@kmb770 Gretchen Rubin talked about other “summers” in a podcast I listened to recently. A summer of Proust would not be for me either!
Here are some suggestions for READING ones:
Summer of Harry Potter (reread the series or any of the below you’ve already read)
Summer of Lord of The Rings
Summer of Nancy Drew
Summer of Reading on The Deck (my favorite reading spot, the chaise lounge on the deck!)
Summer of Young Adult novels
Summer of Chef Biographies
The list could go on and on! It’s a whole summer so I’d pick something I’ve really eager towards!
Thanks for the suggestions! I love several of these and am leaning towards summer of outdoor concerts and summer of reading on the deck! We’re in Chicago so need to take outdoor time where we can get it!
Thinking of this thread today - in a week or so (end of month) I’ll be posting for everyone to take a look back at your list and see how you’re doing. But figure this first month a few extra reminders might be helpful!
Today is Monday and that means MEATLESS MONDAY - one of my list items for 2020. So far I’ve remembered each Monday to keep meatless! Tonight I’ll be making a veggie bowl with a rice/quinoa mix and will make a spicy peanut sauce to go with it.
This morning since I have the day off I also took a step towards another list item - learn more about baking bread. I did a no-knead bread recipe that I’ve done before but took the time to research comments and all to make it BETTER - and it was! A really nice cheddar herb boule!
The bread sounds delicious. I feel like I’m doing pretty well on making 2020 a happy year. I’ve done very well on the eat more vegetarian meals. I think I’ve done too well since my H now wants to have vegetarian meals every day. I make a lot of different grain bowls. I bought some pink rice last week at Whole Foods to add a new grain to the mix. I haven’t made a peanut sauce but it’s sounds delicious. My D is allergic to peanuts and while she doesn’t live with us she eats our leftovers a lot for lunch.
One of my goals for the year is to put myself on the top of the list. I’m doing a good job of speaking up for what I want. I highly recommend it. Your family might be shocked at first but they will survive.
Summer of reading from different countries
Summer of reading from people of color
Summer of reading award winners (maybe from different genres)
I’ve done quite a few of mine or am on track. So ten more days of tracking food. (No I have not read 50 books yet!) But I finished three this weekend that I was reading concurrently.
Thanks for the reminder! I had a strong start, then a couple of weeks off, but I did visit my mom yesterday, which was on my list, as well as a few other small things.
How is everyone doing with their lists? I have been walking and reading more. The rest of the list has been waiting as a few wrenches have been thrown at us, taking up time.
I do intend to keep working towards doing things on the list, just maybe slower than I intended.
I doubt I will get to all on my list, but they are good goals. I do have a tentative retirement date that I’m starting to talk about. I am free to change my mind up until the date, but it’s the closest I’ve felt to actually being ready to retire.
I haven’t been super productive the past two weeks, but there is still forward motion, so I’m trying to be positive. I was thinking about this thread today and wondering how everyone was doing; so glad that you posted.
I just looked at mine. I have “completed” a couple of things and have steered the course towards a couple things. Some of my items aren’t perfectly measurable.
Measurable:
Got a new haircut!
One item was “take two pottery classes” - I have taken one and the next is Feb. 22.
Then on some that will be an ongoing work in progress, have steered towards:
Meatless Mondays! So far, each Monday I have not had meat and have tried some new delicious dishes!
Make better use of lunch hour. I’ve gotten back to more purposeful walking for a lunch break when weather allows. I’m also bringing my Kindle to work and taking reading fiction breaks!
More Evening Reading, Less CNN - also have made good progress here - definitely less CNN!
Get own PayPal account – DONE
Get Venmo account – DONE
Do a will – after we meet with the financial planner
Drink less Diet Coke – So far so good
Write more
Walk more on days I don’t work out
Lose weight
Start with new dentist
Get new glasses
Figure out whether it’s my year for mammogram/pap smear – Both DONE because, yes, it was my year
Read five books
Work to elect candidates I support – absolutely!
Open 529 for ds1 – waiting for spring semester money to clear
Get better handle on how we spend our money – yep. Meeting with financial planner next month to plot retirement
Continue to further declutter bedroom – DONE
Continue to declutter office – DONE
Use up old gift cards – gotten through a few, more to go
Paint boys’ bathroom
Plant spring flowers
Get mantle for fireplace
I posted an update a few weeks ago, but here goes…
My new eating habits have become real habits. Less wine, sugar and processed foods. It has become a habit to plan and prepare a healthy, hearty salad on Sunday for my weekday lunches. I’m down 5.5 pounds.
