24 for 24

Ok this post is like almost, 3 weeks, late. My bad. I've been meaning to do it. And considering right now, at 11:15 A.M. I am posted up in my bed still in my workout clothes from my gym session this morning, drinking coffee and watching old episodes of One Tree Hill, there seems like no better time. Side note- I found OTH on Netflix girls and I'm addicted again. Except this time around, Peyton is really annoying me. And looking back I might have been way more like Brooke in high school. Oops.

Two Three weeks ago I turned 24 and in the past few weeks I've been thinking a lot about my life, where I am, who I am, where I want to be, who I want to be and what I want to accomplish.

I decided to create a 24 at 24 list of things I hope to accomplish/be better at this year.

1. Work more on communicating my needs. 

I am the worlds worst communicator and it seriously affects my relationships with EVERYONE and it's something I really want to work on.

2. Keep up my work-out schedule. 

I kind of fell out of it this year but my physique and my mental state are far improved when I get exercise 3-4 times a week.

3. Work on my long-distance friendships. 

I am blessed to have some of the very best girlfriends in the entire world who have stood by me through thick and thin. However they currently reside in D.C, San Diego and New York AKA thousands of miles away from me. And even though whenever we do get together, it feels like we never left, I think it's important to work on phone calls, Skype dates, cards and love packages.

4. Take a vacation to a beach somewhere. 

Since my family lives so far, my vacation days are often taken up with trips to see them. And while I love my family more than life, sometimes I'm actually more tired after a vacation than before it. This year I'm getting a legit vacation, I promise!

5. Take more pictures. 

This is not just for the blog but I really want to capture the memories I'm creating. First step: Buy a camera.

6. Write more.

Writing is my passion. It is the thing I was born to do and I do not spend enough time on it. Whether it's blogging, working on my novel or journaling, I will write more.

7. Stop giving a sh*t what everyone thinks. 

Speaks for itself.

8. Write/call my grandparents more.

I only have two left and we had quite a scare this year with my grandfather and I think it's important to strengthen that bond.

9. Schedule more girl time.

I love my man but I don't get enough girl time here in Houston! I need more happy hour dates, mani-pedis and dinners out with the girls!

10. Start an IRA.

I'm not even clear on what that exactly is but when my Pop-Pop was alive (who was the most financially stable person ever), he ALWAYS told me to start one early so I'm gonna do it cause I know it'll make him smile.

11. Pray more and develop a better relationship with God.

I've spent a lot of time being pissed with Him. I think it's time I let that go.

12. Forgive more.

I am the QUEEN of resentment and you know what? I think it hurts me more than anyone else.

13. Learn to cook one meal.

Every girl needs a signature dish.

14. Be a better blogger.

Re: stop comparing my blogs to everyone else's, and just write FOR ME and of course, keep loving on all of you girls! And have more blates, duh.

15. Give up soda.

Even the Diet stuff! 

16. Call my siblings more.

I have three of the greatest brothers and the best sister in law who I'd be lost without. And I want them to know that.

17. Buy a Michael Kors watch.

It's the exact same amount as my car payment but you know what? I've wanted one forever.

18. Spend more time focusing on others.

Give love out. Get love back. Simple as that.

19. Go to the dentist and doctor.

Two things I hate but I feel l like they're important. Right?

20. Run a half marathon. 

I'm looking at you Disney!

21. Practice gratitude.

I have SO much. And I don't remember that enough.

22. Vegas trip with my girlfriends

We've been planning it since we were 16. One word: Epic.

23. Relax a little bit about routine and celebrate more often.

Good hair days, half birthdays, Wednesdays -- every day is worth celebrating.

24. Trust in a bigger plan. In His plan.

Looks like I've got a big year ahead of me and I can't wait!

Other Half

My Other Half is home for summer!

LOVE.

Taylor is my cousin but she's more like my sister. She's the Blair Waldorf to my Serena Van Der Woodsen, the Peyton Sawyer to my Brooke Davis, the Monica Gellar to my Rachel Green, well, you get the picture. We know each other backwards and forwards. We can finish each other sentences and we just get one another. She goes to school in North Carolina now but I love it when she's home for break cause we get to spend so much time together! 

We had a dinner date on Friday night and it was fabulous. We had some cocktails before heading to Dolce Vita  which is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Houston! There we grabbed more cocktails and had a delicious, calorie-filled meal. The weather started getting bad so we left without getting dessert and made it in time before the rain really started to come down. Then we cuddled up and watched Mad Men all night.

I felt 1,000 times lighter and happier after seeing her. Sometimes you just need a night of girl talk and calories to make you feel better!

Three Letter Word for Hero

MOM

I write about you all the time Hot Mama so I'm gonna make this short and sweet

Thank you thank you thank you for being the absolute best mom in the world to me.

Thank you for your pearls of wisdom such as "Alcohol poisoning does exist," and "The bills will always be there so buy the shoes."

Thank you for always believing in me. 

Thank you for grounding me, enforcing curfew and never letting boys sleep over when I was a teenager.

Thank you for fighting for my dreams and letting me move to New York City when I was 18.

Thank you for making me non-alcoholic margaritas when I was a kid.

Thank you for girls trips, girls nights and for being the person to say, "Nothing will get in between us. No matter what is happening or what everyone else is saying, you and I need to be able to talk openly and honestly to each other. 

You told me a few weeks ago that this was a made up holiday that card companies created to raise sales in the middle of the year (and I've wondered where I get my feelings about Valentine's Day from) but you deserve to be told your fabulous. 

So from the princess to the queen, thank you for being your fabulous self. 

Here's to many more cosmos, mani-pedis and girl talk sessions in our future!

& a very happy Mother's Day to all you mamas out there!

The Power of Competition

Lately I've been feeling like I've been competing with someone. Not anything crazy but just this glimmer of feeling that every time I do something, this person has to do something either to take it down or outshine it.

This might be completely in my mind. Or not. I don't know.

But it was absolutely driving me insane. I was talking about it constantly, thinking about it nonstop and obsessing over it. Finally after a few weeks of this, Tim said, "This isn't about the other person. It's about you."

Once he said that after I thought for a while on it, I came to the conclusion:
 I am constantly comparing my life to everyone else's.
Including my clothes, my job and my relationship.
Sounds stupid, I know. But it's something I've always done all the way back to grade school.

I'm always trying to be more organized, more ambitious, more stylish, more athletic, less crazy, less stubborn and just better.
But that's not me.

I'm reading this book, the Happiness Project (so good! read it!) and something the author keeps saying is she needs to focus on "Being Gretchen." And I totally get what she's talking about.

I can spend all of my time obsessing about what someone else is doing and what everyone else has and what everyone else is.

Or

I can just Be Maura.

Who is scatterbrained, and quite ambitious but not enough to let my job take over my life, and who frequently wears jeans, t-shirts and flip flops. I am crazy. I am stubborn. But that's me.

I don't want to compete. I just want to focus on myself, not changing myself but being the best Maura that I can be. So that's what I'm gonna do. Less everyone else. More Maura. Sounds pretty good to me.

Little things

Some times all that matters is the little things

Like...

Movie theater popcorn for dinner and a Tuesday night movie night just cause

Feeling like my brother is right down the street instead of half a country away when texting about our shared love, The Avengers movie

Saturday morning, just me, a cup of coffee and Gossip Girl and GCB on the DVR

Bright pink nail polish

A new favorite wine with the best name and the best cork I've ever seen

Accomplished to do lists

No make up, no hair do kinda days

What are the little things you love?

Happy Monday loves!

Gymspiration

Confession time.

I have seriously gained weight in the past few months.

I was doing really well for a while when I was training for my half, working out 5 days a week and eating pretty well.

I don't own a scale and I never get on them at the gym but lately I've just been feeling like my clothes are getting tight. So I sucked it up and weighed myself.
Yikes. I am 10 pounds over what I normally am. 10 POUNDS!

I need to get back on my workout and good diet wagon!!
I've cut out diet sodas (again) and am cutting back on wine and I'm trying to eat less sweets and carbs during the week. And I'm kicking it up a notch on the work out training. My goal is one day running, one day cycling, one day body pump, one day swimming and one day strength workout so I get a good mix of everything (except yoga which I cannot master for the life of me).

But here's the thing it's HAAAARRRRRRRRDDD to get motivated!! In college I would work out as soon as I got up (at like 10 a.m.) and the gym was empty. Now after a long exhausting day at work, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym especially when it's PACKED!

I need motivation!!!!!!!

Thank God for Pinterest.

Uhmm ya gonna go do some sit ups and push ups now!!

Operation Get Fit is happening!!!!

All images are courtesy of my Pinterest :)

The 5 Year Engagement

Whoa. I suck at blogging.

First of thank you all sooooooooo much for your birthday wishes. You guys are absolutely amazing.

My birthday was fabulous which is saying something since I don't even really like my birthday that much.

Anyway I'm skipping ahead but whatever. I had my first crappy day at work today (I guess I was due) and happy hour with the girls got cancelled so I was grumpy this afternoon. When Tim suggested we go see a  movie, I immediately said yes.

I love the movies. They are my ultimate escapism.  And Tim and I go a lot. Sidenote: Get a Regal Crown Card! They have the best rewards. We almost always get a free popcorn or free drink or something when we go. Anyway it was my choice this time (yeah we are like 50 years old and switch back and forth who chooses the movie. Whatevs). And I've been dying to see The 5 Year Engagement. I love everything Jason Segel does and Allison Brie (who plays Emily Blunt's sister) is my new go-to girl. She's fabulous in everything. 

Go see this movie. It was so good. I loved everything about it - the characters, the storyline, the humor, the random moments of it.

It was about how love isn't really ever perfect. And how relationships and life are messy but that it's ok that things are messy.

It was written by Jason Segel (who also wrote the Muppet movie and Forgetting Sarah Marshall) so it has some really weird humor in it that some people might not get. But everyone in the movie is spectacular. And I think it speaks true to how relationships are. There's a lot of pressure these days to be 100% sure of everything and everyone does want it all. And sometimes in relationships, someone has to sacrifice. Sometimes both people have to sacrifice and you have to figure out whats worth it.

It just got me thinking so much about me and Tim. We are by far the perfect couple and a lot of people in our lives don't think we belong together. He's totally not the guy I ever pictured myself with. I am so not the girl he ever pictured himself with. And our lives are far from what either of us ever imagined they would be. But we are so damn happy. So happy, it's actually ridiculous.

 But I think that's what really matters. 

And that's my mushy story for today. 

That's all I got love bugs.

One more thing before I go.

I blogged about sweet little Avery a while back and it breaks my heart to say that blog world's little angel went back up to Heaven. She was only here for a little while but she made a big mark on this world and she will not be forgotten. Please send prayers and love to her parents who have lost their baby girl. Tell the ones you love that you do and hug them a little tighter tonight and every night. And please spread the word about SMA. Don't let her her story be lost. Read it here.