August 19, 2019

#KindnessRocks

August 19, 2019/ Ashley Noga

LONG STORY short!

I found this lovely lady bug kindness rock while on an afternoon walk with Manny. It brought me so much joy! Almost instantly, I knew I wanted to re-hide it for someone else to find. Then I thought, I want to paint more rocks to sprinkle around town! And then I wondered, what if I make this bigger than myself? Before you knew it, I was hosting a kindness rock paint party at my house! People from all walks of life got together to create beautiful masterpieces + spread more kindness. The rocks are fantastic, but the best part? The community behind the painted rocks <3

LONNNNNG story explained!

If my sister didn’t text me on May 18th, we may not have made plans to visit Dad for Father’s Day. If we didn’t travel together, I wouldn’t have picked her up in Hamilton. If I didn’t go to Ohio, I wouldn’t have stopped by The Studio to see my Mom while I was in town. If I didn’t visit my Mom, I may not have invited her to Indy the following weekend to have a girl’s weekend. If she didn’t come to Indy, we wouldn’t have gone swimming at Splash Island. If it wasn’t so crowded, I wouldn’t have noticed the trail near the overflow lot. If I didn’t take Manny to explore that trail the following weekend, I would have never found the lady bug kindness rock. If I didn’t find that rock, I wouldn’t have had the idea to start my own kindness rock party. If didn’t have a paint party, I wouldn’t be sitting here today thinking about the amazing community that’s being built on love, rocks and kindness.

People from all different walks of life got together in my little backyard. We painted many beautiful masterpieces, which I’m SO EXCITED to hide for other people to find. But more than that, we jammed to some music, the kiddos played with the doodle, snacks were eaten, stories were shared, we giggled, we laughed...SO MUCH, we felt a sense of belonging and togetherness. It was the most INCREDIBLE feeling. I mean, that’s what we all want, right? A place where we belong? It’s WILD to me how everything builds on top of another. You make 35,000 choices EVERY DAY. Somehow, all those decisions link together to a much bigger picture than you could have ever realized.

And that my friends, is the full story behind how the #KindnessRocks Paint Party came to fruition!

Where do we go from here? Great question!

PAINT more rocks — Come to the next paint party! Because one just wasn’t enough :)
HIDE the rocks — To make more people’s days!
Use + Follow our HASHTAG — A way to stay connected with our masterpieces — to see who finds them and where they end up next!

1. PAINT more Rocks

After I hosted the first #KindnessRocks paint party, I realized one party wasn’t enough.

We had SUCH a fun timeI The painting was super relaxing! The group of people coming together was the best! The energy in the air was simply unexplainable!

Plus, I had a several people tell me they wish they could have made the last party because they had prior commitments. Sooooo….I decided let’s have another paint party!

Mark your calendar! The next paint party is in exactly ONE week!
Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 from 6-9PM (Stop by anytime!)

Want more details?! Click here for more information!

If you can’t make the party but still would like to participate, I’ve included kindness rock painting instructions below! It’s super duper EASY. You could even host your own paint party if you would like! (Just make sure to invite me 😉)

2. HIDE the Rocks!

After the first paint party, I had a friend on Instagram send me a message. She told me she wasn’t able to make the party but would love to help hide some of the rocks if I needed some help. YES. YES. YES! You see, Sarah was a friend from Instagram, but we hadn’t met in person before. This was the perfect opportunity to hang out, share stories and spread kindness within our community! We went to the Farmer’s Market and had a BLAST.

When you’re hiding your rocks, here’s some tips:

Go solo or bring a friend!
- Going solo can be nice because you’re on your own agenda!
- Having a buddy makes things twice as fun!
Get creative with your hiding spots!
- Find colors that match your rock
  (Ex: We hid a pink rock on a pink megaphone on a playground)
  (Ex: We hid a rainbow rock on top of a giant rock the night the sky was painted in similar colors)
- Look for places that are fitting to your rock
  (Ex: We hid a strawberry rock on a Farmer’s Market sign)
  (Ex: We hid a Tribe rock outside of the AMC theatre where Tribe has church)
- Hide high and low!
  (Ex: I hid a Dream BIG rock under a TALL sunflower. Fitting, eh?)
  (Ex: We hid a tiny turtle rock on a see saw for a kiddo to see at eye hight when playing on the playground)
Have FUN! 😁
- After all, that’s what it’s all about!

If you need some inspiration on hiding spots, check out the pictures below!

3. Use + Follow our HASHTAG!

Did you know that if someone uses a hashtag on social media, you can easily find that content by searching the hashtag? So if someone finds your rock and uses the hashtag in their social media post, you could see whose day you made and where your rock has traveled! If you’d like to follow along your rock’s journey, make sure to include our hashtag on your rock before you hide it :)

Which you’re probably wondering….What IS the hashtag?!?! Another great question! Before the 2nd paint party next Wednesday, I’ll be collecting hashtag ideas so we can VOTE on our favorite one to use. (Don’t worry, I’ll add the WINNING HASTAG to this post so you know was it is!)

Here’s some of IDEAS so far:

#KindnessRocksIndy
#IndyKindnessRocks
#JustBeKindIndy
#JustBeKindRocks
#RockOnIndy
#RockArtIndy
#IndyRocks
#FindMeHideMe

Do you have a hashtag idea?!? Leave a comment below! Keep in mind we want to try to use something that hasn’t been used a TON already, so it’s much easier to follow our rocks :)

UPDATE: The winning hashtag is #KindnessRocksIndy

:)

Before you go, Remember….

August 07, 2019

The $1K Pay Off Challenge

August 07, 2019/ Ashley Noga

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been on a journey to Financial Freedom for 1.5 years now!

Last year was my #12MonthsOfLess and one big “Less Goal” I had was #LessDebt. I read Dave Ramsey’s book “Total Money Makeover” and have been following the baby steps since.

If you are unfamiliar with the baby steps, I created a video during my year of less that explains it in more detail. Check it out here!

Essentially, there’s 7 steps and you go in order to become financially free :) See graphic!

Right now, I am on Baby Step #2 (Pay off debt). When you are in Baby Step #2, you’ll want to list your debt from smallest to largest to pay it off. Last year, I paid off my Chase Freedom Credit Card ($5,500). Since then, I’ve been working toward paying off my Kia Soul, otherwise known as “Pearl” ($12,655 balance at the beginning of 2018).

I’m going to be real honest with y’all.

My goal to pay off my car by then end of the year has been on the back burner for several months now. (The balance has been in the $3K range now since April). I feel like I’ve been crushing it at a lot of other things, but this goal has been hiding out. It’s not that I’m going more into debt (I refuse to do that to myself again). But I haven’t been as good with taking my extra money and using it to pay off my smallest debt as fast as possible. I haven’t been sticking to the original budget I created at the beginning of the month.

You see, last month, I budgeted $750 to put toward my car. How much did I actually pay in July? This is embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t pay a single dime. It’s the little things here and there that add up. Before you know it, the $750 I thought I had to payoff my car was gone.

It’s always the little things, too…

The $25 new patio umbrella
The $35 spent at Ulta on shampoo / conditioner during their semi-annual Liter sale
The $30 spent on rock painting supplies
The $35 spent to cure my Poison Ivy
The $40 campsite
The $150 Ring Doorbell purchased during Amazon’s Prime Day sale
The $150 spent at Target on clothes, a tent and who knows what else….
The $20 Chris Young ticket
The $30 kayaking trip
The $109 spent out to eat (Chinese, Dominoes, ChikFilA, Skyline, Mother Bears, Rick’s Boatyard)
The $25 on a Tribe sweatshirt
The $50 on an Anniversary gift for J
The $6 on a fun, handcrafted birdhouse to add to my tree
The $35 spent on a wedding gift
The $16 Audible subscription I forgot to cancel before it renewed

ADD those together and what do you get…
$756 — Literally the amount I was going to put toward my car 😞

I knew I had spent a little extra, but I had no idea until the end of the month when I kept “balancing” my EveryDollar budget with what I spent and taking my Pearl Payoff amount down to $0. Ashley, it’s about time for a WAKE UP call!

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Last week, an email for $1,000 Pay Off Day came into my Inbox. What timing!

Dave Ramsey and his team put together a challenge to encourage others to commit to pay off $1,000 toward their smallest debt during the month of August. Um, GENIUS! Getting a community of people together to work toward a common goal of becoming DEBT FREE. HECK YES! Count me in!

The bonus?!
4 winners who complete the challenge will win $2,500.

I thought, “Wow! If I pay off $1K and win the $2,500, my Kia Soul will be paid off!!! How amazing would that be. Even if I don’t win, I will be $1K closer to getting Pearl paid off this year.”

I told myself, “This will be tough, but it’s definitely attainable with discipline and a bit of extra work! And if I can achieve this, it will put me back in the right mindset to tackle my debt with gazelle intensity.”

Here’s what I’m doing to GET MY BUTT back in GEAR:

CASH ENVELOPES vs. Debit Card
- I am headed to the bank first thing tomorrow morning to get cash out! I’ll be using dollar bills for my purchases this month. The only thing I will use my debit card for are bills online.
- Last year, I used the cash envelope system and it really did help me not overspend. When the money is gone, it’s gone!
- Here’s the categories and the $$ I’m allocating to each this month:
  - Groceries: $200 (major decrease from my usual $300 budget)
  - Out to Eat: $30
  - Gas: $120
  - Fun: $50
  - Mini Trip to FL: $150

SHELF COOKING + GROCERY SHOPPING
- One of the categories I spend the most money outside of my mortgage is FOOD. Food is technically a “necessity” but that doesn’t mean I need to buy whatever I want when I go to the grocery store.
- I know part of it, is I try to eat more WHOLE FOODS and those are more expensive. However, what I’m going to do this month is make meals with WHAT I HAVE in the house. AKA Shelf Cooking or what some may call Pantry Cooking! We’ll see how thin I can stretch my dollar and how little I can spend at the store this month!
- For the fresh produce and staples we need, I’m going to try going back to Aldi and see how that goes! I enjoyed it last year, but somewhere along the way, I got in the habit of just making one stop at Kroger and calling it good.

USE EVERY DOLLAR. THE RIGHT WAY.
- So the thing is, I use Every Dollar (budgeting app) each month. But I’ve been really bad about tracking everything and then moving money around to make it “work” after the month has begun or once the month is over.
- Here’s to making NO changes to budget UNLESS it’s adding money toward debt. I think the cash envelopes will also majorly help with this!

SIDE HUSTLE FOR EXTRA $$$
- I have a feeling I’ll be pulling out my handy, dandy Lyft stickers again to earn some extra dough! From the looks of my budget, I’m going to need a little bit of extra money to hit the $1,000 mark.
- Dave Ramsey’s team have been sending tips on how to make extra money, too. They’ve suggested things from driving (Uber / Lyft) to pet sitting (Fido) to delivering Pizzas to working overtime (if your job allows). There’s plenty of opportunities out there! You just need to make the time for them!

NO: THE MOST POWERFUL 2-LETTER WORD
- When it comes down to it, saying NO can make the most impact on spending LESS.
  - NO to the Starbuck’s run
    (Those small purchases really do add up!)
  - NO to going out to eat after a long day at work
    (You have a fridge of food waiting for you at home! Make something easy!)
  - NO to buying the pup another toy
    (Let’s be real, he has plenty as it is)
  - NO to the trip to Target
    (Don’t even tempt yourself by stepping foot inside!)
  - NO to ALL of the social activities
    (Tip: You can still do things with your friends, but maybe suggest activities that cost little-to-no money like a hike or painting kindness rocks or making an effort to eat BEFORE you go out)

Find a Community of Like-Minded People

The other thing that has really helped me with completing things like the #Whole30 or exercising on the daily is surrounding myself with a community of people who are reaching toward the same goals. For instance, my friend Michelle and her husband Lake just paid off their car!!! Something about seeing their faces filled with enthusiasm and the ripped up debt paper makes me want to get mine paid off AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, too!

