Back to the lake!

I'm going to start this post with the fact that this has actually been done and sitting unpublished since the 4th of July weekend. I apologize for my failure to complete this post in any sort of timely fashion. It has been the summer to end all summers and it was wonderfully busy. There's more to come on that but for now, enjoy this super late post!   

I was fortunate enough to be able to spent most of last week up in Maine by the lake which was pretty awesome. Every time I go up I never want to leave. It was a nice week/weekend for the 4th and we got to see some pretty awesome fireworks over the lake! Here are some pictures from our drives/lakeside!

 Here is Boston! Isn't it pretty? Just passing through and luckily on the way up there we didn't hit much traffic which was nice. 

 It was beautiful out when we got there so I started a fire while my Mom and sister went swimming. The neighbors had gotten a bunch of fireworks so we got to watch them!

 We drove around the next morning a little bit and found some places we had never seen before! 

 Isn't this a beautiful view? 

 This church was abandoned and run down but beautiful all the same.

  

Firewors by the lake a magical! My sister and I laid down by the fire and watched the fireworks from the Acton fair. She fell asleep on a raft. It was an awesome night.

The Tiger Lillies were in full bloom making for a lovely view.  

The sunset on the way home was magical!

Even from the moving car you can see how beautiful the sunset was. It did help though that we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic the whole way. Hopefully there will be many more trips to Maine this summer! 

-Traci

Medomak Senior Pics

Well, it's been awhile since either Traci or I made a post. Sorry to keep you all waiting. Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to photograph a friend, Kara, who is a Senior this year. She's absolutely gorgeous, and I loved taking pictures of her. We took so many - there were very few "bad" ones... I'll try not to let myself post too many! :)

I will be posting twice a week from now on, but feel free to check out my solo blog at: simplydawn86.blogspot.com ! Make sure to leave your comments and thoughts on both blogs!

Dawn :)

Let's be frugal!

Last night, I read several amazing articles about saving money, living frugally, and one particular family who put 100% down on their house, when they bought it. I was amazed and in awe. How cool would it be to do that?! So, I am going to put myself on the line and change my and my husband's lifestyles so that one day, we can acheive that sort of dream!

Today's blog won't have too many pictures, but I will share a few from Fort George!

I am fascinated with the steps in old forts. I think each set is unique and awesome!

That's all the photos for today, but I want to leave you all with some great tips for keeping on your toes, both personally and financially!

1. Keep a Weekly, Monthly, and Annual Goal sheet.
2. Set personal and financial goals.
3. Set realistic goals. (I want a million dollars is not realistic!)
4. Have a set day of the week (I find payday works best) for checking on your goals.
5. Keep a progress log. For example, if you want to lose weight, document your current weight loss, or if you want to save money, keep a record of how much you save. I find that looking at my accomplishments helps me to keep pushing toward my goal!
6. Be involved with others who have similar goals! Nothing better than being cheered on by your friends, family, and people who believe in you.
7. Prioritize your money. Build a budget to prioritize your finances. And stick to it!
Figure out if there are any expenses you can drop (i.e. do you really need cable?)
8. Find extra ways to make money. Part-time jobs, online businesses - there is a lot of money to be had out there.
9. Set aside time for yourself. Make sure you allot yourself time to just be alone. Read, write in a journal - do something that relaxes you!
10. Don't give up!

Your goals are attainable if you work hard and stick to it. I hope you all are as inspired as I when I decided to do this for myself. :) Have a great Tuesday everyone!

<3 Dawn

Boats, Trains and the RMV

I was out today with my Mom. What was suppose to be a simple trip to pay off some tickets and renew her registration turned into and all day frustration fest. I have come to the conclusion That the RMV is hell. I hate that place so much and it would seem they do everything humanly possible to make simple tasks into the most complicated issues. I should think that it would be a little more streamlined then it is. I short it was miserable. 

I was grumpy this morning because of lack of sleep and decent coffee which was unpleasant for my mother, I'm sure. We had breakfast at Binky's which is normally a treat but this morning it was sub-par, it was probably just my disposition. Who knows. Here is a sign they have on their wall.

This I must say fit my mood perfectly and I had to giggle. I did not take any pictures at the RMV because they would have been boring and seriously who wants to document their trip to a place of such discontentment? After we finished up with all that junk we drove around a bit and eventually ended up at the Cape Cod Canal which was lovely as always. There were a few boats out and a huge barge that came through which was cool.

After the canal we stopped at the train bridge which was neat. My mom said that she had never seen it come down, but as we were leaving a train came through! It was awesome and super loud!

 I will leave you with some picture of the sunset I caught the other night after some stormy days!

 Peace out!

~Traci