April 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on March’s goals and my progress.

• 30 Day Challenge: New greeting cards every day — Success!
• Have a day alone in San Francisco for my birthday — Success! It was so much fun! I think I need to make this at least a twice a year thing...
• Read 2000 pages —Success! I read over 3500 pages in March. Such a good reading month.
• Read my library books and don’t check out any more (except for the few holds) —Success! I managed to drop off library books and not check out any more.
• Start Q on solids  — Success! He started with avocado and has since branched out to other solids.
• Plan a family day —Success! We went to the California Academy of Sciences yesterday. First time for J and the boys. In April, I'm thinking something more low key. Maybe a picnic at Ardenwood.

April's Goals: Overall April's a big month for me. I've got some big home changes, lots of purchases, and some other big decisions.

• Read 3000 pages -- Going to try and keep the momentum going.
• Figure out the little boys' room situation -- Quentin needs to vacate the twins' room and Arthur needs to give back Alex's mattress by mid-May. Trying to decide what bed configuration we are going to use.
• Buy Quentin a convertible carseat -- My crazy long baby has just about topped out of the infant bucket seat. Should be go with the all-in-one Graco or a cheaper convertible seat of whichever brand. Decisions decisions...
• Revisit the car situation -- Obviously we have to do something before the twins arrive, but I would this to be decided in April. Sick of contorting myself to get kiddos in and out of the nonexistent backseat in the Mini.
• Take of Twins' stuff -- We have to decide on school stuff, summer dates, and plane tickets. Hoping to tackle this all in April.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Baby snuggles and giggles are the bestest!
• I'm oddly fascinated by engineering documentaries. We just watched a NOVA episode about London's Super Tunnel.
• Feeling behind on my crafting after busting my butt to get March set. Hoping to catch up on Project Life very soon (possibly crop day on Saturday?).
• Planned a family day to the Cal Academy and cannot wait! I haven't been there since i was pregnant with Arthur (~4 years ago) and J has never been there. I think the boys are going to love the aquarium.
• Still loving my Happy Planner to keep me organized and on track.
• Need to stay away from the library until I catch up on the books already checked out. Seriously I have a backlog!
• I need to make more naan pizza!

Currently #5

Watching: I randomly started watching Great British Castles on Netflix and it's oddly fascinating. It's currently Arthur and I's go-to for a daytime show.

Reading: The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean; one of those books that has been on my shelves way too long

Listening: We switched gears yesterday and listened to Gorillaz radio on Apple Music while playing

Making: Prepping card kits for April and May classes

Feeling: I still have a bit of a lingering cough, but I've mostly recovered from that nasty cold

Planning: I'm hosting my first big Bingo event at the end of April. In the planning stages right now.

Loving: The last two nights it has rained almost all night. I love falling asleep to the sound of the rain.

Currently #4

Watching: J and I are catching up on Season 2 of The Magicians

Reading:The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey; our book club selection for March. I'm 2/3 of the way through it and loving this book so much!

Listening: Catching up on watching The Bachelor and consequently listening to the Here to Make Friends podcast.

Making: Taking a crafting break after my marathon crafting time last week. Instead, turning to making food items such as Mongolian Beef.

Feeling: Have had a headache for almost a week. It's really uncomfortable at this point.

Planning: Laying out my crafting plan for the next month or so along with my birthday celebrations.

Loving: J bought me chocolate cake on Saturday for my birthday. Oh so yummy!

March 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on February’s goals and my progress.

• 30 Day Challenge: 20 minutes of exercise — Success!
• Prep and send February’s card — Success!
• Read 2000 pages — Success! I almost reached 3000 pages.
• Research vehicle options — Fail. Just never got around to this one.
• Plan at least two kid activities — Success! I scheduled visits to CuriOdyssey, Happy Hollow, and the Oakland Zoo.

March's Goals:

• 30 Day Challenge: New greeting cards every day -- Part of my big crafty birthday celebration. I've got high hopes for my crafting in March.
• Have a day alone in San Francisco for my birthday -- So excited to pull this one off!
• Read 2000 pages -- Want to keep my reading going
• Read my library books and don't check out any more (except for the few holds) -- I've had an issue in checking out too many library books instead of reading my own books. Hoping to get back on track in March,
• Start Q on solids  -- He's been reaching for my food at every meal time. I think it's just about time to start solids.
• Plan a family day -- Hoping to fit in a family day sometime in March. Maybe Cal Academy?

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Belly laughs are the bestest!
• Okay Mother Nature, you can stop the rain for a bit. I know we said we needed it, but this has been too much. Hoping the flooding recedes soon.
• Looking forward to Crop Day on Saturday to knock out a few more cards for March's extravaganza.
• It's killing me to not be able to watch this week's episode of The Bachelor.  I should be able to access it in a few days.
• So obsessed with memory planning in my big planner right now! I would finish February, but I need to print the last photos and you know, live the last week in February...
• My birthday day in San Francisco is coming together. Getting so excited to spend a day by myself.
• I went a bit crazy at the library last time. I really need to scale back a bit.