A few things completed:
Finished a large jigsaw puzzle (with H)
Read a classic book - “Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton. Good story and writhing but slower paced than the modern fiction I usually read.
Social event with running buddies - we had a potluck dinner last night. (too much) delicious food, lot of laughs and were are planning another get together in a few weeks!
most of mine are specific things to do randomly spaces throughout the year, but I have also added a few more since I last posted.
Starting Jan 1 - Do a strict 12 week diet reset plan. (Has been going well)
5K in April.
Go to H's favorite beach motel during his spring break in March - He is supposed to plan this (huge step outside his comfort zone and it wouldn't surprise me if we don't go)
Continue to seek and do 1 fun thing/month with H that we didn't use to do. (Have done this!)
Attend older S' graduation May-June
Send younger S to study/intern abroad in May (process is going well)
Pick-up younger S and do a European summer vacation in Jun-July. (Cant plan until S is booked)
Help S move into apartment
1/2 Mary in fall
Book a cabin at a state park and hike with the family in October. (It's all booked!)
Finally hike McAfee's Knob at some point this year. The 2 Ss are on board. (Forgot about this one)
Go up to the top of the Washington Monument and/or (ditto)
Do the the White House tour (ditto)
Repeat last fall's cleaning process.
Read 20 books (I should finish book #6 today)
New
16. At least once/hour stretch at work. My body is jacked from 25 years of running/lifting hard and then sitting in a twisted up mess for 8 hours/day. I’ve been good with this the last month. I need to continue!
Be more complimentary to people I notice at the gym when I notice gains or good consistent effort. I notice this stuff, but I'm shy by nature.
During H's spring break, organize the attic. Ours isn't awful, but there's a lot to clean out and make neater.
A lot of my things are ongoing or not for right away.
Continue taking Chinese ink brush class once a week in NYC
Doing.
Go to a museum after class since I never do any work when I get home anyway
Gone twice
Paint regular watercolor once a week – minimum 3x3 (good Instagram size)
On track
See 1 movie a month – preferable a new release
On track
Read 50 books
Ahead of schedule
Say no to doing any legalization architectural work
Have a bid on something that got stop work order, so we’ll see
Say no to potential clients I don’t like on the phone
I think I’m okay here
Exercise 3x a week and find a tracking system that works for me
Tracking, but the exercise piece is not where I want it
Speaking of tracking, make my Bullet Journal work better
This is an ongoing effort
Eat vegetarian on weekdays
Cooking vegetarian on weekdays, but there are often leftovers from the weekend.
Track food for one month
Did it and will continue for the forseeable future
Start a book club with two old friends who were PTA presidents with me
Did send an email a few days ago, she’s out of town right now
Or at least play board games with them (see them every other month minimum)
Ditto
Update will, now that we finally know what our assets are
Still avoiding this one!
Set up a “When did I last ___?” page in Bullet journal, for chores, doctor appointments, car stuff etc.
Hey did it! Great idea if I remember to post in it
Hike at least every other week if weather is over 40 degrees and it is not raining.
Luckily it’s been cold! Have taken some short neighborhood walks with DH
Have a wine tasting party
Still haven’t done this one
Work on expanding friendship group, probably by getting to know people I like in the neighborhood better
On going.
Get a mini-split AC system
Made an appointment. As I feared, one side of the house no problem, other side probably too difficult.
Put a water feature in my garden so I can qualify for a Certified Wildlife Habitat® sign
This will happen in the spring.
I’m doing way better with this year’s list for some reason. A big help to me has been that my friend is doing this as well, and we do weekly (ish) check-ins to try to stay on track.
Read 50 books - on track
Meditate 4x/week- on track
Exercise 3x/week- on track
No dessert/drinks at home during the week-on track
Do a thank you project (2 letters per month)-on track
See a live performance once a month - yes
Start playing tennis regularly - yes, taking a class!
Watch 4 documentaries - not yet, but this shouldn’t be hard!
Complete at least one online course - working on it
Make at least one photo book - not yet
Go to 3 outdoor summer concerts/events - not yet
Do something special individually with DH, D1 and D2 at least once a month-yes
Do a quarterly family service project - not yet
Figure out/complete D1 pre-application college visits-yes
Have friends over at least 5 times - still need to plan
Try 3 new restaurants- 1 down!
.