization and cleaning challenge. Each week they send a task and many helpful hints. I'm thinking this will be great for me! I am starting this next week so I will have 2 weeks in one, but they are both in the kitchen so it won't be that bad.

I also need to get started on cleaning out closets and getting rid of the clutter! I'm looking forward to a little less baggage, but I know it is going to take A LOT of work! Here goes nothing.

Little bit of happiness: One of my students came in this morning so extremely excited to have me try his deer sausage. It was very uplifting to see how much joy that little guy had, and so early in the morning! Great reminder about the little things bringing you so much happiness. And yes, the deer sausage was AMAZING!!

Daily quote: If you're always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you're in? Enjoy the ride. 

 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra

three.six.five Bucket List

Instead of doing a whole life Bucket List, or things you want to do "before you kick the bucket," I'm going to be doing a list for the year. These are big and little things that I want to accomplish throughout the year. I have 52 things on my list, with the idea that maybe I can average one goal per week. We shall see... In no particular order:

1. 365 days of pictures
2. finish knit blanket
3. 1,000 piece puzzle
4. Mexico scrapbook
5. pay credit cards
6. lose at least 30 pounds
7. foster care license
8. how-to-class
9. make a cake
10. send in a postcard to Post Secret
11. handwrite a letter
12. learn a whole song on the piano
13. see a sunset and sunrise in 24 hours
14. do something out of character
15. go to a concert
16. donate
17. build something
18. comedian
19. finish ESL endorsement
20. start Masters
21. join a book club
22. play in Women's League
23. 2 mile run
24. 5 houses of worship
25. learn to crochet
26. volunteer time
27. recycle
28. dog park
29. publish something
30. cook a whole new meal
31. write a poem
32. turn trash into treasure
33. bonfire
34. build a sand castle
35. go on a picnic
36. fly a kite
37. vote
38. photobooth
39. sidewalk chalk
40. drive-in movie
41. musical
42. Twitter
43. classroom newsletter
44. recipe book
45. museum
46. plant something
47. influence change
48. work conference
49. Variety Book Challenge
50. martial arts class
51. Disney marathon
52. pamper self

Little bit of happiness: I'm not going to lie, I have a lot of blonde moments. Apparently everyone else got them memo about the new t-shirts coming in with Spearville spelled wrong, with 3 L's. I've been wearing that thing, and would have kept wearing it if they would have not dropped off new t-shirts. Wonder if anyone noticed?

Daily quote: Whoever is happy will make others happy too. - Anne Frank

 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra

Secrets of Adulthood

Another idea from Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, the secrets of adulthood are little lessons that one learns while growing up. Some are serious, some are funny, and some are those obvious things that you don't bother to think twice about. This list was a lot of fun to put together, so here goes MY Secrets of Adulthoods...

Kids are more forgiving that adults will ever be.

You can't live beyond your means... without guilt.

It's okay to ask for help.

If you're tall, one of your purposes in life is to help short people get something off the top shelf.

Simple things make you the most happy.

No dishwasher, no deal.

Don't be with someone you wouldn't want a daughter/son like.

Trashy shows fill the void of normail life.

Creativity gives bursts of happiness.

See the world before you can't.

Keep the receipt for big items.

Nail polish is a simple "girly fix."

Don't change yourself for someone else.

You can't hide double-stuffed oreos from your kids... or yourself.

"Baby Therapy" is the best kind of therapy.

Just because you like it, doesn't mean someone else does (and that's okay).

Don't do anything you wouldn't want to see in a newspaper.

The only thing that comes in the mail religiously is bills.

You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else.

Say no for sanity.

You can never have too much toilet paper stocked up.

Need to feel free? Go braless.

You can't please everyone, so stop trying.

Just because they make it in your size, doesn't mean you should wear it.

Time heals.

What's worse than finishing a book series, is having to wait for the next book to come out.

Little bit of happiness: First day back from break with my kids, always an interesting time. They definitely say some of the darndest things. One of my girls told me, "It was just saying READ ME, so I had to!" Made me smile, because she was a reluctant reader at the beginning of the year.

Daily quote: You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.

 

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra