24 for 24.

Last year, I just posted a lot of things I wanted to do and to be frank, I didn't accomplish nearly as many as I had originally hoped. Mostly, it was for financial reasons. This year, I really want to have goals that promote me growing as a person and dare I say - growing up? Naturally, I included some fun things to do because c'mon - it would be a pretty boring list otherwise.

1) Ride a Segway.
2) Run a 10K.
3) Shoot a gun.
4) Get another tattoo.
5) Visit the Grand Canyon.
6) Go to Lowell Observatory.
7) Ski/Snowboard.
8) Write a short story.
9) Read 50 books.
10) Run 200 miles.
11) Pay off my credit card debt.
12) Start that savings account.
13) Cash in my piggy bank and start anew.
14) Go horseback riding.
15) Stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.
16) Get down to my goal weight.
17) Focus more on my blog
18) Write at least one thing a day.
19) Make at least one craft from Pinterest.
20) Try 10 new recipes.
21) Get job.
22) Learn to do something new.
23) Watch The Wire.
24) Maybe, just maybe, move out of my mom's house.

HALLOWEENIE PART 1.

I had a relatively busy weekend. On Friday, Mike, my mom, and I went to my old high school's football game to watch my little sister cheer. 

Saturday, when we woke up, I told Mike we had options for our day and we ended up deciding to go to a get-together. And then we spent the rest of the day trying to find a red bandana for my costume. FOUR DIFFERENT STORES for a bandana. I was not amused. Mike went as Vincent Van Gogh. 

We hung out for a little bit and went to the bar. And then, the fun had to stop there because I had to work in the morning.

Sunday, after I worked, Mike and I went for a bike ride -- we're getting really serious about getting back into shape and dieting. The only bad thing about my costume is that now I have no idea what to be for the next Halloween party on Friday. 

Mike as Van Gogh.

Me as Rosie the Riveter.

23 for 23 // LOOKING BACK.

Last year, on my birthday, I decided to pick 23 things I wanted to accomplish over the year. Some were really simple and others weren't so simple. And, let's be honest, I didn't get a lot of them finished.

I fully intend on keeping some of them on for my 24 for 24 list -- which I should probably finish getting ready considering my birthday was last week, but oh well.

1) Run a 5K - Done and Done. I ended up running two!
2) Travel outside the states - This one didn't end up happening because of financial reasons.
3) Read 50 books - 23/50. I didn't even get halfway there. Whomp.
4) Take the GRE's - Nope. I honestly was considering this and that was "the plan," but plans have changed and I'm not quite sure that's what I want to do right now.
5) Take a yoga class - Nope.
6) Ride a mechanical bull - No and I don't think this is something I necessarily really want to do either. Sorry.
7) Play in the snow - Does it count for that time in snowed in Scottsdale and I took a million pictures of it? Yeahhhh, I didn't think so.
8) Drop everything one weekend and go to the beach - No. I wish though.
9) Take a pole-dancing class - I forgot about this one.
10) Take a wine tasting class - Sort of. I did a flight up at a winery and talked to the people there - they were super knowledgable and nice about me having no idea about anything.
11) Visit 5 New states - Philadelphia, D.C., and New Jersey this year. 3/5 ain't bad.
12) Get another tattoo - Once again, financially couldn't swing it.
13) Attend the ballet - Nope.
14) Ride a horse - No. This is something I keep asking Mike to do and he is very reluctant.
15) Go through my closet and get rid of things I don't need/want - I do this so frequently, but no real dent has been made.
16) Visit Lowell Observatory - I wanted to and we were honestly thinking about going up to Flagstaff and then the Grand Canyon, but it never worked out.
17) Shoot a gun - Also something I keep asking to do, but we haven't done yet.
18) Karaoke - 3 am, in Korea Town, Neil Diamond.
19) Go hiking - We want to do it more actually. Mike really enjoys it and so do I.
20) No more soda - I am officially as close to soda-free as I'll ever be. I have had it probably less than 10 times and most of those times it has been used to fight a hangover.
21) Finally go to Times Square - And it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
22) Actually dress up for Halloween - But we don't talk about last year's Halloween, guys.
23) Ride a Segway - Why hasn't this happened yet?

Final Tally = 7/23.

As I'm finishing up my 24 for 24 list, what goals/things do you want to accomplish?

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY AND I'LL FANCY IF I WANT TO.

Last Thursday was my actual birthday and as you can tell from the lack of posts, I've been a little busy.

