January Goal Update!

One month into 2021 and I'm making progress on my goals. I do need to read more next month and I can do it! So far 2021 doesn't look much different than 2020 but that doesn't mean I can't make progress on myself! How are all my fellow goal setters doing? 

Read 20 Books: 1/20 

I'm almost done with my second book but didn't quite get there. So looks like Feb. will be a three book month! The book I did read was The Modern Breakup  by Daniel Chidiac. This book was an interesting read, because it is an advice book presented as a fictional story. Probably more for the 20 somethings but it was also a quick read so I just took it more as fiction than life advice! 

Run 800 miles: 68/800

I nailed this one! I'm making my Feb. goal 64 because a couple less days. Right now when it's cold I'm almost exclusively running on the treadmill. So I'm looking forward to putting in more miles when I can actually run outside. I did sign up for my first half of the year. The Topeka Half Marathon will be April 24th. So the last couple of weekends in Feb. I'll have to start building up my long runs. I think my longest run this month was four miles. That's about all the treadmill I can take! 

Money Goals: I made progress on paying off the car this month and I replaced my car's windshield! Yay! 

• Pay Off my Car - Paid an extra $450, Balance $4,547.74
• Replace my Car's Windshield-Done Jan. 
• New Fridge
• Fix Stairs
• Install a shower in hall bathroom and fix my sink in my bathroom
• Add $2,000 to savings 
• Replace some windows

Knit four new things: 1/4

I made a cabled headband with some of my Christmas yarn. It is a little tight, when will I understand I can't wear normal size headwear?!  I need to find someone with a normal size head to give it to. 

Weekend Off

 This weekend the boys and I decided we needed a vacation! This means we would like to sit in a different room that is not our house and get take out from some new places. LOL 

So we packed up and headed to Legends for a one night mini vacay. The highlight of the trip was getting to swim in January. It was great, and a nice break in our daily routine. The best part of a quick trip like this is I still got to do all my normal chores and runs done that I would have done anyway. I ran Saturday morning and then went to my afternoon gym class on Sunday. In between I just had some very nice family time! 

The boys and I are still doing good on our reading time. I didn't feel the best last week (no, not COVID) and we still read three or four nights. My new thing is falling asleep right after our reading time is over, so that 7pm nap is really fun. LOL 

Happy January everyone, Go Chiefs!!!! 

On the way home Alex got his first Starbucks! He was not
impressed. Said next time he'll order water.....

Got to spend an hour in the pool, we will take it! 

Daryl also had his first Fishing club meeting of the year. 
Fishing is his favorite 4-H project! 

Because I'm the mom, that's why!

 It can be hard to work on your goals on your own. This can hinder my progress because I want to be doing what the rest of the family is doing. If they are all in the living room kinda watching TV/kinda watching YouTube, I do the same thing. 

I seem to have forgotten something important. I'm the mom, I can make my family do things....so,  now all of us have a reading goal! #Goalhack 

I told the boys they are going to read one book a month, and we are going to have a short reading time every day. Four days in and we have kept to it! My goal is 20 books this year, but I have more weeks to read, since they probably won't do this at dad's house. 

After dinner we settle in with our books for 22 minutes. Sometimes we have ice cream other times we just get to reading. Daryl is reading a book that is too easy for him, but I broke it to him yesterday that he will just have to start another book when he finishes his. He tried to work the system but mom knows the kind of books he can read. Alex is finally reading a book that he got early in the school year. He is enjoying it! 

You guys, if you have a goal you are struggling with, make other people do it with you! Spread the word! 

Left to Right is Daryl's book, my book and Alex's book

The focus is extreme! 

2021 Goals, Getting Stronger

 I did so well with my 2020 goals that I've been thinking about 2021 for months. While 2020 had plenty of challenges I ended up with a lot of time on my hands. That is why it is so important for me to have my yearly goals, I didn't waste the extra time that was given to me. I had things to work towards and it was a boost to my mood the closer I got to completing my goals. I feel my best when I'm focused and improving myself. I want to keep that going! 

I maintain that resolutions are about changing yourself while goal are about bettering yourself. Goals also should come with an action plan if you want to actually achieve them. I'll get on my soapbox that get on every January, drop the resolutions, set some attainable but challenging goals, and track your progress! 

So as I look at how far I've come in 2020 I'm now looking forward to what I want out of 2021. 

Starting in August I made weights an important part of my fitness routine. Before I would go once a week and miss every once in awhile. Well, with no night meetings or being out of town for work I made getting to the gym three times a week a priority. And I see a difference. I'm running faster and I'm stronger than I was in August. I'm hooked and my goal theme of 2021 is to get even stronger! 