If you aren't sure where to get such support + inspiration, use Facebook groups! I’ve had the most success joining a Dave Ramsey group, a Lyft Drivers group, a Whole30 group, etc. These people are in it to win it. You can ask questions to get help! You can stay inspired through other people’s success stories, much like Lake and Michelle’s.

Also, for the $1,000 Pay Off Day specifically, the Dave Ramsey team has created a Facebook event.
Click here and check out the discussion tab to follow along!

The other thing that may help out?!?

VISUALS!

You see, when you sign up, you will have access to 4 graphics (almost like coloring pages) that you can use to keep track of your progress. I have mine printed off and hanging above my stove. I see it everyday here and it reminds me to stay committed to what I set out to do!

They also have mobile version if you prefer that! There’s one in the shape of a car, one in the shape of a graduation cap, and two more general boxes for you to use for any other debt you may have!

Do you want to participate in $1K Pay Off Day?

If it’s still August 2019 when you’re reading this, there’s still time to join!
Head here to sign up today!

And even if it’s after the “official Dave Ramsey #1000PayOff day”, that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own in whatever month you choose!

When you want something bad enough, you’ll make it happen! By August 31st, the car on my coloring page is going to be FILLED with colors and I will be $1K closer to having Pearl paid off! I’m going to make it happen!!! Are you?!?!

Let’s! Do! This!

PS - This is in no way an ad or sponsored post (though if it was, I could put it toward my debt snowball, right?! Hahah). Dave Ramsey and the #7BabySteps method he created is something I truly believe in. It totally works! If you listen to his podcast or follow him on YouTube, you’ll hear countless success stories and debt free screams. If they can do it, you can do it, too!

July 24, 2019

LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE

July 24, 2019/ Ashley Noga

I had a big wakeup call recently.

I’m not sure if it was the passing of my Grandma or a conversation I had with my sister or filling out my Start Today Journal every day. Honestly, it’s probably been a combination of all of those things and then some.

The point being:

YOU’VE GOT TO START LIVING THE LIFE YOU LOVE <3

I get it. It sounds cliché. But let me break it down for you a little further:

A life you love is NOT…

A life to impress other people.
A life you think you should be living.
A life doing things that makes everyone else happy. Everyone but you.
A life of waiting for the weekend or your next vacation to escape your reality.
A life where you feel stuck.

A life you love…

Is looking forward to the day ahead because you know there’s magical moments to be found. It’s springing out of bed early to get your morning moving. It’s being fully present in each part of your day. It’s finding joy. It’s being grateful for what you have. It’s feeling truly happy because you are doing things you enjoy. It’s looking back on life, and having no regrets, because you lived your life to the fullest. Every. Single. Day.

SO, HOW DO YOU DO THIS?

FIRST: FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

Jot down the things that bring you joy.
Ask yourself: What are the things that make me happy?

For example, my list looks like this:

Watching the sunrise / sunset
Swinging in the hammock
Going on adventures — especially water activities in the summer!
Taking Manny on walks
Connecting with others
Playing music
Taking photos (of everything)
Being creative
Storytelling
Working toward my goals

If you are having trouble coming up with a list, I would recommend creating a Vision Book (or a Vision Board). This will help you VISUALIZE those things. When you flip through magazines and find something that warms your heart, that’s your HAPPY PLACE. Cut that out and paste it into your life!

But remember: Don’t put things on YOUR list just because you saw someone else doing XYZ and THINK those things are a “good idea”. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is you!

SECOND: SHOW “NO” THE DOOR

When is the last time you said NO?
Here’s a trick: If it’s not a HELL YES then it’s a no.

STOP doing things that don’t bring you joy.
Ask yourself: What don’t I like doing but I’m doing anyhow?

For example, here’s some things I’ve had to re-evaluate in my life:

Running Streak
(I like running but looking back, FORCING my self to run EVERY DAY was not the best practice for my health. Sure, it was great for my physical health. It also taught me discipline and built my endurance. But for my mental health? It made me feel like I was forced to do something that some days, I didn’t want to do. Some days I just wanted to do Zumba in my living room, but felt like I couldn’t because I committed to a #RunningStreak. This year, though, I shifted my mindset from a streak to simply: DO EXERCISE YOU ENJOY. It’s been SUCH a game changer)
Cleaning
(OK, so I actually like cleaning because it de-stresses me and a clean house makes me feel good. But when I look at how my time is best spent, it’s not cleaning. I’ve learned to BLESS THE MESS. I keep the house picked up, but there’s definitely dust bunnies up in here. The floor could be swept more often. And the toilets cleaned more. One day, I’m going to hire someone to come and deep clean the house once or twice a month. But until then, deep cleaning isn’t high up on my priority list. And that’s okay!)
Dieting
(I HATE counting calories. I HATE writing down everything I ate. I HATE tracking how much water I drank. It’s not for me. What is for me though, is learning what foods fuel my body. It’s actually eating those foods. It’s allowing myself to have queso or ice cream when I truly want it. It’s called Food Freedom. I will never do another diet again. I will, however, keep evaluating the foods I eat and how my body responds to them. I like it. It works for me. Do the things that work for you!)
Drinking
(I’m not opposed to drinking. I don’t have a problem with people who do. But I’ve cut back the alcohol I consume. Not that it was a ton before, but I have realized the effects it was having on my body. The brain fog. Being hungover. Having one drink and then being forced with the decision: Am I going to have another? Drinking is fine and I’ll still enjoy an adult beverage or two from time to time, but only if I truly want it. It’s not an automatic “Wine Wednesday” or “I NEED a drink after the day I had.”)
Free Time
(In my free time, I’ve learned I love being at home. After years of being on the go all the time, I’ve grown to really appreciate my backyard, swinging in the hammock and reading a good book. Sometimes, I’ll get invited to do things or I’ll be asked to help with something. I ask myself if it’s something I really want to do and then look at my week. Sometimes, I go. But sometimes, I say no. It’s nothing against the person. I just know my I need my “me time” in my happy place).

Note: You can be polite by declining. I’ve had a couple people reach out to me recently about various projects and opportunities or trips, and I thanked them for thinking of me but ultimately had to say “No” because I knew it wasn’t a HELL YES.

If you’re struggling with this concept, know this:
It’s NOT selfish to make yourself a priority. You’ve got to fill your cup up first in order to overflow into others.

THIRD: EVALUATE YOUR SCHEDULE

Now that you have your list, it’s time to look at your calendar. What’s on it?

Do you have your ME TIME built in?
Are you filling your schedule with things OTHER people want you to do?

The best thing you can do for yourself is carve out AT LEAST one hour each day to focus on YOU. If you can give yourself more than one hour, great! During this time, you can do WHATEVER it is that brings you joy.

I have a quote in my office that says, “Do one thing every day that makes your heart sing.”
What is that thing for you?! (Hint: Look back at #1)

Now…
What’s on your calendar that YOU didn’t place on there? What’s on there that’s someone else’s agenda?

If you don’t ENJOY doing it, stop doing it! This is your life. You are an adult. You can make decisions for yourself! You get to decide! Life is WAY too short to be doing things that don’t add value to your life.

FOURTH: TAKE ACTION

Planning only gets you so far! You can PLAN all day. You can come up with the BEST PLAN EVER.
But if you don’t put it into action, you’re going to get no where.

For instance…

Meal planning + prepping on the weekend followed by a week of take out / going out to eat.
Buying gym clothes but not going to the gym.
Talking about a dream vacation but never taking the steps to book your trip.
Dreaming up a business you want to start but letting that idea sit in your head.
Wanting to write a book but not getting the words to paper.

You don’t have to do everything at once! In fact, you shouldn’t.

Start with ONE thing on your list.
Start slow!
One foot in front of the other.
One day at a time.

Before you know it, those baby steps will turn into miles and you’ll be running toward your goals!

FIFTH: GO ALL IN

Once you begin taking action, promise me this. Promise me you will GO ALL IN.

At TribeHer a couple weeks ago, the question was asked: When do you feel most ALIVE?

I thought on it for a hot minute and then responded: I feel most alive when I am fully present in each moment.

Let me explain:
You’re at work? Focus on work.
You’re working out? Break a sweat!
You’re at church? Stop thinking about everything you have to do this week.
You’re with your friends? Get off your phone.

To get the MOST out of the life you are living, you’ve got to eliminate the distractions that are surrounding you. You’ve got to focus on the thing you working toward, in the present moment. Go. All. In.

ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE ?!?

Quit hitting the snooze button.

Wake up and let’s get moving!

5-4-3-2-1

Let’s goooooooo!

July 10, 2019

5 Ways to COOL down this Summer!

July 10, 2019/ Ashley Noga

We’re in the heat of summer! Literally!
If you’re searching for some tips for staying COOL during the hot days, look no further!

1. Take a DIP

You’ve got OPTIONS. You may not think you’ve got options if you don’t have your very own swimming pool. But let me tell you, you’ve got options!

In Your Community: Find a Public Pool or Splash Pad

In the town I live, there is a mini waterpark (Splash Island) just a few miles away from my house. It’s at the Plainfield Recreation & Aquatic Center. I learned about it shortly after moving here. The first year we lived in Plainfield, I never went. But the last two summers, I’ve gone several times! Why not take advantage of a pool, lazy river and three water slides?! For only $5.50 admission! You bet I’m there! Especially on Resident Mondays, Wet Wednesdays and Endless Summer Nights. (They even have a DOG DAY on September 7th before they close for the season!)

Where I’m from in Hamilton, OH, there are TONS of splash pads throughout parks in the city. Where kids (or heck, even adults) can run through the water and cool down. Pack a picnic and make a day out of it!

A Short Drive Away: Creek / Lake / Beach / Waterpark

I have had SO much FUN recently finding outdoors activities near + in + on the water!

If you’re on a FREE IS FOR ME budget, take a walk with your pup down to a nearby creek. Wear shoes that can get wet. Bring a tennis ball and have a BLAST splish splashing through the rocky water.

If you have a SMALL BUDGET, look into a fun water activity like tubing, kayaking or canoeing on the water! I recently went tubing Turkey Run State Park. It was $10 to tube for a 3 mile journey. We had a BLAST! Next week, I’m going kayaking at Eagle Creek Park. There’s something so relaxing about being ON the water.

If your budget allows for a SPLURGE, what about a BIG WATERPARK?!? I have been dying to go to Holiday World! You could also take a mini road trip to a BEACH or the LAKE. That’s another place on my list for the summer….going to the Indiana National Dunes! (A beach trip doesn’t have to be in FLORIDA — unless of course you live near there!)

In Your Own Backyard: Sprinkler or Kiddie Pool

Just because you don’t have your own swimming pool, doesn’t mean you can’t make your own water fun! Set up a sprinkler! Buy a kiddie pool to dip your toes in! Blow up some water balloons! If you have kids, play in the water with them. If you don’t have kiddos, there’s no shame in embracing your inner child :)

Get creative!

If a kiddie pool seems too childish, get a pond liner! Seriously! I have a friend who bought one at Lowe’s this spring and I’m quite jealous of her makeshift wading pool. Or another idea you can steal — my friends took a trip to Texas and filled a hog troth with water for their own “hot" tub. They had a BLAST!

2. Make FROZEN Fruit

Have you ever have frozen GRAPES?
What about frozen WATERMELON?

If you haven’t tried these, you are missing out! They are the perfect sweet treat to cool down this summer (and they don’t have all the added sugars that popsicles do).

3. FAN yourself

I was shopping at Dick’s Sporting Goods a couple weekends ago and look what I found at the checkout counter! These fans that plug into your phone!!! I didn’t purchase one, so I don’t know the specifics (like how quick they drain your battery or how long they last). But I may have to go back and get one to find out! ($5.99)

Also, they sell RECHARGEABLE fans on Amazon. I was recently at Justin’s baseball tournament in Nashville and a Mama had this fan! It was great because she could use it to keep baby Wells cool. And when it started to die? We just plugged it into a battery pack!

Those not in your budget? Make a paper fan :) It all works the same!!! Just a little more man power!

