Hello lovelies, how is everyone doing lately?! I am SO excited for it to be a brand new month you guys… there is so much excitement buzzing around in the Allen household. Dustin and I are gearing up for our very first “vacation” as Newlyweds! We can’t wait! In two weeks time, my husband and I will be off visiting our friends and family back home in Maine! This month has already started off on a good note, for some many reasons. Today will be a chatty, catch up post, featuring my goals for August.
HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT ALERT// As of August 1st, this girl is officially 100% credit card debt free! I can not believe how good that feels to say out loud. For the record, I was never in any crazy credit card debt whatsoever, but now that my balances are at $0 so I’m ecstatic about it! I currently have two credit cards, just to build my credit up, and now, everything is completely paid off and it just feels like such a huge financial accomplishment, in my book. My credit score is almost to 800. and I couldn’t be more pleased with how I manage my finances. Just recently, my friend Chelsea persuaded me to download the Mint App, and it’s definitely helping me keep a better eye on what I’m spending. This girl is just so so happy to finally be free of the burden of credit card debt.
New Experiences// Just recently I decided to branch out of my usual exercise routine. Living in Dallas, I am surrounded by so many types of fitness classes, and I was in the mood to try something foreign to me. Right by my work is a Pilates studio, so I dove headfirst into something totally new. This Pilates class was centered around a Mega Former, with is a resistance machine. I’ve done yoga, and Pilates before, but this was a whole different ballpark for me. It was definitely a difficult class, but I absolutely adored it. Even though it was a challenge, there’s just something so satisfying about trying something brand new. I’m proud of myself for trying new things, even if it scares me.
Surpassing my health goals// You guys.. I definitely need to give myself major props for this! In January I set the goal to really step up my health and fitness goals. I have been 100% consistent with my water intake goal, of drinking 93 oz a day, eating intuitively, and working out consistently. I’ve achieved my goals by creating them a habit. Making these changes weren’t too difficult, but knowing how to create a routine for myself and having discipline has made all the difference.
Growing this blog// I’m so happy to say my hard work is FINALLY paying off! Just recently, I was approved for several affiliate marketing program/groups. I can not wait to work on building my engagement, audience, and working my butt off to earn paid posts. It’s been a dream of mine to be able to earn an income from writing for as long as I can remember, so I’m hopeful I can turn my dreams into a reality. Side note: I actually ran my first giveaway with success and I’m so happy it went smoothly! I love working on growing this blog of mine.
Begin to collaborate with other bloggers// A blogger friend of mine reached out to me, and is offering her blog coaching program to me, and I happily accepted her services! When she first reached out to me, I had just started this blog of mine. I was so happy that someone saw my potential and wanted to help me grow, and teach me all the things about how to blog successfully. I am so very excited to begin working with her, and trying to grow this blog.
Plan Our Vacation// Dustin and I go on vacation this month and we can’t wait! I swear that’s all I can talk about lately… regardless, we haven’t been back home in almost two years now, so you can fully understand why I wouldn’t be able to shut up about it 🙂 While we’re only going home and on vacation for a few days, I want to try my best to plan out fun things we can do while were home, like go to the ocean, go hiking, ect. Other than planning out our vacation, my biggest goal for our vacation is to be fully present. I plan on being tech-free for most of our vacation (minus taking photos of course!) Reconnecting with my loved ones, and nature is what is most important to me on this vacation. I want to be able to soak in all the moments, be able to breathe easy and fully relax on our vacation.
Map out our future// On August 1st, it dawned on to me that in just a few months, it will be January and that will be an entirely new year..scary to think about, right?! When that realization hit me, and I opened up my planner to set goals, I realized I need to begin thinking bigger. I’m very good at thinking and dreaming up monthly goals, and “habits” that form into bigger lifestyle changes…but I need to set long-term goals as well. Up until this point, I had everything planned out (for the most part) like moving to Dallas, obtaining my ACE CPT certification, getting married, those were all solid, long term goals, and I accomplished them. Now, I’m trying to brainstorm a brand new list of long-term goals, things I want to accomplish in the next year or two, or even in five years. Dustin and I are already saving for our forever home, and trying to decide where we will live long term, so at the moment, those are two of our bigger goals. This month, I want to create a list of long-term goals, and begin to work towards them.
Have coffee dates 2x a month// Just recently, my husband and I implemented a new, fun way to reconnect on our days off together. We decided we would make “Coffee dates” a thing a few Sundays out of the month, so we could just talk over a coffee at a new spot. We typically start our Sundays by waking up early, heading to the dog park for a few hours, and then heading back home to start our day. Last weekend, we did just that, but instead of going right home, we went to a new coffee shop instead. It was so nice just to visit a new spot, have a different cup of coffee (mine was an Iced Magnolia Latte, pictured above) and just be able to talk about anything and everything. Odin makes the perfect coffee date as well, because he’s just such a chill dog. We loved adding these coffee dates into our laid back Sunday traditions, so hopefully this will stick and we will do them 2x a month.
What are your goals for the month? What’s going on in your life this month? I’d love to hear!