Currently #3

Watching: J and I finally started watching Broadchurch. Only two episodes in, but we're hooked!

Reading: Cress by Marissa Meyer. I'm working my way through The Lunar Chronicles. Enjoying this volume even more than the last.

Listening: The rain is still here in the Bay Area. On Monday it rained all day. In many ways, I missed listening to the sound of the rain.

Making: Pushing to wrap up my 2016 pages in the Project Life albums. Getting close! i need to do Arthur's December pages and the twins and then 2016 will be done.

Feeling: I've gotten a decent amount of sleep this past week. Feeling better. Now if I could get the toddler to stop yelling about everything, I would feel fine.

Planning: March is my birthday month and I've got some great things planned to celebrate on my Facebook craft group. Lots of challenges, giveaways, and fun. If you want to play along, join The Craft Sea to get all the news.

Loving: Quentin's belly laughs are adorable. I wish I could bottle them for those times when I need a pick-me-up.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• 4 month olds are hard to entertain! Q demands my attention all the time...
• I think I have too many library books out at once. Not enough time to read them all!
• I need to remember to buy iced tea next time at the grocery. I really miss drinking something other than water and coffee in the morning.
• Feels good to donate a ton of baby clothes to a great organization. We don't need that stuff anymore!
• I'm not usually big on pink but I'm loving the super pink decorations in my planner.

Currently #2

Watching: J was surprised to learn that I've never seen most of 30 Rock. Guess what we started from the beginning.

Reading: A Study of Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas. Picked it up from the library and loving it so far.

Listening: Both boys have been super whiners the last few days. So over this.

Making: Our parent group Valentine's Exchange is on Thursday. I'm making one set of 32 for Q to "hand out." Arthur requested Paw Patrol ones.

Feeling: I've been feeling very scatter-brained for the past two weeks. I kept losing my train of thought, forgetting tasks, and feeling very anxious. Not a fan of my current state.

Planning: Trying to get some craft classes and events on the calendar for February and March.

Loving: I love listening to the rain. And in the past week it's actually rained hard enough for me to listen!

February 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on January’s goals and my progress.

• New Movie Month — Sorta fail. We only ended up watched 20 new-to-me movies, but I'd say that's a decent showing for the month.
• Daily MommaStrong/Walk — Sorta fail. I was off and on throughout the month. But I did just do a 7 day squat challenge a friend hosted. Killed my legs, but it felt good.
• Read 1500 pages — Success! I read 1793 pages for January!
• Implement a grocery budget and meal plan — Success! I'm trying to implement some strategies to decrease our food costs. I'm trying to incorporate ideas one at a time instead of trying to do everything at one.
• Project 365: Tobe — Success! I've finished spreads in my memory planner and posted on Instagram every day.
• Research vehicle options — Fail. I need to dive in next month.

February's Goals:

• 30 Day Challenge: 20 minutes of exercise -- Whether it's a walk, MommaStrong, yoga, or something else, I want to make this a daily habit.
• Prep and send February's card -- Have a few cards to get out this month.
• Read 2000 pages -- Upping my goal for this month
• Research vehicle options -- Carry-over goal
• Plan at least two kid activities -- I already have the Oakland Zoo scheduled, but I'm not going to count it. I'm thinking BADM, maybe CuriOdyssey, maybe Habitot, or a simple park playdate.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I love the rain, but we need a couple of days of sunshine so we can get out of the house!
• Q smiles so much! I love his little smirks.
• Trying to sneak in some crafting time this week has been hard...
• I need to settle on reading one book at a time instead of the three I'm currently in the middle of
• Can't wait to rush home today and check out my stamp club order. So many goodies!
• Thinking about what I want for my birthday (I know over a month away). I'm leaning towards a day by myself. Maybe see a movie solo, get a coffee and pastry, browse at the book store, etc...

Currently #1

Watching: I blame my mother for getting me hooked. Just for the record, my picks are Vanessa, Danielle M., and Rachel.

Reading: The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I finally started the Discworld series.

Listening: Here to Make Friends podcast. Claire and Emma recap The Bachelor every week with just the right amount of snark. I love their deconstructions of the situations.

Making: Attempting to catch up on my PL spreads. Currently working on October. I'm hoping to knock out the rest of 2016 by the end of January.

Feeling: The political events of the past two months have really put me in a weird mood. I'm feeling very detached. I have flashes of anger, and then I get sad, and then I'm okay with everything that's going on. It's a weird situation.

Planning: Working on getting all the elements for a friend's sprinkle. Can't wait to celebrate the impending arrival of her little girl!

