By the Numbers: 2015

^^^A sunset from this year. No filter.

By some miracle, I actually hit my goal of reading 20 books this year. Admittedly, 20 is not a very large number for me, but considering the fact that I had a baby in August, I'm very okay with it. My final two reads of 2015 were rereads! I am all about rereading my favorite books, and I definitely ended the year on a high note after more than a few duds (find me on Goodreads to read my reviews).

The last two books I read were rereads, but everything else was new. 

Of the 18 books I read this year for the first time, here are my two favorites:

All the Light We Cannot See. A-mazing. I know some people who didn't like this one, and while normally I'm all about personal preference, I just don't get how anyone could read this and not love it. It's so good.

The Husband's Secret. This one is a good travel book for reading on a plane (which is exactly where I read it). It was interesting but not super intense, so it didn't need a lot of concentration.

Here were my top two duds:

The Girl on the Train. I'm sorry, but I could not handle this one. I know it was all the rage, but just no. I literally wanted the main character to get HIT BY THE TRAIN so the book would end and I could move on with my life.

Faithful Place. This is one of Tana French's murder/mystery books, and it was by far my least favorite of the four I've read. I found the story pointless and just kind of wished I hadn't wasted my time.

see what I read in 2014

Last year I logged every single mile I ran in Daily Mile. This year I didn't do nearly as well logging miles, and I ran a ton without my Garmin watch, so it's hard to say exactly how far I ran this year. I logged officially over 200 miles, and then there's a bunch that weren't logged, so maybe 250 miles this year, I'm guessing. Not too bad! I ran consistently until 24 weeks pregnant (and ran 2 half marathons at 10 and 18 weeks!), and then I took a break until 6 weeks post baby. I've blogged about post-partem running here and also some here if you're interested.

In 2016, I have one race lined up so far: the 2016 Oklahoma City Half Marathon in April. This will be my 10th half marathon! I also would really like to run a few local 5ks, and there is a 10k in early April that I might do as well. I hope to find a way to fit running into my schedule but also be realistic about it, and I plan on keeping you updated on any progress!

Blog posts written: 129 
That's the lowest of any year since I started blogging in 2010.

Here are a few favorites:
Why We Tithe
An Elbow to the Face
Then the Cops Showed Up
He Saw Us
5 Things I'm Obsessed With
The Fear
R's Birth Story

Tweets: 1,867
Fun fact: that's about 1,000 tweets less than each of the previous two years!

Instagram photos posted: 300

US States visited: 3 (5 if you count layovers)

Atlanta (on a layover), California (on a layover), Illinois, Texas, Utah

Trips to Texas: 8 (same as last year!)

Stamps in my passport: 1 (Bahamas)

Jordan got 2! He went to Nicaragua on a missions trip and the Bahamas

So, I actually totally forgot about our Bahamas trip until I was putting this recap together. 

How could I forget this happening?! 

You can also see more pics and read about our Atlantis adventures here.

Spent on gas: $1,070.45

Spent on clothes (just for me): $222.63
Average monthly spent on groceries: $275

Average monthly savings: $1,113.21* 

*Our monthly savings is a bit lower than last year, but we did have a baby, so there's that. Our savings will be even lower next year now that we have to start paying for daycare, so we will see what happens!

compare to 2014

30x30 list items completed: 3

I am really excited about this! 
I didn't think I crossed anything off this year until I was looking at my list. 
Here's what I did:

-Buy a bedroom dresser
-Organize my recipes
And the big kahuna: 
-BUY A HOUSE. That happened.

Also....

I cannot forget to mention the fact that I spent the majority of this year pregnant. From announcing Baby Bum on the blog to sharing a few baby bump updates to writing out her birth story, it's been a heck of a ride. Everyone talks about it, and I've discovered for myself that it's cliche but true: you just cannot imagine the love you feel for your baby. I look at her and cry because she's so beautiful and she's for me to keep! I still can't believe it.

I'm looking forward to settling in a bit, both with our baby and in our new house and in our new routine with me back at work. I have been so incredibly blessed, and I am so thankful for all God has entrusted to me.