4. Dress in SHORTS or a SUNDRESS or your SWIM SUIT

I know how it feels. You don’t want to wear shorts because you don’t want to show off the cellulite on your legs. You don’t want to wear a sundress because you fear people will see the tiger stripes on your arms. You won’t wear a swimsuit because you think everyone is going to judge you.

The way we talk about ourselves matters. You may have cellulite. You may have tiger stripes. You may have fat. But you are NOT those things. You are NOT cellulite. You are NOT tiger stripes. You are NOT fat.

You are BEAUTIFUL exactly how you are!

If you aren’t comfortable in your clothes, that’s one thing. Shop for clothes that FIT you. It makes ALL the difference. Get rid of those clothes from high school you’ve been holding onto for “when” you get back to that size. Add a couple pieces to your wardrobe that make you feel fabulous! You won’t regret it!

If you aren’t comfortable in your own skin, that’s another thing. You must change your mindset! Someone else’s opinion of you is NONE of your business. No one that matters is judging your body! Embrace your body. It’s given you so much life! Let’s appreciate what our bodies can do for us!

So how do you wear COOL clothes? You put them ON.
Put on the shorts. Put on the sundress. Put on the swimsuit. It’s that easy! No looking back!

5. Stay hydrated!

Hydration is KEY! Especially on those scorcher days.

The one item I have used every single day for the past two years? My 30 oz. YETI Tumbler. It’s LARGE. It keeps my water ICE COLD. It fits in my CUP HOLDER. I take it with me EVERYWHERE I go! It’s the GOAT.

YETIs are a great brand! But there are many off-brands that work just as well. Find a bottle that fits your needs. Keep it full of aqua + keep yourself hydrated!

PS - I’ve found I drink more if I sip from a straw!
PPS - Ditch the disposable plastic bottles, if you can! Reusable bottles are the way to go!

And when all else fails, kick up the AC and stay inside :)

June 26, 2019

Mid-Year GOAL Check-In

June 26, 2019/ Ashley Noga

It’s June (almost July), which means we are more than 1/2 way through with the year!

This past weekend, I completed a mid-year review of the goals I set in January. This helped me to see where I’m currently at, where I’ve been and what I need to do over the next six months to complete them.

I also tweaked some of my goals. Because let’s be real — things change over time! What you planned at the beginning of the year may not be where you are currently headed. And that’s OK!

You’re not a failure for reworking your goals.
You’re successful because you do!

Rachel Hollis gave me the idea of a Mid-Year GOAL Check-In and I think it’s brilliant. I plan to do this again every year — it has been SUPER helpful.

Here’s what I found:

Goal 1: I paid off Pearl! (Bonus: I tackled my FedLoans)

Where I started: $6,716.91
Where I’m at: $3,687.56

January - Paid $400
February - Paid $1200
March - Paid $700
April - Paid $550
May - Paid NONE
June - Paid $300

Where I’m going: To get this loan paid off early!!!!

It’s taken me a bit longer than expected. I took a HUGEEE road trip across the country ($1,400) and right before I did that, I fixed the air compressor in my car ($900).

I’ve also made an investment to go to the RISE Business conference in November (SO EXCITED!)— spending ($330) on a ticket + ($300) on an AirBnb for 4 nights. Soon, I’m applying for a membership at United House Publishing to get my book published ($97 / month).

Do I regret any of these decisions? No. Some were fun. Some were needed. Others were investments in myself.

Do I realize because I made these choices, it will take longer to pay Pearl off? Yes, which is the 2nd price I have to pay (in addition to the cost of the opportunity). Tough reality.

I also haven’t been as strict with my spending as I was last year. But I’m not giving up!!! It’s time to get gazelle intense again. It’s time to say ‘no’ to things now so later I can say ‘yes’. The tough part is knowing there are things I want to do, but I need to remember that sacrificing now means I can get to enjoy those things quicker later down the road.

No BS. Here’s how I’ll achieve this:

Tighten up the ropes on my budget. Which translates to…Monthly budget meetings BEFORE the month begins. Planning AHEAD for the next month. NOT entering expenses into EveryDollar AFTER spending the money and then “figuring out the math” LATER.
“Children do what feels good. Adults devise a plan and follow it.” -Dave Ramsey
Use cash envelopes again. When the money is gone, no more spending until next month!
Evaluate my spending on groceries. I know I spend WAY too much $$$ here. See where I can cut back and / or any habits I can change.

Goal 2: I documented 2019 with 1SE (the “one second everyday” app).

Where I started:
With creating my Vision Book! This chapter the book is by far the LONGEST. 37 pages full of magazine clippings with how I thought the year would unfold. It’s been so cool to go through and see things I’ve wanted to do become a reality. It’s also fun to flip through when I’m not sure what to do, because there’s plenty of inspiration inside.

Where I’m at:
Doing this project really makes me appreciate each day. There’s magical moments to be found in everyday life!

We are going strong on the video recordings! I don’t think I’ve missed a day yet (if I did, Live Photos have been a life saver). Plus, many days have TWO videos (SO many good times). Check out the monthly #1SE videos I’ve created so far!

Two huge benefits from #1SE:
1. I don’t feel like I have to post EVERYTHING that happens to Facebook / Instagram — because it’s documented within the video!
2. It’s really helping me remember the year. It’s amazing much one second can jog your memory!

Where I’m going:
There’s 6 months (well, technically only 5ish now) to go before we put ALL the monthly videos together to make our 2019 video!

Here are some things I will make happen (or would like to make happen) before 2020 makes its appearance:

Take Manny to the beach (Indiana Dunes)
See live music at the Rathskeller
Check out the City Market (Downtown Indy)
Night drive to nowhere
Take a hike in Brown County
Camping at Red River Gorge (With Erin!)
POSSIBLY: Go to Holiday World
Paint a new piece at The Studio
2nd Annual FL trip with Justin to watch the Gators play!
Look into volunteer opportunities at the Miracle Movers softball field (September?!?)
Attend the Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Finish my college t-shirt quilt (in memory of Grandma)
“Make your home a Nest home”
Manny gets a brother!?!??!
Engagement?!?!?

Goal 3: I found #FoodFreedomForever.

Where I started:
In 2018, I did my first and second rounds of Whole30 and learned a TON.

In 2019, I wanted to slowly figure out my Food Freedom Forever. I say “slowly” because all good things take time! Quick fixes aren’t usually the answer.

At the beginning of the year, Justin surprised me! He wanted to take on the Whole30. Coming right off the holidays, I knew it was good for me, too. We did a round in January and felt really good! But went back to some old habits the next few months. In April-May, we began another round — a Whole45 (for me) and a Whole60 (for him).

Where we are at:
It’s crazy to say this — but Justin and I are actually on the same page about the foods we bring into the house! We’ve found quick, easy meals we both love that are healthy for us. (THANK YOU AIR FRYER). It’s pretty wild considering where we were a year or two ago, but I’m super stoked about it. (We consume all the apples, peppers, Stok + Starbucks black coffee, chicken wings, burgers, potatoes and hot sauce around here).

The goal of the Whole30 is NOT to be on it for your entire life. I am honestly kinda excited to be OFF the Whole30 so I can find my #FoodFreedomForever. I’ve been reading the book “Food Freedom Forever” by Melissa (Hartwig) Urban and my mind is finally starting to comprehend this whole concept of #FoodFreedom. I do NOT plan to do another Whole30 this year. My goal is to continue to evaluate foods as I eat them, and figure out what foods ARE and are NOT “worth it”.

What’s next:

Ask myself the following questions with everything I eat:
- Are you actually hungry?
- Do you really want to eat this?
- Is it worth it?
Create a Food log (at least for now) to document “Worth it” and “Not Worth it” foods
Remind myself: You don’t have to indulge just because it’s a special occasion.
”You are an adult with a car, money and free will. You can buy a cupcake, bottle of wine or cheesecake any time you want, always and forever. You don’t have to wait for your birthday or special occasion, because your true enjoyment of the experience makes it special. But if the special day rolls around and in that moment, you decide you’re just as happy sticking to a healthy template and skipping all desserts or drinks, you should do that.” (Pg. 140 of #FFF)

Goal 4: I spent more time with Him <3

Where I started:
In 2018, I found a church I call home: TRIBE

In 2019, I wanted to figure out what faith actually meant. “Going to church” was a good start, but it wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted to truly feel connected to Him whenever + wherever I was. Not only on Sundays.

Where I’m at:
I’ve joined two Tribe groups since the beginning of the year. The first was Financial Peace University (the program is over now, but we still connect and check-in from time to time). The second is a women’s group called TribeHer — we currently meet every other Wednesday. I love both of these groups because of the people. Each group has it’s own way of sharing stories of what He is doing in our lives <3

I also began serving on the Welcome Team. It’s been a great way to give my time and to meet + greet, new + old faces who come to Tribe.

Where I’m going:
Like I said in the beginning, my goal is to spend more time with Him. There’s a couple things I want to focus on the second half of the year to do this!

Read the Bible
- The Gospel of John
- Romans
- Proverbs
Create a prayer journal + Learn how I like to pray
Work on tithing
Help plan Tribe Women’s retreat for October
Also! The book publishing company I am applying for a membership at is a Christain based company. The membership includes weekly spiritual encouragement and one-on-one training with a writing + spiritual coach. I think this will be a WONDERFUL gift as I navigate my faith!

Goal 5: I earned $10,000 in additional income.

Where I started: $0

Where I’m at: $0 — other than the couple hundred bucks I made from Lyft the first few months of the year

Where I’m going:
OK, so the $10K was definitely an ambitious goal. The whole point of this goal was for me to figure out something else I could do (in addition to my current job) to make additional income.

For two reasons:

I have debt I’d like to pay off as FAST as possible.
I have dream of running a thriving company that I built from the ground up.

In the past, many of my “ passion projects” were great hobbies. But hobbies are called hobbies for a reason. They do not make money!

Signing up to attend RISE Business in November has lit a fire within me! It’s making me think of ALL the possibilities of what lies ahead in the future. I’m really trying to dig deep and discover what “side hustle” I can build. We’ll see where it goes from here!

I was recently listening to Melissa Urban’s podcast “Do the Thing” — conversation with Chris Guillebeau — and they gave tips on figuring out what side hustle is best for you:

Evaluate your SKILLS. If you have trouble identifying them yourself, ask those around you what you are good at.
If you had to make $300-500 in the next 2 weeks, what would you do??

That’s what’s next for me:

Talking to my close friends + family members about what I’m good at and then EVALUATING my skills
Determine what my side hustle is and getting to work!
(Remember: This is NOT a hobby. It’s a BUSINESS that MAKES MONEY)

Goal 6: I loved on others <3 like they have loved on me.

Where I’m at:
While I don’t think I haven’t loved on others, I do think I can put more love out into the world!

Every week, church ends with the quote, “Loved people love people” and it’s so true. I want to make other people feel loved and seen and connected.

Where I’m going:
Write out ideas on how to love on people + build them up! <3
Note: These are COMPLETELY FREE,

Pick up the phone and call loved ones more frequently
When you think something, say something!
(Ex: you think someone’s dress is super cute, tell them! You think they are radiating happiness, say something! A single mama is doing her best carrying 3 children and their bags around the airport, let her know she’s a rockstar!)
Leave more comments / messages on other people’s social media accounts than you receive on your own.

Goal 7: I learned my Enneagram #.

Where I’m at:
I am just now starting to read the book “The Road to You”. I’m eager to learn more about each number and which one I am!

Where I’m going:

I hope learning my Enneagram # will help me know myself (and others) better
Reminder: Follow the Enneagram IG accounts Carrie recommended a couple weeks ago
(Look at photo on phone)

Goal 8: I read 12 books.

