May 2021 Life Goals

Let’s check in on May goals and my progress:

• Read 15 books, including 5 unread shelf reads ✓ - I ended up reading 17 books with 6 of those being from my unread shelf!

• Walk at least 15 miles on the treadmill - Fail. Health issues.

• Work on my December Daily project - Fail

• Make 4 52 dessert recipes ✓ - I managed to just get over the line the last week of the month.

• Weekly field trips ✓ - We’re been at the park every week. Carrying this into May.

• Plan out the rest of spring homeschool weeks ✓ - I’ve got a plan in place!

May’s Goals: Mostly I’m just going to be repeating some goals.

• Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads

• Make Four 52 Dessert Recipes

• Weekly Field Trips - We have a bee scavenger hunt, Platte River State Park, Dreamland Playground, and Arbor Day Farm all on the calendar. I’m attempting to transition us to a four day homeschooling week with one field trip day.

• Create a summer bucket list - I missed creating a spring bucket list. Hoping to resurrect this one for summer.

• Finish the Laundry Room - We had to get a new washer dryer set and we took the opportunity to make some basic renovations. We need to paint, install the set, and put some new shelving in.

• Try two new dinner recipes

Next up on the TBR pile:

April 2021 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads - 50% success. I read over 15 books, but only 2 of them were from my Unread Shelf

• Layout podcast episodes - On hold… while J takes care of some other projects and tasks

• Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes - Fail. I had hoped to make some more, but I only ended up with three recipes made. So close!

• Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill ✓ - I’m calling this a win even though I didn’t do all 20 miles on the treadmill. We ended up with multiple outings that included long walks.

• Make eye appointments - Fail

April’s Goals:

• Read 15 Books, Including 5 Unread Shelf Reads - Hoping for a big unread shelf month!

• Walk at Least 15 Miles on the Treadmill - Hoping to transition from the treadmill to outdoor walks.

• Work on My December Daily Projects - I will finish this at some point…

• Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes - I’ve got some good ones lined up.

• Weekly Field Trips! - We’ve got the ball rolling again. Still taking tons of precautions, but excited to to get a bit more out and about. I’m shooting for at least one outing a week.

• Plan Out the Rest of Spring Homeschool Weeks - Gotten a good jump on this, but hoping to tidy it up soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2021 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books, at least 5 Unread Shelf reads ✓

• Layout podcast episodes - Until J gets the hang of editing, this is on hold for a bit.

• Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes - Fail

• Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill - Fail. Although I did a respectable 17 miles.

• Put together drawers for boys ✓

• Make eye appointments - Fail. It was dentist month apparently.

• Make dentist appointments ✓

• Make driver’s license appointment ✓

• Make a spring wish list ✓

March’s Goals: Lots of carry-over goals for this month.

• Read 15 books, including 5 Unread Shelf reads

• Layout podcast episodes

• Make 4 52 Dessert Recipes

• Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill

• Make eye appointments

Next up on the TBR pile:

February 2021 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 Books ✓

• Plan Out Our 52 Desserts and Snacks for January, February, and March ✓

• Walk at Least 20 Miles on the Treadmill - Fail. I only did 15.91 miles on the treadmill.

• Do a Goodwill Donation Run - Fail, although I have started two bags.

• Put Together Drawers for Boys - Fail.

• Prep for February Movie Month ✓ - I have a short list of about 90 movies to choose from.

• Make Eye Appointments - Fail.

• Make Dentist Appointments - Fail.

• Make Driver’s License Appointment - Fail.

February Goals:

• Read 15 books, At Least 5 Unread Shelf Reads

• Layout Podcast Episodes - A project J and I are working on for March or April. More info to come.

• Make 4 52 Desert Recipes - I got a big behind in January. Hoping to catch up.

• Walk at Least 20 Miles on the Treadmill - I need to be a bit more intentional about this one.

• Put Together Drawers for Boys

• Make Eye Appointments - Carryover goal

• Make Dentist Appointments - Carryover goal

• Make Driver’s License Appointment - Carryover

• Make a Spring Wish List - I’m planning on taking a bit of money (not much, but a big) of my paycheck for the last quarter to update my wardrobe a little bit. Not super exciting, but things like underwear, gym shoes, and lounge pants to replace my worn out things.

Next up on the TBR pile:

January 2021 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 Books ✓

• Plan Out January for Homeschooling ✓

• Send Out Christmas Cards ✓

• Walk at Least 20 miles on the Treadmill - Fail. But I got fairly close with 16 miles.

