March and April Goal report

Read 2 books:
March - yes, I read 4
April - no, I read 1

Cook more meals:
March - yes
April - no

Lift Weights more:
March - yes
April - no, failed at going to gym at all due to long hours at work and travelling

Lose 5 pounds:
March - still on track
April - complete failed thanks to travelling to Philly and CUU, visiting VP and his consultant, and visiting CEO, VP, and state senator. Gained back all 5 pounds that I had lost this year. Boo.

Work fewer hours:
March - worked almost all 40 hour weeks
April - fail! I worked 50 - 60 hours almost every week. Sigh.  Hopefully, all famous people have made their rounds for a while and I am through with travelling for a while (less France in June).

Dad, I think we should make one or two of these for the garden.  You can pick your food in this basket, rinse it off, and let it dry. 

Okay, so you know I love Mason jars... if I had a front porch (or even maybe a back porch), I would make these.  So pretty.  These are solar lamps made out of mason jars.  Love love love.  

I really enjoy playing checkers. My Dad taught me when I was pretty young (5 or 6).  Sarah and I used to play on Sundays.  I would like to have one of these for my kids to play in doctor's offices or in other places where we have to wait and need something to do.

I like when stuff is off the floor in its own place.  Baskets for toys are going to be a must when I have kids.  Right now I have two baskets that I store under our table in the living room, one has my library books in it and the other has my sewing supplies.

That last tutorial came from this website that I found recently.  They have a few fun sewing ideas.

These little sandels might be a cute baby shower gift.  I wonder if they would stay on?

Neat paper lamp (Ikea hack with some cupcake holders).  

February Goals Report

I am going to rate myself out of 5 because partial credit is better than no credit.


1. I would like to take more pictures of life to document what happens (even the boring stuff)
* I have been taking a few more pictures.  I have started carrying my camera around, but I usually forget it is there.
(2.5/5)


2. clean out my fabric stash by making lots of fabric things (so I can buy new fabric)
* I have started organizing my fabric stash and I have 4 or 5 jobs that are prepped to be sewn.  That will get rid of some of the fabric.  I have a few bigger projects in my head that I want to start (maybe in March, February seems to be book month).
(1.5/5)


3. lose 5 pounds
* I am going to keep this goal.  I have lost 4 pounds, but pants fit much better probably due to the weight training.  But I am raising the bar because I need to force myself to stop eating sugar.  :) 
(4/5)


4. weight train 3 days a week (not just to wimp out by doing just cardio)
* Okay, so I have done this four times this year.  But going along with my goal of working less is my getting to the gym to lift more often.  Cardio is easy.  I have lifted for the last two weeks; I think I am back on track.
(2/5)


5. cook more dinners for Jared and grill more (even in the winter)
accomplished
(4/5)


6. wake up 30 minutes earlier each day
FAIL. I think I did this 3 or 4 times. It was so much better when I got up early...
(1/5)


7.read 2 books a month (I read 4 books a month during grad school, I should be able to read 2... although, reading a 700 page book should count as 2, maybe I should set a page limit... hmmmm, I will get back to you on this one)
* So far this month I have read 8 books and I am in the middle of a 9th. I have far surpassed this goal, but then again, I have done no sewing...
Books read:
Little House in the Bing Woods
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
On the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Hard Winter
Hunger Games
Mockingjay
Catching Fire
(5/5)


8. visit Stephanie and family (see Colorado again!!!)
accomplished. 


9. finish thank you notes
accomplished.


10. make more granola (just finished the last of my last batch)
accomplished again. 


11. work fewer hours
accomplished.  The past three weeks I have worked just over 40 hours.  No more 50 hour weeks for me for a while!!  :)  My dotted line boss was in town last week and I had a plant tour and I still only worked 42 hours. Go me.  
(4/5)


12. eat less sugar
FAIL.  Between confetti cups, cream puff filling, real whipped cream, and valentine day candy...
(0/5) I didn't even try.


13. watch a Russian new years movie
accomplished :)


14. invite at least one family over for dinner
Does Michelle count?  Or the Taylors for my Mom's birthday? My intention was to invite someone that I didn't know that well, so I am going to say, I failed at this too.
(2/5)

goals report (this week):
* cooked 3 + nights
* woke up earlier than normal once
* went to the gym only 1 time (I blame working 54.3 hours).

February goals:
* keep lifting at the gym
* work fewer hours
* eat less sugar
* keep cooking meals
* read two books
* use up fabric
* watch a Russian new years movie
* spend more time with friends
* invite at least one family over for dinner
* lose 4 pounds

So, a few weeks before Christmas (2), one of my fillings fell out, which led to me having two cavities filled (the one that fell out and another one).  Well, the other one, which is my last tooth on the upper right (number 2, I now know all about these things) decided to be seriously and dramatically decayed and required a root canal... so the week before Christmas, I had a root canal (merry Christmas to me).  And during my Christmas break I had the temporary cap put on it and NOW TODAY FINALLY I am going to get my permanent cap.  My only complaint about the entire thing is how many trips I have had to make to the dentist to have the one stupid tooth filled.  

My other complaint, which is not about this, is the fact that they sell cough drops with sugar! Why would you sell cough drops with sugar that are just going to decay people's teeth and why did no one ever warn me about this?!?  So let this be a lesson to you, I used to think that only sugary drinks (which I don't drink) and candy (which I normally don't eat, unless it is dark chocolate - and that is good for me) and extra ice cream and cake and cookies (which Jared and I don't keep in the house) would cause cavities and tooth decay.  COUGH DROPS ARE TERRIBLE FOR YOUR TEETH!!!  Give them up now or switch to sugar free before it is too late.  :)  

That is my friendly public service announcement for today.  

I am super happy to finally have this tooth over and done with.  I will be even happier after the numbness wears off this evening sometime.   Have you ever learned something in life that seems like something you should have been told earlier? 

Update for last week on goals:

success: 

* read a bunch of short stories by George McDonald which I am counting as my second book this month

fail:

* caught a cold - lay around on the couch all week and read when I came home from work

* worked 50 hours last week even with said cold

* didn't go to the gym at ALL

* didn't cook

*didn't write any thank you notes

* let Jared clean the house and go grocery shopping for me

This week extra goals:

*finish thank you notes

*bake cookies for winning team at work

*bake english muffins (I am out)

*make more granola (just finished the last of my last batch)

*plan some meals for Jared while I am gone

*pack for trip (I am putting this on my list so that I can cross it off and actually accomplish something next week, ha ha).

Last week I:
* went to the gym 3 times (lifted weights twice)
* made two new recipes (one of them might have been the recipe listed below - from my FAVORITE food blog)
* read 300 more pages of my Brooklyn Bridge book (by David McCullough -- I think that I am really enjoying this book because I am an engineer, but I really think other people would like to too!!  David McCullough is amazing!).
* cooked dinner three times

Goals for this week (on top of the other ones):
* finish all my thank you notes from Christmas (I have two left)
* write some other letters that I have been meaning to write

cookie recipe

Don't they look amazing?  Jared said they tasted like brownies, but better because he could dunk them in milk or hot chocolate.  Unlike what the blogger says, these are definitely good warm from the oven.  Jared has requested these instead of brownies at our house.

P.S. Try smearing peanut butter between two cookies and eating them. Amazing!!

P.P.S. I need to find some engineering journals to read.  This book on the bridge is making me want to study more.