What I’ve read:
1. Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
2. Girl, Stop Apologizing - Rachel Hollis (Audible)
3. Everybody, Always - Bob Goff
4. Becoming - Michelle Obama (Audible)
5. Wild - Cheryl Strayed
6. Mount Rushmore Q+A - Don “Nick” Clifford

What I’m CURRENTLY reading:
7. Food Freedom Forever - Melissa Hartwig
8. Dare to Lead - Brene Brown (Audible)
9. The Road to You - Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile

What I’m reading next:
10. High Performance Habits - Brenden Bruchard
11. Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
12. Dogs that Know when their Owner is Coming Home - Rupert Sheldrake
13. The Rent Collector - Camron Wright
14. To Shake the Sleeping Self - Jedidiah Jenkins
15. The Home Edit - Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin

Heck, we very may well pass 12 books for the year! I consider that a HUGE win! I’m starting to really love reading again.
For the books I want to read but do NOT already own, I’m going to see if my library offers them!!! That way I’m saving $$$ to help me with Goal #1.
Also! In my Vision Book, I Ieft a blank page to share “What book I loved most”. I’ll need to fill that out once I have all my books read and can evaluate which one is the Book of the Year in my book!

Goal 9: I did exercise I enjoy.

Where I’m at:
I will admit — exercise has NOT been a huge focus of mine this year (yet). However, I’m starting to make it a priority in my life once again! Wooooo!

Where I’m going:

Move my body 20-30 minutes each day!
Justin and I are running the St. Jude 5K in September!
1 New Trail a Week (Use bullet journal to track)

IDEAS: Some my FAVORITE ways to move my body!

Walks with Manny
Hikes
Swimming
Play catch with Justin
Kayaking
Zumba
Dance like no one is watching :)
Lifting + core exercises in the garage gym
Bike rides around the neighborhood / parks
Exploring new places!
Running Streak (To build endurance for a 5K)

Now, let’s go do them!

Goal 10: I learned how to curl my hair.
Bonus: I figured out how to REALLY do my makeup.

Where I’m at:
I’ve been curling my hair with a curling wand!!! My co-worker Kailey gifted me a wand she doesn’t use (THANK YOU, GIRL!) The first time I used it, I was going to a wedding and thought I should switch it up with my hair. I had NO idea what I was doing…but I managed it to look halfway decent! I’ve used it a couple times since and it’s AMAZING. So easy to use!!!! Only takes minutes!!! It’s only more curls from here on out!

Where I’m going:
For my birthday, my best friend Jessie from college gave me a bunch of “good” makeup! There were things I hadn’t used before. It’s nice to have some “new to me” makeup that I don’t typically wear to try out!

Once I pay off my car, I’m going to “splurge” just a little and buy some GOOD FOR ME + CLEAN + NON-TOXIC makeup for my skin. We’ll see what I find and use!

(A couple blog posts I plan on reading before diving in: Jenna Kutcher’s Top-Picks for All-Natural, Non-Toxic Makeup and Melissa’s Food Freedom, Breaking Up with my Makeup)

PLUS…my current makeup is almost OUT of like everything. Which should motivate me to get this car paid off faster, right? ;)

Goal 11: I created a bullet journal

Where I started:
Originally, I thought I wanted to create a bullet journal. However, the journal I ended up creating was my Vision Book! I do have some pages throughout my Vision Book with inserts of bullet journal pages I can fill in. I definitely need to take advantage of those!

But in terms of creating an entire new journal, it’s not going to happen this year. Justin did buy me a bullet journal for my birthday, and one year I will use it! For now though, I don’t need another journal to write in. There’s too much going on as it is.

Where I’m going:
Removing this goal from my list. However, there are a few bullet journal sections I placed in my Vision Book I will be filling out!

Some ideas on what I’ll use those pages for:

Exercise Tracker
Food Freedom Tracker
1 New Hike a Week
Upcoming books to read

Goal 12: I launched “A Day in the Life”

Where I’m at:
When I made this goal, I didn’t know what “A Day in the Life” would look like. Would it be a blog? A Vlog on YouTube? A Book? Who the heck knew! I began working and the pieces of the puzzle came together — I rebranded my blog “Oh, Happy Day” to fit this new theme. I have been posting regularly on here since April (with the exception of a couple weeks I took off during vacation).

Where I’m going:
This is a great question. I have big ideas for “A Day in the Life”, but I need to get these thoughts out of my head and see where they go from here!

Next Steps:

Have a brainstorm day where I write out ALL my ideas!
Work with United House to publish my book:
“365: You Live and You Learn. Every. Single. Day.”

(Note: Check out Carlos Whitaker’s recommendation on using the Paper App on Mac for book writing)

Whew! That was a lot! But SO incredibly helpful. I’ll be printing this off and putting with my goals notebook so I can easily reference the action items I need to complete, to accomplish the goals I have set!

Let’s gooooooooo!

June 12, 2019

BFF Road Trip to GLACIER! (Day by Day)

June 12, 2019/ Ashley Noga

Wow, it’s hard to believe this trip is over! 😭😭 We began talking about going to Glacier FOREVER ago. Now, I’m sitting here in my travel-themed guest bedroom, reminiscing on the crystal clear water and all the memories from our 4,500 mile trip.

During our adventures, I posted many photos on Instagram of the things we did. But I wanted to take a deeper dive into the days below! A place where our stories, adventures, photos and memories will live forever.

Plus, if YOU ever decide to take a trip out West, this post could also serve as a handy, dandy guide to give you ideas on things to do (and NOT to do — hahah) while on your cross country road trip!

I hope you enjoy!
-Ashley

Day #1 — DRIVE DAY
(NW Indiana to Sioux Falls, SD)

DRIVE TIME: 9.5 Hours Total
(2 from NWI to Cheese Castle —> 3.5 to FAST Fiberglass Graveyard —> 4 hours to AirBnb)

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Hitting the road!

ACTIVITES:

Mars Cheese Castle (Kenosha, WI)

Fun stop right along the side of the highway!
Cheese hats! Castle chairs! What more could you want?!
Lots of cheese! Plus…A cafe, restaurant and bakery inside.
Plenty of goods + gifts available for purchase!

FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard (Sparta, WI)

Talk about a unique experience…hundreds of old-looking molds in a grassy lot…now I know why they call it a graveyard!
They also had people in a garage restoring + painting some of the molds to look new again!
It was neat, because now I know where some of these come from! For instance, this past weekend I was in Memphis and they had a bunch of guitars lined down the street. They were the same molds we saw at the graveyard! Makes me wonder if Memphis got them from the FAST Fiberglass Graveyard?!? Hmmmm!

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EYES:

We had just pulled off the interstate to make our way to the FAST Fiberglass Graveyard and began seeing cop after cop. Roads were shut down. We began seeing firetrucks and ambulances blocking off all the side streets from the main road we were driving on. We couldn’t figure out WHAT was going on. We starting looking at the news to see if there was a shooting or murder (it almost seemed like they were blocking everyone IN so no one could leave). After tons of searching and no dice, we were perplexed. Until…
We kept driving down the road and saw a sign for an Army base. That’s when a light bulb went off — “I wonder if the President is here!” Turns out, it wasn’t the President but it WAS the Vice President! Apparently Mike Pence was in town! He had lunch with family in Eau Claire before going to the Fort McCoy. Mystery solved!

LODGING:

AirBnb in Sioux Falls
- Good place to sleep. Nothing over the top, but we didn’t need anything fancy.

MEALS:

Breakfast: Coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts + Bacon and Grapes (From cooler)
Lunch: Cafe at the Cheese Castle (Just OK — might have had better luck in their restaurant instead of the cafe. For a cheese castle, you’d think the cheese they served with their meals would be top notch but it was more of a bland nacho cheese.)
Dinner: Kept is simple! PB&J sandwiches + Cider + Homemade HoHo (Ate at our AirBnb)

Day #2 — BADLANDS
(Sioux Falls, SD to Rapid City, SD)

DRIVE TIME: 5.5 Hours Total
(1 hour from Sioux Falls AirBnb to Corn Palace —> 3 hours to Badlands —> 30 min to Wall —> 1 hour to Rapid City)

ACTIVITES:

Sioux Falls Park (Near AirBnb)

The perfect way to start our day! The waterfalls were mesmerizing. We actually saw a similar (but smaller) waterfall on our first trip. So cool to “relive” our experiences.

Porter Sculpture Park (Off I-90 in SD)

Sculpture Park we saw from the side of the road. It was “closed” but we saw a car up there, and went ahead and drove in! It was actually the guy who made all the sculptures! Fun place that’s honestly a little eerie. Many cow pies all around! (Cows roam this side of the pasture when it’s cold out).

World’s Only Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD)

What a funny stop — the World’s Only Corn Palace! The neat thing: they redo the outside of the corn palace every year. The upstairs had a wall of photos of what the corn palace looked like each year. This year’s theme: Salute to Our Military <3

Badlands National Park

Here we hiked “Notch Trail” — the name (I’m assuming) comes from the notched ladder on the trail! We had to climb up + down the latter to get to a higher evaluation in the Badlands. It was honestly a tad scary, especially with the rain that was coming down, and I’m SO proud of us for doing it!!! I did GoPro the hike with a chest strap, which was neat to rewatch :)

Our first Wildlife encounters! We saw a deer near the campsite we were suppose to stay at. And then it just kept getting better and better. Mountain goats were next! The first group we saw, I thought were stabbed in the neck. But zooming in with my camera, I realized that they had on tracker necklaces. Then, when we turned the corner of a mountain, Alex shrieked. I thought I hit one! Nope! They were ABOVE us. Climbing the top of the mountain. How! Freaking! Cool!

Wall Drug Store (Wall, SD)

Wall Drug Store was a HUGE drugstore in a small town called Wall, SD. It takes up at least 5 or 6 blocks! There’s ANYTHING you could ever want or need inside. Fun pitstop while driving through — especially to get out of the car and stretch legs. We decided NOT to eat here, though, because the reviews on Yelp weren’t stellar.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Going up the ladder at Notch Trail — Quite exhilarating!

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EYES:

All of the billboards for Free Water + 5 cent coffee leading up to Wall Drug.
It’s funny what people do to get you to stop by their “tourist” town!

LODGING:

We planned to camp at Cedar Pass Campground in the Badlands. However, there were storms moving in (lightning / thunder) and that doesn’t work well when you are tent camping. We had actually bought the campsite ahead of time — and didn’t know we weren’t going to stay until the day-of, so we lost the $23.32 we paid for the site. We considered it a donation to the park :)
Instead, we got a hotel room in Rapid City. I found a room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites for $68.50 and it actually worked out well because we were closer to Mt. Rushmore for the next day!

MEALS:

Breakfast:
Pistachio Muffin (From the bakery at Mars Cheese Castle)
Lunch:
Buffalo Chicken Wraps at Sinclair Gas Station
Dinner:
Murphy’s (I got Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese + Alex got chicken tenders)
- Pretty hoppin’ place! Had a great atmosphere. Food was decent!

Day #3 — MT. RUSHMORE
(Rapid City, SD to Deadwood, SD)

DRIVE TIME: 3ish Hours Total
(30 min from Rapid City hotel to Mountain Coaster —> 20 min to Mt. Rushmore —> 1 hour drive through Custer State Park —> 1 hour drive to Deadwood)

ACTIVITES:

Mountain Coaster at Rush Mountain Adventure Park ($15)

Talk about an ADRENALINE RUSH to start the day! Pulling into the attraction made my heart race. It was raining when we went, so we weren’t sure if the ride would be running. (To be honest, it made me want to back out even more. Haha) But the people in the shop were super sweet and convinced us to go — And we did it!!! It was SO. MUCH. FUN. Check out the GoPro video!

Mount Rushmore ($10 to get in — Can NOT use National Park Pass)

I’m seriously in Awe with Mt. Rushmore <3 I didn’t think it would be as fascinating as I found it to be but it FAR surpassed the expectations I had. I learned a ton of history there — from the signage as well as the video in the bottom part of the Visitor’s Center. There’s also a brisk trail you can walk around the base of Mt. Rushmore. This was neat because you could see the statue from different angles!

