30 days of 30: Day 1

Well it happened, or maybe I should say 'happening' ...

Today, I turn 30, the big 3-0. I have been dreading it since I turned 25, but the day has finally arrived. I have big plans for my 30s and in a way actually looking forward to them, but also sad to say good by to my 20s. When I turned 20, I was in college, dating my first love, looking forward to 21, graduating from nursing school, and getting my first nursing job. The last 5 years have been pretty uneventful staying in the same job, living in the same house and having the same dog, and while I have had a great time at all of my friends weddings, it hasn't been my wedding, and while I have enjoyed welcoming each beautiful baby that they have had, it hasn't been my baby. I am hoping in the next 10 years I get to experience those things that so many of my friends have and much more!

In the next 30 days I hope to post everyday. A little bit of me, right now, as I turn thirty. What my life is like; my hopes, dreams and goals for this new time in my life, and reminissing and so as the first post...

Your Favorite Song

This is a hard topic as I am not much of a music person. A likes to point out just how much I don't know by asking me music trivia on long car rides and I mostly answer everything incorrectly, however, if I do get something right it is usually the 80s era. I thought I would choose something from this era, however as I was scrolling thorough my iPod, there was one song that I just couldn't look over, get out of my head and move on from. I am going to have to go with my mom on this one and say 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' as it has always been her favorite as well. I am currently loving this version right now. It immediatly takes me away to an island, and I start day dreaming, and if I really listen to the words it makes me cry. I think it is an appropriate song as I move into this new time in my life.



So Goodbye 20's, HELLO 30s!

Enjoy!

Babies! and lots of them...

I have been busy lately, very busy. Aside from working my normal 3+ 12 hour shifts I have attempting to do a little photography on the side. Last December my sister had her 2nd baby and I was excited to attempt my photography skills on a newborn! Since then, 2 good friends had beautiful babies and a couple of people from work. Here are the results:

Baby Z - my neice (13 days old)

Then came Baby J (7 days old)

and Baby B (12 days old)

and Baby M (4 days old)

and another Baby M - but a girl! (16 days old)

Can you smell the newborn-ness?

Then my neice went turned 6 months old and the other graduated Kindergarten (!!)

We had a little photoshoot with Regan,

and one of Zoey (6 months)...

and then one of my friends asked me to watch her little baby and I just couldn't help by have my way with her!

Baby A (3 months)

Phew, I'm exhausted, but I have loved every minute of it! They are so cute I could just eat them up!

two-cup kinda day

Today has been a two-cup kind of day. a typical Monday morning where nothing goes right and to top it off it is raininh. Normally I am at work on Mondays, this week I am off and I really don't know what to do with myself. I have a list of things to do today and would like to accomplish, but with the way things are going, I am getting frustrated.

I have so many baby things to make! So many people are having babies right now and I would really like to make something for each of them.

Two baby blankets like this. I have meade one before, (but didn't take pictures of it) and loved it! However, it takes FOREVER to complete all of those lines and my back really starts to hurt :(

My sister has asked for a crochet hat for my neice. I love the look of this one.

So vintage-ey and beautiful. She has also asked for binkey clips and bibs.

I would love to crochet a blanket for a friend who is due in April. She lives in Africa and I think something crochet would be perfect, light and airy, but enough to cover her and protect her from the chill.

And then there are some things that I just want to make, like those cute tutu's!

I have the supplies, just running out of energy. Maybe one day!

But for now ... where to begin?

List of Resolutions

I have never been much of a list person. I don't really get motivated by lists and checking things off of them. I do, however, love to do things under pressure. This is really what motivates me. I have a warped sense of how long things will actually take, therefore, leaving things until the last minute.

In 2011 I hope to do things differently. Less chaotic, less "fly by the seat of your pants." I have goals that I would like to accomplish or at least start. I usually make one "resolution" and for the past 4 years has been to loose weight. This past year I have lost 15 pounds from April to September and since September, just "watching what I eat," not so much trying to loose weight and have gaind 5 pounds :(

So here is my list for 2011

1. Loose 15 more pounds, hopefully more, but 15 would make me happy.

Last April my roommate and I joined a gym and went regularly 3 times a week and felt Great! In June we saw how much success her mother and aunt had on Weight Watchers and decided to do it unofficially keeping eachother accountable for what we ate. September we both had reached our goals and were happy. After our vacation we had a hard time getting back into the routine hoping to loose an additional 10 pounds before the end of the year and falling short.

So this year I am going to plan on going to the gym and use the membership I pay for at least 2 times per week and continue to eat healthy and stay within my points. We usually use recipes from here.

2. Be more organized in both work and home life.

I am the Pediatric Lead Nurse in a busy Emergency Department. I was promoted to this position last December and really have only taken on the schedule. I know that they want me to be part of more meetings and encorporate more educational oppertunities. I need to learn to how to balance the clinical with administrative time and not overwork myself. Hopefully getting the new Verizon iPhone and balancing my calanders will help. I just can't get over the paper calanders, I love hand written calanders!

At home, I want to keep my house clean so that the days that I am off, I am not constantly picking up and cleaning. I need to become better organized and have a place for all things. This will help me with other goals that I have like paying bills on time. This is a great website to use to help begin to get yourself organized. I love the look of well organized areas!

3. Pay off debt and manage money better, including paying bills ontime.

I did pay off my debt last year, and managed to get in debt again. My mother is great at managing money and saving, I did not get that great gene from her. I currently don't live on a budget nor do I balance my checking account on a monthly basis. I don't think if that were a resolution of mine that I would every be able to check that off my list, however managing my bills and paying them ontime is a real and a necessary possibility. I have a lot of things direct debited and this is great, I just need to come up with a way to manage this and know when everything is being debited. I plan to make an excell worksheet with due dates and dates when things are debited untill I have another plan.

4. Start Masters program for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

This gives me palpatations just thinking about it! I have so many unanswered questions, however, there are many changes happening and soon, and after 2015, you would have to have a Doctorate to practice, so I better start now and I will graduate in 2014 and hopefully pass my boards so I don't have to go back for my Doctorate (sigh). This is why managing my money and home is so important. I know that it takes a lot of effort and most people can't do it holding a full time career, but I have no other option and will continue as planned going to school part time and continue to work as the Lead Nurse.

5. Become a better photographer!

I have always been interested in Photography, taking 2 classes in high school and one in college. I got a DLSR last year for my birthday present and have enjoyed taking pictures in Brazil along with photographing special moments in my friends life and taking newborn photos of my neice. I would also like to learn Photoshop better as well. I just have to find the time to get out and shoot!

There are some clases that are held in the area. PennCamera offer some and hopefully in the spring I will enroll.

Well this is all for now. I feel good about these goals for the new year and hopefully this time next year I will be skinnier, more organized, richer, back in school with 1 semester under my belt, and a better photographer! I hope that listing this on my blog will keep me accountable for each goal and I will update monthly with my progress. This will also help me blog more which is on my list, just not the top 5. I enjoy reading them much more thatn writing them.

Until next time!