• Clean Out TBR Piles, Lists, Etc. ✓

January’s Goals:

• Read 15 Books

• Plan Out Our 52 Desserts and Snacks for January, February, and March

• Walk at Least 20 Miles on the Treadmill

• Do a Goodwill Donation Run

• Put Together Drawers for Boys

• Prep for February Movie Month

• Make Eye Appointments

• Make Dentist Appointments

• Make Driver’s License Appointment

Next up on the TBR pile:

December 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 Books ✓

• Walk at Least 20 Miles on the Treadmill - Fail. I only logged 12 miles on the treadmill this past month.

• Make Christmas Cards ✓

• Clean out TBR Piles, Lists, Etc - Partially completed. I still ned to finish this before January.

• Finish Out Homeschool Planning for the Semester ✓

December’s Goals:

• Read 15 Books

• Plan Out January for Homeschooling

• Send Out Christmas Cards

• Walk at Least 20 Miles on the Treadmill

• Clean Out TBR Piles, Lists, Etc.

Next up on the TBR list:

November 2020 Life Goals

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

• Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill/outdoors ✓ - I did almost 27 miles this month!

• Read 15 books ✓

• Cross off at least 5 items on my Fall Bucket List - Fail. Although I did get a three things checked out.

• Plan out October and 1/2 of November for Homeschool ✓

• Line up November’s TBR pile ✓

• Starting planning Christmas gifts - Started

• Thanksgiving plans? - Nope

• Plan a Halloween party for the kids ✓

November’s Goals:

• Read 15 Books

• Walk at Least 20 Miles on the Treadmill

• Make Christmas Cards

• Clean out TBR piles, lists, etc.

• Finish out Homeschool planning for the semester

Next up on the TBR list:

October 2020 Life Goals

Let’s check in on September’s goals and my progress. Things did not go as planned as we unexpectedly had to travel to Indiana for over a week in the middle of the month.

• Get a Notary for the Trash Cans - Fail

• Preplan the next four weeks of homeschooling ✓

• Check out the new note taking app - Fail

• Read 15 books - Fail. So close with 14 reads!

• Organize my end of year reading plan - Fail

• Plan Saturday art projects - Fail

October’s Goals:

• Walk at least 20 miles on the treadmill/outdoors

• Read 15 books

• Cross off at least 5 items on my Fall Bucket List

• Plan out October and 1/2 of November for Homeschool - This includes my library book rotation, theme activities, nature play, and literature.

• Line up November’s TBR pile

• Start planning Christmas gifts

• Thanksgiving plans?

• Plan a Halloween party for the kids (and maybe one friend)

Next up on the TBR list:

September 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 20 Books - So close! I ended up reading 17 books.

• Send out Exchange Cards ✓

• Walk 30 miles on the treadmill ✓

• Start homeschooling! ✓

September’s Goals:

• Get a Notary for the Trash Cans

• Preplan the next four weeks of homeschooling

• Check out the new note taking app

• Read 15 books

• Organize my end of year reading plan

• Plan Saturday art projects.

Next up on the TBR list:

August 2020 Life Goals

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

• Plan for homeschool through August ✓ - Some blog posts are coming with our plans, but I have finished the planning for the first two months!

• Read 20 books ✓

• Send out July cards ✓

• Make fall plan for home renovation and repairs - Fail. Trying to get J to nail down a plan is a bit difficult.

• Walk 30 miles on the treadmill ✓

August’s Goals:

• Read 20 books

• Send out Exchange Cards - 22 thank you cards to prep and send this first week.

• Walk 30 miles on the treadmill - Trying to keep this up!

• Start homeschooling! - We plan to dive in on Aug. 10th. Crossing our fingers that everything goes well.

Next up on the TBR list:

July 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books ✓

• Create weekly theme units for Arthur ✓

• Next Round of Soups and Stews ✓

• Send out June birthday and pick-me-up cards ✓

• Figure out end of summer ✓

July’s Goals:

• Plan for homeschool through August - We’ve made the decision to pull Arthur for this coming year due to all the uncertainty. I am able to stay home and teach him, so that’s what we’re doing.

• Read 20 books - Need to up my goal apparently.

• Send out July cards

• Make fall plan for home renovations and repairs

• **Added: Walk at least 30 miles on the treadmill

Next up on the TBR list:

June 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books ✓

• Acquire furniture for craft/library room - 50% I now have a bookshelf for all my books so the library side is mostly done. I just need to hang some art over there. The craft side I have to wait for Ikea delivery. They are backed up until late June.

• May Movie Month ✓ - We ended up watching 24 movies this month. Some great, some terrible, and quite a few in the middle.

• Hang curtains and art ✓ - We still have a few pieces here and there to put up, but I got a lot done this month.

