Hello, 2015! Hello 30!

I can not believe 2015 is upon us. Not only that, but this is a very big year for me because at the very end of it, I'm turning 30! I can't tell yet if I'll have any anxiety about that, but it could go either way at the moment!

While I haven't been stressing about the numbers too much, I have been taking some big strides at the tail end of 2014 to achieve some much needed work/life balance, spend more quality time with friends, and yes...I even started dating. Let me tell you, it's been an adventure, and one I definitely don't post much about on here (because I don't post much at all these days...I promise I'm trying to change that) but I may be getting a little more...personal on this blog in 2015. I think of those of you who have stuck with me through about 2.5 years of infrequent updates as family and friends by now. You're in the inner circle.

So with that, I give you my list of 30 things I'd like to do this year, before turning 30. And I raise a glass to toast each of you, with the hope that you all accomplish all you're meant to this year. Cheers!

1  Keep an up-to-date calendar/planner (past March...)
2  Keep my desktop/workspace clean (spot clean every day before leaving work)
3  Take an improv comedy class
4  Set up drinks/dinner with a new female friend
5  Blog at least twice a week
6  Wear makeup everyday (bonus points if I put it on at home and not at my desk)
7  Go kayaking at Riverside or Brooklyn Bridge Park
8  Go skiing at least twice this season
9  Pay off my credit card
10  Take a design/art workshop or class
11  Buy a sketchbook and start to doodle again
12  Learn to make simple things I haven't tried i.e. whipped cream, poached eggs, roast chicken
13  Find a general practitioner that I like, and have a full check-up (I'm embarrassed to say I haven't been to a GP in 3+ years)
14  Buy a new mattress
15  Stick to my diet (I do Weight Watchers, and I always nail it perfectly for 2 months, and then fizzle for a month, and so on...this year I'm going for consistency!)
16  Read at least 20 books
17  Aim to go on at least one date each week
18  Get weekly manicures and DON'T chew fingernails
19  Cut way back on the booze and the occasional cigarette (very important!!)
20  Don't just remove makeup, focus on using my Clinique Sonic System brush for a deeper clean daily
21  Cook for myself at least two days each week
22  Make my bed everyday (this is so sad...I'm going to be 30, it's time)
23  Never visit someone's apartment empty-handed (hostess gifts are in your future, friends!)
24  Make a point to send thank you notes, birthday cards, other meaningful communications
25  Never go a full week without doing yoga
26  Try at least one new recipe every 2 weeks, to broaden cooking/eating horizons
27  Moisturize hands/face/skin daily
28  Drink water (i.e. no more than 2 Diet Cokes per day, how will I ever do this?)
29  Go on a relaxing vacation (preferably out of the country)
30  Feel good, stay positive, be happy

That last one could be the easiest, or the most difficult. And I'm sure this list is only scratching the surface of what I can accomplish this year. But anyway, here we go! Buckle up, it could be a very bumpy ride.

Happy New Year: 2013

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had an amazing holiday season and an extraordinary New Year's Eve. We had a party here in our apartment and it was lovely to be surrounded by my new fabulous friends. It was very surreal to realize that I have joined such an amazing, shiny new group of people in exactly one year's time. See a few of my 2013 Resolutions below, and feel free to share some of yours! I'd love to hear them.

Image taken at the party via my Instagram account

1  BLOG MORE
I've talked about this many times before, but since I sort of fell off the blogging wagon last year while adjusting to my new surroundings (and an extremely taxing new work schedule), I vow to carve out more time this year to writing in this blog. It always makes me feel like the truest version of myself when I am taking the time to be creative and share my thoughts with all of you readers.

2  MAKE MY BED EVERYDAY
I am embarrassed to say it, but I still don't religiously make my bed in the morning. I am not a morning person so I tend to just roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, brush my teeth and get on the subway. But I'm proud to say that I took the time to wake up earlier and make my bed every morning this past week and it made my room feel much cleaner and more organized! And it was a much better sight to come home to, and more comfortable to crawl into at night too. This is one resolution I am definitely going to stick with!