Custer State Park (FREE WEEKEND)

My goal for the day was to see a BUFFALO and the Mountain Coaster folks told us no better place to go to see that than Custer State Park. We actually had this park on our list, too! When we got to the entrance, the ranger told us it was the weekend of their 100th Anniversary so the State Park was actually FREE to get in. I will say, when we went, (and it could have been the weather)…there were much fewer animals than we though we would see. Plus, we saw PLENTY of buffalo at Yellowstone. In hindsight, I might have skipped going here to do something else. But it was still a pretty drive!

Crazy Horse Monument ($24 — We did NOT pay to go in. Too pricey!)

Holy smokes, this stop was expensive. Pulling up to the gate, Alex and I made a quick decision that if it cost more than $10 total (what we paid to go to Mt. Rushmore), we weren’t going to go. It ended up being $24 total (12 bucks a person) so we PASSED. And actually, when we went to turn around, we could actually see the Crazy Horse sculpture from where we were at! I’m sure there was a lot more history down below — but again, we decided to skip this!

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EYES:

On our way from Mt. Rushmore to Custer State Park, we drove through Iron Mountain. There were several tunnels you would drive though — and then when came out of — you could see Mt. Rushmore in plain sight! It was so neat!

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EARS:

Hearing that Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite!
I thought it was hand chiseled. Nope, 90% was carved using dynamite!

LODGING:

We stayed at Tru (new hotel chain for Hilton) in Deadwood, SD. I have actually been wanting to try out since they came out with this new chain last year. It was very modern and fun! Their front desk was at a circular shaped desk in the center of the lobby. They had hanging chairs I have been DYING to get — we ate breakfast on them!
If you didn’t know (which we didn’t until we got there), Deadwood is a HUGE casino town! Our hotel actually had a casino attached to it — on the first floor. When we checked in, they gave us $15 in “free” casino cash. We played a couple slot machines before we left and won around $25! Score!
The only downside, which is totally my fault, is that I left my camera batter / charger plugged into the wall :( However, I called them and they were able to locate it. They told me they would ship it back to me. Just waiting on its arrival!

MEALS:

Breakfast: Hotel breakfast!
Lunch: PB&J Sandwiches (In the car at Mt. Rushmore)
Dinner: Taco Salad at Cheyenne Crossing

#4 — DEVILS TOWER + DRIVE DAY
(Deadwood, SD to Cody, WY)

DRIVE TIME: 6.5 Hours Total
(1.5 hour from Deadwood hotel to Devils Tower —> 5 hours to Cody)

ACTIVITES:

Spearfish

When Alex and I met at McClure’s Apple Orchard to plan our trip, we ran into a couple that had taken this trip recently. They gave us some recommendations, one of which was to check out Spearfish — said it had neat trails that went around in a circle.
It was a place we stopped, but the weather on our trip was so dang cold for being a “Summer Road Trip.” We drove by taking the “Scenic Byway” but didn’t get out. It had been snowing so we think we made out the area where the trails were! But couldn’t quite tell. Might have better luck stopping when it’s a bit nicer outside.

Devils Tower

This place we DID stop! We weren’t sure if we would have to pay for it or not, since technically it’s a National Monument (Mt. Rushmore was too and we had to pay $10). However, we learned that Devils Tower is also a National Park and because of that, we could use our National Park Pass to get in! Wahoooo!
There’s a trail that goes around Devils Tower that we completed. It was very peaceful! We saw many things: from the tower itself, prayer flags / bundles, the countryside, birds, Pokemon stops and more.
Fun Fact: People can actually CLIMB Devils Tower! It is a bit controversial because in order to climb, holes were drilled into the tower. Several Native Tribes consider this a sacred site — so the park does do many things to be respectful to them. (Ex: For the month of June, climbers are asked not to climb to respect the American Indian ceremonies).

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Started off the day great — Won money at casino!
Ended the day great — Massage chair at the AirBnb!
The middle part? Hahaha….keep on reading :)

LODGING:

HaHaHa — wellllll we had planned to stay at Buffalo Bill’s hotel in Cody, WY. A friend recommended it and we thought we would give it a shot! But guess what I did? Oh, I booked the WRONG Buffalo Bill hotel :) The one I booked was in Primm, NV — 898 miles away.
On our drive to Cody, with the very little cell signal I had (seriously, it took like 2 hours to do 20 minutes of searching), I was able to finally able to find a cute cabin near Cody! It was actually 30 minutes past Cody….but 30 minutes closer to Yellowstone! Which would be nice for the next day when we headed to the park! And let me tell you…our little cabin was INCREDIBLE!!! Not only the cabin, but the owners of “WOW — Wheels of Wonderment” (the cabin village) and the experience as a whole, was oh so wonderful. Just what we were looking for! Highly recommend staying here.

MEALS:

Breakfast:
Hotel breakfast!
Lunch:
Salami + Cheese + Veggies picnic (Picnic in car at Devils Tower)
Dinner:
Chinese (Take out and taken back to our cabin)

Day #5 — YELLOWSTONE
(Cody, WY to Yellowstone back to Cody, WY)

DRIVE TIME: 5ish Hours Total
(40 min from cabin to East Entrance —> 1 hour to West Thumb —> 30 min to Old Faithful —> 15 min to Grand Prismatic —> 1 hourish to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone —> 1.5 hours back to cabin)

Note: You will spend a LOT of your day DRIVING. It takes a LONG time to get into and get out of Yellowstone. We actually originally planned to explore the park over a two-day time frame, but since we didn’t book lodging in advance (one year out), prices were astronomical. If you don’t plan on staying in the park, plan to drive! Although, I do think we saw a GOOD amount and had a FULL day with everything we were able to see! Plus, some things weren’t open just quite yet. (Weather and when you go can be a big determining factor). If it was nice, we planned to actually camp inside the park, which would have been much affordable than the $400+ rooms at the various lodges in the park.

ACTIVITES:

In AWE at everything we saw at Yellowstone! Such a PERFECT day <3

Yellowstone Lake

So LARGE and pretty — both in the morning and at sunset
This is where we saw our first GRIZZLY BEAR. Near a cliff by the water!
Was a bit of construction on the road near Fishing Bridge. Traffic slowed a little!

West Thumb

Saw geysers + many LARGE elk here!
I actually got enough signal here for Tru to call me back, saying they found my camera battery charger! The signal didn’t last long though, the call was soon dropped. There’s very limited signal in National Parks! Be prepared to stay off the grid for a little while :)

Old Faithful

What everyone thinks of when they hear Yellowstone! We got to Old Faithful 2 min AFTER it erupted and just missed the show. The next one wasn’t set to go off for about 90 minutes, so we walked around to the lodges and gift shops!
When it was going to erupt (3:34PM), we made it back outside! The benches began to fill and by the time she erupted, hundreds of people were watching from both outside and inside. (It was raining so many people were up against the windows in the Visitor’s Center — that was a funny sight — seeing them “smushed” against the glass LOL).
What a spectacle! The “show” lasted for a couple minutes. My favorite part? When we watched it, the skies were pretty dull and gray. But after, they soon turned to baby blue skies. It was almost as if the geyser pushed the gray skies away!

Grand Prismatic Spring

A short drive from Old Faithful. I was really looking forward to seeing this because of ALL THE PRETTY COLORS! In fact, I had bought a puzzle while we were at Old Faithful of the Grand Prismatic Spring. There’s a wooden boardwalk that takes you around several springs, including the biggest there, the GPS! It was a tad foggy when we went, but we were still able to make out the spring and many of the colors! It was also very WARM near because of the lava underneath. Truly amazing <3

Uncle Tom’s Trail

This trail is near the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone! In fact, the trail allows you to see the waterfalls here (Upper and Lower Falls). The trail goes two directions <—to the left was the handicap accessible trail. Nice and paved! The the right —> more of a wooded trail. There was a lot of snow on it, which was also melting (sludgy and lots of puddles) so we did part of the trail before turning around. We also knew that part of Uncle Tom’s Trail had a staircase you had to take — and we didn’t want to risk it with the weather conditions. But I imagine it’s a super fun and pretty hike, again, when the weather is a bit warmer :)

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Upper and Lower Falls)

Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! Alex and I took our first ever road trip to the Grand Canyon so this was a very special sight to see. There’s a road that takes you right up to a parking lot, where you can get out and see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone + the falls. Now I can see where they get name “Yellowstone” from — all the yellow stone, here!

Mud Volcano

These reminded me of a pool of poo! Haha. We didn’t spend much time here, as the sun was setting and we wanted to get on the road before it was 100% dark.
There were a TON of bison near here, though! Apparently they like to hang out in the field right next to the mud volcano. We even saw BABY BISON! Adorable!!!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Feeding goats at AirBnb! Our AirBnb host Pete welcomed us to feed them breakfast. It was so fun, and truth be told, goats remind me a lot like dogs!
Also, midway while driving through Yellowstone, we came across a buffalo crossing the road. It was so cool to see him up close and personal. They are HUGE!

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EYES:

Seeing a Grizzly Bear!
First animal we saw in Yellowstone. How perfect!!!! (We saw 4 bears total — 2 black bears and 2 grizzlies — but this was the closest one. Chillin’ on a cliff right by the road!)
I thought Yellowstone would be quite FLAT but in reality, it’s totally not! From mountains to calderas to geysers and everything in between — the diverse nature amazed me.

LODGING:

We liked our “WOW” cabin SO much that we extended our stay by one-night! We were actually going to tent camp in Yellowstone today, but the weather just was not in our favor. It had been raining on and off every day since we started this road trip — and rain and snow (plus the cold temps) were in the forecast again.

The night before, we text Pete from WOW and asked if he had availability for us to stay another night. We would pay him in the morning. He happily let us stay for Night #2 and gave us a deal ($80 vs the $115 we paid through AirBnb) since we paid with cash :) Cash is king!

MEALS:

Breakfast: Mini, homemade muffins from the cabin (They were DELICIOUS)
Lunch: Buffalo chicken wrap (Picnic outside a geyser in Yellowstone)
Dinner: PB&J sandwiches

Day #6 — BOZEMAN
(Cody, WY to Ennis, MT)

DRIVE TIME: 4.5 Hours Total
(3 hours from cabin in Cody to Montana Grizzly Encounter —> 15 min to downtown Bozeman —> 20 min to Hot Springs —> 1 hour to AirBnb in Ennis)

ACTIVITES:

Montana Grizzly Encounter ($8)

If you want to see grizzly bears and support a good cause, go here! The Montana Grizzly Encounter currently has 4 bears they rescued. The bears now live here permanately. They typically have one bear out for the public to see — we met Bella! What’s nice is there’s someone outside giving you fun facts, sharing bear knowledge and answering any questions you may have.

Walked + Shopped Downtown Bozeman

Alex and I hadn’t had a “meal meal” in AWHILE so we were excited for some good food that didn’t come out of the cooler! We got lunch at a burger joint in downtown Bozeman, and then noticed there were so many fun shops around us. We walked up and down the strip! There was a YUMMY ice cream + candy shop where we got Huckleberry ice cream and Huckleberry chocolates. We also came across a cidery — Lockhorn Cider House. Since cider is our FAVORITE, we went in for a flight! Such a cute little town!

Bozeman Hot Springs ($10.50)

On our second road trip to the Grand Canyon, Alex and I stopped at a hot spring in Colorado and it was such a HOT experience. When we saw there was a hot springs in Bozeman, we knew we had to go. What was different about this hot springs though was the water was hot spring POOLS. Whereas the other place was more “hot tub” style hot springs. It was still a lot of fun floating around and soaking up the HEAT on a pretty chilly day. We had fun swapping stories and people watching ;)

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Taking a dip in the Hot Springs! Great way to RELAX + Good conversation with the BFF while in the pools!
We finally broke out the board games we brought — played Racko in our bed in the wilderness! LOL

COULDN’T BELIEVE MY TASTE BUDS:

HUCKLEBERRY ICE CREAM!
I soon became obsessed with everything huckleberry — (It’s the ‘thing’ in Montana)
- Ice Cream —> Coffee —> Margarita —> Pie —> Mints —> Soap…..EVERYTHING!