First I want to be mentally stronger so I'm upping the book goal to 20! Yikes! I know the amount of time I spend watching Netflix so this is doable. Especially since The Office is not longer available....

Next I want to be a stronger runner. So I'm upping my yearly mileage goal to 800. I should be able to get there if I make my monthly mileage goal 65. Then I will have some longer months when I'm running races. My race goal is 4 halves in 2021. Yay! 

I'm changing house goals to money goals. Because I have some things that will cost extra funds that don't have to do with the house. So I have 6 money goals that will make me financially stronger: 

• Pay Off my Car
• Replace my Car's Windshield
• New Fridge
• Fix Stairs
• Install a shower in hall bathroom and fix my sink in my bathroom
• Add $2,000 to savings 
• Replace some windows

I need to get creatively stronger too. So I want to knit four things this year. And one can't be a hat! LOL! 

Ok friends, these are my goals and I will update monthly to keep myself accountable. Feel free to share your goals and I can cheer for you too! 

I don't really have any good photos for this post. 
So here is Purl tucked in a blanket. 

Giving myself a little head start, should have a knitted thing soon! 

December Goal Update!

This year K-State gave us the week between Christmas and New Year's off, so Happy Holidays to us! Seeing how I completed most of my yearly tasks in November I didn't have a whole lot of motivation for this month. So I relaxed, enjoyed the Christmas decorations, went to the gym and spent couch time with my Purl. The house is a little bit of a wreck but that might be a sign of a good holiday. 

Next post is 2021 goals! I had to make them a little more challenging, I don't need to be coasting into every December. LOL 

2020 Goals 

Read 12 Books: DONE SEPT.  2020 13/12 

After starting a couple of books and never finishing them I did finish a book this month. I read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia. It was a clever piece of fiction that had some juicy twists and turns. It was what I needed after trying to be good and read some non fiction. Every once in awhile you just need a haunted house story. It is what it is!  

Knit 4 Things (and no new yarn!): DONE Oct. 2020 9/4

I ended up making one more hat this month for my niece's Christmas. her school color is purple and I knit up my favorite pattern for her! I was afraid it would be too big but I actually could have made it just a touch larger. She takes after the rest of us and has a big noggin. 

Make 2 Quilts :DONE May 2020

Run 600 Miles:  DONE NOV 2020 668

Dec. 2020 727

I ran 59 miles this month! I expected my mileage to fall off but it never got really cold like it usually does. I didn't do long weekend runs but I was able to run 3-4 times a week. I also kept up with my gym classes. So I ended the year with 727 miles! That is 127 miles over my 2020 goal. I'll take it! 

 

Save 2,000 Dollars: DONE April 2020 

I was able to save 108 dollars this month. I looked back at 2019 and I only saved 50 last December. I was a little disappointed with this number because I had purchased all of my Christmas gifts in November but then the microwave broke. So, I had to allocate funds to a new microwave. When I think about that, I'm glad I was able to save as much as I did. Now all I need is a new fridge to have all new appliances in my kitchen! 

I ended the year saving 3,500 dollars! 1,500 over my goal! 

5 House Projects: In 2021 this will be money projects. A few things for the house and a few other things that I've been needing to take care of. 

Put in a ceiling light in living room:  Done May 
Put in a ceiling light in my bedroom office
Get a new stove: Done Feb
Remove a scraggly tree Done September 
Plant two new trees  Done October 

Almost 200 more miles than last year and 30 seconds faster on pace! Whew! 

I need to get longer arms so I can get all of Daryl in the picture next year! 

2020 Christmas

 It has been over for a couple of days, but the Christmas hangover is starting to clear. I'm wearing my new slippers and ready to blog it out. What a great holiday to end the year. Food (check), Presents (check), Family (check) and remembering to put out the trash(). So you can't have everything! 

Christmas morning the boys got to open their presents form me and Santa. I think the favorites was the Gravy Cat Man merch for Alex and the Muck Boots for Daryl. I got a Mom mug from Alex and a Dunder Mifflin hat from Daryl, so my Christmas was fantastic! My present to me was an amazing Shark vacuum that I've wanted for years. Buy the expensive vacuum people, it's worth every penny! 

Then the Stiles and Browns joined us for more celebrating. It was so much fun that I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. It has been a year since we have been together and I missed all of their faces! Another Christmas in the books, next post will be New Year goals! I can't wait! 

The original gang! 

The Dino hand puppets were also a hit! 

Gravy Cat Man! 

Check out those boots! 

I love my mug, Grandma Rosie helped him go get it! <3

This is fitting since we watched The Office a lot this year! 

Henry is going to be taller than me next year! 

Why don't people dress for dinner anymore?

I was so proud of how Purl handled all the company! 

My buddy Charlie!