• Make a decision about Reading Retreat and end of summer - The Reading Retreat has been canceled until at least late fall. I have no idea what we are going to do about end of summer…

• Acquire summer school materials for Arthur ✓ - I now have an entire stack of activity books and ideas. We’ve started the first book and are figuring out the special projects.

June’s Goals:

• Read 15 books - Keeping this going

• Create weekly theme units for Arthur - We have already done Art History and Farm. I’m lined up 10 more weekly units, but I need to pull resources and make lesson plans.

• Next Round of Soups and Stews - We’ve done so well so far this year. I want pick our selections for the next round or two so I can start fitting them into our meal plans.

• Send out June birthday and pick-me-up cards

• Figure out end of summer?

Next up on the TBR list:

May 2020 Life Goals

Let’s check in on April's goals and my progress.

• Read 20 books - Fail. I did get pretty close with 18 books finished.

• Paint the craft/library room ✓

• Make Easter baskets for the boys ✓

• Clean up the yard ✓

• Get supplies for a small vegetable garden - Fail. I haven’t gotten around to making a shopping list.

• Every-other-day neighborhood walks ✓

• Go on an Easter Egg hunt ✓

May’s Goals:

• Read 15 books - Scaling it back just a bit to keep moving along.

• Acquire furniture for craft/library room - I think I’ve decided on a library bookcase and hoping to get it soon. And I’m hoping Ikea fixes their stock issues so I can get my crafting system.

• May Movie Month - I’ve compiled a list of movies that I keep forgetting about watching. So next month we’re going to pick a movie to watch every night.

• Hang curtains and art - Putting those things up makes the house feel more finished.

• Make a decision about Reading Retreat and end of Summer - I need to get some tentative plans in place.

• Acquire summer school materials for Arthur - Instruction from his school ends May 14th, but I need to keep him learning especially if we are still going to be quarantined.

Next up on the TBR list:

April 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 20 books ✓

• Put in my Ikea house order - Fail. With all the changes this past month, I never got around to this.

• Get the Reading Retreat attendance set - Put on hold indefinitely…

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Ditto

• MPS move - Things got a little lost in the shuffle.

• Get the craft/library prepped for furniture and decor - Fail. I did make progress, just not ready to move things in yet.

April’s Goals:

• Read 20 books - Going for another big month.

• Paint the craft/library room - Getting so close!

• Make Easter baskets for the boys - I had bought things before we went into lockdown. Just need to get a bit creative for the last pieces.

• Clean up the yard - There are some dead plants and lots of leaves laying around. Hoping to get things cleaned up before everything really gets growing.

• Get supplies for a small vegetable garden - Arthur is really excited to grow some things especially tomatoes and zucchini.

• Every-other-day neighborhood walks - I would say every day but I know the weather will not cooperate some days. We are hoping to explore more of our neighborhood.

• Go on an Easter Egg hunt - The entire city of Omaha has gotten into doing a city-wide easter egg hunt. People have printed and colored easter eggs to hang in windows and doors. There’s a giant Google map filled with pins for houses with eggs. We are going to try and go out Friday and then again next week.

Next up on the TBR list:

March 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books - Success!

• Week out UnRead Shelf - Success! I weeded out 6 books.

• Complete 3 house projects - Fail… I made progress on both wallpapered rooms, but that’s about it. So much time and effort went into other things.

• Put in my Ikea house order - Fail. Not Yet.

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Fail. Not yet.

• Plan Birthday day - Success! I have a plan and it’s going to happen this Sunday.

• Start the moving process - Success! We accelerated our timeline and moved into the new house yesterday.

• MPS move - Fail. Need to do this!

• Get rid of stuff before move - Success!

• February movie month - Fail… we got very wrapped up in moving.

March’s Goals:

• Read 20 books - Want to keep this going and anticipate a higher reading month! I have stack of comics to help push my totals higher.

• Put in my Ikea house order - Still playing around the what to order.

• Get the Reading Retreat attendance set - Deadline is March 31st….

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Want to get this done soon.

• MPS move - Carryover task

• Get the craft/library prepped for furniture and decor - I need to finish stripping the wallpaper and then paint the walls.

Next up on the TBR list:

February 2020 Life Goals

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

• Read 15 books ✓

• Close on our new house ✓

• Restart Quentin’s routine schedule ✓

• Go swimming twice - Fail. We didn’t even go once.

• Start off our food adventure on a good note ✓

• Get my new planner and Memory Planner started ✓

• Clean out the basement ✓

• Create a home vision board ✓

February’s Goals:

• Read 15 books - Hoping to have another good reading month.

• Week out UnRead Shelf - February strategy and also would be nice to not move so many books (even if it’s only 10 less).