LODGING:

Glamping in “middle-of-no where” Montana! It didn’t sink in until we sunk into the bed!

Heard ALL the noises. Saw a dead bee on my pillowcase. Froze until we got under the electric blankets! Played board games in bed. It was quite the experience, quite the experience indeed.

MEALS:

Breakfast: Mini, homemade muffins from the cabin (They were DELICIOUS)
Lunch: Backcountry Burger Bar
Dinner: PB&J Sandwich (In TiPi) + Raspberry Wine (Not the best wine but the funniest part was trying to get it to open — HAHAH)

Day #7 — GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
(Ennis, MT to Glacier)

DRIVE TIME: 5.5 Hours Total
(5 hour to Visitor’s Center —> 30 min to Lodge (normally 15 but longer due to construction)

ACTIVITES:

Drove through Virginia City and Nevada City

Several people mentioned driving through these cities, as they were old mining towns. The streets definitely reminded me of old towns like in the Western movies my Grandpa watches. The mining tours were closed for the season, but that would be neat to do if you’re there. They also had a walking tour guide, but we were on the move to Glacier, so opted to simply do a drive-by.

Visited Apgar Visitor Center + Shopped at Gift Shops

WE MADE IT TO GLACIER!!!
Apgar Visitor Center is the first visitor center when driving in on the West side of Glacier. We stopped in to get a trail map and talk to the park rangers about what was open and what we should do while we were here! The park ranger we talked to was a little unfriendly, but we got a lot of good info nonetheless. They also had a gift shop, and though small, there were several shirts we loved! We actually came back here the next day to buy them.

Took a scenic boat ride on Little Chief at St. Mary Lake in Glacier ($18.25)

Each of the larger lakes at Glacier have a SCENIC BOAT RIDE! I think there are 4-5! (Lake McDonald, St. Mary Lake, Many Glacier and Medicine Bow)
When we bought our ticket, the Glacier Park Boat Company had kid’s passports they could take and get stamped for each boat. I thought that was very neat!
What was fun, was we got a history lesson, while we toured the lake. Learned a lot about Glacier, how many glaciers there are currently, about the forest fires, the wildlife and more!

Hung out at Lodge + Planned next day!

When we got back from our boat ride, we went back to the lodge and got another drink + dinner. We got our plans set for the next day! Decided not to kayak since we just took a boat ride, and instead would hike a couple trails and see the East side of the park, too.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Reaching Glacier!
Seeing the crystal clear waters. Feeling incredibly peaceful. Losing service. Not looking back.

COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES:

Saw a bear climb a tree through binoculars while on the ship!!!

MEALS:

Breakfast: Homemade breakfast from B&B
Lunch: None — was saving room for pizza dinner! Alex got a coke + and I got a coffee from McDonald’s, though.
Dinner: Huckleberry Margaritas and Mules + Flatbread
(Jammer Joes was closed until June 8th :( We were really looking forward to their pizza! Next time!)

LODGING:

Snyder Hall Room at Lake McDonald

The lodging inside Glacier was magnificent! Very historic. We stayed in Snyder Hall (set up dormitory style) and I’m pretty sure we had the entire place to ourselves. Our room had Bunk beds! I slept on the top — Alex slept on the bottom. It was tiny, but cozy, and our ceiling was even made of actual wood beams. We had a sink in our room, and the bathroom with shower was right across the hall.

Day #8 — GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
(Glacier to Dickinson, ND)

DRIVE TIME: 11 Hours Total
(20 min up Going to the Sun Road until it was closed off at mile 14 —> 1.5 hour to East Side of Glacier — had to go around since the Going to the Sun Road hadn’t been completely cleared yet —> 9 hours to Dickinson, ND)

ACTIVITES:

@ WEST GLACIER!

Hiked Trail of Cedars — .6 paved trail (loop) with a raised boardwalk in some sections. Many mature cedar trees surround you! We even found a fallen one and walked across it, before making friends with our J family and baby Jack. (Located near Mile 14 of Going to the Sun Road from the West side of the park)

Hiked Avalanche Lake Trail — Starts in the middle of the Trail of the Cedars. We hiked about a mile or so of it before turning around. Pretty water flowed near the edge of the trail. The water is so clear, the colors of the rocks show. It’s absolutely gorgeous! (Located near Mile 14 of Going to the Sun Road from the West side of the park)

@ EAST GLACIER!

Skipped rocks at Two Medicine Lake — We also played a game of “Who can hit the big rock with a baby rock first”. Let’s just say, I need better practice!

Hiked Running Eagle Falls Nature Trail — When we were at Medicine Lake, a couple recommended we hike this trail. It was relatively short and led to a waterfall! We were HUSTLING on this trail though because we heard there was a Mama Bear and two baby cubs nearby. We didn’t watch to get caught seeing them and having to break out the bear spray! We DID see fresh moose poop on the trail. Was hoping to see one before we left — maybe next time! (Located on the way to Two Medicine Lake from the East side)

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Soaking in ALL of Glacier
Adrenaline Rush —Hiking near a Mama Bear and her two Cubs

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EYES:

When driving from the West side of Glacier to the East side, there’s a town called Essex where they have train rooms! Meaning, they have refurbished trains so you can stay the night in them. Is that neat or what?!?!

Also — The amount of DEER (Like 78, seriously) we saw while driving the Montana country roads at night!!! We had to slow down from 80 to 40 MPH. It was hands down the worst decision we made all trip. Driving 8+ hours through Montana in the pitch black darkness! We didd listen to a good portion of our audio book, though :) Michelle Obama helped us through!!

LODGING:

Town Suites in Dickinson, ND — 7,500 points

Couldn’t come soon enough! When we got here, we were BEAT. Fell asleep right away.
We actually passed 2 rest stops when driving through Montana — and was almost tempted to stay there and sleep in car to avoid the deer!

MEALS:

Breakfast: Coffee from Lodge (Out of Order in Lake McDonald Lodge — had to go to main lodge to get a cup of Joe!)
Lunch: Two Medicine Grill — Planned to go to Mexican place (Serrano’s) but they didn’t open until 5PM. This was about the only place open in Two Medicine! It actually was pretty tasty :) Alex got soup + sandwich. I got a bagel sandwich.
Dinner: Snacks from car :)

Day #9 — BEMIDJI, MN
(Dickinson, ND to Minneapolis, MN)

DRIVE TIME: 10 Hours Total
(6 hours to Bemidji —> 4 hours to Minneapolis)

ACTIVITES:

Saw Salem Sue (World’s Largest Cow) and Enchanted Highway (large art sculptures) from the road!

Explored Bemidji, MN — The rain lifted and it was a beautiful evening <3 Felt Grandma’s presence

Saw the Paul Bunyan + Babe the Blue Ox Statue — My Mom has a picture taken with them, too. I want to find it and compare our photos :) She said she was much younger when she went, though!
Walked around downtown Bemidji — Such a cute town! Many of the shops were closed when we went (after 5PM) but would be a neat place to walk around during the day.
Drove around Turtle Lake — Looking for Gram’s Lake House. Holy Red Dirt Roads!

Finished “Becoming” audio book — By Michelle Obama — AMAZING <3 <3 <3

COULDN’T BELIEVE OUR EYES:

Pearl was SO DIRTY from the dirt roads she drove down today!!! Next trip, I need to remind myself there is NO reason to wash her BEFORE we leave. Because she will definitely need a wash AFTER. LOL.

LODGING:

Hampton Inn (Woodbury, MN) — 23K POINTS

Near Minneapolis! Good place to stop that got us far enough along, so we had a “short” six-hour drive home the next morning!

MEALS:

Breakfast: Smore’s Poptart (in the car)
Lunch / Dinner: Dave’s Pizza (in Bemidji, MN) — was OK pizza. Nothing to write home about!

Day #10 — DRIVE DAY
(Minneapolis, MN to Home Sweet Home)

DRIVE TIME: 9 Hours Total
(6.5 hours to Alex’s Mom’s —> 2.5 hours to Home)

ACTIVITES:

Drive, baby, drive!
Finished reading “Wild” book — By Cheryl Strayed

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY:

Kissing my sweet boys!

COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES:

Two birds doing the dirty when we woke up that morning!

LODGING:

My OWN bed!
:D :D :D

MEALS:

Breakfast: Starbucks: Coffee and Oatmeal
Lunch: Taco Bell
Dinner: Home cooked meal!

That’s all, folks! Until the next trip!

May 15, 2019

Before We Go! (BFF Road Trip to GLACIER!)

May 15, 2019/ Ashley Noga

Tomorrow AM, my friend Alex and I are leaving for a trip we’ve been dreaming about for years! A trip to Glacier National Park with many stops to other parks + places along the way.

When you plant the idea of a trip with a friend, your significant other and / or family member(s), don’t let the idea fade away! Even if it takes a few years to save for it or to clear everyone’s schedule, “one day” will finally be here and you’ll be on your way! Taking the journey of a lifetime!

So here we are…the beginning!

It’s funny to think about. This trip is 11-nights / 11-days. Which may seem like a long time! But it’s actually much longer with all the planning + preparation we have put into it so far. To be honest, I really enjoy that side of things, so it didn’t bother me at all. I think it’s part of the fun!

Figuring out the route we’re taking
Looking up AirBnbs and fun accommodations
Detailing the itinerary
Planning snacks
Buying a couple “must haves” items

Some trips, I’ve totally “winged it” but this one, we definitely planned for. And that’s what I’m going to share with you below! I thought I would walk you through the things we did to get to this point. I’m also sharing the 8-page Google Doc planning worksheet + itinerary we created, in case you want to get some ideas on how to lay out your next trip.

1st Things First — Pick where you are headed!

Where have you been dreaming of going?!
What’s a spot that always been on your “list”?!

I’m on a mission to visit all 50 states — and the nice thing about this trip is we’ll be passing through many of the states I haven’t been through yet! (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana)

What prompted us to take this specific trip, though, was an Instagram photo I saw on @2sisters_angie’s feed several years ago (Crazy, right, all because of an Insta photo?!). Her and her husband took their daughter @fashionbymayhem out West and I was in awe of how beautiful Glacier National Park was. I remember sharing her photo with my dear friend Alex and we both said “One day, we are going there!”.

That day is almost here! Eeeeee!!!

2nd — Choose Dates!

Get with your travel buddies and figure out the WHEN. Once you ask for time off, you’re locked in! It makes the trip THAT much more real. It’s no longer “a bunch of talk.” You have days that you can count down!

Let the planning commence!

3rd — Set a budget!

Do not be the person planning to put your trip on a credit card and pay it off “later”. All of the rest + relaxation on your trip is only going to cause more stress financially down the road.

Set a rough budget! Start saving cash! Re-evaluate a more firm budget as you get closer to your trip.
For this trip, Alex and I both budgeted $1,000.

Here’s a rough breakdown of my budget:

Lodging: $300
Gas: $250
Food: $200
Fun: $175
Other: $75

Note: In the past, I wrote everything I spent in a notebook that we kept in the glove box. I may do that again, or I might just put it into EveryDollar, now that I use it for budgeting! (Or maybe both methods) Find a way to keep track of what you spend as you go, so you don’t get home from your trip and wonder where all your money went. (Unless of course, you’re in Baby Step #7 and don’t have to worry about that!) 😊

4th — Activities + Adventures along the way!

I will say a road trip or even an out-of-country trip will probably require more planning than a week at the beach, or going to a single destination. Just because you have a little bit more going on. More cities and stops to coordinate. However, either way, make sure you have fun planned!

Here are some activities + adventures we have planned for this trip:

Eating cheese at Mars Cheese Castle (Cheese is a MUST when you’re in Wisconsin)
Camping at Badlands National Park
Witnessing the infamous sculpture carved in the side of a mountain — Mt. Rushmore
Seeing Old Faithful erupt at Yellowstone
Sleeping in a Tipi — They call that “glamping” right?!
Kayaking on Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park
Checking out Salem Sue — the World’s Largest Cow
Visiting Bemidji, MN — The town where my Grandma’s parents had a lake house <3

5th — Lay out your Road Map!