Loving: I may be crazy, but I joined a friend's 7 day squat challenge. After every session, my legs feel like jelly. But they also feel great!

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Winter colds are the worst... Really hope this passes soon
• Potty training has started. So far, so good. But now I need to get Arthur to tell me when he has to go. We can't visit the bathroom every 50 minutes.
• I need to focus on carving out some time to read. Missing it.
• Slowly getting back into meal planning and cooking.
• Loving my new planner and all the accessories.
• Need to get started on my 2017 memory planner. I have some ideas...
• Pineapple hard cider -- very interesting flavor, but I like it.

January 2017 Life Goals

Let’s check in on December’s goals and my progress.

• Participate in The Hook on Momma Strong — Fail
• Read 1500 pages — Fail, but so close. I ended up only reading 1421 pages for December.
• Prep and send cards for December -- Success!
• Finish 30 Days of Lists — Success!
• December Bucket List — Success!

January's Goals:

• New Movie Month -- I like to start my year off with some new-to-me movies. Hoping to watch 31 movies this month.
• Daily MommaStrong/Walk -- Need to get back on the horse for this one...
• Read 1500 pages -- Hoping to kick off 2017 reading.
• Implement a grocery budget and meal plan -- I have a new plan in place to lower our grocery budget. Let's see if I can do it this month.
• Project 365: Tobe -- As part of my membership on the Awesome Ladies Project Practice Team, I want to memory plan my life this year. Less kids, more Tobe highlighted.
• Research vehicle options -- We need a vehicle to fit all four kiddos. I have a few options in mind, but need to dive into and research a bit more before making a decision.

2017 Goals and Resolutions

It’s the New Year.  Time for my yearly goals and resolutions… I’ve cut back a bit because I have so many other projects, goals, and resolutions heading into 2017.

Blog and Reading Resolutions:

• Read 35,000 pages
• Read 100 books
• Reevaluate my personal blog
• Keep posting on my craft blog MWFS
• Clear off at least one shelf of unread books

Life Resolutions:

• Cut our good budget dramatically and stick to it
• Continue with MommaStrong - losing weight, gaining strength
• Participate in SSINK Design Team
• Participate in the Awesome Ladies Project Design Team

Revisiting 2016’s goals and resolutions:

1. Focus on my Happiness Project — OLW just didn’t work for me, so I’m trying this project instead. And I have an accountability group to help me stay on track.
2. Focus on freezer meals and cutting our food budget — It’s gotten out of control. I really want to spend less money on food.
3. Read 30,00 pages — I’m going for it again this year!
4. Read 100 books — I’m excited to up my goal this year.
5. Finish at least 75% of my reading challenges — i’ve cut back on the number of challenges for the year, so I think I just might be able to attain this goal.
6. Create a weekly schedule and stick to it for all three of the blogs

Merry Christmas to You!

I'll be back after the New Year.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I have so much to do before Tuesday...
• My awesome Occasions Catalog and Sale-a-Bration preorder has been sitting for two days on the table. I want to play! But I need to find some time somehow.
• Having a small does not work with traveling to the airport with kids and luggage. Not sure how to fit everything in.
• I need clothes that fit. My constant issue.
• Consistent exercise is hard but feels so good
• Looking forward to all the fun in 2017

Monthly Life Goals December 2016

Let’s check in on November’s goals and my progress.

• Daily walk or Momma Strong — I'm calling this a success. I didn't do it everyday, but I did it more than half.
• Read 1500 pages —Success! I even reached 2063 pages read.
• Take daily photos/memory recording — Success!
• Prep and send cards for November —Success!

December's Goals:

• Participate in The Hook on Momma Strong -- I signed up the other day. The program starts on December 5th. I'm determined to participate fully.
• Read 1500 pages -- Another low bar for my reading goal.
• Prep and send cards for December
• Finish 30 Days of Lists -- Excited to do this again
• December Bucket List -- I used some fun mambi stickers and a page in my Happy Planner to create a winter bucket list.

Happy Turkey Day!

We're having some friends over for a nice dinner. Hope everyone else enjoys the day with family and friends. To celebrate, hello from my littlest turkey.

While he might look like he enjoyed the photo shoot in the above photo, in reality he hated that hat!

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Last night I had two more no shows to my craft class. Really sick of people who aren't considerate of other's time and effort. I think I have to remove at least one of the ladies from the group...
• Really getting tired of having one car. Extra tired of that one car being tiny and having only two doors. Getting the boys in and out is a pain in the ass.
• The little one has his first cold. And I think he passed it off to J and I.
• Been doing my daily MommaStrong workout for two weeks now. Definitely feeling it (in a good way). Hoping to keep my momentum.
• I would like a few hours by myself but feel like that isn't going to happen any time soon...
• Excited about organizing and sending my handmade Christmas cards soon.