My actual birthday was amazing. I worked and my mom & brother came up to bring me my birthday breakfast -- pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese from Einstein's. Delicious. After work, Mike and I ended up going to the mall where I spent more money than I should have, but oh well. We came home to find Ghostbusters was on Netflix. And then, we had family dinner featuring my favorite meal - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas. Everyone in my family hates it, so my birthday is the only time I get to enjoy this meal.

Friday night was my birthday party with all my friends. It was a fancy party and I'm so happy that everyone showed up.

As for Saturday, Mike and I did not leave the couch. He left twice to get us food, but other than that -- we laid on the couch and watched television and played GTA. It was glorious.

Sunday was Sunday. I think I cleaned up and mostly just laid on the couch.

I had such an amazing birthday and birthday weekend and I love all the people in my life. This is lame, but my friends are honestly the best.

WEEKENDS // The One When I Ran a 5K.

I had a fairly eventful week last week. Last weekend, my mouth hurt so bad that I could barely open it. I went to the dentist and he promptly removed one of my wisdom teeth. And, I was all alone since Mike left me to go to the store while I was in there. I'm not a huge fan of the dentist or any kind of procedure so this was a huge deal for me. And the rest of the week was spent in recovery mode -- which meant I laid on the couch, spaced out on pain killers, watched Fringe (my new favorite show!), and ate dairy-free ice cream.

Friday was a lot more of the same, but Saturday, I had to go run a 5K down at Tempe Beach Park. I wasn't going to let a tooth ruin it. It was a lot of fun and I did better on my time than when I ran my first 5K last year. I got an awesome shirt, a cheap beer stein, and a free beer. All in all, a good time.

Also, I used my Dr. Scholl's Active Series Insoles (Courtesy of Influenster) and my legs and feet were feeling great on Sunday morning. They were so comfortable during the run and definitely reduced the amount of shock from running on the pavement. I have a lot of pain in my right knee and despite running a lot, it flares after longer runs. Honestly, I had zero pain in my knee on Sunday morning. These insoles helped so much and I cannot recommend them enough. 

I didn't get to rest for long because Mike and I were headed up north to his parents' house. We went up there, ate some good italian food, and then we watched The Producers ... which wasn't good. We fell asleep IN THE COLD. In the morning, we started cleaning and I killed 6 SPIDERS because Mike refuses to touch them. Even to kill them.

Now we're home and I'm trying to convince Mike to sign up for a 5K with me. I convinced my little brother to run the Hot Chocolate 5K with me in December and it's going to suck when he gets a better time than I do.

Running. 

There I am crossing the finish line.

I just love how excited this guy is behind me. 

German music. 

Enjoying my post-run 5K.

Drinking responsibly, as always guys. 

REVIEW: Colgate SlimSoft Toothbrush

I should preface this by saying - I'm an Oral-B girl. I usually buy the same toothbrush and I don't like variety. But, I was pumped to try something new. What could it hurt?

It's like butter. It's so soft that it feels good when you brush your teeth. I kept my other toothbrush around just in case I didn't like the SlimSoft, but after using that SlimSoft for a few days, I threw out my old toothbrush because it just doesn't compare.

My mouth feels super clean and I love it. And yes, the slimmer bristles are actually designed to get into the crevices between your teeth better. I even heard it from a friend in dental school so it's all legit.

I highly recommend this toothbrush and I'm so glad I got to try it and throw out my old one. It was real, medium bristle brush, but I've moved on.

DISCLAIMER: I received these products from Influenster to try, but all opinions are my own. 

OCTOBER GOALS AND SEPTEMBER GOALS RECAP.

Well, shit. This is late.

SEPTEMBER GOALS RECAP:

1) Stick to my budget. FAIL. Also, lol. Did I honestly think that was going to happen?

2) Run 20 Miles. FAIL. 15.6 miles. I started doing really terrible at the end of the month.

3) Bike 50 miles. FAIL. 37.

4) Apply for 20 jobs and Get Interview??? FAIL.

5) Sign up for Hot Chocolate 5K. FAIL - ish. I signed up for the Oktoberfest 5K instead and I'll be running that this upcoming weekend.

Wow. September was not a good month for me and it's actually really depressing to see all my shortcomings right in front of me.

OCTOBER GOALS: (Let's see if I can handle any of these).

1) Run 20 miles.

I do have a 5K coming up and I really want to do better at the Hot Chocolate 5K so training is necessary. I've been slacking a lot lately because I haven't been feeling well, but I need to get over it and just run.

2) Go Hiking!

Mike and I both dropped some serious bank on hiking shoes and we've used them .... once. Now that the weather is getting better, we need to go for a hike. Or a few of them. It won't kill us. I hope.

3) Seriously, Apply for Some Damn Jobs.

Looking at my resume makes me cry, but I need to suck it up and keep applying or I'll never find anything.

4) Figure Out a Halloween Costume.

I keep telling Mike that I want to go as Peg and Al Bundy, but we'll see what happens. I just wanna look good even though we have no solid plans.

5) Stay on Track About Cutting Out the Dairy and Keep Up with my Dairy Diary.

I've been really bad at this one. The other night, I got wasted and had both a grilled cheese (DELICIOUS, btw) and a cheese crisp, that I dropped multiple times before giving up on it. Dairy is really messing up my stomach and that's why I feel bad and I don't run. 

6) Stop Going Over My Calories.

I haven't even been tracking my calories for the past two weeks and then I'm wondering why I don't feel well. Because I keep eating junk food. I need to stop and stick with the plan that was working for me. I lost 16 pounds since I started and I know I can do more. I just need to stick with it and not get distracted. 

WEEKLY ROUND UP // 30.

- Forever 21 has some great Batman and Catwoman inspired clothing. Like, these pajamas. And these leggings.

- Stop Telling Women to Smile. I love this campaign.

- This is so impressive:

- Uh, if anyone is thinking about getting me a birthday gift ... HINTHINT.

- Or, this Data pillow.

- How about one more Star Trek thing just for good measure - A Captain Picard quilt!

- I definitely want to try this - Chipotle Chili Turkey with Apple.

TV REVIEWS // Fall 2013 Pilot Guide.

Last week was Pilot week on cable television. And I got a weird bug up my ass and decided I wanted to watch these pilots - even though we all know that pilots are usually terrible and you can't judge a show off the pilot. But, hey, I did. Here's your guide to Fall 2013 TV.

- Trophy Wife.
I watched this because Josh Lyman (If you haven't seen The West Wing, then why are you even on the internet right now?) was in it and that's about it. It's supposed to be about a "crazy family," but it just falls flat on everything. The jokes are cliched - parents accidentally killing the hamster, drinking a water bottle full of vodka. And, it's not funny. Incredibly sexist. Incredibly stupid.
Bottom Line - Don't bother with this one.

- The Goldbergs.
This was actually really cute! I thought it would be terribly anti-Semitic, but it was really funny and it has the actress from Reno 911 and Jeff Garlin. The premise is really great too. It's about this kid that films his family and the writer of the show actually did that -- so at the very end, they played the actual videos of his actual family members - super cute and definitely worked for me.
Bottom Line - I'm excited to watch this show -- so you should definitely check it out.

- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Joss Whedon wrote and directed the pilot. I assume in the hopes of guiding this show onto greatness. I've heard a lot of criticisms. And there is a fear that they will turn this show into a Monster of the Week type thing. However, I think it was really well done and I enjoyed it.
Bottom Line - If you saw Avengers, you'll get it so give it a try.

- The Michael J. Fox Show.
I was so excited for this one, but I felt like it just wasn't funny. At all. It tried. And, it was so great to see Michael J. Fox back on TV. That man belongs in front of camera with his charisma. And great to see that Marie moved on. Am I going to keep watching it? Yeah, because I love Michael J. Fox, but not because it was enjoyable.
Bottom Line - Try it out of respect for Michael J. Fox. If you hate it, then that's okay, but probably don't drop that in public.

- Dads.
What in the hell was that? It was so racist and not funny that I turned it off within the first 8 minutes. I was offended and angry that it wasn't even funny to make up for it.
Bottom Line - Don't waste your time.

Other shows of interest:
- Mom. This one is on CBS and has CJ from The West Wing (When is Toby getting his own show?). CBS shows are rarely funny, but I might as well give it a try.
- The Crazy Ones. Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle. One of the writers was also a writer on Arrested Development. Sounds promising.

What are you watching on TV this fall? Let me know in the comments! 

SOMEHOW CHAOTIC'S 13 MONTH ANNIVERSARY.

I'm a lovely woman, I swear.

Leave it to me to forget to celebrate my blog's actual anniversary - September 2nd.

Here are some of my favorite posts from this year:

- WEEKENDS / Sedona - Mike and my trip up to Sedona. It was so much fun and so romantic. Everything I wanted in a weekend trip.

- 23 for 23: Run a 5K - One of my proudest moments over the last year. 

- Pumpkin Beer Review - One of my favorite topics.

- Am I Really Making an Introductory Post? - And of course, where it all began.