Once we started looking at the things we wanted to do, we actually flipped our trip! We were going to start off by going to Glacier and then do things like Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands on our way home. But the more we looked at it, the better off we were to flip the trip (considering weather, park openings and a couple other factors). Don’t be afraid to make changes along the way!

(If you’re not taking a road trip, your road map may involve flights instead — and in that case, lay out your flight plan!)

6th — Get your car inspected!

In my opinion, this is a MUST if you’re driving…unless you just bought a brand new car OR you’re driving a rental car. Even if it’s just for the mechanic to tell you, “Everything is good to go!” (In fact, that’s what you want them to say. LOL)

I remember when I took a trip to Gatlinburg with a bunch of girlfriend's the summer after high school, Megan’s mom got the car we drove inspected so she knew we would have a safe + reliable vehicle on the road.

A couple weeks ago, I took my car into the shop for an oil change and to do an inspection. Come to find out, my car’s air compressor was not working.

(No wonder on the warmer days, my car didn’t seem to get cold. I hadn't noticed this winter because I had the heat on).

Soooooo….about $900 later, Pearl had working AC. Oh, and a brand new back windshield wiper :)

But we are all ready to hit the road and I feel so much better know that she should be A-OK out on-the-road. *Fingers crossed*

7th — Make a list and check it twice!

For all my iPhone users, the NOTES app on your phone (the one it comes with) is INCREDIBLE! Use it!!!

Here’s why:

You can add your travel buddy!
You can check + uncheck the boxes!

If you have a good list, it will only help you as you begin packing! It’s also great because you will think of things at random times, that you *need* to bring. In which, all you need to do is open up the note and add to it!

Last night, Alex actually text me and said, “Your packing list was a time saver 😘 Thanks!”
See ;) Planning ahead should set you up for stress-free packing!

Here’s how I laid it out:

Essentials (We each had our own section here)
Food (We divided it by what Alex would bring / what I would bring)
Clothes (This section was divided by what was being packed in each duffel bag. I also included what clothes I was wearing on what day of the trip. It made packing 100x easier. I determined what I’d be wearing on what day by looking at the day’s activity. Ex: If we were hiking, yoga pants it was! But if we were exploring town, jeans would work great!)
To Buy (This section has a couple items we still need to purchase…Ex: our National Park Pass. We’ll get that on the road!)

8th — No time for being hangry….Groceries + Snacks!

While we do plan on eating out some, we wanted to make sure we brought some food + snacks with us! It would (1) save us money and (2) be a bit healthier than eating out every meal.

Coming off the Whole30, I also didn’t want to go from 100% clean eating to 100% junk / fast food. It was nice because I was able to bring some of my Whole30 favorites in the YETI cooler. We made a list of what foods we would want to munch on during the trip.

COOLER:

Mason Jars work GREAT because they won’t get wet / soggy in the cooler!
I filled a bunch of them with:

Carrots
Cucumbers
Bell Peppers
Bacon
Buffalo Chicken Spread
Grapes
Salami
Dump Ranch

And then of course brought some beverages:

Starbucks Iced Coffee
Raspberry Wine

DRY FOOD BAG:

Apples
Cuties
Peanut Butter + Jelly
RX Bars + Almond Butter
Fruit Go Squeezes
Granola bars
Cheez-Its
Crackers
Tortillas
Pistachios
Can of Skyline Chili

9th — Pack the Car and Hit the Road!

Got everything on your list?!
Put it in the car! It’s time to gooooooo!

A couple tips:

Packing in several bags seemed to help me!
- Blankets in a bag
- Utensils / Food stuff in a bag
- Dry food in a bag
- Duffel for daily outfits
- Duffel for sleepwear / outerwear / undies / socks
- Fun bag
- Med kit container
- Camera bag
- Backpack with the essentials
Seek a hiding spot in your car for your super valuable valuables. Just in case the car were to get broken into (it’s sad to think this way….but after last year’s San Francisco incident, I’m way more aware of my surroundings). Hopefully they don’t find your stash in the hiding spot. We will also put a blanket over top the goods to try NOT to bring attention to what’s in our car.
Back up your computer before you leave! (If you’re taking it with you)
Kiss your loved ones goodbye! Until FaceTime :)
Print your itinerary! Grab your friend! Hit the road!

That’s basically it!

Don’t feel overwhelmed. It takes a little bit of time to get everything ready. Simply take it one step at a time!

And remember….it’s a vacation for a reason! Time to spend some well-deserved time off, having a ton of fun. When you hit the road, you’ll feel super accomplished and ready for the road trip to begin!!!

See ya on the road :)

If you’d like to follow along our 2019 Road Trip on a day-to-day basis, follow me on Instagram @ashleynnoga and keep an eye on my Insta stories. That’s where I plan to do a lot of sharing!

(If of course, I have service).

May 08, 2019

"I think I want to do the Whole30, but where do I begin?!"

May 08, 2019/ Ashley Noga

Have you been thinking about doing the Whole30?!

If yes, then this is the blog post for you! After doing several rounds of Whole30 the past year, I’ve put together a list of the things I think you would want to know! These are things that I have either experienced, things I wish I would have known when I started, as well as tips I got from others along the way. I hope this posts helps you as you begin your first Whole30 and journey to finding Food Freedom Forever!

PS I know it’s jammed packed with info, but the more prepared you are before you begin, I truly feel the more successful you will be!

RESEARCH

In order to understand how the Whole30 works, you’re going to need to do a little bit of research in the beginning! It will only help you as you get your Whole30 underway.

Know this going into the program:

The Whole30 is NOT A DIET. It’s a 30-day “experiment” to reset your body. It’s designed to help stop unhealthy eating cravings / habits, tame your sugar dragon and restore a healthy metabolism….all by eating WHOLE FOODS.
After the 30 days, you’ll do a reintroduction of the foods you cut out (Ex: Dairy, Legumes, Grains, etc). Do not skip reintroduction! It will help you learn your Food Freedom.
Some people do more than one round of Whole30 because their eating habits have gotten out of control again. Ideally, though, your end goal is to figure out your Food Freedom. (Not be on Whole30 forever). Food Freedom = Discovering the foods that are “worth it” to you. Once you figure that out, you probably don’t need to do another round :) unless you feel compelled to!

Read: “The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Health and Food Freedom”

This book will prepare you for HOW to do the Whole30. It walks you through the rules of the program. It tells you how you may feel each day of the 30 days. It also gives a month’s full of recipes in the back.
If you can’t buy this book, try checking it out from your library! Or see if any of your friends have it that you can borrow. It’s worth the read!

Scroll through the Whole30 website

There’s a TON of resources on there that I found especially helpful. Even if you do not read the book above, at least check out the website!

GROCERY STORE

I’m telling you now…it’s imperative you PREPARE for the Whole30! You want to set yourself up for success and prepping does that! This means planning out meals, buying said ingredients and then doing any meal prep you can, if possible, before the week gets going. The more you prepare ahead of time, the easier it becomes to reach for “good food” and the less likely you’ll “slip” and eat something NOT Whole30 while doing the program. Remember: If you eat something NOT Whole30, you have to RESTART.

Plan to spend twice as long at the grocery store reading labels (at least for your first 1-2 trips)
Don’t go into sticker shock! You are bound to spend more money that you’re used to, but trust me, your health is worth it!

Tastebuds…get ready! You’re about to try some new foods + ingredients you probably haven’t tasted before! Stay open-minded! Some things you’ll love, some you’ll pass next time.

Ex: Thumbs Up = Ghee (I didn’t know what Ghee was before Whole30 — basically it’s clarified butter, so they have removed all of the milk from it. I was telling Justin tonight, I don’t even remember what butter tastes like because we use Ghee all the time now).
Ex: Thumbs Down = Broccoli “Cheese” Dish (I wanted to like this so much, but the ‘cashew cheese’ wasn’t doing it for me. Also, some people RAVE about Nut Pods (creamer for your coffee). Again, I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t get into the flavor.)

A great resource to get you started are what bloggers call “Grocery Store Guides”. These are basically posts of different grocery stores and the Whole30 foods they carry! (Always remember to 2x check the labels — food is constantly changing — but it’s a really good place to start)

Ex: Guide to Aldi (@MelissasFoodFreedom)
Ex: Guide to Costco (@MelissasFoodFreedom)
Ex: Guide to Fresh Thyme (@MelissasFoodFreedom)
Ex: Guide to Target (@MelissasFoodFreedom)
Ex: Guide to Trader Joes (@MelissasFoodFreedom)
Ex: Guide to Walmart (@MelissasFoodFreedom)

Find a couple sauces you like, and it will be a game changer!

Several brands (Like Tessamae’s, Primal Kitchen and The New Primal Noble Made) have a lot of bottled Whole30 sauces. Some I like, some I wasn't a fan of.
- My Favorites: Noble Made Medium Buffalo Sauce, Tessamae’s Ketchup
- My Non-Favorites: Tessamae’s Ranch
You can also make your own sauces / mayos! My all-time favorite dressing is called DUMP RANCH. I swear by this stuff, and to be completely honest, think it tastes better than regular ranch.

The BEST TIP I can give overall: KEEP IS SIMPLE

Not every meal needs to be elaborate / gourmet / new recipe. Trust me, you are not going to want to spend hours upon hours in the kitchen.
Easy foods I live off nowadays:
- Meats: Burgers, pork chops, sausage (Pederson’s brand from Fresh Thyme) , salami, Skyline chili from the can, taco meat, eggs, hard boiled eggs, chicken, chicken wings (cooking them in the air fryer has been a game changer!)
- Fats: Ghee, Bacon (Low sodium from Kroger OR Pederson’s brand from Fresh Thyme), Avocado Oil, Cashews, Pistachios
- Veggies: Cucumbers, Peppers, Zucchini, Lettuce Wraps, Caramelized Onions, Spaghetti Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes (also made in the air fryer has been a game changer!)
- Fruits: Apples, Bananas, Cuties, (they’re SO much easier to peel than full-size oranges), Kiwis, Grapes, Strawberries
- Sauces: Dump Ranch, Whole30 Hot Sauce, Whole30 BBQ Sauce, Whole30 Ketchup, Unsweetened applesauce (I know it’s a fruit but thought it would be fun to put in the sauce category…hahah)
- Drinks: Water, Unsweetened Starbucks Iced Coffee (32 oz from grocery store), Watermelon Wonder Synergy Kombucha (on occasion, don’t drink everyday), Unsweetened Tea (brewed at home, sometimes I’ll add a lemon or peach to the pitcher), Herbal Peppermint Tea (great for before bed)

Don’t overwhelm yourself with a new recipe every night of the week. What I did was make 1 new recipe a week! You should have plenty of leftovers for lunches (or even breakfasts) throughout the rest of the week

Ex: Week 1 — Chili (Recipe in Whole30 book)
Ex: Week 2 — Lazy Oven Meatballs
Ex: Week 3 — Breakfast Egg Bake Casserole
Ex: Week 4 — Buffalo Chicken Poppers

Remember to KEEP A BALANCED PLATE.

I didn’t realize I was overeating fruits and needed more veggies until someone in the Whole30 FB group sent me this image!
Whole 30 plate:
- Veggies take up 2/3 of plate
- Protein the size of your palm
- Small amount of fats + fruits

COMMUNITY

One of the many great things about the Whole30 is how established the community is. There’s hundreds of thousands of people (probably more like millions) who have done + are doing the Whole30. What does this mean?! They can be used as resources!

Join a Whole30 Facebook Group! This was another game changer for me.
(I think I’m in Whole30 BEGINNERS!)

9x out of 10 there’s someone in the group who is doing the Whole30 at the same time you are. It’s nice to follow along with other people!
It’s also a great tool for when you have something going on, and need a question answered.
- I felt like I got hit by a truck on Day 5 and was suffering from allergy symptoms. I wasn’t sure if it was from me getting sick, or it was my body adjusting to the Whole30. I also wasn’t really hungry and had only eaten 2 meals that day. It was great to get some feedback from others, who encouraged me to keep going and the Tiger Blood would be coming soon.
Or heck, sometimes people share what they made for dinner that night and it gives you some ideas if you’re tired of eating the same thing all the time. That’s actually how I learned I could eat TACO SALADS!

