1. Walk at least 500 miles this year (2 miles so far)
This goal got put the side this week. My husband brought home a flu-like cold from work last weekend, so we have been dragging slowly through the week just to survive. I am finally feeling like a human again, so I hope to log more than 10 miles this week to make up for the sad 2 miles I had last week.
2. Read two classics or nonfiction books each month Accomplished
One good thing about being sick is that I had a lot of time to read last week. I read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and How to be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery.
I really enjoyed How to be a Good Creature. It was a lovely real-life story of a woman who just really and truly loves animals. She shares life lessons from some of the more memorable animals she has encountered in her life (and there have been quite a few exotic ones as well…emus, tarantulas, an octopus, and a 300lb pig!) and does it in a beautiful way, so that you can see beauty exists in all forms of life:)
Now Rebecca has been on my “to be read” list for many years. I picked it up this week and just could not get into the story! So I “skip read” ahead (I occasionally will speed read through a book if I can not get into it at the beginning) and once I found out about who killed the first wife and why…well then the book got a lot better! So now I am rereading the book and enjoying it so much more this time around.
**In case you do not know much about this book, a young woman marries a man who recently lost his wife. As she moves into the man’s home she begins to be haunted with the memory of the first wife and struggles to get out of her shadow. It somewhat reminds me of Jane Eyre due to its gothic-feeling, but it gets more exciting when you start to figure out why and how the first wife died. So if you like eerie mysteries, this book is for you.
3. Learn to knit and crochet
No progress on this goal, but Emma knows how to crochet so I may get her to show me a few basic stitches this week.
4. Have two family game nights each month
We played Avengers Bingo and Crazy Eights this week while we were sick numerous times…
5. Have an outing with each child every month
Not yet
6. Buy nothing new this year
Nothing “new” was bought this week.
7. Publish a book
I had no motivation to work on anything last week due to illness, but hopefully I will start to edit Chapter One this week and get the ball moving on this goal.
8. Pay off our car loan
To save money for this goal, I gave myself a stricter grocery budget this month of just $100 a week (I usually spend $125-150 each week) **It also helps that gas has been below $1.89/gallon lately!!
I spent $66 at Aldi and $24 at Kroger this week, so I have $10 for odds and ends to make it to my next shopping trip. **I always forget the amazing deals that Aldi has on produce and eggs!
9. Complete one home improvement each month
Not yet. It is toss up between painting the stairs and replacing a bedroom door….
How are your New Year’s Goals going??
The Thrifty Educator 