Thanks for sticking with me this month as I took some time off from the blog. I hope to get back to posting 2x a week in 2016. I realize that I can't expect you to keep coming here with such sporadic posting, and I definitely do not want to just pop in once a month with an R update. My plan is to try and post every Tuesday and Friday, just so you will have some idea of when to check back for new material. Of course, my time with R will become even more precious once I'm not hanging out with her all day every day, so blogging will not be my main priority. However, I do love it and want to continue to share pictures and happenings. It's fun to look back on for me, and I hope it is fun for you to read!

Here's to 2016! I hope you have a safe and fun New Year's.

p.s. By the Numbers: 2013 / By the Numbers: 2014

10 Things I Like About Myself

Sometimes I wonder why I have any friends. 

I promise I'm not trying to be dramatic or fish for compliments, but for real. There are multiple reasons why I can be a huge pain in the you-know-what, and sometimes I'm just like, Self, you're obnoxious.

We all have our "things." Our unique quirks, annoying habits, and little flaws that make us who we are. But we all have good things too and there are moments when I say to myself, Self, you're great. That's what I'll be talking about today, because I think you guys need a reminder of how awesome I am.

That was a joke. I think.

Anyway, moving on.

10 THINGS I LIKE ABOUT MYSELF

 (Linking up here.)

1. I'm funny.

And it's not just that I think I'm funny (which I do), but other people think I'm funny. It's fun being funny.

2. I'm reliable.

If you ask me to do something or show up somewhere, you can count on me to do it. I don't cancel plans at the last minute. I don't forget to pick someone up at the airport. I always try as best I can to do what I say I'm going to do. It's important to me.

3. I'm low maintenance.

I rarely wear makeup, and I don't spend a lot of time on my hair. I dress casual for the most part. It's not that makeup and hair and fancy clothes are bad things, and it's not that I don't care about how I look, but I like the fact that I can be showered and heading out the door in fifteen minutes if I had to. It's a lot less stressful for everyone.

4. I'm a good writer.

As you already saw, I'm not good with painting or drawing. But I do love words. Not everyone can write well, and while I believe you can learn to write better, I don't know if you can learn to write. I also love that I can write funny. Writing funny is hard, and one of my favorite things is when people tell me they laughed while reading a blog post. 

Is it lame to go back through your old tweets just to laugh and admire your own cleverness?

I'm asking for a friend.

5. I have nice legs.

This is totally vain, but I really love my legs. Thank you, running! I've always been a calf girl. I swoon over a shapely pair of calves.

6. I'm a good cook. 

I'm not going to be a top chef any time soon, but I enjoy cooking, and I like that I can whip up a tasty dish or dessert.

7. I don't procrastinate.

When I decide to do something, I do it immediately. Now, of course this isn't always the case. I procrastinate cleaning the bathroom, for example, but for the most part, I like to get things done. This trait of mine can lead to stress when I am unable to do something at the exact moment I want to do it, but at the end of the day, my motivation to get things done is something I like about myself.

8. I'm good at buying gifts.

I pride myself on buying my friends and family meaningful, thoughtful gifts. Gifts are 100% my love language, and when birthdays and Christmas are concerned, the budget pretty much goes out the window. It's an emotional high when I know I've found just the right thing for someone.

9. I'm easy to talk to.

I'll pretty much talk to anyone. I'm good at making conversation, and I'm good at including other people in the conversations. High five for extroversion!

10. I'm adventurous.

I'll try anything at least once (unless it involves a snake). When it comes to food or experiences, I think you don't know unless you try. One of the most adventurous things I've ever done was go sky diving a few years ago. I've tried singing karaoke (I'm terrible), and the other day at the grocery store I grabbed a rutabaga to cook even though I had no idea what it was or how to cook it.

For the record, it's a root vegetable akin to a turnip. Taste and texture, I could compare it to a potato. Not difficult to cook at all. Go me!

* * *

Now wasn't that fun? I hope my real-life friends would agree about these ten I've chosen. I ran them by Jordan, and he gave me the green light, so I think I'm good.

What's something you like about yourself?

The Social Media Rabbit Hole or, The Real Reason I Don't Own a Smart Phone

I used to pride myself on being one of the last people in my friend group to have a smart phone. I claimed to "not care" about Facebook, and I thought Twitter was stupid. I sat high on my self-created pedestal for a long time, lording over my social media-obsessed peers while frowning on their addiction to the internet and all the worldly distractions it offered. 

I was the last pure, unsoiled being, and I was proud of it. Or, at least that's what I told myself when I wrote this post.