Follow Whole30 accounts on social media!
Here are some of my favorites (From IG):

@melissa_hartwig (Urban) — Co-Founder of the Whole30. She’s great at giving tough love. She’s incredibly intelligent. Her story is amazing! Speaking of stories, her IG stories hold a lot of wisdom and reminders on how to think about food.
@melissasfoodfreedom — This isn’t THE Melissa (above) but this Melissa posts some of the best content! She’s the one who does the grocery store guides and has a ton of recipes that are SUPER SIMPLE and not very time consuming. I have thoroughly enjoyed her resources!
@whole30 and @whole30recipes — Variety of Whole30 ambassadors post on these pages! When I was making 1 new recipe a week, I would actually scroll those their feeds to get some ideas + inspiration on what to make.

Ask for tips from others who have walked this path before!

Do you have any friends who have done the Whole30? Even if you don’t know if you do, create a post on your social media and ask!
I did this on Instagram and got a TON of great feedback, that I’ll leave below!
- “My husband and I did the Whole30 at the beginning of this year and we loved it. We still incorporate most of the guidelines today. It really changes how you look at food. My suggestion is to find Whole30 Insta accounts. Also, it is pretty daunting in the beginning but it it totally manageable. You just have to plan! Some of our staples (still to this day) @wholesisters Dump Ranch (best ranch ever - we prefer it over any store bought these days) and @thewholesmiths Mayo. We LOVE avocado oil over olive oil and ghee (the butter you’re allowed to have) is so good to sauté any veggies on.””
- “Make sure you know how to order Whole30 at restaurants because life still happens!”
- “I LOVE THE WHOLE30!!! It was definitely the most difficult things I’ve done as I was the only one in my house doing it. So, I suggest roping in a roomie or BF to help. Meal prepping is a must and there are tons of recipes that are quite simple. I loved the chili!”
- “Plan plan plan. Tessamae’s makes some compliant sauces and salad dressing, if you don’t want to make your own. Trust the system — it really educates you on what works and what doesn’t work with your body. Chomps meat sticks are the best thing ever. Those with some raw nuts — awesome event or travel snack. It’s pricey — but if you plan, you can get a lot of bang for your buck.”

ACCOUNTABILITY

Find someone to do the Whole30 with you! Perhaps your partner, a roommate, a colleague.

Note: Just because they won’t do it with you now doesn’t mean they won’t ever want to.
My boyfriend basically said “HECK NO” during my first two rounds of Whole30. But! After seeing my results, he’s the one who actually prompted the next round of Whole30. I couldn’t believe it!!!

If you can’t find a Whole30 buddy (or even if you can), let the world know you are doing the Whole30!

Post on social media! Tell your friends! Family! Co-workers!
When people know you are doing this, I’ve found it to be so much easier and they don’t question why you packed your lunch / brought a cooler full of food / tempt you with something they’ve made. And better yet, if they are cooking, they may even accommodate you and make zoodles instead of noodles 😊 (THANK YOU, RACHELLE!)

Journal your meals / How you feel

I did this my first round and found it incredibly helpful to have a log of what I ate. The format I used was: Round __, Day __, Meal __. I would take a picture and post to my Insta Stories! I also created a Whole30 post each night before bed, with the photos I took from my meals.
I would document how I was feeling, that way I could go back and reference it. (I totally felt the “Whole30 hangover” the first week, when I was getting used to all the sugar being cut from my diet). Posting helped keep me accountable, because I had others watching me!
If you don’t post on social media, no problem! You can also journal in your own book.

There’s no alcohol allowed on Whole30.

One phrase Melissa Urban has come up with, is saying, “I’m not drinking right now.” She’s found that adding those 2 words at the end of the sentence prompts for fewer, if not any questions at all, about her choice not to drink. Just another tip I thought I’d pass along!

LAST WORDS BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Choose dates that work for you. Really look ahead and make sure there’s nothing BIG standing in your way, where you wouldn’t want to be on Whole30.

For example: Melissa doesn’t encourage doing the Whole30 around the holidays, because she wants you to enjoy those family recipes, if you consider it “worth it” food.
Be intentional on when you begin, so you can set yourself up for success from the get-go! Look ahead at: vacations, weddings, other special events. Know that you CAN do Whole30 around life. (I brought a cooler with me when I traveled during my Whole30).

Document your journey!

Before the Whole30: Take measurements. Take pictures.
During the Whole30: Journal your days! Record how you’re feeling! (Especially during the reintroduction process).
After the Whole30: Take measurements again. Take progress pictures.
Grab the Non-Scale Victories (NSVs) sheet from the Whole30 website and check off all the victories you’ve felt along your journey!

Stay inspired

Remember you can use the Whole30 Facebook group(s) to keep you motivated! From time to time when I felt stuck and wanted to give up, I would scroll and look at people’s progress pics and read about their NSVs. It keep me inspired to keep going!

Refer to the Whole30 calendar

There’s a popular image that floats around, to give you an idea of how you’ll feel on the Whole30. I found it to be pretty spot on when I did the Whole30. Justin didn’t feel that way, but feel free to use it as a resource as you get started.

Good Book to Read DURING Whole30: Food Freedom Forever

I was on a Whole30 FB group and saw a lady’s post about how she did 4 round of Whole30 before she caught onto the idea of Food Freedom Forever. It didn’t hit her until she read this book when on her 4th round.
When I heard that, I went and bought it immediately, because I had been struggling with this too. It’s an amazing read and I definitely recommend! It reframes the way you think about food, reminds you that food’s purpose is to FUEL you and makes you ask the question, “Is this worth it?”

From Me to You:

I wish I could say I had it “all figured out” after I did the first round of Whole30. I was good for a little while, but then I slipped and went back to old habits. It wasn’t until my 4th Round of Whole30 and reading “Food Freedom Forever” that I finally feel like I am catching on to what Food Freedom is.

I wish I could tell you, after 30 days, you’re going to come out a CHANGED human being. But this isn’t a 30-day fix. It’s not a “do this now” and “my life is COMPLETELY changed.”

It’s an ongoing process. It’s not a fad diet. It’s a way of living. Once you realize this (and experience it first-hand), you’ll be well on your way. Anyone can tell you anything. It’s not until you experience yourself, when you’ll realize what this is all about. With that, I’ll leave you with this:

You CAN do it!

In the famous words of Melissa (Hartwig) Urban, “It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.”

Don’t let the Whole30 overwhelm you. Take it day-by-day! You are strong and will succeed! And if you get down, don’t stay down. Give yourself grace and then get right back up and start again. I believe in you! You got this, my friend!

Side Note:
I always said, “There’s no way I could ever drink my coffee black.” And guess what?! Now I love it! Give yourself a chance to try things differently….you never know what may happen!

Blog

LONG STORY short!

LONNNNNG story explained!

And that my friends, is the full story behind how the #KindnessRocks Paint Party came to fruition!

Where do we go from here? Great question!

1. PAINT more Rocks

Mark your calendar! The next paint party is in exactly ONE week! Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 from 6-9PM (Stop by anytime!) Want more details?! Click here for more information!

2. HIDE the Rocks!

3. Use + Follow our HASHTAG!

UPDATE: The winning hashtag is #KindnessRocksIndy

:)

Before you go, Remember….

ADD those together and what do you get…$756 — Literally the amount I was going to put toward my car 😞

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Find a Community of Like-Minded People

VISUALS!

Do you want to participate in $1K Pay Off Day?

Let’s! Do! This!

YOU’VE GOT TO START LIVING THE LIFE YOU LOVE <3

A life you love is NOT…

A life you love…

SO, HOW DO YOU DO THIS?

FIRST: FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

Jot down the things that bring you joy. Ask yourself: What are the things that make me happy?

SECOND: SHOW “NO” THE DOOR

STOP doing things that don’t bring you joy. Ask yourself: What don’t I like doing but I’m doing anyhow?

THIRD: EVALUATE YOUR SCHEDULE

FOURTH: TAKE ACTION

FIFTH: GO ALL IN

ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE ?!?

5-4-3-2-1

Let’s goooooooo!

1. Take a DIP

2. Make FROZEN Fruit

3. FAN yourself

4. Dress in SHORTS or a SUNDRESS or your SWIM SUIT

You are BEAUTIFUL exactly how you are!

5. Stay hydrated!

And when all else fails, kick up the AC and stay inside :)

Goal 1: I paid off Pearl! (Bonus: I tackled my FedLoans)

Goal 2: I documented 2019 with 1SE (the “one second everyday” app).

Goal 3: I found #FoodFreedomForever.

Goal 4: I spent more time with Him <3

Goal 5: I earned $10,000 in additional income.

Goal 6: I loved on others <3 like they have loved on me.

Goal 7: I learned my Enneagram #.

Goal 8: I read 12 books.

Goal 9: I did exercise I enjoy.

Goal 10: I learned how to curl my hair. Bonus: I figured out how to REALLY do my makeup.

Goal 11: I created a bullet journal

Goal 12: I launched “A Day in the Life”

Let’s gooooooooo!

Day #1 — DRIVE DAY (NW Indiana to Sioux Falls, SD)

Mars Cheese Castle (Kenosha, WI)

FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard (Sparta, WI)

Day #2 — BADLANDS(Sioux Falls, SD to Rapid City, SD)

Sioux Falls Park (Near AirBnb)

Porter Sculpture Park (Off I-90 in SD)

World’s Only Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD)

Badlands National Park

Wall Drug Store (Wall, SD)

Day #3 — MT. RUSHMORE(Rapid City, SD to Deadwood, SD)

Mountain Coaster at Rush Mountain Adventure Park ($15)

Mount Rushmore ($10 to get in — Can NOT use National Park Pass)

Custer State Park (FREE WEEKEND)

Crazy Horse Monument ($24 — We did NOT pay to go in. Too pricey!)

#4 — DEVILS TOWER + DRIVE DAY(Deadwood, SD to Cody, WY)

Spearfish

Devils Tower

Day #5 — YELLOWSTONE(Cody, WY to Yellowstone back to Cody, WY)

Yellowstone Lake

West Thumb

Old Faithful

Grand Prismatic Spring

Uncle Tom’s Trail

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (Upper and Lower Falls)

Mud Volcano

Day #6 — BOZEMAN(Cody, WY to Ennis, MT)

Montana Grizzly Encounter ($8)

Walked + Shopped Downtown Bozeman

Mark your calendar! The next paint party is in exactly ONE week!
Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 from 6-9PM (Stop by anytime!)

Want more details?! Click here for more information!

ADD those together and what do you get…
$756 — Literally the amount I was going to put toward my car 😞

Jot down the things that bring you joy.
Ask yourself: What are the things that make me happy?

STOP doing things that don’t bring you joy.
Ask yourself: What don’t I like doing but I’m doing anyhow?

Goal 10: I learned how to curl my hair.
Bonus: I figured out how to REALLY do my makeup.

Day #1 — DRIVE DAY
(NW Indiana to Sioux Falls, SD)

Day #2 — BADLANDS
(Sioux Falls, SD to Rapid City, SD)

Day #3 — MT. RUSHMORE
(Rapid City, SD to Deadwood, SD)

#4 — DEVILS TOWER + DRIVE DAY
(Deadwood, SD to Cody, WY)

Day #5 — YELLOWSTONE
(Cody, WY to Yellowstone back to Cody, WY)

Day #6 — BOZEMAN
(Cody, WY to Ennis, MT)

Day #7 — GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
(Ennis, MT to Glacier)

Day #8 — GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
(Glacier to Dickinson, ND)

Day #9 — BEMIDJI, MN
(Dickinson, ND to Minneapolis, MN)

Day #10 — DRIVE DAY
(Minneapolis, MN to Home Sweet Home)