February Update on New Year's Resolutions

Below are the New Year's Resolutions I made for 2017.  Let's get a progress update, shall we?


1) Lose another 50 pounds - As of Sunday, February 26, I have entered a 3-month-long weight-loss challenge.  I needed to do it, because I've been seriously slacking on the weight-loss front.  This past weekend, Mom and I took a little trip to St. Augustine (maybe if you ask nicely, I'll write a blog post about it).  I definitely gorged myself in order to have a high starting weight for the start of the competition (and to have several "last meals" to think back on fondly during the next three months).  Since my initial weigh-in for the competition, I've already gone down SIX POUNDS!  Also, I just started doing Jillian Michael's workout video called "Ripped in 30."  Guess we'll see how ripped I am in thirty days!

2) Pay off all of our immediate debt - We used part of our tax refund to pay off yet another bill, but then another $1,000 worth of unpaid debt surfaced.  So since then, I've taken a little break from thinking too much about our debt, because it hurts my head and my heart.

3) Rewrite Ravensboro - I'm ashamed to say between work (tax season is here and I work in a tax office), working out, and otherwise being married and being choir director at my church, I haven't had much time to do much else.  Including updating Ravensboro.

4) Finish Harkness - I really can't start on this until Ravensboro is done...  ='(

5) Journal/Blog more - I've written more than a few book summaries on my blog, AND I started a journal again last week.  Now to just discipline to write in it faithfully.

6) Find out where I should be career-wise - I just got a raise, so I'm sticking where I'm stuck right now.  Hopefully, God will continue to lead me in His will for my career, because I still don't know what to do.  I love writing, and I would love to work in a church, but I'm not finding any lucrative opportunities to do this  =/


What about you?  Did you have any New Year's Resolutions going into 2017?  How are those working out?

Summing Up "The DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend"

Why I Chose This Book:  I was walking through my current favorite bookstore, BAM, with my mom last Friday, and I stumbled across this gem in the Clearance section.  I'd seen the movie before, and the book was less than $2, so I got it.

Book Rating (1-5 Stars):  I'll give it a 3.  It was your typical raunchy teen book, but it did tear at the heartstrings a little, and it came off as genuine.  Self-esteem check!  lol

Setting of the Book: Honestly, couldn't tell ya.  Some city in Kentucky.

About the Author: Kody Keplinger is herself a native of Kentucky.  She wrote this book when she was just seventeen years old!  She's written a few more books for young adults since this one, and she's active on social media about self-esteem and body positivity.

Plot of the book in one sentence:  Bianca finds out she's the DUFF in her group of friends - or is she?

If I Could Rename the Book:  A Trashy YA Novel About Self-Esteem

Genre: Teen Fiction

Point of View: First-Person (told from Bianca's perspective)

Favorite Character: I really like Bianca's best friend, Casey

Least Favorite Character: Probably Bianca's dad

Other (Main Characters): 
Bianca - a senior in high school
Casey - Bianca's best friend; cheerleader; also a senior in high school
Jessica - Bianca's other best friend who's not as close to her
Wesley - a senior in high school who calls Bianca "the Duff"
Toby Tucker - Bianca's long-time crush and a lovable nerd

If the Book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?
The book is already a movie & I've seen it; the characters were okay in the roles - HOWEVER, as I was reading the book, I kept picturing Wesley as Adam Hagenbuch instead of whoever actually played him in the movie.  Don't ask me why. lol

Favorite Scene of the Book: Honestly, there wasn't really one.

Least Favorite Scene of the Book: Bianca's dad gets drunk, calls her a bad word, and hits her in the head.  It's pretty scary.

Favorite Quote in the Book: N/A

Did I like the Ending? Yeah, sure; it was cute I guess, but I was hoping for so much more.

Which of my friends could I see loving this book? Charity Riley for some reason.

Which of my friends could I see hating this book? For every trashy book I read, I always see Hannah hating it.  haha Or my mom.  This book is definitely not mom friendly.

This book left me feeling: Ok

How Long Did It Take Me to Read It: About 5 hours total