15 Things to do in 2015

1. Host a ball drop to ring in the new year
Ok. This one doesn’t really count. I am a bit late with the new year’s post, so I wanted to share. It was probably approximately 5 degrees out at midnight on NYE. Luckily, we had thought ahead to host a party, and we had our own ball drop in the living room! A couple of wire hangers, the Christmas lights we had used for our tree, and my handsome husband standing on the coffee table. voilà.

1.2 Make a plan
J and I have an idea that we’ve been talking about for awhile now, so we’d like to start putting something on paper to figure out how to actually do it. Until we get a little further with that, no spoilers.

2. Get a new toilet
This one doesn’t really count either, but we can already cross it off the list (I promise I’ll get serious in a minute, hang with me). Funny story. About 4:00 a.m. On New Year’s Day, we awoke to some panicked yelling from the last remaining guest from our above-mentioned, apparently awesome NYE party. Our friend had broken the tank of our toilet, cut his hand in the process, and gallons of water (and blood) were rushing out all over the bathroom, out into the hall, and even down into our return air vent. He could not figure out how to shut the water off, so it took some stumbling out of bed and a minute to come to realization of what was happening before we got it shut off and proceeded to grab every towel we could get our hands on in the house to sop up the flowing river of disaster. Luckily, it turns out Home Depot is open on New Years Day, so by 10 a.m. our shameful but responsible friend was on our doorstep with a spankin’ new commode. Happy New Year!

2.2. Start work on a second bathroom
We’ve been saving money for this project, and we think we can make it work in part of the unfinished laundry room, adjacent to our guest bedroom. It will be oh-so-convenient to have a basement bathroom for guests or tv time. Also, should we ever have another toilet emergency (see above), we’ll have a backup!

3. Blog!!

4. Get back in shape
We were in great physical shape last summer. However, after our races were over, we had bachelor/bachelorette festivities, went full into wedding mode, and were also super busy with work. After the wedding and long relaxing honeymoon, it was all too easy to take a break from working out (well deserved I think). Holidays are also an easy excuse to eat more, drink more, and put off the gym. I guess you could say we’ve let ourselves go over the past few months. But it’s time to tighten it back up and trim a few pounds! We bit the bullet and signed up for a gym membership, and we managed to go three times this week! Feels good.

5. Rock a new haircut
I have thought about a pixie cut for well over a year, but grew out my hair for the wedding. I knew I wanted to do a low updo, and made sure I had plenty of length for a classy side-bun. It worked out just perfectly for the day, but afterward I was ready to part with the long hair which I am always too lazy to style on a daily basis. So about a month ago, I went for it. It was a pretty big shock, as I’ve never had my hair shorter than just above the shoulders. I am getting used to it and enjoying it quite a bit.

I’ve heard that pixies get better with time, because your hair really does get re-trained, lays on your head differently, and also can look a little bit different every day. So here’s to growing into the new ‘do. If you’re looking for some inspiration to chop your locks, here are some of the fun articles I read while googling pixie cuts for hours on end:

thehairpin.com/2011/07/beauty-qa-pixie-cuts-gym-nips-and-meeting-alex-trebek

beautyhigh.com/pixie-haircut-inspiration/

thetinasituation.com/2014/10/02/5-things-nobody-tell-you-about-getting-a-pixie-haircut/

And also, the best virtual makeover tool I’ve ever seen:

taaz.com/virtual-makeover

6. Get rid of stuff
We’ve been pretty good about this ever since we bought our house. In fact, before moving in, we went through a basement full of stuff that hadn’t been touched since college, high school, or before, and threw out a ton of unnecessary junk. We took probably two whole car loads of stuff to the goodwill, and filled the trash bin a couple times. It was so refreshing! Then we organized what we did keep into 9 big Tupperware boxes and bought this awesome shelving unit for the new basement. Moving was a breeze (carrying stuff across the street is the way to go), and it didn’t feel like we were just moving boxes of junk from one place to the next to let it sit for another 10 years. We recently went through our closet and gave away about a third of our clothes that we haven’t worn in the last year or so, and would like to continue to do this at least once a year. We think we’re pretty good at minimizing “stuff”, until we watch an episode of Tiny House Nation. That show will make anyone feel like a hoarder.

7. Organize, decorate, finish up the office
The office has kind of been our “catch-all”, for bikes, old electronics, artwork that we don’t have space for, and all of our wedding decorations and supplies. It definitely needs some attention.

8. Pay off debt!!!
All of it. Well, all except the house. We have been kicking ass on our student loans and vehicle debt, and we should be able to pay it all off, this year!!

9. Install those under-cabinet lights that we’ve had for two years
We bought these, probably within a month of moving into our house. Great idea!! Poor, poor follow-through.

10. Grow some stuff
Last summer, both the yard and my tiny garden were a bit neglected. I fully gave up after this hailstorm did my plants in.

This year, I expect to have tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and hopefully radishes (the ground soil is so clayey and terrible that we have yet to get root plants to grow).

11. Get the trees trimmed
We have three enormous trees, which is great for shading our house in the summer, but the branches are hanging too low for City code. I am not looking forward to finding out what it will cost to have them professionally trimmed, but I guess this is one of the joys of homeownership.

12. Run a half marathon
We’ve already locked ourselves into this one. The Sandhills Half Marathon opened registration at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and we signed up (eventful night!). This is a small race that is limited to about 60 or 70 people per race (half or full marathon), and it sells out in less than 24 hours. It also happens to be about 25 miles away from where Jesse grew up, and is really beautiful country! We ran it last year, and had an awesome time. So June 13th, Brownlee, NE, here we come!

13. Go somewhere I’ve never been
I would love to travel more. This year, we’re tentatively planning a trip to Yellowstone for our first anniversary. I’ve never been!

14. Read
Nothing in particular, just read. More. Maybe even trade in tv for books one night a week. It’s so good for your mind and stress level.

15. Love my husband
Most importantly! It’s our first year as husband and wife, and yes, it does feel different. I think marriage is a learning process, and each day we are building our relationship. I’m going to do my best to make this first year fun and interesting, and make sure Jesse knows how much I love and appreciate him.

So here’s to 2015, life, love, and new toilets!