3  SPEND LESS MONEY
This is getting into the cliched New Years Resolution territory, but I seriously need to stop eating out for lunch everyday. It's not healthy and it's really not affordable. Instead, I am going to pack a lunch the night before, or bring a Lean Cuisine or something. I am also going to take fewer taxis, as I've crunched the numbers recently, and that is a huuuuge cost that will definitely be easy enough to cut. I could also stand to cut out some of those guilty pleasures like after-work drinks too, which will be sure to lighten my monthly spending!

4  WHITEN UP
This is probably more of a vanity thing, but I'd really like to cut out dark beverages like Diet Coke and coffee, because I can tell they are slowly but surely staining my teeth. Everyone likes to have a bright, white smile, and I have identified a few things to cut out of my daily routine that will help brighten my teeth.

5  WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
This is the biggest struggle in the world for me...I tend to be a bit of a workaholic, and my job is equally very demanding. This is a disastrous combination, to be sure. I need to know when to say enough is enough, and leave the remaining work for another day. There's always something more I could do, but it often doesn't have to be now, now, now, and completely interfere with my personal time! I need to reclaim my life, and I'm planning on doing it soon!

I know that New Years Resolutions are commonly scoffed at, but I can't imagine ever discouraging someone's quest for self-improvement. It's a very human thing to want to be better and do better and this time of year feels like the closing of one chapter and the opening of another! Good luck with all of your New Years Resolutions! I will keep you posted on how mine are going...

{APP}ly Yourself

It's Chrissy again - guest posting from Harve & Polly (and so excited that Jenna has landed in NYC!)

So, did you survive you New Years Eve? of course you did. Now that the party is over - it's time to get those resolutions rolling! I know its hard, but take that motivation, and these apps, and get cracking!

Below are 5 resolutions, and 5 corresponding apps that will help you make them reality!

1) Diet Diet Diet
Here we go - you say it every year! After all those delicious Holiday meals it's time to cut back on those sweets and eat your veggies! Dont get too crazy about what's good for you and what's not - there's an App for that! Try the Nutrition Menu App for $0.99

This App lets you: 
- look up nutrition information for restaurants
- graph your weightloss over time
- adds up your daily calories
- lets you track exercise
- even works with your weight watchers points!

2) Work Out
calories aren't just burnt at the gym - walking, jogging and running are all good ways to get in shape. The easiest way to keep track of them is with the Pedometer App for $0.99

This App lets you:
- accurately calculate the length of your step by using your height and weight
- keep monitoring your steps without draining your battery life
- calorie calculator tells you how many calories you burn daily
- store your walking history to track your progress
- speed settings even let you tell the app how fast you want to go

3) Get Organized
If you dont use "Teux Deux" yet - you should - and then you need to download the corresponding App for free!

This App lets you:
- access your to do list just like TeusDeux.com
- easily view multiple lists from your phone
- add and cross off items from anywhere
- drag and drop items from day to day

4) Save Money
There's nothing worse than overspending - see exactly how much you are spending on what with the Spend Budgeting App for $0.99

This App lets you: 
- view spending history
- see how much money you have left for specific budget items
- add in reoccurring expenses so you never forget about that pesky prescription or gym membership
- transfer funds between budgets (sorry dress fund - that winter gas bill was higher than I expected!)

5) Learn Something New
No new year is complete without learning a new skill, how about a foreign language? Download the French tutor app for FREE

This App lets you:
- play games to learn phrases
- take written quizzes to see your progress
- listen to native french audio
- use the flashcards to brush up on your vocab


Well, there they are - I hope these Apps help with your resolutions, and have a happy 2012.

pop the cork

Hello! Chrissy from Harve & Polly here, and I am very excited to be guest posting on JSQ during Jenna's move the the Big Apple!

Well, its no secret that New Years Eve is around the corner, and while I may not be celebrating in Times Square, I will be drinking lots of Bubbly here in Boston!

Though Champagne is a New Years staple, its my favorite regardless of the season - so I hope these items inspire you to keep drinking those bubbles all through 2012.

01/ inside-out champagne glass $60.00  //  02/ dance on the table $22.00  //  03/ cork stool $199.00  //  04/ I would rather have champagne $29.00  //  05/ flute and bottle earrings $118.71  //  06/ antique smoke gray champagne flutes $65.00  //  07/ fun flutes $69.00  //  08/ french champagne rings $16.11