But behind my righteous facade, a darkness was growing.

I got a Twitter, and it crept nearer. I made a second twitter for my editor account (I've actually since deleted it), and the darkness loomed. Then I made a Facebook page for The Lady Okie blog, started up another blog where I post editing and writing tips twice a week (amanadabumgarner.com), and the darkness moved ever closer. 

Now I am convinced that the only thing saving me from disappearing completely down the social media rabbit hole is the fact that I still don't have a smart phone. This is also the reason that I don't plan on getting one any time soon. 

It's not because I don't want one.

It's not because I'm too good for it.
It's not really because I don't want to pay for the data plan. (Although it kind of is.)
It's not because they're evil.

It's because I'm obsessed.

Right now while I'm typing this I'm also thinking about how I haven't checked my Twitter in five minutes. I probably have some interactions to respond to! People "favoriting" my hilarious tweets! People retweeting my hilarious tweets! People tweeting me to tell me I'm hilarious!

!!!!

I'm being a little dramatic, of course, but not really. The darkness is here. Can you feel it? Because I can, and I don't like it. I wasn't until I read this blog post that it all came together for me.

If I waste even 5 minutes on unnecessary social media per day, I will be wasting 30.4 hours a year, which is just over 1 DAY of my life per year. And you know what? I waste well more than 5 minutes a day, so that number is even higher. Major sad face.

The blog post I mentioned asked this question: What do you do when you get free time? She talked about how instead of wasting time on social media, she's trying to be more intentional about the way she spends her free time. The post included a quote saying that the greatest waste is getting an hour of unexpected free time and doing nothing with it. Yet I do this so often. And I am convinced it would be WORSE if I had the ability to carry the Internet with me in my pocket.

Seriously, check out this article about whether or not smart phones are killing our memories.

So anyway, that's the real reason I don't have a smart phone. I'm not shaking my finger at those who have one. I know they can be useful, and the iphone camera is awesome. I don't even know how to take a picture with my phone, which isn't helpful when you're at the mall shopping by yourself and want to text a picture to your best friend for a second opinion.

Still, I just know that it would be so easy for me to become one of those people who can't live without it. And I want to be able to stand in line at Walmart or wait at a stoplight with just my own thoughts to keep me company and not feel the urge to check Instagram every 2 seconds. Because I totally would. I hear Instagram is loads of fun. I mean, who doesn't want to take pictures of their lunch and post it for the world to see?

[source]

Here's the truth: I have enough trouble as it is. At this point, I'm barely keeping my head above the social media rabbit hole. A smart phone would put me over the edge.

[For another great read: Technology and Being Intentional]

If you have a smart phone (so, basically everyone reading this), I'd love to hear how you manage not being obsessed with social media. Would you ever consider going back to a "regular" phone?

Also.... (the really important question) I am just being really dramatic about the whole thing?*
*No, don't answer that.

Oops, I did it again

I'm back from a lovely trip to my home state of Illinois, and I have some stories to share. But first things first. Remember when I got up on the OKC billboard with this gem:

Well, just before I left last week, I did it again.
Cue Britney.

My husband wishes I were kidding about this, but to that I say, I'll shave when he does.

I don't know how it happens, but sometimes I just shave one leg, and then I start daydreaming about ice cream while shampooing my hair; then I'm out of the shower, dressed, and making breakfast before I realize I forgot to shave the other leg.

I'm not proud of it.
But then again, it DID get me up on the billboard, so....

--let's be social--

The Valentine's Day Twitter Board

I am the first to admit that I get very excited about insignificant things. Case in point: last week, on Valentine's Day, I got retweeted on the giant billboard in Oklahoma City, and I kind of freaked out. Like, I called people to tell them about it freaked out.

You see, you can only get up on the twitter board by tweeting something witty. So for the last few months (basically ever since I got a twitter), I've been trying to tweet something worthy of getting up on the board.

Who knew that instead of trying to be funny, all I had to do was tweet something random that was also 100% true. I totally took down some Hershey's kisses the night before Valentine's Day.

So while Valentine's Day was great and all that... I love my husband and yada yada yada, the real excitement was getting my tweet up on the billboard.

My second big excitement was going out to get frozen yogurt with Jordan. Because it's delicious. 

That's how you rock Valentine's Day when you're lame awesome.