• Complete 3 house projects - These can be small or large, but I want to focus on a few things before we move in. (#1 is probably painting the downstairs half bath white instead of the current terracotta.)

• Put in my Ikea house order - I have a cart full that I’l playing with right now.

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Retreat isn’t until June, but places go quickly.

• Plan Birthday day - A friend convinced me that I needed to resurrect my solo birthday adventure day. I’m formulating a plan.

• Start the moving process - Not officially leaving our current place until mid-March, but there’s lot to move in the meantime.

• MPS move - Arthur will be switching elementary schools next year. Need to understand the process.

• Get rid of stuff before move - I have a pile to sell or donate. I’m sure I’ll to it this month.

• February movie month - We’re not going to watch 29 movies this month, but I’m hoping for at least 15.

Next up on the TBR list:

January 2020 Life Goals

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

• Book travel hotel - Success

• Send out Christmas cards - Success

• Look into atheist family group -

• Read 10 books - Success

• Make a reading plan for January - Success

• Figure out a spring routine for Quentin -

• Take care of bills - Success

• Meal plan for January and February -

• Enjoy the season

January’s Goals:

• Read 15 books

• Close on our new house!

• Restart Quentin’s routine schedule

• Go swimming twice

• Start off our food adventure on a good note

• Get my new planner and Memory Planner started

• Clean out the basement

• Create a home vision board

Next up on the TBR list:

December 2019 Life Goals

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

• Figure out Christmas travel plans - So close… I know when we’re going, but I still need to book a hotel for our overnight going there.

• Read 10 ebooks - Success!

• Buy advent calendars for the boys - Success!

• Take care of bills - Success! We got most of them covered and accounted for.

• Look into starting atheist family group chapter - Ooofff… didn’t get to it this month.

• Meal plan through Christmas holiday - Success!

• Friendsgiving? - Success! We had a lovely day with friends.

December’s Goals:

• Book travel hotel - We’re spending the night somewhere around the Quad Cities.

• Send out Christmas cards - I’ve got almost all of them prepped and ready to send this week.

• Look into atheist family group - Ran out of steam last month. Hoping to get to it this month.

• Read 10 books - Hoping to end the year on a good note.

• Make a reading plan for January - Got some of it planned. Need to finish.

• Figure out a spring routine for Quentin - We need a good routine schedule.

• Take care of bills - Got a few left.

• Meal plan for January and February (with soup and stew ideas) - I love going into January prepped and prepared.

• Enjoy the season!

Next up on the TBR list:

November 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on October's goals and my progress.

• Scary movie/television/reading month - Success! We had a great month of spooky-ish movies and books. Unfortunately I have many more spooky books on my list.

• Pumpkin patch visit with friends - Success! We went to Skinny Bones (first time for us!) and it was a lovely albeit very cold day.

• Pull off Arthur and Quentin’s birthday party - Success! I think everyone who came had fun. It was a chaotic day, but oh so much fun!

• New Halloween activity - We did trick-or-treating at The Durham and Omaha Children’s Museum.

November’s Goals:

• Figure out Christmas travel plans - I have a basic plan in place. Need to finalize plans and dates.

• Read 10 ebooks - Trying to focus on all those ebooks on my Kindle app…

• Buy advent calendars for the boys - I bought myself a jam advent calendar. Still deciding on the boys’s calendars.

• Take care of bills - We got the Academy bill and dentist bill to finish paying before December starts.

• Look into starting atheist family group chapter - An internet friend mentioned an atheist family group. We don’t have a chapter here in Omaha, but I can potentially get one started.

• Meal plan through Christmas holiday - Meal planning has become so annoying to me. I want to knock this out for the rest of the year (well until I leave for Indiana).

• Friendsgiving? - I think we are doing Friendsgiving again this year. Need to figure out the menu.

Next up on the TBR list:

October 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on September's goals and my progress.

• Read 15 books - Success! Just made it with 16 books.

• Visit Vala’s - Success! We’ve gone twice so far this season!

• Create a rotation of activities/places - Threw this goal out. We’re just going to play it by ear until after Christmas.

• Plan/prep for the birthday party - Success! I have more things to do, but many items have been checked off.

• Clean out the kitchen boxes - 50% success. I emptied one. The other box is full of party supplies, so many will get used this month.

October’s Goals:

• Scary movie/television/reading month - We have a list of movies, television shows, and books for this month. I’m going all in for Halloween!

• Pumpkin patch visit with friends - Working on a plan to go to a patch with a few other families.

• Pull off Arthur and Quentin’s birthday party - October 12th!!!

• New Halloween activity - No trick-or-treating at the zoo this year. We’re looking for a different activities.

Next up on the TBR list: