Quarter .5 Empties & Progress

Hey everyone!

Sorry I've been so hidden this month, I've had quite a bit going on that you'll read about in my January 2017 Month in Review when that's up!  I'm sorry I've been putting you on the backburner, but school does come first!

Anyway, today I'm going to share with you my Project Use it Up and Rolling Project Pan progress and empties!  If you don't know what either of those are, check out my post here.  If you still have questions, please let me know!

Calling this quarter .5 might seem strange, but since my projects were technically supposed to start in January and I was too excited to wait, I just decided to start them when I created them.  All of the products in this post were used up from October to December of 2016.

In total, I used up 12 products this quarter!  All of the items go towards my Rolling Project Pan, but only a few were products from my Use it Up unfortunately!

These are the three that count in my Use it Up!  First was the Klorane Dry Shampoo with Goat Milk.  I really enjoyed the way it made my hair feel clean and fresh after using it, and I'm kind of sad to see it gone!  I also used the Kaunis Anti-Aging Mask, which was a sheet mask and super easy to use up. I don't remember it doing anything special for my face so I wouldn't buy it.  Plus, I don't need any anti-aging products.  Finally, I used up the Balanced Guru coffee scrub. I didn't like the smell, but the scrub itself worked just fine. It was a little messy, too, but no surprise there.

Aside from using up three products, I got rid of two lip products; the Mica Beauty Lip Pot in "Velvet Rose", and the Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass Lip + Cheek Stain in "Red".  I just didn't like the format of either of these products and so I decided to get rid of them and not worry about the hassle.

Now I'm going to move on to my Rolling Project Pan!  I'll give you each pic by category, and then I'll give the numbers and how I'm doing with that.

First I have my bodycare items.  Again, I used up the Balanced Guru Body Scrub.  In 2017 I want to use up 3, and I've used 1 as of this quarter.  I also used this Aveeno Skin Relief Gentle Lotion. This worked fine, but the coconut scent wasn't my favorite at all.  I want to use up 6 and have a stretch goal of 4, and so far I've used 1.

This is the fragrance category, and as you can tell I've only used one, but I am so proud of it. This is the Ralph Lauren Polo Blue, and I got this as a gift from my mom a long time ago. Like, probably 5 years at least. Super old!  The smell is wonderful, but the lasting power wasn't really there. Then again, I don't know if that's because the perfume was so aged.  For my fragrance goals I want to use up 30 with a stretch goal of 5, and I've used one. I know this seems like a high goal but the small sample fragrances do count!

For hair care, I have three items.  The first is the Klorane dry shampoo, and for dry shampoo I want to use up 4, and so far I've used 1. The foil packets are a shampoo and conditioner duo by Hask; their argan oil repairing set.  I really liked this, and I'd consider buying it when I get through all my other stuff!  I want tot use up 12 Shampoos/Conditioners with a stretch goal of 2, and I've used up 2 so far.

Next, I have all of my makeup empties!  First, I have 2 makeup removers I used up. They're the Olay Makeup Remover wipes and the GBC Green Tea makeup remover wipes. I honestly really enjoyed both of these! They both worked very well, but the green tea wipes were really thin and ripped easily. I think they're super cheap though, so that's not surprising.  For makeup removers, I want to use up 5 with a stretch of 1, and I've used up 2.

Next, I have my Sugar Rose Lip Treatment. I have very mixed feelings on this product, but I have another one I can try out so I'll maybe be able to form a full opinion.  For lip balms I want to use up 5 with a stretch of 1, and I've used up 1.  Finally, I have a Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, which many people have heard of, I'm sure!  Honestly, I didn't like it a lot, as it flaked on me terribly. I'm going to retry it and not let it get dry before I give it a chance.  I want to use up 3 mascaras with a stretch of 1, and I've used 1 so far.

I've used two items in the skincare category so far.  The first is the Kaunis sheet mask.  For masks I want to use up 4 with a stretch of 2, and I've used up 1.  Next, I have the Biore Charcoal nose strips. These didn't work as well as I had hoped unfortunately, so I just wanted to get them out.  I counted them into my Cleanser/Exfoliator category, and for that I want to use up 4 with a stretch of 3, and I've used 1.

Well, that's it!  I'm not super impressed with my totals so far, but it's technically just the start of 2017 so I have an entire year to go.  I know I need to do a better job at focusing on certain products, even if I'm not doing too hot on that so far. I'm hoping to get myself onto a good routine and that should help with getting things out faster.

What do you think? Are you trying to get rid of products? Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,
The Cornfed Princess

My 2017 Goals and Resolutions

Hey guys!

Today I really wanted to share with you the goals I've set for myself for 2017!  It's definitely quite a few, but they're things I really, really want to push myself to do!  If nothing else, I have them as a way to at least get myself thinking about what I want to do and if it's something I really want to push myself for or not.

If I had to pick a single word to to describe what I want to get out of this year, it's "less". I know, this seems like a weird word to pick, but I'm thinking about the sheer amount of stuff I have. Makeup, samples, stationery, clothing, shoes, books, the list goes on and on.  This year I want to work on downsizing my collection of everything before I buy more of it. This means less impulse buying, more focused shopping.  If I find something I really want or need I'll get it, but other than that if I don't need it, I won't get it. 

I categorized my goals into a few different sections, to make it a little easier to see what exactly I wanted.

Personal Goals
Read 60 books in a year.
In 2016, I tried to set a goal of reading 100 books, and I think that was a little too lofty for me.  I had a lot of things change, and didn't make the proper time for reading. This year, I'm going to drop the goal by 40 books, and I don't have moving across states to deal with, which will help with a lot less stress. I really want to make this happen, though, because my bookshelf is beyond full!

Finish all items in project use it up.
If you looked at my Project Pan & Use it Up Post from November, you'll recognize what this is and probably understand why it's a goal of mine. I want to use up all the items I got in 2015 so they don't get too old before I use them completely!

Read one chapter a day.
I know that one chapter isn't going to do it for finishing off 60 books, but I want to make sure I'm taking just a little bit of time each day to relax and enjoy being in another world, especially if it's been a stressful day for me.

Continue to track finances.
I need to make sure I know where my money is going, and watch what I'm spending. As I move into a more independent place of residence, I need to make sure I know where it is so that I'm not caught off guard!

Create more DIY decorations.
Instead of buying things, I want to make more of them.  Also, I just really love being crafty! I see things on Pinterest and just want to recreate them.  There are 5 specific crafts I want to accomplish this year, so you'll be seeing them if I do! I'd like to create at least: a DIY travel photo map, a motivational notebook, a crayon melt, a memories album, and a dream journal. If I see others I want, I'll add them too!

Read ALL stories in FF folder.
I have stories people have written in a folder on my email, and this year I want to read all of them!  That way, I won't have emails from 2014(!) still sitting and waiting to be read.

Clean out my Pinterest.
I've had my Pinterest for a few years, and I've posted quite a bit on it.  This year, I want to clean up each board, delete double pins, change captions that don't fit, get rid of pictures I don't want, etc. If you've gone to my Pinterest, you'll know I have quite the sizable amount of pins, so it's definitely a year long task.  I know I'll feel so much better after it's done, though!

Complete one reading challenge.
Listed on my GoodReads are some different challenges a few groups I'm in think of.  If a challenge sounds interesting, I'll join it and try to read books that fit it and complete it!  For example, there's a "Title Challenge" where you read 26 books that's title starts with A-Z, but it has to be a different letter for each one. I want to complete at least one of these challenges this year!

Empty YouTube folder.
I have a folder on my email where I put all the video emails I get from YouTube. This year, I want to go through the emails I have in it and delete the videos I don't want to watch and watch the ones I do.  The catch is I have a lot of emails, but I think I can do it! 

School Goals
Get A's in every class.
I know that this is a lofty goal as well, and that grades don't matter that much, but I really want to make this work!  It's motivating for me to have a lofty goal to work towards, because even if I don't quite reach it, I still am going to have good grades.

Attend class regularly.
I know that this seems pretty obvious, and it really is, but I still want it on here as a reminder.  Attending class is one of the easiest ways to ensure you understand what you're learning, so I want to make sure I'm showing up. Also, the further I get into classes for my business majors, the more class work is done in class, and you don't get points when you're not there.

Finish homework when it is assigned.
This is a big one for me!  I want to make sure to get my homework done at a reasonable time instead of procrastinating on it like I always do.  Even if it doesn't get done the second I'm free, I want to make sure I'm not waiting until the last minute to do it so that I actually get something out of it and can ask questions if I have them instead of just guessing.

Fitness Goals
Squat 160 pounds.
I'm a little intimidated by this one, but I think I can do it if I just push myself!  I'm starting out with squatting 100 pounds, so I just have to add 60 pounds over 12 months, which really wouldn't be too hard.  That's only 5 pounds a month!

Be able to do the splits.
This has been a goal of mine for quite some time now, so I want to make 2017 the year that I get it done.  I'll be looking up a safe routine and stretching every day until I can do the splits and feel comfortable!

Work out 3x a week.
This is a habit I've been meaning to make happen for a while as well.  Fitness is something I want to get in the habit of now, so that when I'm older and my metabolism doesn't work quite so well I won't suffer nearly as bad.  Also, working out is just good for you and fun anyway! I want to make it happen.

Do a daily food log. 
I want to pay attention to what I eat as well as how much water I'm taking in, and this is the perfect way to do it! I'll probably work my way slowly up to doing it by recording water, then one meal a day, then another and another until I'm recording everything I'm taking in.

Career Goals
Become a Rho Gamma.
One of the biggest goals I have is to become a Rho Gamma, or someone who disaffiliates from her sorority to help potential new members find a sorority they'll fit with. I really hope to have the opportunity to do that, so it's a goal for me!

Be fun/points/PR/lifestyle chair.
I don't want to be chair for all of these positions, but I want to be chair for at least one!  They're various spots in my sorority that have different responsibilities. 

Create an event for College of Business Dean's Advisory Board.
I think I've already accomplished this goal, and 2017 just started! I have an event that I'm in the works of making happen right now, but I won't call this one done until I can make this event actually happen.

Well, that's everything so far!  There are smaller things I come up with here and there, but these are the most important ones I want to accomplish.

I really hope that by seeing the plans I've laid out for this year, you guys can get an idea of what you want to do with your own 2017!  Feel free to contact me if you want to talk about help establishing goals or tracking them!  I'm hoping to have a small series devoted to setting goals, tracking them, and accomplishing them this year.  

What do you think?  Are you inspired to make your own goals happen this year? Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,

The Cornfed Princess